For Love Or Money producer Bruce Nash and TBS have pulled back the curtain and revealed the details of their previously announced secret new reality dating series. The series, which will premiere June 22 and be TBS' first shot at a reality dating series of its own and follow its first dip into the reality programming waters via last fall's House Rules home renovation competition, will follow twelve American women as they compete for the love of an Australian named Vadim Dale.
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The women, who were selected from casting calls which advertised that Nash Productions was looking for "beautiful, adventurous, single women" seeking to "be sexy leading ladies" in series that was looking to "combine the search for love with fantastic adventure," will, unbeknownst to the contestants, take place in the Australian Outback, where the women must rough it alongside Dale.
"It's a real-life romantic comedy. These are women who don't like camping. Most of them have never even been camping. The outdoors? Bugs? Forget about it," Nash told Daily Variety while discussing the series. "They'll be going on dates, but it's dinner in a treehouse or things involving camels and horses."
Freely acknowledging the similarities to the popular 80's movie franchise, Nash calls Dale a "real-life Crocodile Dundee, only better looking" and says he is a triathlete, trail bike racer, whitewater rafter and skydiver who has earned awards in swimming, judo, karate, grappling, football and horseback riding
In announcing the series back in February, TBS acknowledged that its strategy is to use its syndicated broadcasts of HBO's Sex In The City series, which will also premiere on the network on the same evening as Outback Jack's lead-in, to drive viewers to the new reality series.
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"TBS is looking for unique and engaging reality series that will appeal to our targeted young-adult audience and complement our other high-profile programming, including Sex In The City," said TNT/TBS exective Steve Koonin in further clarifying the network's plans, which include a publicly announced intention to become an "active player" in the reality programming genre. "The projects for which Bruce is famous fit that strategy perfectly by taking popular reality formulas to exciting new levels."
Hosted by J.D. Roberto (Shop 'Til You Drop), Outback Jack will be eight episodes in length.