Debuting on Friday, February 27 on WE tv, ‘Sex Box’ is a new reality show in which couples have sex within a soundproof, camera-free chamber that’s been placed in front of a live studio audience. After coitus supposedly occurs within the aforementioned box of sexy times, the pajama-clad couple exits to discuss sexual intimacy and other emotional issues related to their relationship with a panel of doctors, relationship counselors, the live studio audience and the rest of America.
The concept for the show actually got its start in Britain on Channel 4 during late 2013. The original version, also called ‘Sex Box,’ debuted to 1.1 million viewers. However, that viewership figure plummeted during the first episode and the ratings continued to fall for the remaining six episode of the series. Critics, as well as viewers, mostly had negative opinions about the series and a new season hasn’t appeared on Channel 4 since the late episode aired on October 15, 2013.
Of course, that didn’t stop WE tv television producers from reviving the show for American audiences. Unsurprisingly, the reception to the American version of the show has also been extremely critical. Here’s a sample of three early reviews:
New York Times
“One authentic thing about “Sex Box”: Watching it is kind of like bad sex — the clock watching, the profound embarrassment, the desire to check your email. Engage in too much of it, and you’ll have to repair your relationship with your TV.”
Washington Post
“It would be such a better show if the Sex Box, once occupied, could then be lowered onto a shipping vessel bound for the Asian continent, or shot into orbit by Richard Branson, or driven to a storage unit in West Covina and stashed away. Something, anything to make up for the time wasted watching ‘Sex Box’.”
Salon
“Like almost all reality television, “Sex Box” wants to be provocative, but not too provocative; vaguely laudatory, but not truly groundbreaking. It plays up society’s paradoxes without seeking to resolve them, and makes money off the gradient.”
Just as unsurprising as the poor quality of a reality show called ‘Sex Box,’ parental activist groups are attempting to rally support behind online petitions that would remove WE tv from basic cable bundles. Of course, the likelihood of that occurring before WE tv cancels ‘Sex Box’ over potentially dismal ratings, similar to the British version of the show, is anyone’s guess.
