Sex Box (American TV series)

Last updated
Sex Box
Sex Box NA series logo.jpg
GenreReality
Based on Sex Box (British TV series)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes5, 4 unaired (9 total)
Production
Running time42 minutes
Release
Original network WE tv
Original releaseFebruary 27, 2015 (2015-02-27) 
April 2015 (2015-04)

Sex Box is an American television show that aired on WE tv from February to April 2015. [1] The show is a remake of the British series by the same name and was hosted by Fran Walfish, a relationship therapist, and also starred sex therapist Dr. Chris Donaghue, Florida pastor Dr. Yvonne Capehart, and comedian Danielle Stewart, who provided backstage commentary. [2] WE tv cancelled the series in April 2015 due to poor ratings and only five of the first season's nine episodes were aired. [3] WE tv has expressed interest in bringing the show back in a reformatted version. [4]

Contents

Synopsis

Several couples are brought into the studio, some of whom are experiencing relationship problems. The couple will enter a sound-proofed box on the stage, where they will have sexual intercourse. During this time the show's hosts will comment on sex, the couple, and the chances that the couple's relationship will survive. After a certain amount of time the couple exits the box and rejoins the hosts on stage, where they answer questions about themselves and their sex life, based on the theory that the couple will be more likely to be more open and honest in their answers after having intercourse. [5]

Production

WE tv first announced plans to create a pilot episode for a North American version of Sex Box in March 2014 and in August of the same year, stated that they had ordered a nine-episode season for the series. [6] WE tv's President Mark Juris commented on the show's concept, which he found "one of the most unique and compelling show concepts we’ve ever seen". [7] The Daily Beast has criticized the show's concept, stating "Sex Box, with its ridiculous guinea pigs screwing conceit, will only augment our cultural hang-ups about sex. Listening to a sex therapist, a relationship psychotherapist, and a pastor do their best American Idol impressions, break down the myriad problems couples are having during the act, will only make people more apprehensive when it comes to having sex. And what business does a pastor have lecturing people about his or her sexual performance? Religion is one of the driving forces behind this country’s prudishness to begin with." [8]

Reception

The Washington Post reviewed an early episode of the show, writing "This show is therapeutic in so many ways. First, because the experts encourage the couple to talk to each other about their sexual problems, and that can’t be bad, right? And second, because the revelation that a 7.9 (the equivalent of a C-plus) is an acceptable sex grade is great news for sexual underachievers everywhere!" [9]

Criticism

Sex Box was heavily criticized by the Parents Television Council, who stated that the show was "an affront to families, toxic to advertisers, and a clear demonstration of a badly-broken business model that forces every cable/satellite subscriber to pay for unwanted and unwatched cable networks." [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We TV</span> American pay television channel

We TV is an American pay television channel. Owned by AMC Networks since its September 1997 launch, it is oriented mainly towards lifestyle and entertainment programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Adler</span> Canadian-American television producer and writer

Allison Beth Adler is a Canadian-American television producer and writer. She is the co-creator of Supergirl and The New Normal, and is also known for her work on Chuck and Family Guy.

Common Law is an American comedy-drama television series, which ran on USA Network from May 11 to August 10, 2012, and stars Michael Ealy and Warren Kole as two Los Angeles Police Department detectives who can't stand each other and are ordered to see a couples therapist to remedy the situation.

<i>Anger Management</i> (TV series) American television sitcom

Anger Management is an American television multi-camera sitcom created by Bruce Helford that premiered on FX on June 28, 2012. The series is loosely based on the 2003 film of the same title and stars Charlie Sheen in a variation of the Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson film. The series received 5.74 million viewers in its debut, breaking the record as the most-watched sitcom premiere in US cable television history. On November 7, 2014, FX announced that the series would end after its 100th episode, which aired on December 22, 2014.

Sex surrogates, sometimes referred to as surrogate partners, are practitioners trained in addressing issues of intimacy and sexuality. A surrogate partner works in collaboration with a sex therapist to meet the goals of their client. This triadic model is used to dually support the client: the client engages in experiential exercises and builds a relationship with their surrogate partner while processing and integrating their experiences with their therapist or clinician.

<i>The Fosters</i> (American TV series) American family drama TV series

The Fosters is an American family drama television series created by Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg. It premiered in the United States on June 3, 2013, on the ABC Family television network and concluded on June 6, 2018. It followed the lives of the Adams-Foster family led by a lesbian couple, Stef Foster, a police officer, and Lena Adams, a school vice principal, who raise one biological son and four adopted teenagers in San Diego, California.

<i>Undateable</i> American television sitcom (2014–2016)

Undateable is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from May 29, 2014, to January 29, 2016, and originally premiered as a mid-season replacement. The series was created by Adam Sztykiel, based on the book Undateable: 311 Things Guys Do That Guarantee They Won't Be Dating or Having Sex by Ellen Rakieten and Anne Coyle. In the show, bachelor Danny Burton has trouble getting into a relationship with various women he meets. On May 8, 2015, NBC renewed Undateable for a third season that consisted entirely of live episodes, which premiered on October 9, 2015. On May 13, 2016, NBC canceled the series after three seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Weeks</span> British actor

Edward Charles Egerton Weeks is an English actor, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known for starring as Dr. Jeremy Reed in the Fox/Hulu comedy series The Mindy Project (2012–2017). He also starred as Colin in the Fox comedy series LA to Vegas (2018).

Unreal is an American drama television series that premiered on Lifetime on June 1, 2015. It stars Shiri Appleby as a young reality television producer pushed by her unscrupulous boss to swallow her integrity and do anything it takes to drum up salacious show content. The show was created by Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, and was inspired by Shapiro's award-winning independent short film Sequin Raze.

<i>Sirens</i> (2014 TV series) American TV series or program

Sirens is an American comedy television series loosely based on the British series of the same name. The American version was adapted by actor Denis Leary and screenwriter Bob Fisher. The series aired for two seasons on the USA cable television network from March 6, 2014, through April 14, 2015. On April 22, 2015, USA cancelled Sirens after two seasons.

<i>How to Get Away with Murder</i> 2014 American legal thriller television series

How to Get Away with Murder is an American legal drama thriller television series that premiered on ABC on September 25, 2014, and concluded on May 14, 2020. The series was created by Peter Nowalk, and produced by Shonda Rhimes and ABC Studios. The series aired on ABC as part of a night of programming, all under Rhimes's Shondaland production company.

<i>The Odd Couple</i> (2015 TV series) American sitcom

The Odd Couple is an American multi-camera sitcom television series that aired on CBS from February 19, 2015, to January 30, 2017. It is the seventh screen production based on the 1965 play written by Neil Simon, following the 1968 film, the original 1970s television series, a 1975 Saturday morning cartoon, a 1982 reboot of the 1970 series, The Odd Couple: Together Again and The Odd Couple II.

Sex Box is a British television series. The first series was hosted by Mariella Frostrup. The series was produced by independent production company Clearstory and broadcast on Channel 4. The show's premise centres upon the idea that couples will be more open to sexually themed discussions after having performed the act itself. The show's hosts have the couple retire to a private "sex box" on stage, where they are to have sexual intercourse with one another.

The 2015–16 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers prime time hours from September 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2014–15 season.

<i>Of Kings and Prophets</i> 2016 American television drama

Of Kings and Prophets is an American television drama based on the Biblical Books of Samuel that premiered on ABC. The series follows an ensemble of characters including Saul and David, the successive kings of Israel, their families, and their political rivals. Of Kings and Prophets is filmed in Cape Town, South Africa.

<i>Code Black</i> (TV series) 2015 American medical drama television series

Code Black is an American medical drama television series created by Michael Seitzman that premiered on CBS on September 30, 2015. It takes place in an overcrowded and understaffed emergency room in Los Angeles, California, and is based on a documentary by Ryan McGarry. On May 16, 2016, the show was renewed for a 13-episode second season, which premiered on September 28, 2016. On November 14, 2016, CBS added three more episodes, to bring the total to 16.

<i>Teachers</i> (2016 TV series) American TV series or program

Teachers is an American television sitcom on TV Land that aired from 2016 through 2019. It is based on the web series of the same name by the improv group The Katydids, and is written by the six members of the group who also play teachers at the Chicago-area Fillmore Elementary School. The series' initial 10 episodes premiered on January 13, 2016. On March 3, 2016, TV Land renewed Teachers for a 20-episode second season, which premiered on January 17, 2017. On March 21, 2017, the series went on hiatus, with the final 10 episodes of season two beginning to air on November 7, 2017. On April 20, 2017, the show was renewed for a 20-episode third season, which premiered on June 5, 2018. On November 20, 2018, TV Land announced that the series would end after three seasons and 50 episodes. The series finale aired on March 19, 2019.

The 2016–17 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers prime time hours from September 2016 to August 2017. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2015–16 season.

<i>The Neighborhood</i> (TV series) American television sitcom

The Neighborhood is an American television sitcom created by Jim Reynolds that premiered on CBS on October 1, 2018. The series follows a white Midwestern family as they adjust to moving into a predominantly black neighborhood in Pasadena, California. It stars Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Sheaun McKinney, Marcel Spears, Hank Greenspan, Tichina Arnold, and Beth Behrs. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a sixth season.

<i>Shrinking</i> (TV series) American comedy series

Shrinking is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein. The series stars Segel as a grieving therapist who decides to become drastically more involved in the lives of his patients. Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie and Lukita Maxwell also star.

References

  1. Andreeva, Nellie (11 March 2014). "U.S. Adaptation Of British Reality Format 'Sex Box' Gets Pilot Order At WE TV". Deadline. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  2. Goldberg, Leslie (21 August 2014). "'Sex Box': WE tv's New Dating Show Goes All the Way". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  3. de Moraes, Lisa (17 April 2015). "'Sex Box' Doesn't Sell, Scrubbed From WE TV Schedule". Deadline. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  4. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (17 April 2015). "WE tv Pulls 'Sex Box': May Come Back for More". Variety. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  5. Suddath, Claire (22 August 2014). "In Defense of the New Reality Show Sex Box". Bloomberg. BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  6. "New TV show 'Sex Box' to feature people having sex in a box". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (21 August 2014). "WE TV Orders 'Sex Box' Series About Couples Having & Discussing Sex". Deadline. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  8. Stern, Marlowe (21 August 2014). "'Sex Box,' a Reality TV Show Where Couples Have Sex in a Box and Discuss It, Is Coming to America". Daily Beast. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  9. Silver, Marc. "'Sex Box' offers a new take on couples therapy: sex in a box". Washington Post. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  10. "WEtv pulls Sex Box from the schedule". Fox News. Retrieved 27 May 2015.