Too Hot to Handle (TV series)
Too Hot to Handle is a British reality television dating game show produced by Fremantle production companies Talkback and Thames. Created by Laura Gibson and Charlie Bennett, the show's eight-episode first season was released on Netflix on 17 April 2020. Hosted by a virtual assistant named "Lana", the show revolves around 10 adults – all of whom primarily engage in meaningless flings and are unable to form long-lasting relationships – who are placed together in a house for four weeks and must go through various workshops, all while being forbidden from any kissing, sexual contact or self-gratification, with the monetary prize getting reduced any time a rule is broken.
| Too Hot to Handle | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by |
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| Based on | "The Contest" from Seinfeld by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld |
| Developed by |
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| Presented by | Lana |
| Narrated by | Desiree Burch |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 49 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production locations |
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| Running time | 36–43 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | 17 April 2020 – present |
In January 2021, the series was renewed for two more seasons, both of which were filmed back-to-back amid the COVID-19 pandemic on the Turks and Caicos Islands.[1] The first half of the second season released 23 June 2021, followed by the second half the next week on 30 June 2021. The third season was released on 19 January 2022. The fourth season premiered on 7 December 2022.[2] The fifth season premiered on 14 July 2023.[3]
Premise edit
Hosted by a traffic cone-shaped virtual assistant named "Lana", the show revolves around a group of adults – all of whom primarily engage in meaningless flings and are unable to form long-lasting relationships – who are placed together in a house on a tropical island for four weeks. Initially led to believe they are on a fictional, raunchy show, the contestants are later informed by Lana of the true purpose behind their stay, and that they are forbidden from any kissing, sexual contact, or self-gratification for the duration of it. The contestants start with a $100,000 grand prize that gets reduced any time a rule is broken. Alongside these restrictions, the contestants are put through various workshops aimed at aiding personal growth, in order to foster genuine connections between them.
Each season starts with 10 new contestants, although later new additions occasionally join throughout. Similarly, contestants who are unable to form connections in the house or commit to the process are sometimes kicked out, while others may voluntarily withdraw if they feel that their personal growth would be better facilitated outside of the show's environment.
Episodes edit
Season 1 (2020) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Love, Sex or Money" | $100,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 2 | 2 | "When Harry Met Francesca" | $97,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 3 | 3 | "Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Hot" | $94,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 4 | 4 | "Two's Company, Three's a ... Threesome" | $94,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 5 | 5 | "Boys to Men" | $75,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Bryce Isn't Right" | $55,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 7 | 7 | "Sisters over Misters" | $43,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 8 | 8 | "Lust or Bust" | $75,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 9 | 9 | "Extra Hot: The Reunion" | - | 8 May 2020 |
Season 2 (2021) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | "C**kblocked by a Cone" | $100,000 | 23 June 2021 |
| 11 | 2 | "You Gotta Watch Out for Pete" | $79,000 | 23 June 2021 |
| 12 | 3 | "On Est dans la Merde" | $73,000 | 23 June 2021 |
| 13 | 4 | "Resist Everything… Except Temptation" | $68,000 | 23 June 2021 |
| 14 | 5 | "An Offer You Can't Refuse" | $68,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 15 | 6 | "Give Up The Chase" | $60,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 16 | 7 | "Misters Over Sisters" | $40,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 17 | 8 | "Money Down The Drain" | $30,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 18 | 9 | "Green Lights and Hot Nights" | $55,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 19 | 10 | "I Did Not See That Coming" | $55,000 | 30 June 2021 |
Season 3 (2022) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 | "No Pleasure Island" | $200,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 21 | 2 | "The Midnight Train to Georgia" | $197,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 22 | 3 | "The Truth Hurts" | $155,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 23 | 4 | "Eat My Shorts" | $143,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 24 | 5 | "The Summer of '69" | $74,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 25 | 6 | "Triple Threat" | $68,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 26 | 7 | "Yoni Live Once" | $46,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 27 | 8 | "Reaching Rock Bottom" | $0 | 19 January 2022 |
| 28 | 9 | "Paradise Purgatory" | $0 | 19 January 2022 |
| 29 | 10 | "Out With A Bang" | $90,000 | 19 January 2022 |
Season 4 (2022) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | "The Mile Dry Club" | $200,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 31 | 2 | "There's Something About Nigel" | $191,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 32 | 3 | "Officer Kill Joy" | $167,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 33 | 4 | "Flavia of the Month" | $167,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 34 | 5 | "The Shower and the Glory" | $117,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 35 | 6 | "Puppets for Playas" | $79,000 | 14 December 2022 |
| 36 | 7 | "Trust or Bust" | $89,000 | 14 December 2022 |
| 37 | 8 | "It's Raining Love Triangles" | $89,000 | 14 December 2022 |
| 38 | 9 | "Jawahir, Jawa-there" | $89,000 | 14 December 2022 |
| 39 | 10 | "Growth is a Team Game" | $89,000 | 14 December 2022 |
Season 5 (2023) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1 | "Up Ships Creek" | $200,000 | 14 July 2023 |
| 41 | 2 | "A Matter Of Pact" | $164,000 | 14 July 2023 |
| 42 | 3 | "Stick or Twist" | $152,000 | 14 July 2023 |
| 43 | 4 | "Court In The Act" | 146,000 | 14 July 2023 |
| 44 | 5 | "Driving Me Bananas" | $98,000 | 21 July 2023 |
| 45 | 6 | "Making Kiss-tory" | $110,000 | 21 July 2023 |
| 46 | 7 | "Defective Detective" | $110,000 | 21 July 2023 |
| 47 | 8 | "Is It Too Late To Say Sorry?" | $100,000 | 28 July 2023 |
| 48 | 9 | "Love or Money" | $100,000 | 28 July 2023 |
| 49 | 10 | "The Climax" | $100,000 | 28 July 2023 |
Production edit
Background edit
The show was created by Laura Gibson[6] and developed by Charlie Bennett, citing Seinfeld episode, "The Contest" as their inspiration for the premise of Too Hot to Handle.[7] Laura Gibson, creative director of Fremantle-owned production company Talkback, which produced the eight-part series, told Deadline Hollywood that she had been working to produce a dating show since 2016.[8]
Viki Kolar and Jonno Richards, executive producers for Too Hot to Handle,[9] said they found inspiration for the virtual character from artificial intelligence and virtual assistants, especially in video surveillance. Viki Kolar stated, "[A.I.] is literally everywhere around us. It's kind of governing us, it's taking over," in an interview with Glamour.[10]
Development edit
On 5 May 2019, Netflix Studios, LLC applied to trademark the phrase "Too Hot to Handle" for all educational, training, entertainment, sporting, and cultural purposes. The application was approved on 24 June 2019, and was extended on 5 March 2020.[11] This has been done with other Netflix original programs such as Stranger Things, The OA, and Big Mouth.[12] Too Hot to Handle was produced by Fremantle production company Talkback.[13]
The show, instead of using a human as their host, used a virtual assistant named Lana. Desiree Burch provided voice-over narration, making snarky and comedic remarks towards the contestants.[14]
Casting edit
In 2018, Talkback announced that casting for an untitled reality television show was open.[citation needed] In total, over 3,000 people auditioned for the show; however, producer Louise Peet stated that the people who ultimately ended up being on the show stood out to the casting team and were chosen quickly.[15]
Filming edit
A luxury resort called Casa Tau[16] in Punta Mita, Mexico opened to guests in December 2018.[17] Soon after, Too Hot to Handle started filming at Casa Tau in late-March 2019[18] and ended filming in April.[19][20] After filming had ended, all fourteen contestants were able to spend several days at the resort with no cameras before going home.[21]
Release edit
On 10 April 2020, Netflix released the trailer for the first season of Too Hot to Handle.[22] The first season of Too Hot to Handle consisted of eight episodes,[23] all of which were released on 17 April 2020 on Netflix.[24] A reunion episode aired on 8 May 2020, where Desiree Burch interviewed the fourteen contestants.[25] The first 4 episodes of second season premiered on 23 June 2021, while the remaining 6 episodes premiered on 30 June 2021.[26] The third season was released on 19 January 2022.[27] The first 5 episodes of the fourth season premiered on 7 December 2022, while the remaining 5 episodes premiered on 14 December 2022.[28] The first 4 episodes of the fifth season premiered on 14 July 2023.[29] The next 3 episodes were released on 21 July 2023, and the final 3 episodes of the fifth season were released on 28 July 2023.
Netflix released two spinoff mobile games, Too Hot to Handle: Love is a Game (2022)[30] and Too Hot to Handle 2 (2023).[31] Both games are available free to all Netflix subscribers. As of March 2023, Love is a Game was Netflix's most played game.[32]
Prize edit
Season 1 edit
At the allocation ceremony, the ten remaining contestants became the winners. Francesca Farago, Harry Jowsey, Kelz Dyke, Bryce Hirschberg, Chloe Veitch, David Birtwistle, Lydia Clyma, Nicole O'Brien, Rhonda Paul, and Sharron Townsend all split the $75,000 prize fund, resulting in $7,500 for each person.[33][34]
Season 2 edit
At the allocation ceremony, it came down to three contestants: Carly Lawrence, Cam Holmes, and Marvin Anthony. The fellow finalists were the ones who voted for the winner, selecting Marvin as the winner of the $55,000 prize fund.[35]
Season 3 edit
At the allocation ceremony, it came down to four contestants: Beaux Raymond & Harry Johnson (as a couple), Georgia Hassarati, and Nathan Soan Mngomezulu. The fellow finalists were the ones who voted for the winner, selecting Beaux and Harry as the winner of the $90,000 prize fund.[36]
Season 4 edit
At the allocation ceremony, it came down to two couples: Jawahir Khalifa & Nick Kici, and Kayla Richart & Seb Melrose. The fellow finalists voted for the winner, with Jawahir & Nick winning the $89,000 prize fund with a final vote of 6 votes to 1.[37]
Season 5 edit
At the allocation ceremony, it came down to two contestants: Elys Hutchinson and Dre Woodard. The fellow finalists voted for Elys to win the $100,000 prize fund. Elys decided to split the prize fund with runner-up Dre, resulting in $50,000 for both contestants.[38]
Reception edit
Viewership edit
The first season of Too Hot to Handle became the No. 1 television program on Netflix during the week of 20 April 2020.[39]
The second season of Too Hot To Handle accumulated 111,680,000 hours watched while in the Netflix Global Top Ten; season 3 racked up 72,840,000 view hours, and season 4 scored 74,900,000 hours.[40]
Critical response edit
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the first season of Too Hot to Handle 36%, holding an average rating of 4.9 out of 10 from 28 reviews.[41] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gives the series a score of 43 based on 13 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[42]
Critic John Serba of Decider panned the show, describing it as "a mashup of Temptation Island, Love Island, "The Contest" episode of Seinfeld and The Peter Griffin Sideboob Hour", stating that "to call it tawdry is to engage in nuclear understatement", calling it "some of the dreckiest dreck ever drecked", and advising viewers to skip it.[43]
Rachelle Hampton of Slate also wrote a negative review, stating: "Despite an irresistibly juicy premise, Too Hot to Handle doesn't know what kind of show it wants to be, and it suffers for lack of direction. (...) Its will-they-or-won't-they concept is ruined as soon as it becomes clear that, yes, they obviously will, even if it means losing tens of thousands of dollars."[44]
International versions edit
| Country | Title | Network(s) | Host(s) | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Too Hot to Handle: Brazil Brincando com Fogo: Brasil |
| 2 | |
| Germany | Too Hot to Handle: Germany |
| 1 | |
| Mexico | Too Hot to Handle: Latino Jugando con Fuego: Latino |
| 1 |
References edit
- ^ Kenter, Jake (27 January 2021). "Netflix Renews 'Too Hot To Handle' For Two Seasons; Show Changes Location & Fremantle Switches Up Production". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- ^ "Watch Too Hot to Handle | Netflix Official Site". www.netflix.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Video: "Too Hot To Handle" - Season 5 Announcement - Netflix" (Press release). Netflix. 11 January 2023 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ Harnick, Chris (10 April 2020). "Too Hot to Handle Tasks Horny Contestants With Keeping Their Hands to Themselves for Money". eonline.com. ENews. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Too Hot to Handle – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Arruda, Aline. "Too Hot to Handle: How Seinfeld and Dick Pics Inspired Netflix's Wildest Dating Show Yet". Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair. from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ Kurkland, Daniel (17 April 2020). "Too Hot To Handle: Awesome Facts About The Making Of Netflix's New Show". TheThings.com. from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ White, Peter (16 April 2020). "'Too Hot To Handle': Producers Dish The Dirt On Netflix Reality Show That Combines 'Seinfeld's 'The Contest' With 'Love Island'". deadline.com. Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ Nakamura, Reid (18 April 2020). "Netflix's 'Too Hot to Handle' Producers Explain Why That Blow Job Cost $6,000". The Wrap. from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ Tannenbaum, Emily (17 April 2020). "Netflix's Too Hot to Handle Is the Funniest, Least Sexy Reality Show About Sex". glamour.com. Glamour. from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ "TOO HOT TO HANDLE - Trademark Details". trademarks.justia.com. Justia Trademarks. 29 May 2019. from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ "Netflix Studios, LLC Trademarks". trademarks.justia.com. Justia Trademarks. from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ White, Peter (10 April 2020). "'Too Hot To Handle': Netflix Unveils Trailer & Sets Premiere For Steamy Reality Dating Format". deadline.com. Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 10 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Smail, Gretchen (17 April 2020). "'Too Hot To Handle' Narrator Desiree Burch Is The Perfect Person For The Job". bustle.com. Bustle. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ Nicolaou, Elena (18 April 2020). "The Too Hot to Handle Cast and Creators Answer Your Burning Questions". oprahmag.com. The Oprah Magazine. from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ Weaver, Hilary (2 May 2020). "WHERE WAS TOO HOT TO HANDLE FILMED?". LPR Luxury. from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ Lague, Adam (27 March 2020). . magazine.luxuryretreat.com. Luxury Retreats Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ Brockington, Ariana (18 April 2020). "This Is When All The Too Hot To Handle Action Was Filmed". refinery29.com. Refinery29. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ Blanton, Kayla (16 April 2020). "Where Was 'Too Hot To Handle' Filmed? You Can Plan Your Own Luxury Stay". bustle.com. Bustle. from the original on 20 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ Nicolaou, Elena (18 April 2020). "Netflix's Too Hot to Handle Was Filmed at This $15,660-a-Night Mexican Villa". oprahmah.com. The Oprah Magazine. from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ Baty, Emma (17 April 2020). "Harry and Francesca From 'Too Hot to Handle' Felt Like the Group Was "Against" Them During the Retreat". cosmopolitan.com. Cosmopolitan. from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ "Season 1 Trailer: Too Hot to Handle". Netflix. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Corinthios, Aurelie (10 April 2020). "Netflix Drops Too Hot to Handle Trailer: See 10 Hot Singles Attempt Celibacy for a $100K Prize". people.com. People. from the original on 10 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Masonhall, Erika (24 March 2020). "NETFLIX SPARKS JOY WITH RETURNING UNSCRIPTED FAVORITES RHYTHM + FLOW, THE CIRCLE, AND LOVE IS BLIND, PLUS AN ALL-NEW SHOW FROM MARIE KONDO". media.netflix.com. Netflix Media Center. from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ Longeretta, Emily (8 May 2020). "'Too Hot to Handle' Reunion Includes Tears, a Proposal and a Still Annoyed Haley". usmagazine.com. US Weekly. from the original on 9 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ^ Kenter, Jake (19 May 2021). "'Too Hot To Handle': Netflix Sets June 23 Premiere Date For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ "'Too Hot to Handle' Season 3: Meet the New Cast | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ King, Jack (16 February 2022). "'Too Hot to Handle' Renewed for a Steamy Season 4 by Netflix". Collider. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Watch the first trailer for Too Hot To Handle season 5". Cosmopolitan. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ Kaser, Rachel (13 December 2022). "Netflix adds final games of 2022, announces 2023's first titles". VentureBeat. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ Dellosa, Catherine (11 July 2023). "Too Hot to Handle 2 is coming to iOS and Android on July 20th courtesy of Netflix". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ Morris, Iwan (20 March 2023). "Netflix Games one year on". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ "Lust or Bust". Too Hot to Handle. Season 1. Episode 8. 17 April 2020. Netflix.
- ^ "Who won Too Hot to Handle season 1?". Radio Times. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ "Who won Too Hot To Handle season 2?". Capital. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ "Too Hot to Handle season 3 reveals winner and their final jackpot". Radio Times. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ Bobic, Chrissy (14 December 2022). "'Too Hot to Handle' Season 4 Has Crowned One of the Strongest Couples As Winners (SPOILERS)". Distractify. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ Feskova, Lena (28 July 2023). "Who is the winner of Too Hot To Handle season 5?".
- ^ Decider (23 April 2020). "Netflix Top 10 List: Today's Most Popular Shows and Movies, Reviewed". decider.com. Decider. from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ "Too Hot to Handle Hours Viewed • FlixPatrol". FlixPatrol. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ "TOO HOT TO HANDLE: SEASON 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ "Too Hot to Handle - TV Show Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ Serba, John (17 April 2020). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Too Hot to Handle' on Netflix, Possibly the Trashiest Reality Show Ever". Decider. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ Hampton, Rachelle (16 April 2020). "Netflix's Too Hot to Handle Bungles Its Juicy Reality TV Premise". slate.com. Slate Magazine. from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
External links edit
- Too Hot to Handle on Netflix
- Too Hot to Handle at IMDb
- Too Hot to Handle at UKGameshows.com