OPINION Why are so many Kiwis caught up in the communal viewing experience that is Married at First Sight New Zealand? How do these shows foster a sense of community and why do we turn to media for this? What does that say about our culture now? And what do the experts have to say about it all? I’ve never watched the show or shared its appeal, but I need to understand it. The fourth instalment of Married at First Sight New Zealand – or MAFS for the uninitiated – is in full swing. And it feels like everyone I know is watching – colleagues, friends and family are tuning in, contributing to a season that has reportedly generated over a million streams so far.
My NZ Herald colleagues have covered the show, and our readers are invested. What’s the appeal? Why is this resonating, and why now? Dating shows are an enduring TV format MAFS NZ isn’t a new property (the inaugural season aired in 2017) and dating shows are a timeworn reality television device, even in New Zealand; the 1980s saw Blind Date beamed across Kiwi screens, and later we had The Bachelor and The Bachelorette . All featured regular people – at least, regular people who wanted to be filmed – looking for love, tweaked and twisted for each new show or season.
With MAFS, the premise is in the name; strangers are matched by the show’s experts – season four leans on John Aiken and Jo Robertson – and the couples meet at the aisle, after which they have a month to decide on the future of their fated u.
