There wasn’t much star power at the first set of swag suites – venues for vendors to get their products in front of celebrities, who in turn get to take home the products for free – this year, what with the ongoing writers strike dampening usually glitzy and glamorous awards ceremonies and events, particularly the Golden Globes. However, the call of free assorted products and merchandise was still heard loud and clear by a number of personalities, although most were not necessarily of the A-list kind.

One of those personalities spotted at a swag suite was Chrissy Schwartz, star of MTV’s reality series Newport Harbor.  The toothy teen was spotted with a couple of friends as they sported huge grins and carried tons of nicely-wrapped goodie bags in their arms.

Missing in all the swag-suite action was Schwartz’s boyfriend, Clay Adler, who also stars in Newport Harbor.  The couple’s whirlwind romance was followed closely on the show, with the two going through the usual bumps of high school and long-distance relationships.  At the end of the show’s second season, the lovebirds were seen sharing a kiss under a mistletoe.

Meanwhile, the Newport Harbor star wasn’t the only reality TV personality to hit the various swag suites.  The Hills‘ Lauren Conrad attended the gifting party at the Kari Feinstein Winter Style Lounge, making sure to get photographed with the free goods.

Although there weren’t many high-profile celebrities at last month’s swag suites, there was a still a handful who decided to join in on all the fun.  Taryn Manning (Hustle & Flow) was seen chatting up with hair expert Ted Gibson at the Silver Spoon suites at Voda Spa in West Hollywood, while Michael Madsen (Free Willy), Joan Collins (Dynasty) and Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives) dropped by the Secret Room event at the Metro Couture boutique in Brentwood.

Over at Kari Feinstein, television stars like Entourage’s Emmanuelle Chriqui, Rex Lee and Jeremy Piven, Chuck’s Zachary Levi and Joshua Gomez, Bones‘ David Boreanaz and 24’s Elisha Cuthbert were on hand to grab some of the free items.

Source: buddytv.com

Last December, MTV brought back Newport Harbor for a special feature called Home for the Holidays, which ended its four-episode run earlier this month.  At present, fans are treated with reruns of the much awaited reunion that featured the Chrissy Schwartz, Clay Adler, Allie Stockton, Grant Newman, Chase Cornwell, Taylor Geiney and Sasha Dunlap as they return home to celebrate the holidays, and deal with new rivalries, love triangles and more family drama, but for how long?

Though it hasn’t been confirmed, several sources are strongly suggesting that there’s another season of Newport Harbor is being strongly considered and is expected to air some time in August.

While getting another run of Newport Beach would certainly make the show’s avid supporters happy, the news might not be music to the ears of those who consider the show lacking of cattiness, bitchiness, rivalries, and dramatic moments that its predecessor, Laguna Beach, is famous for.

For those who are not familiar, Newport Beach serves as the replacement show of MTV’s Laguna Beach, which aired three seasons from 2004 to 2006.  Similar to its predecessor, it’s a reality series that documents the lives of several teenagers in a traditional narrative approach.

The show made its debut in August, introducing a group of young people living in Newport Beach, California and attending Newport Harbor High School.  The first season followed their adventures as they make friends, spark new attractions, suffer heartbreaks and compete for the affection of the same love, while dealing with typical high school issues.  It was the most watched program in its time period among viewers ages 12-34 across all of cable, with over 37 million total viewers during the entire 8-episode run.

Given the numbers, it wouldn’t be that surprising if MTV picks up Newport Harbor for yet another season.

Source: buddytv.com

“After that post about the end of Laguna and the new show in development in Newport, I received lots of questions, so I just wanted to address them here by posting a few Frequently Asked Questions. Please note that I have no part in the show and the information I have is gathered from sources and locals who have reported this to me.”

Laguna Beach is over for good. How will this affect Virtual Laguna Beach?

MTV has made it clear that in the event that Laguna Beach ends, the show will live on virtually and the Virtual Laguna Beach game would continue to operate online. There is a chance that if the new Newport series secedes that a Virtual Newport Beach might be created.

I really wanted to see the season 3 cast end in their senior year. What has happened to them?

I covered this in the last section of this post. To sum it up, Breanna and Rocky became friends again, Tessa moved away to her home town of San Celemente and does not talk to her Laguna friends much anymore, Rocky continues to date Alex, Breanna found a new boyfriend, Kevin, Kyndra decided to attend Laguna Beach High School for her senior year (in the past, she was home schooled), and all the typical Laguna stuff like Winter Formal. The LBHS Class of 2007 will celebrate Prom on June 2 and graduate on June 21.

Why did MTV decide to end Laguna Beach?

MTV decided to end Laguna Beach, one of the most popular reality series in MTV history, for many reasons. First of all, MTV and the producers noticed how the show declined in ratings big time during its third season. The reason behind the decline in ratings was because after season 2, the cast that everyone had watched for the show’s first 2 seasons had all graduated and moved on. The old cast leaving and the introduction of a whole new cast caused the show to loose viewers. I guess that the producers just didn’t want to risk airing another unsuccessful season of Laguna Beach and instead work on a different show, in a different location, with a different cast.

What is MTV doing in Newport, and when will we see the show?

MTV is currently working on a new reality drama similar to Laguna Beach in Newport Beach, a beach town made famous by FOX’s The OC, and just a few miles away from Laguna. The show is still in pre-production and development. Currently, reports coming from Newport tell us that MTV has begun casting at Newport Harbor High School, but nothing is official right now. I’m thinking that casting will happen soon, if not already, and filming will continue for a period of 6 months similar to the filming schedule of Laguna Beach. So I’m thinking we will see this new series sometime in 2008.

Source: mtvrealityblog

Chris of MTV Reality Blog sent me a very nice e-mail saying this will answer our questions regarding the future of the show. With some good research by Chris, I guess we can stop looking for rumours about Laguna Beach and call the following post a confirmation.

I’m sure you are all confused on the future of MTV’s hit reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. I was too, and just last week, I was set to get to the bottom of this. Would there be a Season 4? I asked Laguna Beach Season 3’s Breanna Conrad via her My Space page, and she was kind enough to respond with:

“I’m sorry, but I really don’t know too much about season 4. MTV called all of us (season 3 cast) to let us know they were going with a new cast.”

And in response to another message, Breanna says:

“Thank you so much. That was a very sweet message. It was fun to do the show for one season, but it really wasn’t my thing. It’s been great for Lauren because she is finally getting her fashion line that she has always dreamed of. The whole sex tape rumor made me realize how being a celebrity isn’t all good. I’m really happy with my simple life right now. I heard that MTV is working with a group of kids in Newport Beach to do a similar show. I don’t have any other details.

Yes, you heard it right. There will be no fourth season of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. MTV is calling it quits on Laguna Beach all together and moving 11 miles up north the Orange County coast to another familiar O.C. beach town, Newport Beach, for a brand new reality drama.

I’m sure all 0f the cast was very sad to hear the news that they wouldn’t be featured in another season of Laguna Beach, except for maybe one, Breanna. She has seen her older sister Lauren grow up in front of the MTV cameras, which has helped and hurt her. It helped her gain celebrity status, an internship with Teen Vogue, and a fashion line. This fame didnt come easy for her though. Lauren has had to pay dearly for it by becoming a new target of the paparazzi, bloggers, and tabloids. She has had to deal with jelaous friends, people wanting to be with her just because of her TV fame, and a big rumor on the internet recently that she had a sex tape with Jason. Things like this are what made Breanna happy with how everything turned out for her. She’s happy that she got to try out Laguna Beach for a season, but as she says “I’m really happy with my simple life right now”.

As for that new reality drama MTV is currently developing in Newport? That’s still in pre-production and they are still seeking permission from the city and getting ready to go on their search for an all-new cast. Who knows? They might find the next Stephen, Kristin, or even Lauren. Starting off fresh in a brand new O.C. beach town, but with the same concept, is going to do great things for the show. Maybe they can finally get permission to film in school. I’m sure the producers are just hoping that the city of Newport Beach accepts the MTV camera crews and this new reality drama better than the city of Laguna Beach did.

So.. I hope all you fans of Laguna Beach have enjoyed watching for the past 3 seasons and aren’t too disappointed, because a show that could possibly be even bigger and better is currently in development.

Check back here for more updates!
Chris

Source: Chris at MTV Reality Blog