TLC has become well-known and loved for a variety of reality shows that feature the extreme lives or careers of people we otherwise wouldn't know anything about. One of the network's biggest hits of the past few years has been 90 Day Fiancé, which follows several couples who have applied for or already gotten a K-1 visa, which is only offered to foreign fiancés of American citizens. So, just why would a show about something so specific connect with so many people? TLC president Howard Lee thinks he has the answer.
Howard Lee has given TV viewers some of the most buzzed about reality shows currently on television, having launched not only 90 Day Fiancé and it's five popular spinoffs, but other series like Long Island Medium and Dr. Pimple Popper. It's pretty clear he knows what people want from their non-housewife reality programming, and he believes there's one thing in particular that sets 90 Day Fiancé apart from the pack.
I don't think viewers have ever seen this vast array of cultures intersect with Americans before. There is somebody from every country who's been on this series. I'm proud of all the diversity on this series and on the network.
Howard Lee, who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, does make a solid point. Because the focus of the show is people from other countries getting engaged to Americans so they can get visas to live in the United States, we've seen a lot of different cultures walk through 90 Day Fiancé. The show is currently in Season 7, and while it might be over stating things a bit to say that people from every country have been on the series, audiences have gotten to see a lot of cultural diversity since 90 Day Fiancé began in 2014.
Fans have been treated to watching people from Colombia, Brazil, Philippines, Russia, Tunisia, South Africa, Jamaica, Morocco, Moldova, Spain, Thailand and several other countries make their way from their homes to be with their betrothed in the United States. And, while Howard Lee is right to be proud of the diversity of cultures that 90 Day Fiancé has brought into our homes, there is another aspect of this that really seems to capture the attention of all who watch: the culture clashes.
No two people, no matter how similarly they were raised, are ever totally alike anyway, so when you add the stressors of coming from a completely different country, trying to understand and deal with how people live in your new country, and also dealing with potential language barriers, needing to find work or go to school, etc, it can lead to some big conflicts.
Let's also remember that most of these couples haven't even met or dated in real life before, much less lived with each other or met each other's quite frequently disapproving families. When you combine all those aspects of 90 Day Fiancé with the pressure of that visa (they have 90 days to decide if they want to actually get married before the visa expires and the foreign half of the couple has to go home)...well, it's led to a load of drama that just makes for good, intriguing television.
You can catch 90 Day Fiancé on TLC, Sundays at 8 p.m. EST, but be sure to check out all of the other wonderful shows you can watch right now with our 2019 fall TV premiere guide!
