It’s possible that theMarried at First Sightfranchise may be changing its approach and format with season 18.Married at First Sightpremiered in 2014 and has 17 complete seasons behind it in 2024. The first seven seasons of the show featured three couples who married a stranger on their wedding day. Seasons 8 and 9 highlighted the marriage journeys of four couples, and all the seasons to come after that have had five couples. Each season, theMarried at First Sightexperts run the experiment in different cities, although some cities have been repeated, like Boston and Chicago.
Dr. Pepper Schwartzhas been an expert since season 1. Pastor Cal Roberson joined in season 4, and the newest expert, Dr. Pia Holec, has been on the show since season 15. They are tasked with not only matching the couples based on their compatibility but also guiding the couples through the eight-week-long experience. Thesuccess rate forMarried at First Sighthas been poor, with only12 out of 64 couples remaining together today. That said, the show’s credibility and reception rely onMAFSseason 18being a success.
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Married at First Sight Season 17 Bombed With Fans
There Were Several MAFS Franchise Firsts
Lifetime’sMarried at First Sightseason 17 was largely considered a failure because all of the couples broke up. Moreover, there were threeMAFSfirsts that contributed to the downfall of the season. The first being a runaway bride situation where the original bride for Michael Shiakallis ditched him at the altar after citing she wasn’t ready to marry a stranger. Michael was then rematched, and he and his new bride, Chloe Brown,started their eight-week journey when the other couples were already halfway throughtheirs.
This chaotic setup led to the season having extra episodes and becoming the longest season in franchise history because of the extension regarding Michael and Chloe getting to Decision Day. There was also an attempted group dupe that took place wherebythe cast coordinated to try and present themselves positively on camera to get good edits.The falsity was not caught by the experts and created resentment in the marriages and between the male and female cast.
The incentive for theMarried at First Sightfranchise to change things up is there given the fact that the current order of things is not producing long-lasting couples like it should.
If the format and approach of the show is changed, it could fix the issues it has with the experts' abilities, couples failing, and filler scenes. As it stands,MAFSis frustrating viewers because the entertainment value has been lackingand the point of the show has been getting missed.
There Are Two Unofficial Trailers For MAFS Season 18
The Trailers Raise Concern
So far, two unofficial trailers forMAFSseason 18 have been released. They came at the end of the season 17 finale and at the end of the Reunion. The trailer depicted a possible runaway bride scenario again, an ornery cast member, accusations of lies, and one cast member questioning the longevity of marriage early on.These signs don’t bode well for viewers to expect a season of successful couplesand quality drama.
Is There A Premiere Date Set For MAFS Season 18?
Yes There Is
It was announced in a spolier from aMAFSfan page last week thatseason 18 will premiere on October 2nd, 2024. This meansMAFSfans have sat through an almost six-month hiatus. With the premiere announcement, comes the question of whether any changes will be made regarding adding more cast, adding or replacing any experts, and trying to make the season shorter.
MAFS Sticks To Its Structure
Will Anything Change?
Unfortunately, there is no indication that anything regarding the format or approach of the show will change. The experts are remaining the same, the number of couples isn’t changing, and there are no safeguards in place to ensure that another group dupe doesn’t happen. This lack of change is bleak for the reception ofMarried at First Sightseason 18. More will be revealed in terms of the show changing anything up once season 18 drops, but for now, viewers can expect the same structure in season 18.
Married at First Sightseason 18 will premiere on Jul 23, 2025, at 8 pm EST on Lifetime.
Married At First Sight
Cast
Based on the Danish version of the series, Married at First Sight is a reality show/social experiment that gives singles a chance to find a lifelong partnership with one particular caveat: they must agree to marry a stranger arranged the moment they meet. Experts provide counseling and guidance as they help couples navigate their new marriage with their unknown partner and highlight the journey of the newlyweds from wedding to honeymoon to beginning their new lives together. At the end of eight weeks, couples will decide to stay married or divorce.
