11 shows like Netflix's 'Love Is Blind' to watch next while you're waiting for season 6

The cast of "Bachelor in Paradise" season 9 pose on the beach in swimwear.
The cast of "Bachelor in Paradise" season 9.ABC/Craig Sjodin
  • Netflix's "Love Is Blind" has aired five seasons on Netflix.

  • Viewers eagerly waiting for more have lots of other dating shows to binge in the meantime.

  • These shows like "Love Is Blind" can hold you over until season six (and "After the Altar").

"Love Is Blind" wrapped up its fifth season with a drama-filled reunion episode in October. That means fans likely have some time to kill before the season's "After the Altar" episodes appear in the queue.

But luckily, there are plenty of similar shows on Netflix and other streaming platforms to satisfy the natural urge we have to watch people take wild leaps of faith in the name of love.

Whether you like watching unconventional marriages between strangers crash and burn on camera on shows like "Married At First Sight," or prefer a more meta reality series like "FBoy Island," there's a dating show out there for everybody's taste.

Here are our picks for the best shows like "Love Is Blind" to catch up on next.

The "Love Is Blind" international spin-offs

"Love Is Blind" Japan.
"Love Is Blind" Japan.Netflix

If you love the US version of "Love Is Blind," the next best shows to fill the void are the international versions of the show.

After its success in the US, Netflix mimicked the concept abroad. American fans can currently watch the first season of "Love Is Blind Japan" and three seasons of "Love Is Blind Brazil" with a subscription.

A UK version of the show is coming in 2024, per Cosmopolitan UK, though no release date has been set yet. The show will be hosted by celebrity couple Matt and Emma Willis.

A Swedish version of "Love Is Blind" is also coming soon, per the streaming website, but no date has been announced.

As for what fans can expect from the international versions that are already available to stream, "Love Is Blind Japan" has a delightful story of opposites attracting, but sometimes fights take place off-camera, making it difficult to follow what's going on between couples.

By contrast, "Love Is Blind Brazil" has plenty of couples that are fun to despise, and the drama is well-documented, even if only in confessional interviews.

"Married at First Sight"

Keith Manley on "Married At First Sight."
Keith Manley on "Married At First Sight."Lifetime

"Married At First Sight," which is available to stream on Hulu and Netflix, skips the courtship phase of "Love Is Blind" and goes right to the altar. Essentially, two strangers are matched by experts and meet for the first time on their wedding day, when nearly every couple has said "I do" for 17 seasons over nearly a decade.

Viewers then get a glimpse into their married lives for the next six weeks — from the honeymoon to "Decision Day" when they decide whether to stay married or get a divorce.

The concept is simple and lends itself to drama. Over 17 seasons, couples have experienced someone getting arrested at the airport on the way to their honeymoon, a pregnant ex, and some explosive fights that have led to the destruction of property.

"90 Day Fiancé"

Ed "Big Ed" Brown and Liz Woods during an episode of "90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After."
Ed "Big Ed" Brown and Liz Woods during an episode of "90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After."TLC/Discovery Plus

TLC's "90 Day Fiancé" has spawned a whole universe of shows. But the flagship show, available to stream on Max and TLC Go, is most likely to end in the wedding ceremony you might be craving. An American and his or her foreign partner start documenting their experience on a fiancé visa, during which they have 90 days to legally marry or else their partner must return to their home country.

After over a decade on TV, "90 Day Fiancé" has been providing fans with lots of juicy drama thanks to culture clashes, secret pasts, and a few cute babies born along the way.

"The Ultimatum" and "The Ultimatum: Queer Love"

Antonio Mattei and Roxanne Kaiser on season two of "The Ultimatum."
Antonio Mattei and Roxanne Kaiser on season two of "The Ultimatum."Netflix

Think of this Netflix dating show and its queer spinoff — which follow couples in a relationship after one person in the couple has told the other that they either need to get married or break up — as the messier sibling of "Love Is Blind."

After they've issued the titular ultimatum, the couples on the show temporarily separate, and each person begins dating other contestants. They then choose someone to live with for a few weeks in a "trial marriage," and at the end, have to choose whether or not to pursue things with their original partner, remain with their new partner, or leave alone.

Predictably, jealousies tend to surface when the contestants began dating other people. And while it's clear that some couples have no business getting married, it's gratifying to watch a few couples make it out stronger than ever.

"Love Island" (UK version)

Molly Marsh and Mitchel Taylor on season 10 of Love Island UK.
Molly Marsh and Mitchel Taylor on season 10 of "Love Island UK."ITV

This is the dating show to end all dating shows, and the US version can't even come close. Featuring a group of young, sexy singles, a Spanish villa that's more like an amusement park than a home, and a wide variety of English accents, "Love Island" is fun and addictive.

The twists and turns tend to change a bit throughout the season, but the highlights tend to be Casa Amor (where committed men are sent to be tempted out of their relationships by flirty women), and the absurd challenges the islanders have to participate in, which usually involve steamy makeouts and simulating sex.

Each season of "Love Island," currently streaming on Hulu, features dozens of episodes, but that just means you have more to savor.

"Unreal"

UnReal
"Unreal." Lifetime

If you're craving a scripted alternative but want to stay in the dating show world, check out "Unreal." The Lifetime original show, available to purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV, was created by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (a former "Bachelor" producer). It follows reality-dating show producers Rachel Goldberg (Shiri Appleby) and Quinn King (Constance Zimmer) as they puppeteer the contestants on "Everlasting," a "Bachelor"-esque dating show.

It turns out that manufacturing drama for TV is more stressful than meets the eye, especially when business is about interfering with real lives — and mixes with pleasure.

Over four seasons, "Unreal" focused on mental health struggles and gave viewers a chance to imagine what might actually be happening behind the scenes of their favorite dating show.

"The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette"

Charity Lawson and Joey Graziadei on "The Bachelorette"
Charity Lawson and Joey Graziadei on "The Bachelorette."Craig Sjodin/ABC

ABC's "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," which both stream on Hulu, are arguably the most strait-laced of all the shows on this list. But they've stuck around for a reason: Once you get past the stilted intros and wacky expectations, it's fascinating to watch participants navigate the complexities of living with people who are all dating the same person.

At times, both "The Bachelor" and its spinoff "The Bachelorette" can put a lot of pressure on an engagement at the end, which doesn't always seem authentic or attainable. But overall, the two shows know that viewers just want romance, drama, more romance, and a happy ending, and they're all too happy to deliver.

"Bachelor in Paradise"

The cast of "Bachelor in Paradise" season 9 pose on the beach in swimwear.
The cast of "Bachelor in Paradise" season 9.ABC/Craig Sjodin

On ABC's "Bachelor in Paradise," on the other hand, participants can have all the fun they want — as long as that fun includes day-drinking, walking around in swimwear, and engaging in romantic conversations by the beach. It also seems to be easier to explore the physical side of a relationship on "Paradise," which thereby ups the drama as well.

The cast of "Paradise," which also streams on Hulu, is made up of contestants from past seasons of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," and sometimes even former leads themselves, so it's an easy way for fans of the franchise to stay connected to their favorites and watch new couples form.

This being a "Bachelor" show, there's of course a rose ceremony each week. But overall, the tone of "Paradise" is way more lighthearted and fun, making it the closest thing the franchise has to the horny, messy magic of "Love Island."

"The Golden Bachelor"

A side-by-side image of Leslie, smiing in a strapless bejeweled black dress, and Gerry, smiling in a tuxedo with a rose in his hand.
Leslie and Gerry on "The Golden Bachelor."ABC/Craig Sjodin

ABC's "The Golden Bachelor" is the newest addition to the franchise, but it's definitely the most heartwarming. This season, available to stream on Hulu, follows widower Gerry Turner, a sweet 72-year-old from Indiana, as he looks to find a new companion for his golden years. Gerry lost his wife to an illness a few years back, and while he recognizes that the love they shared was singular, he's still hopeful that he'll make a new connection.

All of the women featured on Gerry's season are over the age of 60, and it's refreshing to see a group of self-assured, mature adults in the mansion. At times, it can be emotional watching Gerry navigate breakups and recall the love that he and his late wife shared, but the show is so wholesome, it's worth checking out.

"FBoy Island"

"Fboy Island" contestants
HBO Max

One of the biggest concerns expressed on "The Bachelor" shows over the years is if a contestant is really there "for the right reasons." On "FBoy Island," which aired its first two seasons on Max and is currently airing its third on The CW, that fear is fully realized: Half of the contestants are self-proclaimed "fboys" hoping to charm the three women leads and win $100,000, and the other half are nice guys genuinely looking for love.

As season three lead Katie Thurston (and former "Bachelorette" star) told Insider recently, "FBoy Island" puts a lot less pressure on the leads to get engaged at the end of the season. Instead, the main challenge is just trying to fall in love with a nice guy, not an fboy.

If you're more invested in drama than in an engagement, "FBoy Island" is definitely worth checking out.

"Too Hot to Handle"

Season four of "Too Hot to Handle."
Season four of "Too Hot to Handle."TOM DYMOND/NETFLIX

This Netflix series also comes close to capturing the magic of "Love Island" — sexy singles live together in a villa by the beach, there's a cheeky narrator, and plenty of fun accents!

The premise of "Too Hot to Handle" is that most of the contestants are too focused on the physical side of relationships, and not enough on the emotional side. So while they think they're appearing on another reality dating show, the contestants soon find out (via a Siri-like device named Lana) that they cannot engage in sexual activity, or even kiss, other contestants unless Lana gives them permission. If they do, they lose money from the prize fund, which is to be split evenly amongst the group at the end.

Some contestants care more about the money, while others just want to get frisky. But there are some genuine moments of growth and emotional intimacy that make "Too Hot to Handle" even more engaging.

Read the original article on Insider