ANYONE who has experienced a long-term relationship is all too aware of the peaks, troughs, and nurturing required to sustain it. So, seven summers in, gently nudging Love Island producers to consider overhauling a sitting-room staple – for the sake of the children, if nothing else – isn't too much to ask, is it?
ach summer, the show gives fans around 50 hours of viewing. This does not include time spent on After Sun, Unseen Bits, or all the affiliated podcasts. That's quite the televisual commitment. Therefore, like any relationship, it needs to be worth your time, plus the emotional investment you're expected to give the 37 contestants that sashay into the Villa each series.
Each run thus far has seen the same events, at approximately the same stage, every series. For the uninitiated among you still reading; said events range from the sublime to the ridiculous, plus the all-out heave-inducing. These include...
Casa Amor: The male contestants are sent to another Villa containing a gaggle of new girls, while a hoard of new boys descends upon the main Villa.
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Heart-rate challenge: Islanders get trussed up to dance for each other while wearing heart-rate monitors. The results of "who excited who" is always a cause of consternation.
Baby task: Each couple must tend to a plastic baby for the day; gender disparity issues ensue.
Lie-detector test: Islanders are strapped up to a polygraph and queried about their significant others.
Twitter challenge: Islanders are faced with tweets from the public with a view to deciphering which contestant the tweet is about.
Talent show: Just a talent show.
The food challenge: Couples must transport the entire contents of Sunday lunch, from one to the other, using only their mouths. The couple who produce a plate that still resembles a Sunday lunch after that ordeal wins.
Fan feedback
As someone who has watched each episode since 2018 (purely for work purposes, of course), I was keen to hear the opinions of the target demographic; someone who actually watches of their own volition.
Annie Condon (20) from South County Dublin has been tuning in since she was 14. Her hot-take on the tasks includes: "If I were to change anything, I would get rid of the food challenge; it's gross to watch."
Ick aside, Condon and others like her are willing to put up with the heaves in order to sample the other avenues of impact the show provides: "My favourite part is probably Casa Amor because it causes the most drama, plus the heart-rate challenge – it’s hilarious!"
Asked if she would tinker with the format, Condon adds she would like "more diversity, including members of the LGBTQ+ community”. Indeed, for a show that purports to be liberated and racy, it's still exceedingly conservative, especially when it comes to gender stereotypes.
This seems to be a viewpoint shared by fans and professionals alike.
Professional opinion
I had the privilege of chatting to executive producer of Wannabe Post Production, plus senior producer at Element (and no stranger to the telly) John Sullivan regarding what he's enjoyed about Love Island over the years. Might it be the lie-detector test or the never-ending "bombshell" deployment? Casa Amor, or the proliferation of slo-mo montages?
"I’m going negative! The Baby Task has to go,” he says. “It's beyond uncomfortable for both the Islanders and us watching... Having a child doesn’t define a relationship's success. It's 2021. Let's cop on a bit."
As for 2021's offering, Sullivan adds: "We’ve spent 18 months in lockdown, so looking at the same villa as the previous years was a bit boring. Give us a new location. Something exciting!"
So, I'm not alone in thinking format changes are overdue, but what might they look like? Sullivan is a firm believer in the mantra ‘less is more’.
“Bring it down to three or four nights a week; it's not Big Brother. Events happen much slower," he says.
The fact that no Irish contestants lasted the distance, in the way Maura Higgins and Greg O'Shea did in 2019, hardly helped matters. This wasn't just an issue for Irish viewers; anyone lurking around the #LoveIsland Twitter as each episode transmitted could see there was something lacking.
The casting issue is echoed by Sullivan, who says: "I normally dip in day three or four when things start to get interesting. This year, the tweet machine said no.
"It sounded so poorly cast with pretty bland people and so boring in general that I couldn't be bothered. Also, I feel we’ve just been let out of the house, so I've no interest in sitting on my couch watching barely entertaining humans; I can meet them in real life again now."
While the format staunchly remaining the same could be considered soothing given the global uncertainty over the last 18 months, you could count on one hand this season's "must-see" episodes.
Prior runs were peppered with genuine cliffhangers viewers were invested in, whereas this year, the "cue shock ending here" crutch was shoehorned in almost every night.
What next?
All is not lost, however. This relationship is worth salvaging. TV Producer Rebecca Fox says: "Love Island definitely hit its peak in the fifth series, but that's not to say it can't be revived again.
"Each year, viewers know what to expect, as do the contestants. I think a freshen up of the tasks, and more input from the public – for example, who goes into Casa Amor or what bombshells enter, etc – could help reinvigorate the series going forward. Whatever they decide to do, I don't think it's the end of Love Island just yet."
Sullivan, meanwhile, insists there is "still an opportunity to make this appointment TV – instead of something you have on in the background while scrolling on your phone.”
He adds: "Looking for drama and honesty? Give us a Gay Love Island. The recoupling would be pretty interesting!"
Instead of continuing on the track of the increasingly mundane, it needs to fully embrace the times in which we live. Otherwise, it will only ever be Corrie with Bikinis. Then again, Coronation Street has been on our screens for over 60 years.