Chains of Love (TV series)

In each episode, five contestants are taken to a house in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Bound together by a six-foot chain, they are linked by their hands and feet in the "Ritual Room" by the "Lockmaster", played by a muscular man in a suit and sunglasses. The chaining of the contestants is not shown on-screen. The group includes a "Picker" and four potential suitors, The four contestants are selected based on how their answers to questions in an earlier interview matched the qualities the Picker sought in a suitor. The group remains chained together for four days and nights and is taken to complete day-to-day tasks, such as grocery shopping, preparing food, and ice skating. There are certain times when individuals are allowed their privacy, including using the bathroom, bathing, and changing clothing. At the start of each episode, the Picker is provided with $10,000 to give to the other participants based on his or her personal preferences. The Picker eliminates potential matches, who are then unchained by the Lockmaster. As each contestant leaves, the Picker can decide to give a portion of the money to them. When one contestant remains, the Picker can choose to split the remaining cash with them if they feel that a "love connection" has been formed. The Picker can also choose to keep the money for themselves. The final contestant can refuse to be involved any further in a relationship. ==Production==

Chains of Love was inspired by a television program from the Netherlands The Dutch company Endemol handled the production, and David Garfinkle acted as the executive producer. Garfinkle said that he was not certain how the series would unfold during its broadcast, explaining that the competition among the contestants began to resemble soap operas such as Melrose Place. Chains of Love was initially picked up by NBC, in an agreement with Endemol where the network would produce nine episodes of an unidentified program. NBC eventually decided not to pursue the series due to creative differences with its producer. Newsweek's Marc Peyser believed that NBC dropped out of the project on "moral grounds" due to its premise. UPN executives associated the rise in interest in unscripted content as connected to its low production costs compared to scripted programming and its appeal to a younger demographic. Network president Dean Valentine explained: "From a societal view, audiences, especially young people, are finding it harder and harder to relate to fictional storytelling – it just seems fake to them." Interpreting the titular chains as "metaphors for the bonds of human affection", Valentine found the series was primarily an example of physical comedy. He emphasized that the show was not directly related to sadomasochism. Valentine said that the show's appeal would extend beyond sexuality, identifying the contestants as "kind of morph[ing] together [as] they have to deal with acceptance, rejection, fear, need". He explained that the process was "so emotional and stripped down [that] you almost feel like you're watching an est session". ==Episodes==

Chains of Love was one of three series that debuted on UPN during the 2000–01 US television schedule as a mid-season replacement; the other two were Special Unit 2 and All Souls. Chains of Love was broadcast initially on Tuesday nights at 8:00 pm EST, premiering on April 17, 2001. During its broadcast, Chains of Love was briefly paired with All Souls, Before the show's debut, the network had conducted a month-long online promotional campaign. The advertisements, specifically aimed at women from the ages of 12 to 34 years old, appeared on the websites Targetmatch.com, Madhive.com, and Ecrush.com. The Marina del Rey-based marketing firm L90, who had previously done work for UPN for the series Gary & Mike, created the campaign. Lauren Kay, the company's vice president of marketing, said that for the show they put together a "clean simple branding program" using pop-up ads, flash animation, and a sweepstake done through a microsite. The series is available for streaming on Tubi. Following the show's cancellation, William Shatner and Valentine parodied it during an event at Madison Square Garden, where they appeared chained together. ==Critical reception==

On its debut, Chains of Love received primarily negative feedback from television critics. In his 2005 book From Daytime to Primetime: The History of American Television Programs, scholar James W. Brown felt the concept fostered an environment for emotional and physical abuse. Some commentators had more positive comments for the series. Marc Peyser of Newsweek wrote that the producers of the series maintained the same irreverent tone from Blind Date. specifically the concept of having a contestant go on a date with four individuals and binding people together to complete specific tasks. ==References==