Here Come the Newlyweds

ABC's reality TV show Here Come the Newlyweds pits teams of just married couples against each other to win the grand prize of a large cash "nest egg." The first season began in March of 2008 with seven couples from diverse backgrounds, including a couple who had only known each other nine months, high school sweethearts who had dated for over 11 years, an arranged marriage, a couple on their fourth marriage each, and an interracial couple.

Billed as part romantic comedy, part Survivor, the couples compete in mental and physical challenges designed to test their knowledge of each other, such as blind parallel parking under the direction of their spouse. The couple who wins the challenge is granted "immunity," meaning that they can not be voted off that week, but are also given the opportunity to "sell" that immunity for a sum of money ranging from $10,000-$30,000. At the end of each episode, every couple casts a vote for another couple to be sent home and recipient of the most votes is asked to leave.

The season concluded with Crystal and Johnnie Moutra winning the series and the $465,000 "nest egg." Every couple who competed was awarded a second honeymoon in Aruba. Fast Facts:

1. Premiere: March 2, 2008
2. 10.34 million viewers tuned into the season premiere
3. Host: Pat Bullard
4. Season length: 6 episodes
5. Season finale: April 6, 2008

Quotes:

1. "We have to admit that there are some (reality shows) that just kind of make you cringe. You see the ugliest side of humanity. That’s not something I want to be part of. Here Comes the Newlyweds shows a good side of people and makes people laugh."—Host Pat Bullard
2. "Here Come the Newlyweds is all about relationships, the differences between men and women, and the universal issues that every couple must face."—ABC press release

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