A TV Wedding like you’ve never seen beforeCBS is preparing to launch a new reality series about finding a soulmate, but unlike the popular “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette”, the bride and groom will not really have a chance to know each other before the wedding. Will “Arranged Marriage” be a success for the channel… and the couples? TV production company Magical Elves (known for Top Chef and Project Runway) are tackling a new and ambitious project: bringing the ancient Asian practice of arranged marriage into 21st century American homes. The basis of the series will be finding four people willing to marry the person their families and close friends choose for them. After the wedding, cameras will follow the couple during their first year of marriage to see how successful the match is. At the moment, Magical Elves is issuing casting calls left, right and center, with the message:
The program’s website http://www.arrangedmarriagetv.com/ has more information on the show, including the philosophy behind arranged marriages: “it’s a way of finding a lifelong mate that works in many cosmopolitan cultures of today, and over the course of their first year of marriage, four couples will show us how our own culture can embrace and make love work – when marriage comes first.” Arranged marriages (not to be confused with the illegal and odious forced marriages) are common in Asian communities where family values are paramount. Traditionally, the parents of the bride and groom meet up and exchange pictures and information on their offspring; if the young ones (and the families) are found to be compatible then they get to meet one or several times and are given a choice to marry. These marriages have a surprisingly high rate of success, estimated at 85% by some sources. Of course, the cultural aspect helps a lot – as we had discussed in a previous article, Asian singles are not afraid to fall in love, unlike the wary and commitment-phobic singles that trawl online dating sites. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens when somebody from this side of the world decides to put aside their preconceptions and accept to marry the person chosen for them by their nearest and dearest. Magical Elves is very upfront about what the making of the show will entail: “If you are chosen, cameras will be a part of your life, off-and-on, for one year. It will be a documentary-style show, so you will lead your life and we will be the fly on the wall. This will be a tremendous, exciting and, as in all relationships, sometimes difficult journey, as you show us the ups and downs of life in the first year of the rest of your life.” Could you be the one? Email arrangedmarriage@magicalelves.com to apply and find out more, and don’t forget to let us know how it goes! |
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