MUMBAI: Fox Television Network, that has broken ground in the past with reality shows like Temptation Island (voted off air by Indian viewers) and Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire, now has its sights set on a show that seeks to make matches on the telly.
While in India, Sony Entertainment Television's attempt to fix marriages with a Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hai fell flat, with production house UTV obliged to stop shooting after the first phase, the Rupert Murdoch owned Fox has apparently decided this is what America needs.
According to a Reuters report, the network is developing Married by America , a weekly reality series that sets participants up with arranged marriages. The American viewing public will play matchmaker, voting on which couples will get engaged.
Married by America, is scheduled to go on air by early 2003. The network will search across the US for people tired of trying to find a suitable date and are open to the idea of having a marriage arranged for them,
In the show, both the man and the woman will be unaware of each other's identities, balancing the scales of power between them. However they will have at least a few weeks to know one another before taking the final plunge.
The show starts with four to five people who want to get hitched being chosen. A larger group of men and women are then chosen, who will act as choices for the first group. This happens in the first episode.
The next episode sees members of the second group being questioned about their background, personality by family members and friends of people in the first group. Two finalists are chosen and then viewers have to cast their vote as to which of the two finalists should hook up with their potential mates. The finale will have the couples announcing whether they will go ahead or call the whole thing off.
This is not the only reality theme concept out there at the moment in the US. ABC also plans a show which will see members of a family squabbling to win riches of a wealthy benefactor, CBS is said to be developing a real-life version of The Beverly Hillbillies.
