UPDATED, 6/28: Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell will co-host The Real Love Boat. The series premieres Oct. 5 at 9 p.m. ET.
“After years of consuming, arguing about and dissecting unscripted television, hosting a reality series where a group of singles look for love while aboard a Princess Cruise ship, seemed like a dream come true,” said the husband-and-wife team in a joint statement. “When we heard it was aboard THE REAL LOVE BOAT, that dream got an iconic theme song – ‘we promise something for everyone.’”
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CBS will try again to launch a successful dating show by ordering to series The Real Love Boat, a reality competition series that’s inspired by the classic ’70s series that took place on Princess Cruises ships. The U.S. network and Australian Broadcaster Network 10 will jointly commission localized versions of the show that will bring “singles together to cruise the Mediterranean on a luxury cruise ship while looking for love.”
“Like the beloved original scripted series, the indispensable crew members including the ‘captain’ and the ‘cruise director’ will play pivotal roles in the matchmaking and navigation of the romance and sometimes turbulent waters ahead,” according to CBS. After a month at sea, a winning couple will take home a cash prize along with a — you guessed it — a “once in a lifetime” trip with Princess Cruises, which will serve as the series’ exclusive partner.
The Love Boat aired from 1977 to 1987 on ABC. The IP for series is owned by CBS Studios which, along with CBS and Network 10, are Paramount Global brands. Production will begin this summer and both versions will air in the U.S. and Australia later this year.
“The Love Boat is a timeless, romantic concept with universal appeal, and we’re excited to reimagine this popular series for audiences in two different countries,” said CEO and President George Cheeks in a statement. Cheeks is also the head of global content strategy for Paramount’s free-to-air networks, including Network 10. “One the heels of NCIS: Sydney, today’s announcement is another example of our global franchise strategy to use our rich intellectual property and vast international footprint to develop new content for viewers around the world.”
CBS recently tried its hand at matchmaking with Love Island, which kicked off in 2019 and lasted for three seasons. The show then moved to Peacock, which has ordered two seasons of the series that’ll premiere this summer.
The Real Love Boat is produced by Eureka Prods in association with Buster Prods. Chris Culver, Paul Franklin and Wes Dening serve as executive producers for Eureka. Casting is underway.
