Its lack of diversity has been one of the main criticisms leveled at the dating program Love Island over the years.
Better racial representation as well as more reasonable beauty standards for both men and women have been demanded.
The fact that older contestants have been requested by viewers may be the reason ITV has decided it's time for an entirely new format.
This fall, the show My Mum, Your Dad, which has been dubbed the "middle-aged Love Island," will premiere.
Davina McCall, 55, who is "so excited" to be a part of the show, will host it.
A group of single parents who have been nominated by their children—who, we are assured, are adults—will be given the opportunity to find love once more.
They will have unique life experiences, according to ITV, who claims they were chosen from all over the UK.
Unlike Love Island, they won't live in a neon beanbag-filled villa in South Africa or Mallorca; instead, they'll have a country house retreat.
However, there will be a twist: the kids whose parents volunteered to be contestants will be watching everything nearby and will even have the opportunity to play matchmaker.
As they decide whom their mother or father dates, the kids could be actively involved in selecting their new stepparents.
The format was actually developed by Greg Daniels and his daughter Haley, a US screenwriter and television producer, not ITV.
Greg Daniels co-wrote the script for the popular sitcom Parks and Recreation and has worked on The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live.
The show was broadcast in two different countries last year: the US and Australia.
It was well received in the US, thanks in large part to Greg Daniels' influence on the show's humor and the plot twist involving the contestants' kids.
The HBO Max show's casting, however, was also criticized; Joel Keller of Decider called everyone on the show "pretty good looking.".
It will be interesting to see what ITV comes up with for the UK version of the show because this was also true of the Australian version of the program.
Having previously hosted Big Brother on Channel 4 for more than ten years, Davina McCall is no stranger to reality television. She currently makes an appearance as a panelist on The Masked Singer on ITV.
In an interview with Steven Bartlett for his podcast Diary of a CEO in January 2023, McCall claimed she was "literally begging" the network to let her host a TV show about older people finding love.
McCall expressed her joy that her wish had come true in a statement released through ITV, saying, "Thank goodness the secret is finally out! I've been bursting to tell! I'm so excited to host My Mum, Your Dad - this show will have you so invested in the people in it.
As they look for their ideal life partner, these fascinating, active people have already lived extraordinary lives and have learned a million life lessons.
"However, with the most tantalizing twist of any program I've ever worked on. ".
With two seasons of Love Island currently airing and one series already having been broadcast this year, ITV already has a sizable reality TV lineup.
ITV may be looking for new formats because the most recent summer series isn't doing as well with viewers as earlier ones.
Then there is Big Brother, whose ITV2 premiere date has been postponed but which, if it airs in the winter, may compete with My Mum, Your Dad for viewers' attention.
The team is "really excited to be bringing this brand new format to ITV1's mainstream audience," according to Paul Mortimer, who oversees reality TV at the network.
As we follow the emotional and motivational journeys of single parents trying to find love again, My Mum, Your Dad is poised to be a relationship show with a difference, he said.
"With Davina at the helm, this dating-themed series, which has previously primarily been targeted at younger viewers, will be updated for adults. ".
Lifted Entertainment, who also oversaw the success of Love Island, will produce the program for ITV.
Richard Cowles, the company's director, stated that despite the show's popularity, he wants to remind viewers that "dating isn't just about young people.".
With a very different cast of singles this time, we can't wait to introduce this new dating format to the UK, he continued.
Despite coming from different age groups, they have the same, straightforward goal: to find love. Furthermore, the stakes are even higher for single parents. We're excited that Davina is in charge of teasing out these incredibly relatable stories in a heartwarming and enjoyable manner.
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