'Till death do us part'. From next month this statement will be put to a severe test when the Star World channel starts showing 'Temptation Island'. The one-hour reality show will start on 22 November and will occupy the 10 p.m. slot on Thursday's.

our couples who are engaged are shipped off to a Caribbean island where 26 devastatingly good looking single people dressed in the most provocative manner will do their best to break up the relationship. The charm and attraction of the show is that if the relationship is rooted in rocky ground the flaws will turn up sooner rather than later. This will put a lot of strain on the participants and the viewer sitting in the comfort of his living room gets perverse pleasure from watching this sexual and emotional circus.
 

The show is hosted by Mark L. Walberg who acts as a moderator. According to A.C. Nielsen ratings the first episode in the U.S attracted an average of 16.1 million viewers. The second episode had viewership of 17.6 million.

The production company, Rocket Science Laboratories scrutinises the background of the participants. In America executives of the Fox Television Network had to face the heat as soon as the programme went on air. The criticism was that this programme was promoting adultery which is already dangerously high in the country.

Controversy erupted mid-way through filming when it was discovered that one of the couples featured on the show had a child together. Concern was expressed that the young child could emotionally suffer if the relationship of its parents was broken up. Fox ran for cover saying that they were unaware of the child. It also emerged that Fox screened contestants for sexually transmitted diseases before allowing them to take part in the show.

One wonders what the reaction will be in India. The relationship between an engaged couple is considered to be sacred and among many quarters the perception is that this show makes the institution of the family seem trivial.