BBC Three dating series “Love in the Flesh” goes to Hulu in U.S., also sells abroad

Hulu has acquired the right to the new UK dating show Love in the Flesh, factual distributor Passion Distribution announced this week.

The reality dating series (8 x 60 min.) is hosted by Zara McDermott, and focuses on five potential couples who have already formed relationships via dating apps and social media but who have never met each in real life, as they’re taken to a beach house in Greece for their first real date. Having started their relationships through apps and DMs, some couples have been chatting for years while others have only been flirting for months or weeks, but all are eager to see who’s online persona matches their real-world self.

With the acquisition, Hulu became the exclusive U.S. home for the format, and it will premiere on Hulu on July 26. Sales of the UK version also include Discovery (New Zealand), NRK (Norway), DR (Denmark) MTV3 (Finland), TV4 (Sweden) and SIC (Portugal), with more sales to be announced soon. The format has also been optioned by Vincent TV Productions in the Netherlands and Banijay in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Love in the Flesh was commissioned by BBC Three from producers Ten66 Television. The series debuted in March as part of the BBC Three relaunch, and the format launched as part of Passion Distribution’s Format Sessions and Showcase event earlier in the year.

“We’re delighted that Love in the Flesh has been picked up so quickly both for tape and format sales around the world. Hulu is a great home for the show in the U.S. and we’re thrilled that they’ve chosen our format and excited to see how the show performs on a commercial platform,” Rukhsana Mosam, founder and creative director of Ten66 Television, said in a news release.

Passion Distribution CEO Emmanuelle Namiech added: “From the very first pitch we heard, Love in the Flesh stood out with its inclusive approach to dating and present-times premise. We are delighted that broadcasters and producers around the world have come on board, and we look forward to seeing how the format shapes up in international adaptations to come.”