The Hard Times of RJ Berger
Encyclopedia
The Hard Times of RJ Berger is a United States television comedy
series created by David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith
for MTV
. The show's central character is RJ Berger (Paul Iacono
) an unpopular sophomore at the fictional Pinkerton High School in Ohio who has an exceptionally large penis. Berger's two best friends are Miles Jenner (Jareb Dauplaise
), whose ambitions for popularity cause him to clash with Berger, and goth girl Lily Miran (Kara Taitz
), who has been lusting after Berger for several years. Berger's love interest is Jenny Swanson (Amber Lancaster
), a cheerleader who is involved with Max Owens (Jayson Blair), a popular jock and bully
. The show is presented as a coming of age
story and has been described by Katzenberg and Grahame-Smith as a blend of the television series The Wonder Years
and the film Superbad. The pilot episode premiered on June 6, 2010, and the first season of 12 episodes concluded August 23, 2010. MTV renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on March 24, 2011. Series creator Seth Grahame-Smith confirmed via Twitter in August 2011 that the series is canceled.
was used "strategically. Sometimes it's because we don't want to change a word that wouldn't feel genuine. And then, sometimes we'll take a word that we could get away with, but bleep it just because it's funnier if you think he's saying something even more horrible." The series is shot in a single-camera setup
on High-definition video
. Each episode of the first season was shot in three and a half days in a period of two months.
Each episode features an animated
segment; Katzenberg said "[t]he rules of our animated segments are to tell a story that we either can't afford to tell, or shows something that graphically we can't show." Each animated segment loosely resembles other animated stylings such as various types of anime, Rugrats
, Disney and other animated styles.
However, after a good start of season 2 with 3.1 million viewers and a less good end with less then 1 million viewers, MTV decided not to air a third season. This is a pity because of a huge cliffhanger at the end of season 2.
audience or an even newer audience, the raunchiness comes with it."
The series' recurring roles
include:
wrote that beyond the crass concept, the show is otherwise "a fairly standard high school-outcast tale", adding that fortunately for MTV "the show's derivative nature will be lost on a target audience barely in diapers during the initial run of 'Wonder Years'."
Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times
wrote that "[a]side from a few novel details, MTV's latest is a by-the-book geek sex comedy for the Apatow Generation
. In other words, a likely hit."
Barry Garron of The Hollywood Reporter
wrote that "even with its abundance of stereotypical characters", The Hard Times of RJ Berger "is endearing and relatable to its target demo[graphic]" and drew parallels between its characters and those of the sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
.
Willa Paskin of New York magazine
thought that the show's premise was faulty, noting that an enormous penis is unlikely to have much effect on your social life in high school.
on June 6, 2010. The debut generated 2.6 million viewers, making it MTV's most-watched series launch in the 12–34 age demographic since 2008.
Viewership for the series' second season ranged between just 765,000 and 1.37 million viewers with the series finale having 865,000 viewers.
August 23, 2010.
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
series created by David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith
Seth Grahame-Smith
Seth Grahame-Smith is an American best-selling author, screenwriter, and producer of film and television. He is best known as the author of The New York Times best-selling novels Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, both of which are being adapted as feature films...
for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. The show's central character is RJ Berger (Paul Iacono
Paul Iacono
Paul Stanley Iacono is an American actor. He appeared in the 2009 remake of Fame and was also the star of the show The Hard Times of RJ Berger on MTV.-Early life:...
) an unpopular sophomore at the fictional Pinkerton High School in Ohio who has an exceptionally large penis. Berger's two best friends are Miles Jenner (Jareb Dauplaise
Jareb Dauplaise
Jareb Dauplaise is an American actor. He played Wayne in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He has also appeared in a commercial for the restaurant El Pollo Loco...
), whose ambitions for popularity cause him to clash with Berger, and goth girl Lily Miran (Kara Taitz
Kara Taitz
Kara Taitz is an actress who stars as Lily Miran, a socially awkward and sex-crazed girl who has lustful feelings for the main character on The Hard Times of RJ Berger. Her on-screen debut was as Millicent, a recurring character on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Millicent was a quirky candy...
), who has been lusting after Berger for several years. Berger's love interest is Jenny Swanson (Amber Lancaster
Amber Lancaster
-Personal life:Lancaster was born in Tacoma, Washington. She attended Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma. In 1998, she won the title of Miss Washington Teen USA. She went on to join the Sea Gals, the cheerleading squad of the Seattle Seahawks football team. Lancaster was a member of the Sea Gals...
), a cheerleader who is involved with Max Owens (Jayson Blair), a popular jock and bully
School bullying
School bullying is a type of bullying that occurs in connection with education, either inside or outside of school. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or emotional and is usually repeated over a period of time.In schools, bullying occurs in all areas...
. The show is presented as a coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
story and has been described by Katzenberg and Grahame-Smith as a blend of the television series The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
and the film Superbad. The pilot episode premiered on June 6, 2010, and the first season of 12 episodes concluded August 23, 2010. MTV renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on March 24, 2011. Series creator Seth Grahame-Smith confirmed via Twitter in August 2011 that the series is canceled.
Production
Series creators Katzenberg and Grahame-Smith are the showrunners and executive producers. Each episode of the first season was scripted before shooting began. Some words would be censored; Grahame-Smith said bleepingBleep censor
A bleep censor is the replacement of profanity or classified information with a beep sound , in television or radio...
was used "strategically. Sometimes it's because we don't want to change a word that wouldn't feel genuine. And then, sometimes we'll take a word that we could get away with, but bleep it just because it's funnier if you think he's saying something even more horrible." The series is shot in a single-camera setup
Single-camera setup
The single-camera setup, or single-camera mode of production, is a method of filmmaking and video production. A single camera—either motion picture camera or professional video camera—is employed on the set and each shot to make up a scene is taken individually...
on High-definition video
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
. Each episode of the first season was shot in three and a half days in a period of two months.
Each episode features an animated
Traditional animation
Traditional animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand...
segment; Katzenberg said "[t]he rules of our animated segments are to tell a story that we either can't afford to tell, or shows something that graphically we can't show." Each animated segment loosely resembles other animated stylings such as various types of anime, Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
, Disney and other animated styles.
However, after a good start of season 2 with 3.1 million viewers and a less good end with less then 1 million viewers, MTV decided not to air a third season. This is a pity because of a huge cliffhanger at the end of season 2.
Themes
The Hard Times of RJ Berger has been described—by its creators and critics alike—as a cross between the teen-oriented television comedy-drama The Wonder Years (1988–1993) and the comedy film Superbad (2007). Grahame-Smith said that in talking with Katzenberg about developing the series, they "went back and talked about the iconic moments of being in high school, what were the most embarrassing, what were the most rewarding, what it was like to be embarrassed by our parents and struggling to attain the most beautiful girl. We found that the more we talked to each other and the writing staff, the more these universal stories emerged, and those are the stories we want to tell with the show. We want to tell the coming of age stories and the classic high school stories that every kid can relate to, or that every adult remembers from their time in high school." He added, "Yes, we're heightening them for comic value, but high school is a very over-sexed, profane environment for a lot of people, and we wanted to reflect that in the show." Katzenberg, commenting on the series' content, said that he and Grahame-Smith aimed to create "an updated Wonder Years that would really appeal to today's youth. For us to do that, I feel like we're reaching a new audience. Whether it's a Judd ApatowJudd Apatow
Judd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well known for his work in comedy films, especially for films he has been involved with throughout the latter half of the 2000s. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, a film production company that also developed the...
audience or an even newer audience, the raunchiness comes with it."
Cast and characters
The Hard Times of RJ Berger features five roles that receive star billing in the opening credits; in season two, three members of the recurring cast joined the main cast:- Paul IaconoPaul IaconoPaul Stanley Iacono is an American actor. He appeared in the 2009 remake of Fame and was also the star of the show The Hard Times of RJ Berger on MTV.-Early life:...
as Richard "RJ" Berger, the eponymous protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
; a nerdy, socially awkward but moral 15-year-old high school sophomore. He is shy, cynical, and generally ignored or picked on by his peers. He has been in love with Jenny Swanson since he first saw her and has since had constant wet dreams about her, but he's been too shy to proclaim his love for her, and is afraid of her boyfriend, Max's, retaliation. He is forced into the limelight when a fight forces several basketball players to be ejected from the game. Coach Sinclair tells RJ if he wants to continue skipping gym, he has to play. RJ puts on a uniform that is much too large for him. When he shoots the ball and misses entirely, his shorts fall off, followed by his jock strap and thus showing his large penis to the whole school. At first, he becomes famous, but after the initial episodes, his classmates go back to ignoring him. He claimed that his gift is a curse because when a Japanese girl he was tutoring English began to give him oral sex, she choked and almost died (according to RJ). After his brief but sudden popularity, he decides to begin an active social life and pursue his ultimate goal of winning Jenny's love. In the season 1 finale, he loses/gives his virginity to a hospital-bound Lily, out of guilt proclaiming that it "was the right thing to do". He and Jenny start dating in the second season, though their attempts at intimacy are regularly foiled by Max and a vengeful Lily. He and Jenny break up after RJ's father, (at the time the English substitute teacher) uses Romeo & Juliet as a metaphor to convince RJ & Jenny that they may be destined to remain friends. RJ and Jenny mutually agree to break up after several 'bumps' in their relationship: Jenny finds out RJ had lied to her about being a virgin (he gave his virginity to Lily)/RJ and Jenny had nothing in common/ they get into arguments about Jenny's self consciousness (in a previous episode she became obsessed about a pimple breakout)/ RJ felt unsupported in his problems (mainly being unpopular and his parents divorce)/ RJ starts to have a crush on his tutor (Amy). RJ soon dates Amy, eventually resulting in the fact that he has fallen in love with her. Towards the end of the second season, Amy almost breaks up with RJ when he and Jenny are nominated Mr. and Mrs. Pinkerton, but he patches things up in the end of the season. RJ ends up winning Mr. Pinkerton, with Jenny, beating Max and Robin. RJ also finds out that Max is gay (he found Max making out with another student in the locker room) and tells Max he won't tell anyone until Max decides to come out; he does tell Jenny though. When Lily arrives in tears, she tells him that she's carrying their baby. - Jareb DauplaiseJareb DauplaiseJareb Dauplaise is an American actor. He played Wayne in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He has also appeared in a commercial for the restaurant El Pollo Loco...
as Miles Jenner, RJ's comical, immature, overweight, sex-crazed, and often vulgar best friend. He is obsessed with becoming popular and scoring with girls, he appears to be an antithesis to RJ's moral values. He often carries a video camera with him. When he discovers RJ's secret, he persistently encourages RJ to use it to become popular so he can become popular too. He has a frenemyFrenemy"Frenemy" is a portmanteau of "friend" and "enemy" that can refer to either an enemy disguised as a friend or to a partner who is simultaneously a competitor and rival. The term is used to describe personal, geopolitical, and commercial relationships both among individuals and groups or institutions...
relationship with Lily and is constantly insulting her physical appearance. He suffered a number of losses early in life, including the death of his mother and the "suicide" of his cat. He also has an older brother named Chet, who is shown to be a crazy Iraq War veteran. He lost his virginity to a substitute teacher which resulted in him catching crabsCrab louseCrab lice are parasitic insects notorious for infesting human pubic hair. The species may also live on other areas with hair, including the eyelashes. They feed exclusively on blood...
. Miles finds out along with other people that Lily is pregnant with RJ's baby due to RJ losing his virginity to her. - Kara TaitzKara TaitzKara Taitz is an actress who stars as Lily Miran, a socially awkward and sex-crazed girl who has lustful feelings for the main character on The Hard Times of RJ Berger. Her on-screen debut was as Millicent, a recurring character on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Millicent was a quirky candy...
as Lily Miran, socially awkward, and sex-obsessed girl who has a lustful infatuation for RJ and constantly chases him much to his dismay. Despite RJ not returning her feelings, she hopes to get him to notice her. It was revealed that she has been chasing after RJ since childhood - they kissed in kindergarten - and then still she was very perverted. She has an unusual fashion sense and is frequently dying her hair; it is revealed that she makes her own clothes in episode 11. She and Miles constantly antagonize one another. RJ asks Lily to the school dance in episode 11 and Lily confessed her attraction towards RJ started since they were in second grade as she claims she is "the happiest girl in the world". Lily then gets hit by a bus. In the season finale, RJ feels bad for leaving Lily alone at her hospital bed so he goes back to her. When she wakes up, she and RJ have sex in the hospital bed. Soon after RJ leaves, though, her vital signs flat line. Lily is alive in the Season 2 premiere, although, her fate was unknown until then - especially that the episode opens with a funeral. When RJ tells her that he only had sex with her out of pity and that he still went to the dance with Jenny, this makes Lily both angry and sad. Afterwards, Lily appears to want revenge on RJ for her humiliation and will stop at nothing to foil his relationship with Jenny. She and RJ eventually rekindle their friendship; she even sparks a friendship with Jenny. Lily then starts dating Hamilton and they form a heavy relationship, until the second season finale where Lily reveals to RJ that she is pregnant with his baby and wonders what she and him will do next. - Jayson BlairJayson Blair (actor)Jayson Blair is an American actor, known for his role as school bully Max Owens on the MTV sitcom, The Hard Times of RJ Berger.-Filmography:* Detention of the Dead - Brad* Special Investigations L.A. - Tom T....
as Max Owens, an arrogant, selfish, dimwitted and obnoxious stereotypical school jock and RJ's main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
. After RJ stood up to him in the first episode, Max swore to humiliate RJ at all costs as a punishment. He was Jenny's boyfriend in the first season and is aware of RJ's love for her, which sparked jealousy. In the season finale, just as Max is about to fight RJ for kissing Jenny, Miles tackles him and starts punching him repeatedly in the testicles, giving RJ the chance to leave. He is now dating Robin Pretnar, Jenny's ex-best friend and head cheerleader. He still actively antagonizes RJ for stealing Jenny (despite that his relationship with Jenny ended before she started dating RJ) and Miles (for assaulting him at the formal). In the second season episode "Steamy Surprise", RJ discovers that Max is secretly gay when he sees him making out with another student in the high school locker room showers. RJ decides to keep Max's secret, although he does tell Jenny. Max breaks up with Robin after a tape is played where she called him stupid and says he's just a pretty face. - Amber LancasterAmber Lancaster-Personal life:Lancaster was born in Tacoma, Washington. She attended Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma. In 1998, she won the title of Miss Washington Teen USA. She went on to join the Sea Gals, the cheerleading squad of the Seattle Seahawks football team. Lancaster was a member of the Sea Gals...
as Jenny Swanson, RJ's primary love interest; a beautiful, popular, and down-to-earth cheerleader. Though she represents the stereotypical cheerleader, she is sweet and open-minded, as opposed to the other popular students. She later gets RJ to tutor her and trades email addresses with him, which implies she has an interest in him. She is impressed with RJ after he stands up to her boyfriend, Max, and by RJ's overall morality. In the season finale, RJ and Jenny share a kiss before a concerned RJ returns to Lily's hospital bed. She and RJ start pursuing a relationship in season two. However, Jenny soon discovers that RJ lied to her and their relationship falls apart. They ultimately end it in friendship. At the end of the second season, Jenny wins Mrs. Pinkerton along with RJ as Mr. Pinkerton beating Robin and Max.
The series' recurring roles
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
include:
- Beth LittlefordBeth LittlefordElizabeth Anna Halcyon "Beth" Littleford is an American actress, comedienne, and television personality. She is perhaps best known for being one of the original correspondents on the popular Comedy Central satirical news series The Daily Show from 1996 to 2000; she is also known as Tripp's mother...
and Larry PoindexterLarry PoindexterLarry Poindexter is an American actor and singer born and raised in Dallas, Texas.-Life and career:Poindexter is currently best known for his role in 2003's S.W.A.T., where he played by the book LAPD Captain Tom Fuller who went head to head with Samuel Jackson's Hondo...
(the roles were upgraded to main cast in season 2) as Suzanne and Rick Berger, RJ's parents. They fail to level with their son and will sometimes embarrass him even when they try to make him feel better. They are also portrayed as sexually adventurous (of which include engaging in group sex and Suzanne performing in porn). At the end of the season 2 premiere, they tell RJ they are getting a divorce, since Rick lied to Suzanne about his unemployment which put the family in debt. Suzanne would begin a relationship with Jeriba Sinclair which results in a full time relationship during the season until Rick shows back up and woos her with the poem he wrote the first time they had sex. It appears that Rick and Suzanne make up in the end of the second season but it is unclear how much they have patched back up. At the end of the second season, it is revealed that Rick and Suzanne will be grandparents due to Lily being pregnant with RJ's baby. - Marlon YoungMarlon Young (actor)Marlon Young , sometimes credited as Marlon Chopper Young is an American actor.-Filmography:-External links:*...
(the role was upgraded to main cast starting Season 2) as Jeriba Sinclair, Pinkerton High's basketball coach and gym teacher; he is also RJ's guidance counselor, though he is very sarcastic and unsupportive and gives RJ questionable advice. He begins to date Suzanne after she and Rick separate in the season 2 premiere, much to RJ's disgust. After the majority of the season, Jeriba decides to ask Suzanne to marry him and when he attempts to propose, Rick shows up and ruins his plans and his relationship with her crumbles after she decides to make her marriage to Rick work, making him angry at RJ and he then returns to humiliating him once again. Once Lily's pregnancy is revealed, Sinclair tells RJ that he won't be the only one making RJ's life hell next year. - Ciena Rae as Robin Pretnar, Jenny's ex-best friend and fellow cheerleader; she was Miles' love interest though she not only hates but despises him and prefers to not acknowledge his existence. However, when Miles spread a rumor that he motorboated her breasts she challenged him to a fight and beat him up. She is Max's girlfriend in season two and she now claims to be the status of the school's "queen beeQueen bee (subculture)A queen bee is the leader of a female group, a clique's leader, usually a popular young lady. Characteristics often associated to her are a pleasant appearance, charisma, skill in manipulation, and monetary power. She is sometimes portrayed as the Head Cheerleader, Prom Queen, Homecoming Queen,...
" and is shown as being very cruel, snobbish, and domineering towards the other cheerleaders. Max ends up breaking up with her after he finds out that Robin called him stupid. - Caitlin CrosbyCaitlin CrosbyCaitlin Crosby is an American singer-songwriter and actress.-Life and career:While in junior high school, Crosby began playing music in church bands. During her teenage years, she was accepted into Beverly Hills High School theater program, where she first began her acting career...
as Amy, RJ's math tutor, introduced towards the middle of season 2. She has a "geek-chic" vibe, and always acts relaxed and down-to-earth. RJ is assigned to be tutored by her when his grades drop, and chemistry between the two develops. RJ asks her out in Season 2, Episode 7, "You, Me, and Weezer", and at the end of their date to a WeezerWeezerWeezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
concert, they kiss. Later they eventually have sex but afterwards, she almost breaks up with him after finding out that RJ and Jenny were on the ballot for "Mr. and Ms. Pinkerton High". RJ then declares his love for her during his speech and she accepts him back and she says that she loves him as well. - De'vaughn Nixon as Hamilton, a "gangster" student who first appears in Season 1 as a one-time character, and then becomes a recurring one in Season 2 when he starts dating Lily after they meet in school therapy. He is extremely smart (having an IQ of 170), and actually a nice guy.
- Adam Cagley as Kevin Stern, an overweight, indolent nerd who is acquaintances with RJ and Miles though neither can stand him. He uses a mechanical chair to move himself. He is also a member of the Model United NationsModel United NationsModel United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
Club. He plays a pivotal role in a few episodes, his biggest during a time when RJ and Miles have a fight and call off their friendship, so he becomes Miles' new best friend albeit temporarily. In the season 2 premiere, "RJ's Choice", the episode begins with the students at Kevin's funeral. Kevin's scooter crashed through a window in a donut shop. It is at his funeral it is revealed that he was adopted by an African-American couple.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... release date |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere Season premiere In North America, a season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a given television show. It often airs in September or October, after several months of reruns.-Evaluating the changes:... |
Season finale Season finale A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program... |
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||
Critical response
Brian Lowry of VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
wrote that beyond the crass concept, the show is otherwise "a fairly standard high school-outcast tale", adding that fortunately for MTV "the show's derivative nature will be lost on a target audience barely in diapers during the initial run of 'Wonder Years'."
Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote that "[a]side from a few novel details, MTV's latest is a by-the-book geek sex comedy for the Apatow Generation
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well known for his work in comedy films, especially for films he has been involved with throughout the latter half of the 2000s. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, a film production company that also developed the...
. In other words, a likely hit."
Barry Garron of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
wrote that "even with its abundance of stereotypical characters", The Hard Times of RJ Berger "is endearing and relatable to its target demo[graphic]" and drew parallels between its characters and those of the sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1963. The series and some episode scripts were adapted from a 1951 collection of short stories of the same name, written by Max Shulman, that also inspired the 1953 film The Affairs of Dobie Gillis with Debbie...
.
Willa Paskin of New York magazine
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
thought that the show's premise was faulty, noting that an enormous penis is unlikely to have much effect on your social life in high school.
Ratings
The pilot episode of The Hard Times of RJ Berger premiered on MTV after the 2010 MTV Movie Awards2010 MTV Movie Awards
The 2010 MTV Movie Awards was the 19th annual ceremony which took place on June 6, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Aziz Ansari served as a host for the 19th annual ceremony. Voting the nominees began from a list of eligible contestants on March 29, 2010, and ended on April 9, 2010...
on June 6, 2010. The debut generated 2.6 million viewers, making it MTV's most-watched series launch in the 12–34 age demographic since 2008.
Viewership for the series' second season ranged between just 765,000 and 1.37 million viewers with the series finale having 865,000 viewers.
Media information
The first season of The Hard Times of RJ Berger was released on DVD through Amazon.comAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
August 23, 2010.