The U.K.'s Biggest Dating Show is Coming to America
[MUSIC]
Looks like Bachelor in Paradise is getting a little bit of beachside competition next year. According to Vulture, CBS just picked up the rights to create its own version of Love Island, arguably the U.K.'s biggest dating show. Unfamiliar? Think of it as a mashup between BiP, Jersey Shore, and another CBS powerhouse, Big Brother.
Like Paradise, Love Island plops a cast of attractive folks in a tricked-out seaside mansion in the hopes of creating steamy scenes and all the drama that comes with looking for love (and being put under the scrutiny of TV cameras). Unlike BiP, viewers get to vote for their favorite couple at the end of the season and the pair can either share the ￡50,000 prize (approximately $65,000) or argue over who gets what. So, there's a bit more strategy involved for the denizens of Love Island than just hooking up. It's not only about finding love, it's about finding love and winning the hearts of America while they're at it. Anyone looking to get a taste of what's to come can catch past seasons of the U.K. series on Hulu.
"Love Island has been a massive success overseas," Sharon Vuong, senior vice president of alternative programming at CBS, told The Hollywood Reporter. "We're thrilled that ITV has partnered with us to bring their most successful show to American television. Having seen the reaction of audiences across the pond and around the world to this most recent season, we expect American viewers will be captivated by this engaging format."
RELATED: We’re, Like, 80 Percent Sure We Know Who the Next Bachelor Is
Currently, Love Island airs on ITV2 and has been on the airwaves for four seasons. Just how big is it, though? BARB, the British ratings service, reports that 15% of the British viewing population tunes in, which means about 2.8 million viewers can't get enough of the show. There may be a bit of a format change when the show airs, however. ITV2 airs Love Island six nights a week. That would be a huge commitment for CBS, so it's unlikely to be an exact copy of the show when it arrives on America's shores. There's no official air date just yet, but Deadline says to expect it next spring or summer.
CBS is hoping Love Island follows in the footsteps of Big Brother, another U.K. import. If the network can snag its very own version of Bachelor Nation—and it looks like Love Island has everything to get exactly that—the show is sure to be more than just a summer fling.
