Summary
Love Island USAseason 6 has started off with a rocky beginning, and even with new host Ariana Madix at the helm,I think the series needs a complete overhaul to be successful if it continues. A spin-off ofLove Island UK,the USA iteration of the series has had some struggles in its initial seasons. The first three seasons of the show aired on CBS and were hosted by Arielle Vandenberg, but after making the move to Peacock and changing from a network seriesto a streamer hosted by Sarah Hyland, the show’s carried its issues throughout its life.
In its current iteration,Love Island USAishosted byVanderpump Rulesstar Ariana, and still employs many of the rules and twists of its inaugural season. Despite knowing that those who watch the show sometimes struggle with the near-constant stream of episodes as well as the way the series is run,Love Island USAhasn’t made any moves to change its format. I believe that after six somewhat lackluster seasons,Love Island USAneeds to be revamped entirely. If not, the series won’t be able to continue trying to reach its target audience after its current summer-long season concludes.
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Love Island USA Follows The Same Format As Love Island UK
It Doesn’t Deviate For US Audiences
Love Island USApremieredyears after its parent series,Love Island UK, and in bringing the show over to the US,the production team didn’t change much about the way the series runs. The premise ofLove Islandsurrounds a group of Islanders who live in a luxurious villa and try to form love connections with other Islanders, allowing them to match up to continue growing their bond while competing in compatibility challenges. The challenges allow the Islanders to get to know one another, for better or worse.
Throughout the span of theLove Islandseason, new Islanders called Bombshells enter the villa to shake things up and build different connections, causing drama. While the premise works well, the series translated for UK audiences from early on, while US audiences took time to adopt the show as something they enjoyed. By choosing not to tweak the format in any way,Love Island USAhas struggled to reach its target audiencesince its debut. By failing to make the show more US minded, I believe it’s been more difficult for the show to find success.
Love Island USA’s Suffered From Its Inconsistency
Throughout its run,Love Island USAhas been the victim of some serious inconsistency, which I think has damaged its brand for potential viewers.Love Island USAfirst debuted in 2019 on CBS, and though the premise and general schedule were the same as they’d been for the UK series, US audiences had a hard time following along with what was happening. AfterLove Island USAseason 1, the series had to figure out how to accommodate through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Love Island USAseason 2and season 3 were both filmed in different locations with various COVID protocols. Some of the rules had to change, and the locations shifting made things difficult to follow at times. After season 3, the show moved from CBS to Peacock, changing things entirely. With a new host and a new villa, viewers struggled to keep up.I think the inconsistency in the series with all of its changes has made it hard forLove Island USAto catch onthe same wayLove Island UKdid.
Love Island USA Airs Six Nights A Week (That’s Too Often)
It’s Over Saturating The Market
While it’s tradition forLove Islandto air in nearly real-time, much likeBig Brotherwithout the live feed element, it’s been tough for US audiences to acclimate to such a heavy schedule.Love Island USAbegan on network TV, which meant there were six nights a week that were dedicated to episodes of the show.This was confusing to US audiences right away, as there are rarely TV programs in the US outside of news broadcasts that air more than one or two nights per week.
After moving to Peacock, many wondered if the series would revamp its schedule, either removing some of the episodes per week ormoving to a model likeBig Brother, where live feeds of the villa were available. Instead of doing either,Love Island USAcontinued airing six nights a week.I believe that this high volume of content has put viewer off of the series, as it feels like too much of a time commitment to stay current watching the series. By over saturating things,Love Island USApushes viewers away.
Love Island US Should Stand On Its Own, Not As A Carbon Copy
It Needs Its Own Identity
Love Island USAhas too many elements of its UK counterpart to feel like its own show, and I think it would improve greatly if it could find its own identity. Right now,Love Island USAfeels likeLove Island UKwith contestants from the US, rather than its own entity. Instead of copying the series it came from,Love Island USAwould do better to take elements of the UK version to ground the show, then create a more US-style competition around them.
Though it may not be simple to revamp the show entirely,I thinkLove Island USAwould be far more successful if it tried to find its own footing. Potentially foregoing the high volume of episodes, changing up the way Islanders are coupled up in the villa, or even removing the element of having a host entirely could be interesting for the series, and could create its ownfootprint in the reality TV dating world. I thinkLove Island USAcould be far more successful if it had a concept of its own.
Love Island USA
Cast
Love Island is the American adaptation of the British reality dating competition. Hosted in a luxurious villa, ten singles aim to form couples over several weeks. Throughout the process, they face public votes and potential elimination, while new islanders join to challenge existing relationships.
