With the recent announcements that Love Is Blind and Summer House are both getting Canadian versions next year, we couldn’t help but think about what other popular reality TV shows should make their way north of the border.
After all, plenty of beloved shows have already gotten the Canadian treatment as of late: The Traitors, Big Brother, and Project Runway, just to name a few. But when it comes to Canadianizing a popular reality show, the limit does not exist.
Here are a few more reality shows we’d love to see get a Canadian spin.
Survivor
While Francophones can enjoy Survivor Québec, which is streaming now on Crave, we’d love to see the iconic competition series get a full-fledged Canadian version. Just imagine 20 contestants battling it out in the B.C. wilderness, the Maritimes or somewhere in the Yukon, all while trying to make alliances and avoid getting voted off.
Of course, we’ll need someone funny like Jay Baruchel or charismatic like Simu Liu to host and keep things moving at tribal council. Until this gets off the ground, though, we can take comfort in knowing Canadians can still apply for the U.S. version — and some, like Season 41 winner Erika Casupanan, have even gone all the way to be crowned Sole Survivor.
The Real Housewives… of Calgary?
When it comes to rich women arguing at the dinner table, Canada has already been blessed with The Real Housewives of Vancouver and The Real Housewives of Toronto, although the former is the one that really left its mark, earning a devoted following that still talks about the series to this day.
Perhaps it’s time to try again with another Canadian city, and, in our opinion, Calgary feels like an obvious contender. Between the oil money, luxury homes, Stampede season and inevitable social rivalries, it feels like the drama would practically write itself. We can picture it now: six women in haute couture, lined up in the opening credits, each clutching an absurdly oversized belt buckle. Someone get Andy and a camera!
Southern – erm, Northern Hospitality
Canada may not have a Charleston nightclub empire like the one featured on Southern Hospitality, but we do have Toronto’s infamous King West. Canadian reality TV fans would agree that a reality show following the staff of one of the country’s hottest bars or nightclubs would be downright “messy.”
It’s similar to another popular series, Vanderpump Rules, but instead of SUR in West Hollywood, we’re following a close-knit group of servers, bartenders, managers and VIP hosts in the Six. Between all the late-night drama, staff hookups, drunken fights and celebrity sightings, there would be no shortage of storylines.
Love Island
Love Island may have originated in the U.K., but its American counterpart has grown into one of the biggest shows of the summer, becoming a genuine pop culture phenomenon – but why should they have all the fun?
We’d love to see a Canadian edition that gives some of our own hot hopeless romantics with a huge social media following a chance to find love. The villa doesn’t necessarily need to be in Canada, since other editions have famously set up shop in exotic locations like Fiji and Mallorca. Our version could take place in the Seychelles or Croatia.
The bigger question, of course, is who would host it. Our vote is for former eTalk host Tanya Kim. She has the style, sass, credibility, and likability to pull it all off.
Below Deck
The popular Bravo franchise has spawned several spin-offs, including Mediterranean, Sailing Yacht, and even the short-lived Adventure, which follows a crew aboard a mega-yacht navigating the waters of Norway. So why not bring the franchise to Canada?
Hear me out: Below Deck: Great Lakes, where a crew of young, attractive and eager-to-party yachties have to work together to navigate unpredictable weather, demanding charter guests and, naturally, plenty of raging hormones during their days off.
Too Hot to Handle
Picture a bunch of ridiculously attractive, energetic and flirtatious 20-somethings arriving at a gorgeous villa or cottage, only to discover they’ve signed up for a Netflix dating show where they’re not allowed to do the deed.
A ton of Canadian destinations come to mind that could provide the backdrop, like the Okanagan, Muskoka, or the Gulf Islands. Throw in a luxurious waterfront property with a hot tub and a group of people who apparently cannot resist temptation, and you’ve got yourself a real Canadian banger (pardon the pun).
Is there another reality television show you’d like to see a Canadian version of?
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