The Big Picture
- Netflix acquired the rights to the reality dating show Temptation Island, adding it to their portfolio of popular shows.
- Temptation Island features four couples who separate and live with singles on an island, putting their relationships to the test.
- The show includes bonfires where couples watch footage of their partners’ interactions with singles, adding drama and jealousy.
Netflix has announced they will be bringing Temptation Island to their ever-growing portfolio of reality dating shows. The U.S. streaming service behind hit shows like Love Is Blind, Love Island, and Too Hot To Handle, to mention just a few, will be the third home for Temptation Island. The show first aired for three seasons on Fox in 2001 and then later for five seasons on the USA Network in 2019. Netflix has now acquired the rights in a deal with series producer Banijay Studios North America and will give “a new take” on the dating show. It is also expected that Netflix will be able to stream all previous seasons of Temptation Island on its platform. Filming for season 6 is scheduled for May 2024 in Los Angeles, with casting calls for contestants already being advertised. Previous seasons of Temptation Island were filmed on the picturesque islands of Maui and Kona in Hawaii. The show’s location for season six has yet to be confirmed, nor has a date when the show will air, though it is expected to be broadcast later this year.
Unlike most dating shows, what makes Temptation Island stand out from the others are the eight suitors heading out to the sun-kissed island in search of love. The eight, are four couples in current relationships. The reason these couples are willing to put their infidelity to the test, apart from the opportunity of being on television, is because they are all at a crossroads in their relationship. Therefore, they are ready to take the plunge, feet first, to find a more compatible partner, or not. To test this out, the eight castmates may well find themselves cheating on the person they came to the island with. And all under the gaze of reality TV cameras and the millions of viewers at home watching. Based on couples from previous seasons, those that entered Temptation Island have been together between 1 and 11 years. However, no couples can be married or have children together. During season one, a couple was disqualified and kicked out of the island after it was revealed they had a child together.
Couples Separate to Test Their Love in ‘Temptation Island
Upon arriving at Temptation Island, the four couples will spend their days apart from one another, living in separate villas on the island. The men live in one villa and the women in another villa. Season 5 saw eight single women and seven single men brought to the island to mingle, flirt, and even have sex with reciprocal decoupled castmates. Each of the couples has agreed to live separately with a group of singles from the opposite sex, for the entire stay on the island. Socializing with 15 single, beautiful men and women is a recipe for high drama. Especially because they won’t reconnect with their partners until the end of the show’s filming. So, the fun and games from the partying singletons will be a constant temptation.
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The show’s host who guides the couples on their journey of self-discovery is Mark L. Walberg (not to be confused with actor Mark Wahlberg), who has been the face of Temptation Island throughout all the series. It is not sure whether the veteran TV host will continue to front the show under Netflix ownership. However, some clues suggest he will remain at the helm for season 6. Walberg tweeted this message soon after news broke that Temptation Island was moving to Netflix. “So many things I wanna tell you but I can’t. yet. We’ll talk very soon.”
Separation Brings Temptation For The Couples
In part, Netflix’s new dating show reveals whether being away from your partner, in the face of temptation, will help you to realize how much you love your partner. The flip side to that would also recognize you are ready to move on with someone new. Temptation Island previously aired its episodes weekly over two months, with the cast being on the island for one month, and separated from each other for their entire stay. During those four weeks, they would spend every day with the singles in their villa, including with the three other halves of the couples. Over time, the single men and women who did not form meaningful connections with the castmates, are sent home.
The eight castmates get their own rooms in the villas, while the singles share a communal space. However, this can change if they get an invitation to one of the castmate’s bedrooms or bed. To bring attention to this much-anticipated event between a castmate and a singleton, a red light comes on, lighting up the entire villa. Everyone from the villas will know that someone’s significant other has “given in to temptation.” Nobody knows for sure who’s cheating on whom, but suspicion, confusion, and anger will be rife.
On ‘Temptation Island,’ Nothing is Hidden
Throughout the series, the four couples will be invited to attend bonfires at which they will see footage of what their partners got up to with their newfound friends. In another part of the show, the singles can send a video message to castmates, usually the ones they have been sharing mutual affection with. This also gets played by the partner of the castmate, clearly adding more drama and jealousy between them. At the end of filming, the couples will have the choice to leave together, go with the person they met on the island, or go home alone.Temptation Island also has its reunion shows after the series ends, where the couples have more opportunities to discuss what happened on the island. This is normally a heated affair between the couples and singles and is the most viewed part of the series.
Looking back on all the previous 8 seasons of Temptation Island, out of the 33 couples, 9 stayed together, while 24 parted company straight away or soon after. 8 found someone new on the island, but most of those broke up afterward. This would suggest entering Temptation Island doesn’t bode well in securing a lasting relationship. Whether Netflix can change those failure rates only time will tell. But perhaps what is more intriguing to viewers is will the choices the couples make on Temptation Island bring them closer together or farther apart.
Previous seasons of Temptation Island are currently available for streaming on Peacock Watch on Peacock
