Seven’s Farmer Wants A Wife is returning to Channel 7 and 7plus, despite the fact our appetite for reality love might finally be satisfied.
It’s no secret that every network has a romance reality show that usually performs solid numbers. Nine have Married At First, 10 have The Bachelor series, and Seven’s is Farmer Wants A Wife.
Sure, there are plenty of love dating shows in between, but these are the major players. Interestingly, fewer Australians do seem to be tuning in across the board to watch people find love.
Some would argue there are also fewer people watching television in general, and BVOD numbers across the board are strong for dating shows, so there’s clearly still an interest.
Still, we have even seen a downswing in viewers across the networks when it comes to romance. Nine’s arguably the smuggest because there’s no denying MAFS is still huge, but even MAFS has suffered a slight decline in viewers.
Sure, it’s still pulling the occasional 1.2 million viewers, but there has been an undeniable dip. It hasn’t pulled in over 1.5 million in a year.
10’s arguably felt it the hardest with The Bachelorette series that has now been canned and the network is now about to throw the book at the new The Bachelor series, with three new Bachelors.
A formula that aims to win back viewers and has the potential too! Clearly, drama and scandal are the key ingredients when you consider MAFS enduring success, and three Bachelors are surely going to cause chaos.
Seven’s Farmer Wants A Wife has been a consistent performer for the network. Last year, its premier brought in over 800,000 eyeballs. Plus, in these trying times, a dose of wholesome love might be what the nation is looking for, but can it pull MAFS numbers?
Interestingly, Farmer Wants A Wife isn’t going for a revamp, and there’s no big need; the show has a history of performing well but considering other networks are upping the drama, it’s still a considered choice by the network.
The upcoming season features the return of host Natalie Gruzlewski and a very special new addition: Seven’s acclaimed journalist and presenter Samantha Armytage, joining in as a guest role to help Natalia guide the farmers to find love.
Seven’s bold move to resist the temptation to go for the drama and stick to the wholesome could pay off. We just now need to see if audiences are hungry for it.
