Where is airing: MTV
For what age: 12+
How many episodes in 4 season: 22 episodes
The diverse group of three Americans, three Europeans, and one Australian arrive in their Notting Hill home for the next six months. St. Louis native and racecar driver Mike and Oregon native and theater aficionado Jay room together, while German DJ Lars and Brit rock star Neil double up. All-American NYU students and athlete Kat and Australian supermodel Jacinda share a room. London native, singer Sharon, who sleeps with the lights on, gets the single. The group's vibe is pretty friendly, but it might be because they come from different cultures and are initially kind and accepting of unfamiliar people. Or it could be just because it's the first day.
Kat and Neil's attraction to each other causes problems for another roommate and for Neil's girlfriend, Chrys. Mike goes into culture shock when he finds there's no ranch dressing in the supermarkets.
Mike and Neil's differences are exposed as Neil explains that Mike represents everything about Americans that he is "not too happy about". Mike has no problem being labeled as "so American". He has great pride in his home land and tries to describe the most important holiday in America, Super Bowl Sunday. On Valentine's Day, Jacinda receives gifts from her boyfriend in New York. Neil also receives a gift from his significant other, but his gift doesn't seem to be as warm and touching as Jacinda's. Chrys sent him a pig's heart impaled with a nail, with white roses around it. She meant it as a joke, but he fails to see the humor in it. Despite Chrys' morbid personality, it is clear that Neil still loves her. However, Neil and Kat have expressed attraction to each other, but don't pursue the next level of intimacy
Sharon's career as a singer is threatened when she decides to undergo surgery to remove a nodule on her throat. The operation is a success, but her tougher test is not talking for a week to rest her vocal chords. She lasts less than a day. Lars goes out and tries hit the London DJ scene. He meets with the heads of KIIS FM, but the job they offered is not what he thought it would be. He wants to promote parties and DJ in clubs, which is difficult for someone new to London who has few connections.
Mike meets with the prep team he wants to race with, but can't find a sponsor. He is reluctant to ask his father for help but does so out of desperation. His father says that he won't help him if he is racing in London but will give him a free ride if he goes back home. Kat continues to train for the junior Olympic trials held in San Jose, Calif. She heads to the Golden State but doesn't fare too well in the tryouts. Despite her disappointing finish she heads back to London and is noticeably calmer and happier with herself.
Another day on the job! The cast looks for employment to hinder their boredom. Jacinda continues modeling, although she is beginning to dislike it more with each job. By the end of the episode, however, she decides that modeling really isn't so bad because the money and experiences make it worth the effort. Mike finally gets a job as a rollerblade instructor and makes relatively decent money, considering what he actually does. Sharon applies for a waitressing job and quits after the first day. She then becomes a salesperson at a technology fair and does an amazing job, so she sticks with it. The cast is finally getting a sense of what living in London is like and is beginning to accept the cultural differences. Mike and Jay are considered the "night crew" because they stay up late at night and get up at around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. They do nothing but sit around, watch TV and play basketball, so the rest of the cast gets a little upset about the fact that they literally do nothing.
The cast finds themselves worrying about Neil after they watch a performance of his band. While singing, Neil begins flirting with a very inebriated man in the audience. In the middle of a song, Neil bends down to kiss this man and the stranger bites off Neil's tongue! There is an exorbitant amount of blood and he is rushed to the emergency room, where he is given 15 stitches. He's unable to eat, drink or talk and has to record his confessionals with a computer program that would speak everything he wrote. The cast is very sympathetic but also has a good time making fun of him. His girlfriend also helps him in his time of need. Meanwhile, Jay is on a hunt for a theatre in which to perform his play, "The Bedroom". He finds a great place called the West End Theatre, but the owner tells Jay that he can't afford it and recommends other more suitable places. Jay also continues on his writing kick and stays up all hours of the night to write the perfect screenplay. One night he decides to wr
Jacinda'a boyfriend Paul arrives and, despite their differing attitudes towards their relationship, find they are still in love. Jacinda and Paul buy a puppy, much to the dismay of her roommates. Jacinda begins taking flying lessons. Mike admires Lars' ease with meeting women when they go clubbing. An ex-exchange student friend of Mike's from Germany, Mia, provides a diversion for him. Jay lectures Mike about how he treated Mia. Jacinda is comforted by her new puppy, Legend when Paul leaves.
This episode centers on Mike's racecar driving and his efforts to find a sponsor. His dad, brother and stepmother come to visit him and nag him to get a job. His dad was a former racecar driver and has a fascination with Lola brand racecars. After the family does the tourist thing, they head down to the Lola factory and Mike's dad convinces Lola to become Mike's sponsor. The relationship between Mike and his dad has drastically improved since his family came to visit him in London and Mike is very excited about this. Jay has a visit from his girlfriend Marisa and they have a wonderful time reading poetry and hanging out, but in the end, they decide it's better to just take things easy.
The peaceful quality of life at the loft ends when the phone is disconnected. In order to have service reinstated, the roommates must come up with 530 pounds, a task that proves challenging because the girls have all lost their wallets. Jacinda's irresponsibility about Legend and his messes also cause conflict in the house. The roommates all pick on Sharon. Lars gets angry with Jacinda when she doesn't take his attempts to collect phone bill money from her seriously. Lars confronts his roommates about their irresponsibility when his bike is stolen.
Destination unknown! The group takes a weekend getaway to the north of England. None of the group is overly excited to spend the weekend together but they know it must be done. The rest of the weekend mimics an episode of Road Rules, as there are different challenges that the group must conquer together. This includes building a raft that eventually sinks, climbing a high wall and dangling on a high ropes course. Throughout the adventures, Sharon has issues as she is scared and is not a fan of heights. Jacinda is not very sympathetic to Sharon's needs and the two get into a tiff about their differences on the last night of the trip. The rest of the group begins to notice that they constantly make fun of Sharon but she never takes offense. The group apologizes, and Lars gets on his knees and tells her how special she really is. Awwâ?¦
Start up your engines! Mike gets familiar with the racetrack. He wants to race and kick some butt to earn respect from the roommates. Mike has problems with his car and he tries to find out what's wrong. The roommates support Mike and show up at his race. Sharon and Kat get emotional and are very proud of Mike. He doesn't win, but the roommates still think he's a winner
Who wants to go to the theatre? The cast transforms their flat into a stage for Jay's play, "The Bedroom". The play is about his true-life experience and how he felt at age 17 without his father. He confesses to the cast that he had to go to court against his father so that his stepfather could legally adopt him. His birth father ends up sending him a letter while in London and the two plan to meet up sometime during his 5-month stay in the brisk city. The rest of the cast helps out with his performance by operating the lights and giving moral support. When he finishes his performance, both his acting and writing abilities astound the rest of the cast and the other guests.
Love is in the air. After Jay produces his play, the flat is turned into a discotheque/concert hall. Neil performs with his band while Lars DJs. The cast members begin to drink heavily and Mike is obviously the most inebriated. He begins to confess his feelings for Jacinda and she shafts him by telling him he has no chance and that he never will. Mike ends up hooking up with a woman named Hannah whom he does not treat very well, but she still pays attention to him and appears to really care about him. Kat also makes a friend named Sebastian who woos her with his motorcycle, but they take it slow since he is leaving the next week for Israel.
The roommates decide to visit the ideal home show convention where Sharon works. The roommates cause trouble for Sharon. Kat is taking classes and loving her post modernism courses. Sharon gets upset that none of the roommates understand her feelings and emotions. Kat prepares for her monologue. During her performance she chokes and gets very down on herself. Sharon gets very sick, but none of the roommates believe how sick she is. She stays in bed for days and there is no progress with her condition. She gets so ill that she goes to the hospital for a couple of days. The roommates visit her and show just how much they care about Sharon by bringing her flowers and gifts.
Jay is homesick and decides to go home to Portland for a few days. He is a bit nervous about seeing his "girlfriend" Alicia but things fall right into place once they are finally in each other's arms. Jacinda becomes the instigator of the group by persuading Kat to get naked and streak the streets of London with her. She also convinces Neil to go with her when she gets her tongue pierced and nearly passes out. The rest of the cast has mixed feelings about Jacinda's new piercing and are beginning to realize just how crazy she really is. Jay comes back to London realizing that all he needs to leave this show with is an experience.
The roommates bond and share some dinner. Mike confesses that he does not know much about himself. The girls cruise around town, checking out some area for sightseeing. Jacinda expresses her beliefs about the Bible in an argument with a man on the street. Lars parties too much and has tons of fun with the roommates. The roommates decide it's time to be silly and wacky in their confessionals.
The cast accuses Mike of being a womanizer because he calls women derogatory names like "bitch". He meets a young woman named Nina whom he actually cares about and is not in the relationship just to "shag". Kat falls for an English man, a friend of Sharon's, named Spencer. He takes her to a friend's wedding and the two begin spending a great deal of time together. Lars finds a woman whom he really digs and the two plan to rent a convertible and spend a romantic day together. But on the way to her house, Lars hits a bump and gets a flat tire. The two do spend the day together but end up taking a train to the south of England.
Sharon has band rehearsal and her nerves get the best of her. Once she relaxes she does a great job. Lars wants to get to know more promoters. Neil is suffering from poverty and is forced to put on a suit and hunt for a job. Sharon, who is never on time, shows up very late to a rehearsal. All of the roommates need money. Lars and Neil search for talented DJs for a show. Lars succeeds at the job because everybody had a great time at the club.
Jacinda goes to Rome and Milan for photo shoots. Her stubborn attitude makes her frustrated with both shoots. Mike goes home to race and does extremely well. He discovers that he misses London and his roommates. He comes to the conclusion that America is not all that it's cracked up to be and realizes that he can do well in England.
The roommates receive the exciting news that they are headed for Kenya. They fly to the middle of nowhere, caravan to the camp and climb a nearby hill to watch the sunset. They speak with the native Masai warriors and learn that the Masai way of life is disappearing. They visit a native village and go on safari. After setting up camp for the night, the Masai prepare to slaughter a goat for dinner. Sharon, a vegetarian, refuses to have anything to do with it.
The weeklong trip to Kenya continues with the slaughter of a goat for dinner. The Masai drink the goat's blood after hugging it. Neil tastes the blood, too. Sharon objects to the hugging of an animal and sits by herself on the hill. A warrior goes to talk to Sharon, and she eventually comes to terms with the goat's passing. She will fast as an act of protest, after the fact. The trip brings the group closer together. The guys discuss what they've learned from each other. Even Sharon is brought out of her shell. The trip ends with a balloon safari, and the roommates return to London as close friends, looking forward to their last week together.
