Fox checks out of ‘Paradise Hotel’

Fox has cancelled Paradise Hotel after just one season. 

The US broadcaster has pulled the plug on the rebooted format from Jersey Shore creator SallyAnn Salsano’s 495 Productions, citing low ratings and a lack of airtime for what is intended to be a stripped programme.

Rob Wade, president of alternative entertainment at Fox, confirmed the cancellation to Deadline at the TCAs this week.

“We were very proud of Paradise Hotel, but ultimately it was designed to air over many, many hours, and we started it relatively short – three times a week. We felt it didn’t quite perform at the level we wanted it to perform, and if we are going to get the opportunity to try a new show, we have to have the space. But we were very happy with the show, it was a great show and highly entertaining, and the production company did a great job.”

A 30-episode season of Paradise Hotel first aired on Fox in 2003 before it was rested and renewed for a second series on now-defunct sister channel Fox Reality Channel and syndication service MyNetworkTV in 2008.

Hosted by former Hills star Kristin Cavallari, the reboot’s May debut on Fox came shortly after a successful revival of Temptation Island on USA Network and a month ahead of CBS’s Love Island adaptation. Both shows have since been renewed for second seasons; however, Fox’s Wade doesn’t point the blame at a competitive space for relationship formats, instead noting that reboots need fanfare behind them in order to work.

“When you do bring a show back, there needs to be more of an excitement for them to come back. Paradise Hotel was only on the air for two seasons, so we didn’t really have that…I didn’t think there was an anticipation for Paradise Hotel. I felt there were core people who loved it but not a broad enough audience.”