A US version of smash reality show Love Island is coming to screens this summer.
Set in Fiji and due to air on American broadcasting channel CBS, the new series is reportedly due to follow the same format as the UK version, according to the Daily Mail.
And American fans don’t even have long to wait – the show is due to arrive on screens as early as next month, on Tuesday 9 July.
ITV bosses are optimistic about the show’s chances at success across the pond: “We want to feel like the World Cup of reality TV,” ITV executive and Love Island executive producer David Eilenberg told Entertainment Weekly.
Certain elements of the UK show will not be appearing on the US offering, such as sex position demonstrations and particularly risqué swimwear choices. This is due to certain expectations from the US network CBS for content to be safer.
“We have to conform to broadcast standards, so what happens with language and — to some extent — what we see visually will be a little different because of the platform we’re on,” Eilenberg says.
That being said, plans are in place for various kissing games, so the show assuredly won’t be without scandal.
While Love Island has faced criticism for its lack of diversity – particularly in terms of inclusion of non-heterosexual couples – Eilenberg has stressed that diverse casting was at the forefront of his mind when putting the US version together.
“We’re open to seeing how the show can evolve over time, and I think when you see the US show that there’s been real thought put into the diversity of our casting,” he said.
