Another Popular Dating Show Being Rebooted 16 Years After Cancellation

Another dating show is being rebooted over 15 years after it was canceled.

As Farmer Wants a Wife continues to be a success on Fox, the UK is trying its hand at it once again.

The Sun reports that TV boss might be considering reviving the ITV dating series following the success of docuseries Clarkson’s Farm and the Yorkshire Shepherdess (Amanda Owen). Farmer Wants a Wife premiered on ITV in 2001 and was picked up by Channel 5 in 2009 for a second season. Despite it not being a big success in the UK, it spawned numerous international versions, including in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United States.

“Farmer Wants A Wife was one of telly’s earlier dating shows before the likes of Love Island and Married at First Sight came along and created a whole new genre,” a TV source said. “Even though it only ran for two series, the UK version spawned as many as ten international versions – it’s massive in Australia, for example – and the BBC even had a go at their own version, Love In The Countryside with Sara Cox.”

“But the time is thought to be right to revisit the UK farmers as interest in rural living has never been greater, thanks to Jeremy Clarkson et al, and after Covid, many have rethought city life,” the source continued. “It’s early days, so a channel isn’t yet attached, nor a host, but everyone is very excited.”

Fremantle Media, which produced the first two seasons, is reportedly exploring a reboot and is already seeking single farmers and city dwellers looking for romance. If the show winds up coming back, the format could change as bosses say they’re open to “all genders, sexualities, ages, and love interests.”

Meanwhile, Farmer Wants a Wife in the U.S. remains a success. After airing for one season on The CW in 2008, the show was brought back in 2023, this time on Fox. It was initially hosted by Jennifer Nettles, but Kimberly Williams-Paisley took over the gig for Season 3, which completed airing in May. The series has not yet been renewed for Season 4, but it’s unknown which way the network is leaning at this point. All three Fox seasons are streaming on Hulu.