Friday marks the U.S. premiere of Sex Box on We TV — a show in which struggling couples actually have sex inside a box onstage. Sure, the box is soundproof and there’s no camera inside. And yes, the idea is that the couples will be more vulnerable and honest after the act, when they talk to a panel of expert in the hopes of solving their issues. But that doesn’t make it any less cringeworthy.
The premise is so simple, so bizarre, that it’s something you’d fact check before posting about it on Facebook because there’s no way it could be real. But Sex Box is no parody. The U.K. show of the same name aired in 2013 and received tepid reviews. But it’s only the latest in a series of reality shows that we can’t believe got the green light.
Here are other reality shows that make TheBachelor look totally sensible:
Born in the Wild This Lifetime series, premiering March 3, is about women who give birth in nature. “No inductions, no epidurals…just expectant mothers facing and giving birth in the arms of Mother Nature,” boasts the show’s YouTube page.
Who is the Worst Driver in the Netherlands? The series, which has run in several different countries, gathers the worst drivers in a specific region and has them show off their lack-of-skills behind the wheel. In 2011, a Netherlands contestant proved himself worthy of the title after he accidentally ran over the show’s host. (No one was seriously injured).
Are You Hot? Before there was Tinder there was a show in which people walked down a runway and displayed their goods to judges who essentially swiped right or left. Are You Hot? aired on ABC in 2003.
The Will CBS may have agreed to pick up the 2005 reality show — in which family and friends of a rich benefactor compete to be included in his inheritance — but the network had the good sense to cancel it after just one episode.
Dating Naked A contestant actually sued VH1 for showing a little too much nudity.
The Swan This show was a heartwarming retelling of The Ugly Duckling in which producers turned contestants into swans by giving them lots and lots of plastic surgery. The series was more than a little problematic.
Minority Report (Fox)
The rebooted version of the Tom Cruise sci-fi flick will be set 10 years after the Precrime division has been dismantled and will focus on a female detective.
20th Century FoxBig (Fox)
The TV show version of Big, from the creators of Enlisted, will be a limited series that delves into "what it means to be an adult and what it means to be a kid, and how in today's world those two things are more confused than ever."20th Century FoxHitch (Fox)
Will Smith, who starred as a love doctor in the movie version of Hitch, and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith will produce this workplace comedy about dating politics.ColumbiaScream (MTV)
This 90s horror classic is getting a modern update: It will follow a spate of killings kicked off by a viral YouTube video. But if the TV version is anything like the movie, no actor on the show should make long-term plans.
Dimension FilmsMarley & Me (NBC)
Though the Marley & Me movie may have been a tear-jerker, the proposed TV show will be a comedy. Picking up where the film left off, John, Jenny and their three children will be forced to adopt a new stray puppy — whom they name Marley, of course.20th Century FoxBachelor Party (ABC)
The writers have said the TV show, "loosely based" on the 1984 Tom Hanks movie about bachelor party debauchery, will be an anthology series in which each season focuses on a different wedding party and examines the relationships of various couples.20th Century FoxIn Good Company (CBS)In Good Company focuses on a middle-aged executive who must contend with a new boss who is both half his age and dating his daughter. Paul Weitz, who wrote the 2004 film, is onboard to write and executive produce the show.UniversalMonster-in-Law (Fox)
The 2005 comedy starring Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda will follow a happily married woman who must contend with her mother-in-law while preparing to welcome a baby.New Line CinemaThe Devil's Advocate (NBC)
The series, like the Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino film, will center on a public defender who joins a law firm that is run by the devil.Warner Bros.Limitless (CBS)
Bradley Cooper, who starred in the action film, will executive produce the Limitless TV series about a writer who is able to access 100% of his brain on a mysterious drug called NZT.Relativity MediaReal Genius (NBC)
A present-day reboot of the cult Val Kilmer film, Real Genius will be a workplace comedy about the relationship between a physics legend and his naive coworker.TriStarRush Hour (CBS)
The TV show version of Rush Hour will again pair up a play-by-the-rules Hong Kong police officer and a rebellious black Los Angeles cop in a procedural-type show.New Line CinemaThe Illusionist (CW)
The Edward Norton film may have been set in 1889 Vienna, but the TV adaptation will take place in turn-of-the-century New York. It will follow a famous illusionist who returns home from prison to find his wife married to the mob boss who framed him for a crime.Yari Film GroupUncle Buck (ABC)
Like the 1980s John Hughes movie starring John Candy, Uncle Buck in its TV show form will focus on a man who must learn to grow up by taking care of his brother's kids.
Universal12 Monkeys (SyFy)
Set to premiere January 19, the series features a man sent back from the future to prevent a plague that will destroy mankind.UniversalThe Odd Couple (CBS)
Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon star in this remake of the classic Neil Simon play/film/show about a two recently divorced men and roommates — one messy and one a neat freak.ParamountSchool of Rock (Nickelodeon)
Set to air on Nickelodeon, School of Rock will follow a down-on-his-luck musician who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a prep school.ParamountShooter (TNT)
Mark Wahlberg, who starred in the conspiracy thriller film, will produce the TV adaptation about a sharpshooter who is framed for murder.ParamountAshecliffe, a prequel to Shutter Island (HBO)
Dennis Lehane, author of the novel Shutter Island upon which the Martin Scorsese film is based, will pen a prequel called Ashecliffe that would explore the eerie hospital's past before Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the film ever visited. Scorcese is reportedly in talks to direct the pilot.ParamountThe Truman Show (Paramount)
Paramount Pictures has begun to develop a Truman Show TV series about a man unknowingly living in a semi-scripted reality show — a concept that's become all-the-more relevant in the age of hacks, shrinking privacy, over-sharing and social media.Paramount
