'Simple Life' Filming Plans Moved to City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – After getting the cold shoulder in a rural town, Paris Hilton (search) and her reality show are now headed for the city.

The celebrity heiress and her Fox reality show, "The Simple Life," (search) whose plans to film at a school in nearby Buena Vista Township were dashed, will instead film this week at a city fire station.

"Some guys are excited about it," said fire Capt. William Brooks, who heads an engine company at the Chief John J. Jasper Jr. Memorial Fire Station, where filming is slated for Friday.

Firefighters have signed waivers for production company Bunim-Murray Productions and agreed to remain mum about the filming. Brooks would not give details or say whether the city would be paid by producers. Fire Chief John J. Bereheiko did not return telephone calls seeking comment Tuesday.

The show's third season, which premieres Jan. 26, has the 22-year-old Hilton and co-star Nicole Richie (search) traveling the nation, working as interns in a series of menial jobs.

On Monday, Buena Regional School District officials who had planned to put the two to work as middle school substitute teachers and cafeteria monitors withdrew the welcome mat following an uproar from parents and others. Opponents called Hilton a bad example for young children.

Producers had approached school officials in December, offering $5,000 for the right to film at the J.P. Cleary Middle School. School officials liked the idea, and sent permission forms and a letter from the show's production company to parents last week.

But some said Hilton — who achieved notoriety in part through a pornographic home video — had no business being around children. Others feared that the show would lead to ridicule for their small community 30 miles west of Atlantic City.

"It's a no-brainer," said John Krokos, 59, who helped rally opposition to Hilton. "You don't bring this type of person into a school with 11- or 12-year-old kids in it."

The opposition prompted school officials to reconsider.

"The show will not come to Cleary School," Buena Regional School District Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo said Monday night. "They needed a commitment from us right away, and we didn't feel like we could do that," she said.

It was a mutual decision reached with show producers, according to DeGiacomo, who said 340 parents had signed and returned the permission forms needed for their children to be filmed.

Only 34 refused to give permission, she said.

"Generally, it's our policy not to comment on shows while in production," said Todd Beck, a spokesman for Bunin-Murray Productions. "But I can tell you we've decided to proceed with other production plans for `The Simple Life' interns. We appreciate the support and interest of local school officials and wish everyone well."

He would not comment on the community's opposition or about plans for the episode being filmed in Atlantic City.