MTV in the Paris Hilton BFF business

By M&C Smallscreen Mar 14, 2008, 17:55 GMT

03/07/2008 - Paris Hilton - © PRN / PR Photos

Paris Hilton and MTV are partners in reality once again.

The high-profile party girl and ex-prisoner, who has successfully parlayed one scandal after another into a lucrative brand gave TV a hit with “The Simple Life” on Fox.  Now she will appear in a 10-episode series tentatively titled “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF.”

In the new reality show, 20 contestants will live in a house and compete for the chance to learn how to live the celebrity life from Hilton. Viewers will be able to vote on potential contestants via a Web site ParisBFF.com beginning today.

Graden, Paris, Hirschorn: photo credit: April MacIntyre

MTV's Brian Graden announced that production is set to begin in May, with the series scheduled to air in the fourth quarter.

MTV’s success with similar shows such as Tila Tequila "A Shot At Love" and "The Hills" seems to insure that this show will enjoy a ratings boon too.

“It’s undeniable that the world is always talking about Paris Hilton, and the same could be said about MTV,” said Brian Graden, president of entertainment at MTV Networks Music Channels. “Paris is one of the most searched icons on the Web and has been the focus of everyone’s attention from TMZ to Forbes. Now MTV will reveal the life of Paris, turn her fans into friends and see what it takes to get close to one of the world’s most well-known personalities.”

The show comes from Ish Entertainment, the new production company set up by former VH1 executive Michael Hirschorn. Mr. Hirschorn and Stella Stolper will be executive producers along with Ms. Hilton.