Show of the Week: Stranded on Honeymoon Island

Part dating show, part adventure format, Stranded on Honeymoon Island sees couples matched with a romantic partner by experts – and then promptly abandoned together on a deserted tropical island.

These fledgling relationships are put to the test as the couples live together and fend for themselves with few resources. Marooned and alone, they must communicate and collaborate to get by, with nowhere to run when the going gets tough.

“Very quickly we were able to visual this iconic image of a newly wedded couple standing alone on a deserted island in their drenched, torn wedding outfits – it’s something we haven’t seen before in a show,” says Rasmus Steentoft, creative director at Snowman Productions, which originated the format.

“During the development process we found a lot of studies that indicated when you go through really tough experiences together it can enhance attraction so the premise ‘can the toughest journey be the quickest route to love’ was the base line we kept coming back to.”

In each episode, crates wash ashore containing tools crucial to their survival, personal greetings from home, or even a little luxury to sweeten their day. After two weeks the couples are separated and return to civilisation, where they must make a life-changing decision ­– whether to renew their commitment and stay together or go their separate ways.

Before being stranded, the couples go through a special casting process, overseen by psychologists, with Steentoft explaining: “We devised a special speed dating casting event, where 30 men and 30 women all met each other for 30 seconds, after which four couples were picked to take part in the show, based on chemistry and feedback. They don’t know who they had been matched with though, so it was still a big surprise when they meet at the altar. Ultimately, we were looking for people who were adventurous – and wanted to find love.”

Steentoft says that the format is “very scalable” and reveals: “we are already working on a stripped version. The cast would need to be increased and a few more format pillars added, but that isn’t difficult.”

Meanwhile, Tim Gerhartz, MD of distributor, Red Arrow Studios International, says the show has broad appeal and suggests a primetime slot on linear commercial channels ­– particularly those that have strong VOD strategies.

“Reality shows really drive VOD take-up, but I wouldn’t exclude public channels, either. It’s a show that will attract a broad audience – all those romantics out there! It’s the next logical step in the dating reality genre,” says Gerhartz.

Producer: PIT
Distributor: Red Arrow Studios International
Broadcaster: VTM2 (Belgium)
Logline: Couples matched by experts are stranded on a deserted island. Isolated and pitted against the forces of nature, will true love blossom – and survive?