The Married at First Sight franchise could benefit from expanding with an LGBTQ+ spinoff. Married at First Sight is currently airing its seventeenth season after its debut in 2014. The popular Lifetime show has used Pastor Calvin “Cal” Roberson and Dr. Pepper Schwartz as the show’s experts tasked with matching the couples up each season. They’ve been joined by other experts, like Dr. Viviana Coles and Dr. Pia Holec, who have rounded out the team of matchmakers. However, the experts’ success rate has been low, at only 6% over the last three seasons. They have gotten it right for a lot of couples, however, who are still in lasting marriages.
Married at First Sight season 17 has been a very unique season. The show had its first runaway bride, after Michael’ Shiakallis’ original bride ditched him at the altar. Moreover, in another first, Michael was matched again and had a second Married at First Sight experience, and this one appears to be going much better. But other couples have already separated this season. Orion Martzloff and Lauren Goodger split after the honeymoon, and Cameron Frazer and Clare Kerr separated on their one-month anniversary. That left only two couples before the addition of Michael and Chloe Brown. Given the show’s entertainment value and potential for success, it could use an expansion.
Married At First Sight Explores Heterosexual Relationships
The Married at First Sight franchise has only ever matched heterosexual couples and presented straight relationships. International Married at First Sight networks have already showcased a gay couple, a lesbian couple, and a transgender participant, although no full season has been dedicated to matching LGBTQ+ couples. The show has always explored the dynamic between a man and a woman and has showcased some cast members who are big supporters of gender roles, like Olajuwon Dickerson, who was married to Katina Goode.
This season did make progress towards inclusivity when they cast and matched Lauren and Orion. Lauren described herself as a “certified lover girl” and as queer. Orion said that he had been on a date with a man before but that there were no sparks involved. By including Lauren and Orion in the mix, Married at First Sight has shown that they could potentially move toward an expansion with more LGBTQ+ cast members.
Reality TV Shows Are Trending Towards Inclusivity
Every year, reality TV has been trending towards inclusivity with their cast choices or by creating entire spinoffs around the LGBTQ+ community. Netflix’s The Ultimatum: Queer Love was pioneering and wildly popular in the reality TV spectrum, and a second season is already in the works. Having proper representation in the reality TV world is becoming more and more pivotal to a franchise’s success and perception. Married at First Sight should follow the trend and respect the LGBTQ+ community by either including more cast members who don’t identify as straight or by creating a new LGBTQ+ spinoff entirely.
Love Island USA featured the same-sex connection between Kassy Castillo and Johnnie Garcia, while MTV’s Are You The One? season 8 was made up of entirely gender-fluid or LGBTQ+ cast members. One of the biggest storylines on 90 Day Fiance season 9 has been cast member Sophie Sierra’s journey coming out as bisexual to her fiance, mom, and friends, and all her feelings surrounding her sexuality. Other shows like Ex On The Beach and Bachelor In Paradise season 6 have featured LGBTQ+ cast members. Many reality TV fans have also been begging for more inclusivity in their favorite franchise shows.
Married At First Sight Has No Plans For LGBTQ+ Spinoff
As of January 2024, Married at First Sight has no plans for an LGBTQ+ expansion. Having Lauren and Orion as cast members was a big step for the notoriously heterosexual show, so that might be a sign that the network is open to having more representation. The biggest Married at First Sight news in 2024 has been the announcement of an eighteenth season, which will take place in Chicago. The cast for Married at First Sight season 18 has not been revealed yet, so there is potential for more inclusive representation to be present among the cast.
Married At First Sight Franchise Could Benefit From Expanding
Not only could Married at First Sight benefit greatly by getting a new panel of experts, but the franchise as a whole could benefit from creating an LGBTQ+ Married at First Sight spinoff. At the very least, they should start matching queer couples. The show could gain a whole new following of fans, and the regular Married at First Sight show could run after the LGBTQ+ one ends, that way, fans don’t have to wait in between seasons. Married at First Sight has already proven that it’s a powerhouse show, and it could get even better with the addition of an inclusive spinoff.
The Married at First Sight franchise could help pave the way for more representation in reality TV by adding an LGBTQ+ spinoff. Lifetime Network could gain more notoriety were it to expand also. Instead of looking to Netflix or MTV for queer reality content, viewers could start looking to Lifetime more. Since the heterosexual Married at First Sight has not been coming up with many lasting matches, a new LGBTQ+ spinoff could change that, were the matches to be good ones with compatible people. A queer spinoff could breathe new life into the show that has been struggling to showcase healthy marriages.
While there may not be an LGBTQ+ Married at First Sight spinoff in the works right now, the franchise is likely feeling pressure to take note of the successes of queer shows. When The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On? expanded with The Ultimatum: Queer Love, fans of the show went crazy and were excited to have representation and to have a show with so much entertainment value. Were Married at First Sight to expand, it would certainly become a show a wider audience would watch, and it could boost viewership for the OG show.
