90 Day Fiance offers addictive viewing
While one show is not an intellectual experience, the other is interesting and thoughtful.
Last year, one of my guilty television pleasures was the couples-in-crisis show Seven Year Switch. And I’ve already found something to take its place this year. It’s 90 Day Fiance (Sundays, 7,30pm, TLC), recently returned for a third series.
It follows six people who have, well, let’s push cynicism aside, and say ‘‘fallen in love’’, with Americans. Now they’re going to the United States to join their American partners, but they’re travelling on a K1 Visa which allows them only 90 days before they decide whether to marry or not.
Loren, a 20-something from New York, is all aflutter over handsome Israeli medic Alexei. Loren’s father is less enthusiastic. ‘‘Two hundred million people in the United States and you had to import someone?’’ he asks.
This is a common refrain among the friends and relatives, along with a deep rooted suspicion that the foreign love interest might only be after a green card. Why do they think everyone wants to live in America?
Take Devar from Jamaica for example, he seems to have a pretty good life for a young guy – working as a lifeguard on a beautiful beach and partying all night. Life in Pennsylvania with bossy Melanie seems like a step backwards on the happiness index.
Meanwhile, fresh-faced young Josh the Mormon is counting the days until his Russian girlfriend Aleksandra, an ex-club dancer, arrives. And, less fresh-faced is 58-year-old Mark preparing for the arrival of his 19-year-old girlfriend from the Philippines.
To help her settle in, he’s sorted out some of his grown-up daughter’s old clothes for her to wear. ‘‘I don’t want her wearing my clothes, it’s weird,’’ says his daughter, not unreasonably I thought. Look, I’ll be honest, if you’re after an intellectual experience – this isn’t it. But I can’t stop watching.
Where the Wild Men Are (Thursdays, 8.30pm, BBC Knowledge) also back for series three, is a little more thoughtful. Here, presenter Ben Fogle heads to remote places to meet people who have escaped the rat race.
First up is ex-insurance salesman, Gideon David, who lives in the Namibian desert. Sure, on the face of it, that sounds exciting and romantic and bold. Until you want to grab a cappuccino and watch Netflix – at which point, I imagine it becomes uncomfortable and a bit dull. Like your average camping holiday.
But Gideon loves the outdoors. He lived under a tree before buying the farm he currently inhabits with his wife and daughter. It’s an 11-hour trip to the nearest town and he frequently has to drive around barren landscape fixing the sole water pipe. But he’s really happy. And watching the family jump down sand dunes, well I have to admit, I could kind of see the appeal.
Fogle is an affable presenter, always ready to get involved and he seems genuinely interested in the people he meets. Coupled with interesting bold subjects who don’t feel the need for conformity or convenient cappuccinos – this makes for a thoughtful piece of television. Well worth watching.