NBC Hopes Viewers Will Love Weight Loss Show for Couples

If you associate romance with a box of chocolates or bouquet of flowers, NBC hopes you’ll be willing to consider a different association. The network is creating a weight loss show for couples entitled “The Weight for Love,” reported the Hollywood Reporter on Sept. 3.

The series appears to combine elements of “The Biggest Loser” with “Extreme Weight Loss.” Each episode will last one hour, featuring couples who share both love and weight problems. And to add drama to the formula, the couples must agree to separate while they work on achieving their weight loss goals.

Contributors to the new series include experts from “The Amazing Race” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” With all these shows, the host plays a key role in the success of the new weight loss series, and NBC has not yet announced that position.

Why focus on couples when it comes to a weight loss show? Because some seasons of “The Biggest Loser” have used couples as the theme, and scored in the ratings, reported Deadline Hollywood on Sept. 3.

Several factors will determine whether “The Weight for Love” will succeed. Producers are seeking participants who will appeal to viewers, with casting calls scheduled for Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas and Los Angeles during the next two weeks. NBC will determine whether they pick up the show based on the reality TV cast.

But as with “The Biggest Loser,” positions such as the trainers and moderator also are critical to cast. Jillian Michaels, for example, became a celebrity in her own right. She earned praise for her honesty about how she felt when she turned 40, as The Inquisitr reported. She’s also become a go-to source for her weight loss wisdom, providing the show with additional publicity.

Is it possible that Jillian will serve as a trainer for “The Weight for Love,” since she’s left “The Biggest Loser?” NBC may want to lure her because of her high visibility. However, she left amid rumors that she was frustrated with being portrayed as the “mean” trainer. In addition, she was vocal about her view that the most recent weight loss winner was allowed to become dangerously thin in her effort to win the prize.

The network also found a winner when it chose Alison Sweeney to moderate “The Biggest Loser.” Her honesty about her own weight loss struggles coupled with her compassion toward players has made her one of the highlights of the show.

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