NBC TV Series “Momma’s Boys” Showcases St. John Tonight

The U.S. Virgin Islands will make its 2009 primetime television debut tonight when new reality dating show “Momma’s Boys” airs on televisions across the country, at 10 p.m. EST on primetime network station NBC.

St. Thomas and St. John will set the scene for tonight’s episode, which is the first of two to feature the USVI. Next week’s episode, which airs on Monday, January 19, will take place exclusively in St. Croix for the season finale.

The Department of Tourism worked extensively with NBC to ensure that key areas throughout the USVI were prominently featured throughout the episodes.

The new NBC series, produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions and Glassman Media, follows three possessive, yet loving mothers who must help their complacent sons choose the perfect woman.

The six-episode series premiered on December 16 and has followed cast members from a mansion in California to the sunny shores of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, where the show will air its final two episodes and dramatic season finale in the USVI.

“We look forward to sharing the beauty of our islands with viewers nationwide,” said DOT Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty. “While we have no control over the actual content of the show, we were able to ensure that key areas on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix were captured throughout the two episodes as a result.”

Through a strategic partnership between NBC, the DOT’s film office and its New York-based public relations firm M Booth & Associates, the U.S. Virgin Islands was able to secure feature destination coverage of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John.

The first USVI episode will take viewers to the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort & Spa, Coral World Ocean Park and Ondeck Ocean Racing in St. Thomas, along with Cruz Bay, Mongoose Junction and Peter Bay on St. John. The final episode will feature key areas on St. Croix including Tan Tan jeep tours, downtown Christiansted and Fort Christianvaern.

“We have been working diligently to bring large productions such as these to our islands,” said Nicholson-Doty, Commissioner of Tourism. “NBC not only provided us with an opportunity to showcase our attractions to a large national audience, but the production also employed our local film industry, utilizing our experienced pool of talent and crew.”

“We expect the resulting coverage to highlight the many offerings of the U.S. Virgin Islands, both as a tourism destination and as a filming location,” said the DOT commissioner.

As a result of the film office’s efforts, the destination will receive approximately $36 million in broadcast advertising value and a national audience of close to 7 million viewers.  

During the shoot, the producers hired many of the destination’s local crew and services, including location managers and scouts, restaurants and catering, production assistants, and equipment services, representing a significant investment by NBC in the local film industry and economy.

In connection with the on-island shoot, DOT and its participating partners played an active role in ensuring the destination would receive substantial exposure throughout the show’s final two episodes. The episodes’ storyline and cast commentary were at the sole discretion of Ryan Seacrest Productions and Glassman Media and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Tourism and its participating partners.

For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, visit usvitourism.vi.