Shannen Says

Shannen Says is about the wedding of Shannen Doherty (pictured in 2008) and Kurt Iswarienko.

Shannen Says documents the events leading up to Shannen Doherty's wedding to Kurt Iswarienko. It was Doherty's third wedding; she previously married actor Ashley Hamilton and poker player Rick Salomon, these marriages ended in 1994 and 2003, respectively.[2] Doherty previously worked on reality television as a host for Scare Tactics and Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty and as a contestant on the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars.[3][4] Developed under the working title The Shannen Doherty Project, Shannen Says was first announced by WE TV on July 20, 2011.[5][6] According to the network, the show was intended to portray Doherty from a more intimate perspective.[6]

WE TV senior vice president John Miller identified the series as part of the network's strategy to "present stories that showcase the wild ride of modern-day life from a woman's perspective".[5] Prior to Shannen Says, WE TV was already associated with wedding-themed shows, such as Bridezillas and My Fair Wedding with David Tutera.[7][8] Variety's Jill Goldsmith cited it, alongside Braxton Family Values, Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?, and Mary Mary, to discuss WE TV's focus on celebrity-based reality shows.[9]

Shannen Says was initially going to be developed by Doherty's production company, No Apologies Productions, to air on another television network. The series was instead picked up by WE TV after Doherty rejected the previous network for making the material too sensational.[10] Miller approved the show's pitch because he believed Doherty was "unfiltered, honest and vulnerable" and said: "I would watch her go to a supermarket ... She's insanely compelling."[6] Doherty referred to Shannen Says as her agreement with Iswarienko to "chronicle this time in our lives and let future brides and future grooms know that [it's] not just you [who] goes through the stress".[3] Likening the show to a wedding video, she described it as a documentary rather than a reality show, and saw herself as an actor not a reality personality.[11]

Doherty and Iswarienko were inspired by the filming and production styles in Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and Deadliest Catch. Doherty questioned if a show could be "brutally honest, that completely raw, but with the quality of those two shows where you do use different cameras and you do want it to look spectacular". They purchased an expensive new camera to film the series since they wanted it to be "a cut above the rest as far as our crew and how it looks".[10] Doherty intended for Shannen Says to provide a more authentic look into her life, in contrast to her public persona and acting roles.[12] This idea was carried over into the show's opening ("Everyone thinks they know you"), which she wrote.[13] She viewed the filming techniques as an important part of this goal, saying: "It had to be honest, it had to be truthful, and it had to look fantastic."[10]

Doherty watched reality shows by Tori Spelling and Kim Kardashian (pictured left to right, both in 2009) in preparation for Shannen Says.

The series was produced by No Apologies Productions and RelativityReal.[13][14] Episodes were filmed over a seven-week period at the couple's home in Malibu, California, and nearby locations.[15][16] Production began in August 2011, and the wedding took place and was filmed on October 15, 2011.[17][18] Pictures from the wedding were published in the November 2, 2011, issue of Us Weekly.[19] Doherty and Iswarienko were executive producers for the series, along with Kathleen Iswarienko, Russell Heldt, and Tom Forman.[14] Initially concerned about the lack of privacy during filming, Doherty felt more comfortable when the bedroom was set as off-limits for the show.[10][12] To prepare for filming, Doherty watched Keeping Up with the Kardashians and former Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Tori Spelling's reality show about her relationship with husband Dean McDermott.[15] Despite this, she resisted comparisons to Kim Kardashian's publicized wedding to and divorce from basketball player Kris Humphries.[20]

David Tutera, a wedding planner and host of My Fair Wedding with David Tutera, acted as Doherty's event planner.[21] The series also featured Doherty's friends, Roxana Zal, Tim Bitici, and Roger Castillo and her mother, Rosa.[15][22][23] Professional dancer Louis Van Amstel and real estate agent Chris Cortazzo guest-starred in one episode.[24] Doherty said Twitter users enjoyed how her mother chose to appear more natural rather than being styled by the show's crew.[15]