Do you hear that, Denver? It’s the sound of lights, cameras and action. And maybe even a little drunken mayhem up in your area.

MTV’s longest-running reality show, “The Real World,� has landed in Denver for its 18th season, intent on using the Mile High City as a backdrop for the Lifestyles of the Young and Not-So-Famous. The cast and crew have already been spotted at numerous places around town, and MTV is doing its best to keep the whole thing hush-hush.

So where does that leave us?

With this brand new blog, of course. Whether you’re a fan of the show or a skeptical LoDo resident worried about wannabe actors puking nightly on your doorstep, “Get Real Denver� will bring you the latest news and gossip about the seven-member cast, plus the behind-the-scenes stuff you don’t get to see on TV. And the best part is, we’ll bring it to you months before the show airs, right as it happens.

Because we’re nice like that.

Is “The Real Worldâ€? good for Denver? Why are they really here? Who are these people, and where in god’s name did they come from? Over the next few months we’ll try to answer these questions, plus provide a forum for fans and haters alike to duke it out. Our interactive, multimedia blog will let you post your comments, photos and feedback, chat with others, and eventually, get an accurate picture of the unfolding saga long before it hits your video iPod. We’ll also have a real-time webcam trained on the “Real World” house so you can check in whenever you feel like it and see what’s going down.

(The pre-renovation Real World house, courtesy of RealWorldHouses.com)

The “Get Real Denver� blog is a work in progress, and a first for The Denver Post. We want it to grow and change with the feedback of our readers. Our cast bios will eventually have photos and names for all the members. Our maps will track the movement of the crews as they flit around the city in search of film-worthy madness. We’ll immediately post info as we get it, sometimes even tracking the cast in real time as it moves around in a single night. Audio and video downloads will wrap it up in a nice little bow. So basically, don’t judge us too harshly yet.

A big part of the fun will be your feedback and messages. Why? Because MTV has already gone out of its way to restrict access to the show (especially to the media), by having cast members, bar and restaurant employees, and even cashiers at grocery stores sign confidentiality agreements. In other words, unless you’re willing to keep your mouth shut until the show airs, they’re not giving out any info. That means no talking to the media, under any circumstances, under pain of legal action, and no divulging the movements of the up-to 40-person crew of cast, camera, lighting, sound, producers, security, etc. The network would rather control all information about this carefully-scripted (but seemingly spontaneous) enterprise long before it ever airs.

That only makes our random sightings and hilarious stories all the more juicy. Watching “The Real World� peeps as they traipse through town will provide insights into the nature of TV commerce, the motivations of ad execs and aspiring actors, and especially, the lengths locals will go to in order to get a piece of the action. And partying. Don’t forget partying. These cast members are essentially exhibitionists actor/models looking for a long-term celebrity gig with MTV, as “Real World� appearances often lead to other opportunities like “Road Rules,� celebrity challenges, reunion shows, and the like.

So let’s get busy watching these people get busy…

More from Get Real Denver

• Comedy Q&A: Dave Attell
• Burlesque Q&A: Springtime in Paris
• A vacation in Thailand, and then it’s goodbye to Denver
• Have a Vampire Weekend tonight
• Are you a reality TV junkie?

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