OK, now we’ve seen it all. After reality television conquered the world of dating, it was maybe only a matter of time before it addressed the issue of fertility and pregnancy. But new show Labour Of Love has done just that. With 15 men enlisted to compete for the honour of impregnating a woman they’ve never met, it’s a strange new frontier for television.
Hosted by Sex And The City star Kristin Davis and airing on Fox in the US, the programme introduces 41-year-old Kirsty Katzmann. A divorcee, she longs for a child but doesn’t have a man to provide a vital missing ingredient.
‘I had just turned 40 at the time and I had just gotten out of a relationship’, she says of the experience. ‘I was trying to navigate dating, knowing that I still wanted to start a family and that time was definitely not on my side.’
As with shows like The Bachelor, Labour of Love sees the men all move into a house together. They all meet Kirsty for a series of dates, so that she can eventually decide who to have the child with. All contestants are subjected to medical tests to ascertain the suitability of their sperm.
‘It might sound like a total dream to date 15 incredible men at, once but it’s actually super overwhelming. I think it really requires you to stand in your own presence and really know what you want’, Kirsty says.
The star of the show also said after having had bad experiences with dating, she was keen to avoid 'ghosting' when it came down to send each man home.
‘There are so many choices now, for men and women, in terms of how they become parents and what their family might look like,’ says Kristin, who executive produces as well as hosting. ‘I am proud that our show can examine these very real options and hopefully allow the audience to think and discuss their own thoughts about the many shapes a family can take.’
What will reality TV try next? Watch this space.
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