Love may be blind — but does it care about your accent? That’s one of the many questions confronted by contestants on “ Love Is Blind: U.K. ,” the latest international spin-off of the hit Netflix reality show about singles who fall in love through a wall and then decide if they want to get married after meeting face-to-face.
Over six seasons based in cities across the United States, the original “Love is Blind” has resulted in 11 marriages, two divorces, a bunch of lawsuits and two babies (so far). Japanese, Swedish and Brazilian versions of the show — excuse me, “experiments” — have also led to successful relationships. But lately the American prototype has been showing signs of the strain that affects virtually every established reality show, thanks to too many fame-thirsty contestants who know the rules of the game.
Enter “Love Is Blind: U.K.,” which put a distinctly British twist on the formula when it premiered earlier this month — and has emerged as a welcome return to form for the franchise, delivering a satisfying blend of enjoyable mess and heartwarming love stories.
The latest incarnation takes the “Love Is Blind” hallmarks — the golden wine goblets , the windowless pods that look like Ikea displays, the delusional villain, the scarcely-seen hosts who pop up just as you’ve forgotten their existence — and presents them in a context that’s new enough to make things interesting. The show features an array of colorful Britishisms an.