With Big Brother Australia coming to an end Seven is now swapping in another famous reality TV franchise in Farmer Wants A Wife which premieres Sunday, July 4 on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Ahead of the season premiere, Mediaweek spoke to Seven Network executive producer Sylvia D’Souza about what we can expect from the new season of the show.
In the second year of the show’s return on Seven, D’Souza said that this season will feature more country, more romance, and more episodes.
“The whole premise of it is for the ladies to get a taste of country life. They want to be connected to the country and want to have a taste of it, as they see if the farmers that they picked are right for them.
“This season we kind of integrated more of the country life in this series, there is more romance and chances to date with different isolated dates.”
Sylvia D’Souza
Why is the show so successful?
With 170 marriages, one long-term relationship and 387 babies worldwide, Farmer Wants a Wife is one of the most successful dating formats of all time.
In Australia alone, the series has resulted in nine marriages, one long-term relationship and 23 babies.
When asked why she thought this formula was so productive D’Souza said that the key is just getting out of the way.
“We put the farmers up on the website, and we let the ladies choose who they want to meet or find a connection with. Then it is up to the farmers to pick eight bios that they think there is some connection with and then we put them on a speed date in the Hunter Valley and then we just let the chemistry happen.”
Season two of Farmer Wants a Wife
D’Souza said that one of the main surprises in season two of Farmer Wants a Wife is that the families got more involved in the decision making this year, including one who let his mother choose his dates.
“They do say mother knows best, would you let your mother pick? I don’t know. But most farmers are from really tight-knit families so I guess they really do believe that their mothers know them well. “
D’Souza described the common theme of the show as hope.
“The farmers talk about hope for rain, and the ladies talk about the hope to be more connected in country life, and then they talk about hope to find the one and hope to raise a family together. The way we shape the narrative is kind of led by their desires.
How did Covid affect production?
Seven may have the most naturally covid safe content schedule this year, going from the Big Brother bubble to filming in regional Australia for Farmer Wants a Wife, which D’Souza said was made it easier to isolate.
“There are no tricks to the show, they still went on dates, and they still got to see each other. We did a Ute Muster and a Country Ball, because they are in their own bubble and isolated while we shoot.”
D’Souza said that the simplicity of the show meant that it was less disrupted than other types of productions.
“The dates are just the two of them on a piece of land. It might be out in an orchard somewhere. Andrew had a date where he just took a concrete tub and put it on his property and filled it with water with help from his dad and dressed it with flowers, and that was a date. It was beautiful, easy, and very Covid safe.”
Why does country love appeal to Australia
Farmer Wants a Wife is coming off a successful return to Australian TV in 2020, when asked about why this much more regional take on a dating show is popular, D’Souza said that it is because it feels more real.
“The stats of the show kind of confirm that we try and do the right thing. There is so many weddings, marriages, and babies that happen through the show.
“The second reason is in this post-Covid place where everyone is spending more time with their families, they want to slow down, and farmer country lifestyle is like that.
“We all on one hand want to live a slower-paced life in the country and on the other we all want to find love and find the real deal, it is idyllic.”