If you love 'Love Island,' watch these 5 shows next
The seventh and most exciting season yet of Peacock's "Love Island USA" wrapped up July 13 with a bombshell finale that left one couple − Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales − as the winners, complete with a $100,000 prize to split.
There were plenty of jaw-dropping moments in the long season, which saw one cast member depart in controversy and a certain "I'm a mommy" meme dominate TikTok. It might be hard for fans to face the rest of a long hot summer without any time spent in the villa.
But fear not! While "Island" is a great version of the modern bikinis-and-boxers reality-TV dating show, it is far from the only one. We rounded up five other shows that can fill the "Island"-shaped hole in your heart, and at least one even has "island" in the title. There seems to be no limit to how many ways Hollywood can stick some sexy singles on a beach and record the havoc that they wreak − and maybe even a few instances of real love, too.
When does 'Love Island USA' return? What we know about Season 8 and spinoffs
If you want more of exactly the same: 'Love Island UK'
The sultry, twisty, addictive "Love Island USA" you know and love is based on the highly successful British version of the show, which has been bringing sexy singles to its villa for a decade. The very R-rated series has all the great parts of its American spinoff, just with stronger regional U.K. accents and perhaps even more drama (if you can imagine the possibilities). And with the many seasons and episodes available to stream, you could probably be knee-deep in bikinis and abs until Season 8 of the U.S. version.
How to watch 'Love Island UK'
Stream on Hulu.
If you want something current: 'Bachelor in Paradise'
While it might be great to binge 12 seasons of the British "Love Island," one of the biggest appeals of "Love Island USA" this summer has been the ability to watch along with friends and internet commentators as all the ridiculous antics unfolded. But there's another tropical dating show airing week-to-week right now: ABC's "Bachelor in Paradise. Not quite as dirty or as cutthroat as the gamified "Island," the "Bachelor" franchise spinoff is still plenty melodramatic and trashy (in a good and juicy way. The latest season combines alums from both the original "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" with the more mature singles from "Golden Bachelor" and "Golden Bachelorette," for a new twist.
How to watch 'Bachelor in Paradise'
Mondays, 8 ET/PT on ABC. Episodes stream next day on Hulu.
If you love a good twist: 'Too Hot to Handle'
It's all fine and dandy to put your conventionally attractive twenty-somethings in a tropical locale and let them go crazy with hot tubs and open bars. But what if you set the scene for hot hookups but strictly forbade them? That's the concept behind Netflix's slightly ridiculous but very fun "Too Hot," which has all the singles and spray tans and none of the sex (except when the singles break the rules). To win the grand prize, 10 contestants must stay as chaste as possible in a house together for four weeks. Any time a rule is broken the $100,000 pot is reduced. It all comes down to the age-old question: What's more important, love or money?
How to watch 'Too Hot to Handle'
Stream on Netflix
If you love a good guessing game: 'Fboy Island'
This HBO Max series has the silliest name but a concept that any woman who has ever scrolled through a dating app can relate to: How do you tell the womanizers from the good guys? In the series, hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, three woman are presented with 24 men, half of whom are supposedly "nice guys" looking to settle down and the other the problematic "fboys" looking for flings without strings. They're all competing for $100,000.
How to watch 'Fboy Island'
Stream on HBO Max.
If you want something more intense: 'Love is Blind'
"Love Island" and other dating shows set in the sun and sand tend to be frilly and frivolous. But sometimes you want dating drama with bigger stakes and emotions. Enter Netflix's slightly-bonkers dating series and social experiment, in which men and women date "blind," without seeing what their prospective partner looks like. After chatting in "pods" the contestants who form connections meet face to face and decide if they're ready to walk down the aisle with someone they've known for only a few weeks. There are tears, recriminations and a surprising amount of joy in the series, which has led to more than a few successful couples. For now.
How to watch 'Love is Blind'
Stream on Netflix.
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