Broadcast is really getting bawdy again. And Fox is the latest throwing its hat into the sexy reality game with a revival of short-lived competition Paradise Hotel.
The show, which was an international hit despite running for a mere one season on Fox (and a brief 2008 revival on MyNetworkTV), comes from reality heavy-hitters SallyAnn Salsano (Jersey Shore Family Vacation), Becca Walker (Love Island) and Celia Taylor of format originators Mentorn Media.
The new Paradise Hotel, like the 2003 original, will drop a group of singles into an exclusive tropical resort where there are opportunities for both hooking up and making out like a bandit. The cast will vote one of their own off each week, with social media allowing viewers to influence what happens onscreen. The winner will take home a cash prize (and, potentially, some variety of communicable disease).
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“When love, power and money are the stakes, doing the right thing can sometimes take a back seat,” said Salsano, whose 495 Productions has seen great success on MTV with its Jersey Shore revival. “Guessing who will do what’s right to find ‘the one’ while others are focusing on the jackpot makes this super exciting. This time around, viewers using their social media feedback to influence what happens onscreen is a game-changer and will keep us all on edge.”
Fox, riding an unscripted high on the wild launch of The Masked Singer, is just the latest network jumping on the genre’s sexy bandwagon. USA just revived Temptation Island, and CBS won a competitive U.S. rights battle for U.K. smash Love Island. They join the enduringly successful romantic antics of ABC’s Bachelor franchise and its two spinoffs.
“Paradise Hotel was a show ahead of its time, and this incredible team of producers plan to take it to the next level,” said Rob Wade, Fox’s president of alternative entertainment and specials. “The format allows for a delicious mix of love, drama and humor with a uniquely Fox twist. By using fresh interactive elements, it enables fans to orchestrate the show’s narrative, making it can’t-miss television for a new generation of viewers.”
Paradise Hotel was part of the wave of off-the-wall reality shows that longtime genre czar Mike Darnell (now at Warner Bros. TV) brought to Fox during his tenure at the network. But the dominance of American Idol ultimately prompted the network to go in a more polished direction.
The show is currently casting. Requirements include being single and at least 21 years old.
