'Married at First Sight: Australia' Coming to Lifetime in the US

Season 10 0f Married at First Sight just ended. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, it is uncertain when Season 11 will premiere. It will not happen in June as previously scheduled. However, Lifetime believes it will happen by the end of the year.

Filming has been halted, but many of the major events had already been filmed. Applications and interviews took place in November 2019. The marriages and receptions happened around Valentine's Day in February 2020. The couples have already gone to Mexico on their honeymoons.

Until regular filming is resumed, cameras have been installed in each couple's apartment to capture highlights of their daily activities and to listen in on their conversations.

Other Options

Lifetime is airing Married at First Sight: Couples’ Cam where fan-favorites from all ten seasons are featured in six episodes. The series premieres on Wednesday, May 20 at 8 PM EDT.

A week later, Lifetime will premiere Married at First Sight: Australia. The 36-episode reality show can be seen in the United States starting May 27. Two hours of the series will air on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 PM EDT. Americans will see the seventh season that ended on April 5, 2020. Therefore, there are spoilers online from that last season in Australia.

The Format

The format of the Australian version is a little different from the version in the United States. However, the concept is about the same. The biggest difference is that the couples do not legally get married when they meet at the altar. Unlike other versions of the series around the world, the couples participate in a commitment ceremony because of legal restrictions in Australia based on the Australian Marriage Act of 1961.

The Cast

When the social experiment began in the United States, the first seven seasons had only three couples. In Seasons 8 and 9, there were four couples. There were five couples in Season 10 with only one couple staying married. When Season 11 premieres, there will be five couples. The Australian reality show has 12 couples, including one same-sex marriage.

Like the US version, Australia has three experts: John Aiken, Mel Schiling, and Dr. Trisha Stafford. They interviewed singles and matched 12 couples similar to the way the experts do it in the United States.

Observations About the Two Versions

Listed below are some things that American viewers might find different from what they have been accustomed to seeing.

Second Chance. A bride is on Married at First Sight: Australia for a second time. The reality show gave her a second chance to find love after her husband cheated on her with another bride in the same social experiment.

Married Previously. Many of the cast members have been married before. They also have children.

Older Couples. The couples are much older in the Australian version. There have been several singles over the seven seasons whose ages range from 44-53. The youngest person was 25. The oldest person on the American version was 37, and the youngest person was 25.

A Billionaire. During the last season of the Australian version, a groom name Michael was a billionaire. During the last season of the American version, a groom named Michael couldn't keep a job.

Singles in the Same City. In America, the singles are from the same city. In Australia, the singles are from all over.

Different Wedding Days. The 12 couples on the Australian version got married and went on their honeymoon on separate days throughout the season. The last of the couples got married during the 18th episode. The American couples get married on the same day and go to the same place for their honeymoons.

Same-Sex Couples. There have been no same-sex couples on the American versions. Australia had a same-sex male couple for the first time during Season 3 and a same-sex female couple during Season 7. (Notice the same-sex logo in the above photos).

No Decision Day. Couples in Australia can leave the relationship at any time without having to wait until a special day to make a decision. Many of them break up before the end of the experiment and just leave.

Views. The views for the Australian version are three times higher than those for the American version.