Twentieth Century Fox is in negotiations to bring LOVELAND, a U.K. dating show with a virtual reality twist, to the U.S., per VARIETY.
The show is from Standing Stone Productions, the U.K. shingle launched in 2007 by FremantleMedia North America CEO Tom Gutteridge.
After watching the pilot, Fox reality chief Mike Darnell expressed interest in making an American version.
LOVELAND is a new spin on the reality dating format by combining CG animation with a studio-based show. Nazooka animation studio, based in Antwerp, Belgium, created a technology that allows contestants to pick their own animated characters to interact with the real contestants in the studio. The animated doppelgangers are similar in nature to the virtual SECOND LIFE creations.
"Instead of going into a virtual world, you bring the avatars live into the studio," Gutteridge told VARIETY. "You can become whatever you want in LOVELAND."
The show concludes with the studio contestant picking out which animated contestant they prefer before meeting them in person for the date.
Jo Pine, Standing Stone's SVP of development, devised the concept. Standing Stone plans to license the technology to international broadcasters along with the LOVELAND format. A Web-based version is also planned.
