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Here are three big reasons why.
It brought new, younger viewers to CBS.
According to CBS and Nielsen,Love Islandis averaging a 0.5 rating among women under 35.
Its not a game-changer, but in the age of Too Much TV, even the slightest advantage helps.
It was actually good!
But unlike Foxs paint-by-numbers revival ofParadise Hotelearlier this year,Love Islandsubstantially elevated the unscripted genre.
Sure, the shows masterful editors still worked overtime to extract maximum drama from every glance and sigh.
Her flirtation with fellow IslanderEmily Sulchwas treated matter-of-factly, rather than as some shocking development.
Love Islandalso stood out through a couple of its production elements.
(It even used the theme toDawsons Creekto great effect.)
(Reality Blurred editor and Vulture contributor Andy Dehnartchronicledsome of his best early lines.)
It still has plenty of room to grow.
The problem wasnt that audiences rejectedLove Island; those who watched the premiere mostly stuck with the series.
But sometimes patience pays off.
The first season was a ratings flop.
Yet CBS stuck with it, bringing in new producers and modifying the format.
Nineteen years later, that show Big Brother is a staple of the Eyes summer schedule.
