Paramount+ is making a significant push into the reality television landscape with the greenlight of “Making Love,” a new dating series from Kinetic Content, the production company behind hits like Netflix’s “Love Is Blind” and Peacock’s “Married at First Sight.” This marks the streamer’s first major unscripted project since Skydance Media took control and installed new leadership, signaling a potential shift in content strategy for the platform.
The series, slated to launch in 2027, aims to offer a “bold, modern accept on relationship experimentation,” according to Paramount+. The core concept centers around singles actively pursuing their ideal partners, with the central question posed being: Can you find the person you’ve always dreamed of? This new venture comes as Paramount+ looks to expand its unscripted offerings and compete with established players in the reality TV market.
Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals at Paramount+, spearheaded the acquisition of the project from Chris Coelen’s North Road Company-backed Kinetic Content. Wiseman brought in her former Netflix colleague, Damla Dogan, to assist with the unscripted development. The move underscores a deliberate effort to bolster the streamer’s reality programming, a genre that has proven highly successful for competitors like Netflix and traditional broadcast networks.
Kinetic Content’s Track Record
Kinetic Content, currently part of Peter Chernin’s entertainment empire which is in the process of being acquired by European studio Mediawan, has a proven history of creating successful unscripted shows. “Love Is Blind” remains a flagship series for Netflix, currently in its tenth season, and “Married at First Sight” enjoyed a decade-long run on A+E Networks before moving to Peacock in October 2023. The company’s expertise in the relationship-focused reality genre makes them a key partner for Paramount+ as it enters this space.
Paramount+’s previous forays into unscripted television were largely focused on spinoffs of established franchises, including “The Real World Homecoming,” “The Challenge: All Stars,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” “Ink Master,” and “All Star Shore.” While these shows found an audience, the platform lacked a significant number of standalone original unscripted series. “Making Love” represents a strategic attempt to address this gap and establish a stronger foothold in the original reality TV market.
A New Era for Paramount+ Unscripted Programming
The unscripted television industry has been anticipating a potential increase in investment from Paramount+ under the leadership of Wiseman and Cindy Holland, Chair of Direct-to-Consumer. Holland and Wiseman’s arrival signaled a potential shift towards a more robust acquisition of reality formats and series. “We are thrilled to add ‘Making Love,’ a bold, modern take on relationship experimentation to our upcoming content slate,” said Wiseman. “This series speaks to the kind of premium, pop culture-driving unscripted storytelling audiences love. As we continue to grow our reality offering, we’re especially excited to reintroduce this format to Paramount+ in a fresh and unexpected way.”
Chris Coelen, CEO of Kinetic Content, added, “Making Love is an amazing and completely original opportunity for our participants to find the love they’ve longed for. We’re so excited to partner with the team at Paramount+ and can’t wait to share this show, and some truly incredible love stories, with the world.”
The success of “Making Love” could be pivotal for Paramount+, potentially paving the way for further investment in unscripted programming and solidifying its position as a major player in the competitive streaming landscape. The series’ focus on a central, relatable theme – the search for love – positions it well to attract a broad audience.
As Paramount+ continues to develop its unscripted slate, the industry will be watching closely to see if “Making Love” can deliver on its promise and establish a new benchmark for relationship-based reality television. The 2027 launch date will be a key moment for the streamer as it aims to capture a larger share of the growing reality TV market.
What are your thoughts on the new series? Share your comments below and let us recognize what you think!
