Hulu makes major decision about Alex Cooper’s reality dating show
Alex Cooper’s first swing at unscripted TV did not make it past Season 1. After nine episodes, Hulu has canceled ‘Love Overboard,’ the yacht-set dating series she executive produced. The show set sail in March. It followed 22 singles on a luxury yacht who were not only trying to woo each other, but were also competing for the privilege of being on the high-end yacht. The season was hosted by Gabby Windey, a co-lead star of ‘The Bachelorette’ and the winner of ‘The Traitors.’ By the finale, contestants Gia Aldisert and Tim Demirjian had come out on top, walking away with a $100,000 trip around the world.
However, that was not enough to save it. Initially reported by Page Six, Hulu is said to have canceled the show due to low viewership. The series never managed to cultivate the audience base of some of the streamer’s other unscripted shows, such as ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ ‘The Kardashians,’ or ‘Vanderpump Villa.’ Notably, ‘Love Overboard’ marked new territory for Cooper. The ‘Call Her Daddy’ host’s name grew in podcasting, and this was her first time producing a reality show on her own Unwell Productions banner alongside Jeff Jenkins Productions, 3BMG, and Walt Disney Television Alternative.
The cancellation comes at a bad time for Cooper’s larger Unwell company. The Unwell Beverage Co., another of her start-ups, is also closing shop after launching just two years ago, according to TMZ. But Cooper’s connection to Hulu has not gone down with the show. She is also developing a scripted series at the streamer called ‘You Deserve to Know,’ starring ‘The Vampire Diaries’ alumni Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley.
Unwell Productions has also been quite busy elsewhere. Cooper’s dating game series with Harry Jowsey, ‘Let’s Marry Harry,’ was released on Netflix, and her Unwell Winter Games series on YouTube is due to be followed by a ‘Summer Games’ series in early September. Since June, the company has announced over eight new shows and films. For now, though, ‘Love Overboard’ is done. The cancellation also comes months after Cooper’s company was accused of other issues.
In June, Vanity Fair published a report based on statements from 40 sources, including current and former Unwell employees. It claimed the company has a toxic work environment, with several accusing Cooper’s husband and business partner, Matt Kaplan. Cooper addressed the claims in a Wall Street Journal interview, saying she denies the allegations and that she is “extremely proud of what we have built at Unwell.”
