ABC says yes to Newlyweds

Here Come the Newlyweds, a new reality series in which freshly married couples compete for a cash prize, has been picked up by ABC for six episodes.

The series, created by Jay Blumenfield and Tony Marsh, is being pitched as a nicer reality series, one that focuses more on the humorous aspects of (newly) married life and not so much on exploiting human drama and misery. The couples facing off on the series include an arranged marriage, high school sweethearts and divorcees each on their fourth marriage.

I guess I can give some credit to Blumenfield and Marsh for not wanting to create another reality show designed to make people miserable for our entertainment, but it still feels like an old idea just slightly gussied up to feel new. The idea of couples competing isn't exactly original, so it will be interesting to see what, if anything, this new series does to standout from everything else.