Source: CNN.com
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, October 31, 2002: Fox Television Network is developing “Married by America,” a weekly reality series that will search for people anxious to get married — and then set them up with arranged marriages. The American viewing public will play matchmaker, voting on which couples will get engaged. “Married” is the latest in what has become an increasingly heated battle to come up with the reality concepts. “Married by America,” targeted for early next year, will likely unfold over six to eight weeks, beginning with a nationwide search “for people who are tired of the dating scene and are open to the idea of having a marriage arranged for them,” said Fox’s Mike Darnell. The likely scenario is to first cast a small number of people who are willing to have the public find a match for them. Next, a large group of potential brides and grooms will be chosen by marriage experts so that each person in the first group has five or ten potential mates. In subsequent episodes people will be questioned by friends and family members and viewers will decide the final matching. Cameras will follow all of the newly engaged couples as they get to know one another. In the season finale the couples will announce whether they plan to get married on the show or call off their engagement. HPI adds: While Fox is after ratings with the show, there is a definite renewed interest in marriage arranging in the West, where the very high divorce rate is causing many to reconsider current match-finding methods. A century ago in America and Europe many marriages were arranged by the parents. Even newspaper ads were used to find brides and grooms, as is done in India today.