Will ‘Love Island’ be Too Raunchy for the CBS Audience?

On July 9, the international reality show sensation Love Island makes its American debut on CBS. The show has gained recognition worldwide for its juicy drama, addictive storytelling, and shocking NSFW moments. The show basically throws a bunch of sexy singles on an island and forces them to couple up in order to survive. As the days go by, new singles are introduced, and they can steal partners from existing pairs. As the weeks go by, singletons left solo are dumped from the show. It’s a sensual musical chairs that includes steamy challenges and a lot of butt shots. All of which leads us to ask: is Love Island too raunchy for CBS’s American audience?

EW‘s James Hibberd recently reported on the show’s bold entrée into the American network’s primetime summer line up, and he wrote, “[S]ome elements will invariably be toned down. The U.K. version’s omnipresent thong swimwear, rougher language, and some of the content (games where Islanders demonstrate their favorite sex positions on one another, for instance) probably won’t pass muster on the home of NCIS and Blue Bloods.”

Yeah, probably not.

The British Love Island is a celebration of hookup culture. Stars introduce themselves in their smallest, tightest swimwear, and the situation demands that coupling up and cuddling happen as soon as possible. As the weeks bore on, the drama heats up, especially since exes have to live close to one another even after the coupling is over. Trivia games are played with an emphasis on kissing, and telling embarrassing secrets. The ITV version is also unrated by American standards, so f-bombs fly, swimsuits are skimpy, and the villa itself is decorated with cheeky double entendres. Oh, and there’s sex. Actual sex. After all, couples are forced to sleep in the same bed whether they like it or not.

EW asked Love Island’s executive producer David Eilenberg if CBS had asked them to tone it down at all, and the answer is sort of. Eilenberg confirmed that much of the structure would stay the same, including those make out games, but that the rules of American network TV demanded that some tweaks be made.

“We have to conform to broadcast standards, so what happens with language and — to some extent — what we see visually will be a little different because of the platform we’re on,” Eilenberg said.

How different remains to be seen — especially since the promo features recycled footage from the British version. Americans curious about the original are in luck, because the first four seasons of Love Island are available to binge on Hulu, with the current season scheduled to drop soon. The original Love Island is a charming and addictive romp. The contestants are outrageously beautiful and hilariously endearing. Eilenberg described the show to EW as an “ensemble romantic comedy,” and it’s pretty accurate. Ironically, for all its polyamorous quirks, Love Island is arguably sweeter and more romantic than The Bachelor franchise. The nature of the show means that some couples really do fall in love (and some have even married!), and that the contestants themselves are rooting for each other. Sure, there are your typical reality show sharks in the mix, but overall, everyone is trying to get along.

CBS’s Love Island marks a big risqué risk for the network. Love Island will air five nights a week in the coveted 8 PM EST time slot. That’s an unprecedented commitment for a network show, and we’ll have to see if America is ready and willing to fall in love with the sexy singles of Love Island.

Stream the original Love Island on Hulu