Behold, the latest chapter in reality television’s neverending slew of ideas: a dating show centred around the fuck boy. Coming to HBO Max later this year is Fboy Island, a 10-part series that explores the novel idea of finding love in a world where nice guys and fuck boys all seem one and the same.
The show is created by the former executive producer of The Bachelor Elan Gale and Love Is Blind showrunner Sam Dean, so you know that whatever’s to come is going to be both compulsive viewing and completely batshit crazy.
The premise of the show is this: on a tropical island (of course), three women gather to find the love of their lives. 24 men arrive to vye for their affection: 12 are butter-wouldn’t-melt nice boys, and 12 are bin-fire blokes who can’t hold down a relationship and treat women like shit. They are, it would appear, the ‘fuck boys’ in this situation.
What ensues is a competition in which the men have to wind up being chosen by one of the women — a bit like a reverse The Bachelor — but there’s cash at stake. Can a fuck boy cosplay as a nice boy for the sake of taking home the show’s top prize? We’ll have to wait and see!
The show, produced by STXalternative, has already completed filming in the Cayman Islands and is set to premiere this summer with American comedian Nikki Glaser presenting. “… as a massive fan of this genre, hosting this show was a true dream,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to hosting for the next 43 seasons. I knew going into it that a show created and produced by the people behind my two favourite shows – The Bachelor and Love Is Blind – was going to be insanely good, but this one exceeded my expectations. I already know what happens and I can’t wait to watch it every week.”
Sounds like this show, one rooted in the absolute mayhem that is heteronormative culture, will be our next reality TV obsession. Keen to take part? Well, with series one under wraps and with that exciting/ominous promise of 43 further seasons coming our way, rest assured that you may be able to find your own Kyle Scheible from Lady Bird later down the line. Fingers crossed!