Netflix is doubling down on 2020 unscripted hits Love Is Blind and The Circle, giving both shows two-season renewals. The streamer Tuesday also said it was moving forward with a second season of 2019 hip-hop competition Rhythm + Flow, and that it had green-lit a new project from Tidying Up star Marie Kondo. The slightly disappointing news: The four series won’t premiere until next year.
Under normal circumstances, Netflix would very likely be able to get second seasons of some of the aforementioned renewals on its platform as soon as this fall. But with anti-coronavirus efforts halting almost all TV and film shooting for weeks to come, while making casting more challenging, such an aggressive timetable appears off the table. (This is not to say Netflix would’ve necessarily rushed second seasons into production for this year even under ideal circumstances, just that the option to do so likely went away once city lockdowns began.) Netflix nonetheless has started the online casting and audition process for Love Is Blind, The Circle, and Rhythm + Flow, and the two-season renewals for the first two shows suggest the streamer is hoping to get the third seasons of both onto the platform within less than a year of their eventual premiere dates.
As for the Kondo series, it will be called Sparking Joy With Marie Kondo and will feature the decluttering expert and her team as they “set out to tidy one small town in America, sparking joy in big new ways,†per a press release from the streamer. The show is currently scouting for a location and is accepting nominations from potential towns via TidyMyTown.com.
The renewals (and spinoff) underscore Netflix’s recent success in the unscripted space, particularly with Love Is Blind and The Circle, both of which became pop-culture phenoms in recent months. “It’s been incredible to see Netflix members everywhere respond to the raw, authentic stories of real people and real stakes,†said Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice-president of nonfiction series and comedy specials. There’s no word yet on any potential changes for the three renewed shows, though buried in Netflix’s release is one tidbit about season two of Love Is Blind: Instead of drawing from Atlanta’s dating pool, the show is casting the new season in Chicago.