Northwestern students who have dreamed about being a contestant on reality television shows “The Bachelor” or “Love Island” are in luck. “Unscripted Love,” NU’s very own student-run reality dating show, is coming to campus.
Created by Communication junior Ananya Paul, the show will provide interested Radio, Television and Film students with the opportunity to help produce a reality TV show and others the chance to find love as a contestant.
The premise of “Unscripted Love” is similar to other popular dating shows. Contestants will participate in group activities and go on dates with their contestants of choice.
“Northwestern’s boldest singles are thrown into the spotlight for their one shot at fame — maybe true love — but only if they can take the heat and the drama,” Paul said.
The show accepts contestant applications until Nov. 15. After receiving applications, the production team plans to conduct interviews and narrow down the applicant pool. The show will begin with 12 students, and an additional six will join the cast for added drama halfway through the season.
As with any reality show, casting the right group of people is instrumental to the show’s success, Communication junior and story editor Caleb Mann said.
“People who want to be on reality TV need to be authentic and not afraid to show exactly who they are,” he said.
Communication sophomore and tech manager Levi Gillis said they’re looking for “characters” and people whose personalities will bounce off each other.
The show is entirely self-organized and self-funded by the production team, composed of its creator, casting and research directors, a story editor, tech manager, treasurer and line producers. The crew will purchase vlogging cameras, microphones and tripods with help from fundraising and grants.
Filming will take place every weekend from Friday to Sunday during the Spring Quarter. The crew plans to film confessionals, during which they’ll sit down with one contestant at a time, as well as group bonding activities. These might include hot yoga or body painting, Paul said.
On Sundays, contestants will try their hand at love by selecting who they’re most interested in and attending a one-on-one date. If all goes well, they can go on another date the following Sunday, or they can opt to find a new match.
For students more interested in watching the drama unfold on the screen, the “Unscripted Love” team plans to host watch parties as episodes are released throughout Fall 2025. They hope to premiere the pilot episode this spring before they finish editing the rest of the season.
“We all love reality TV so much,” Gillis said. “We wanted to create an actual reality TV show for students, by students.”
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