Too Hot to Handle (TV series)
British reality television series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Too Hot to Handle is a British reality television dating game show produced by Fremantle production companies Talkback and Thames. Created by Laura Gibson and Charlie Bennett, the show's eight-episode first series was released on Netflix on 17 April 2020. Hosted by a virtual assistant named "Lana", the show revolves around a group of adults, who are placed together in a house while being forbidden from any kissing, sexual contact or masturbation, with the money prize getting reduced any time a rule is broken.
- Laura Gibson
- Charlie Bennett
- Charlie Bennett
- Laura Gibson
| Too Hot to Handle | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | |
| Created by |
|
| Based on | |
| Developed by |
|
| Presented by | Lana |
| Narrated by | Desiree Burch |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 59 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production locations | |
| Running time | 36–43 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | 17 April 2020 – 2 August 2024 |
In January 2021, Too Hot to Handle was renewed for two more seasons, both of which were filmed back-to-back amid the COVID-19 pandemic on the Turks and Caicos Islands.[1] The first half of the second series was released 23 June 2021, and the second half a week later on 30 June 2021. The third series premiered on 19 January 2022. The fourth series premiered on 7 December 2022.[2] The fifth series premiered on 14 July 2023.[3] The sixth and final series premiered on 19 July 2024.
Premise
Hosted by a traffic cone-shaped virtual assistant named "Lana", the show revolves around a group of adults – all of whom primarily engage in meaningless flings and prefer not to form long-lasting relationships – who are placed together in a house on a tropical island for four weeks. Initially led to believe they are on a fictional, raunchy show, the contestants are later informed by Lana of the true purpose behind their stay, and that they are forbidden from any kissing, sexual contact, or self-gratification for the duration of it. The contestants start with a $100,000 grand prize in the first and second seasons and $200,000 in the rest of seasons, that gets reduced any time a rule is broken. Alongside these restrictions, the contestants are put through various workshops aimed at aiding personal growth, in order to foster genuine connections between them.
Each season starts with 10 new contestants, although later new additions occasionally join throughout. Similarly, contestants who are unable to form connections in the house or commit to the process are sometimes kicked out, while others may voluntarily withdraw if they feel that their personal growth would be better facilitated outside of the show's environment.
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2020)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Love, Sex or Money" | $100,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 2 | 2 | "When Harry Met Francesca" | $97,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 3 | 3 | "Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Hot" | $94,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 4 | 4 | "Two's Company, Three's a ... Threesome" | $94,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 5 | 5 | "Boys to Men" | $75,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Bryce Isn't Right" | $55,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 7 | 7 | "Sisters over Misters" | $43,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 8 | 8 | "Lust or Bust" | $75,000 | 17 April 2020 |
| 9 | 9 | "Extra Hot: The Reunion" | - | 8 May 2020 |
Season 2 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | "C**kblocked by a Cone" | $100,000 | 23 June 2021 |
| 11 | 2 | "You Gotta Watch Out for Pete" | $79,000 | 23 June 2021 |
| 12 | 3 | "On Est dans la Merde" | $73,000 | 23 June 2021 |
| 13 | 4 | "Resist Everything… Except Temptation" | $68,000 | 23 June 2021 |
| 14 | 5 | "An Offer You Can't Refuse" | $68,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 15 | 6 | "Give Up the Chase" | $60,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 16 | 7 | "Misters over Sisters" | $40,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 17 | 8 | "Money Down the Drain" | $30,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 18 | 9 | "Green Lights and Hot Nights" | $55,000 | 30 June 2021 |
| 19 | 10 | "I Did Not See That Coming" | $55,000 | 30 June 2021 |
Season 3 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 | "No Pleasure Island" | $200,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 21 | 2 | "The Midnight Train to Georgia" | $197,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 22 | 3 | "The Truth Hurts" | $155,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 23 | 4 | "Eat My Shorts" | $143,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 24 | 5 | "The Summer of '69" | $74,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 25 | 6 | "Triple Threat" | $68,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 26 | 7 | "Yoni Live Once" | $46,000 | 19 January 2022 |
| 27 | 8 | "Reaching Rock Bottom" | $0 | 19 January 2022 |
| 28 | 9 | "Paradise Purgatory" | $0 | 19 January 2022 |
| 29 | 10 | "Out with a Bang" | $90,000 | 19 January 2022 |
Season 4 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | "The Mile Dry Club" | $200,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 31 | 2 | "There's Something About Nigel" | $191,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 32 | 3 | "Officer Kill Joy" | $167,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 33 | 4 | "Flavia of the Month" | $167,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 34 | 5 | "The Shower and the Glory" | $117,000 | 7 December 2022 |
| 35 | 6 | "Puppets for Playas" | $79,000 | 14 December 2022 |
| 36 | 7 | "Trust or Bust" | $89,000 | 14 December 2022 |
| 37 | 8 | "It's Raining Love Triangles" | $89,000 | 14 December 2022 |
| 38 | 9 | "Jawahir, Jawa-there" | $89,000 | 14 December 2022 |
| 39 | 10 | "Growth Is a Team Game" | $89,000 | 14 December 2022 |
Season 5 (2023)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1 | "Up Ships Creek" | $200,000 | 14 July 2023 |
| 41 | 2 | "A Matter of Pact" | $164,000 | 14 July 2023 |
| 42 | 3 | "Stick or Twist" | $152,000 | 14 July 2023 |
| 43 | 4 | "Court in the Act" | $146,000 | 14 July 2023 |
| 44 | 5 | "Driving Me Bananas" | $98,000 | 21 July 2023 |
| 45 | 6 | "Making Kiss-tory" | $110,000 | 21 July 2023 |
| 46 | 7 | "Defective Detective" | $110,000 | 21 July 2023 |
| 47 | 8 | "Is It Too Late to Say Sorry?" | $100,000 | 28 July 2023 |
| 48 | 9 | "Love or Money" | $100,000 | 28 July 2023 |
| 49 | 10 | "The Climax" | $100,000 | 28 July 2023 |
Season 6 (2024)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prize money | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 1 | "Bad to the Cone" | $250,000 | 19 July 2024 |
| 51 | 2 | "Paper Clips & Pay Per View" | $229,000 | 19 July 2024 |
| 52 | 3 | "I'll Have What She's Having" | $199,000 | 19 July 2024 |
| 53 | 4 | "Clocked Blocked" | $193,000 | 19 July 2024 |
| 54 | 5 | "Demari's Demise" | $137,000 | 26 July 2024 |
| 55 | 6 | "Womb for Improvement" | $131,000 | 26 July 2024 |
| 56 | 7 | "A 99.7% Chance of Trouble" | $131,000 | 26 July 2024 |
| 57 | 8 | "Sealed with a Chris" | $131,000 | 2 August 2024 |
| 58 | 9 | "To Bri or Not to Bri" | $125,000 | 2 August 2024 |
| 59 | 10 | "A Prize Surprise" | $125,000 | 2 August 2024 |
Production
Background
The show was created by Laura Gibson[6] and developed by Charlie Bennett, citing Seinfeld episode, "The Contest" as their inspiration for the premise of Too Hot to Handle.[7] Laura Gibson, creative director of Fremantle-owned production company Talkback, which produced the eight-part series, told Deadline Hollywood that she had been working to produce a dating show since 2016.[8]
Viki Kolar and Jonno Richards, executive producers for Too Hot to Handle,[9] said they found inspiration for the virtual character from artificial intelligence and virtual assistants, especially in video surveillance. Viki Kolar stated, "[A.I.] is literally everywhere around us. It's kind of governing us, it's taking over," in an interview with Glamour.[10]
Development
On 5 May 2019, Netflix Studios, LLC applied to trademark the phrase "Too Hot to Handle" for all educational, training, entertainment, sporting, and cultural purposes. The application was approved on 24 June 2019, and was extended on 5 March 2020.[11][12] Too Hot to Handle is produced by Fremantle production company Talkback.[13]
The show, instead of using a human as their host, used a virtual assistant named Lana. Desiree Burch provided voice-over narration, making snarky and comedic remarks towards the contestants.[14]
During seasons 1–5, Lana remained the only host of Too Hot to Handle. In season 6, the usual plot of the show took a turn with the introduction of "Bad Lana" who tempts the cast to act in the exact opposite manner that Lana would. In past seasons, the cast of Too Hot to Handle didn't know what show they had signed up for (and had the news announced to them by Lana). However, in season 6, the cast members knew what show they were on.[15]
This prompted the introduction of "Bad Lana" to add a twist to how cast members believed their time on the show would go. With Bad Lana comes the invention of "Lana's Bunker" in which participants who are thrown out of the villa go to stay for a second chance.[15]
Casting
In 2018, Talkback announced that casting for an untitled reality television show was open.[citation needed] In total, over 3,000 people auditioned for the show. Producer Louise Peet stated that the people who ultimately ended up being on the show stood out to the casting team and were chosen quickly.[16]
Filming
A luxury resort called Casa Tau[17] in Punta Mita, Mexico opened to guests in December 2018.[18] Soon after, Too Hot to Handle started filming at Casa Tau in late-March 2019[19] and ended filming in April.[20][21] After filming had ended, all fourteen contestants were able to spend several days at the resort with no cameras before going home.[22]
Seasons 2 & 3 were filmed in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos at the Turtle Tail estate.[23] Seasons 4 & 5 were also filmed in Turks and Caicos, but in Leeward at an estate on the Emerald Point Peninsula.[23] Lastly, season 6 was filmed at Triton Villa on Turks and Caicos as well.[24]
Release
On 10 April 2020, Netflix released the trailer for the first season of Too Hot to Handle.[25] The first season of Too Hot to Handle consisted of eight episodes,[26] all of which were released on 17 April 2020 on Netflix.[27] A reunion episode aired on 8 May 2020, where Desiree Burch interviewed the fourteen contestants.[28] The first 4 episodes of second season premiered on 23 June 2021, while the remaining 6 episodes premiered on 30 June 2021.[29] The third season was released on 19 January 2022.[30] The first 5 episodes of the fourth season premiered on 7 December 2022, while the remaining 5 episodes premiered on 14 December 2022.[31] The first 4 episodes of the fifth season premiered on 14 July 2023.[32] The next 3 episodes were released on 21 July 2023, and the final 3 episodes of the fifth season were released on 28 July 2023.
Netflix released three spinoff mobile games, Too Hot to Handle: Love is a Game (2022)[33] Too Hot to Handle 2 (2023),[34] and Too Hot to Handle 3 (2024).[35] As of March 2023, Love is a Game was Netflix's most played game.[36]
Prize
Season 1
At the allocation ceremony, the ten remaining contestants became the winners. Francesca Farago, Harry Jowsey, Kelz Dyke, Bryce Hirschberg, Chloe Veitch, David Birtwistle, Lydia Clyma, Nicole O'Brien, Rhonda Paul, and Sharron Townsend all split the $75,000 prize fund, resulting in $7,500 for each person.[37][38]
Season 2
At the allocation ceremony, it came down to three contestants: Carly Lawrence, Cam Holmes, and Marvin Anthony. The fellow finalists were the ones who voted for the winner, selecting Marvin as the winner of the $55,000 prize fund.[39]
Season 3
At the allocation ceremony, it came down to four contestants: Beaux Raymond & Harry Johnson (as a couple), Georgia Hassarati, and Nathan Soan Mngomezulu. The fellow finalists were the ones who voted for the winner, selecting Beaux and Harry as the winner of the $90,000 prize fund.[40]
Season 4
At the allocation ceremony, it came down to two couples: Jawahir Khalifa & Nick Kici, and Kayla Richart & Seb Melrose. The fellow finalists voted for the winner, with Jawahir & Nick winning the $89,000 prize fund with a final vote of 6 votes to 1.[41]
Season 5
At the allocation ceremony, it came down to two contestants: Elys Hutchinson and Dre Woodard. The fellow finalists voted for Elys to win the $100,000 prize fund. Elys decided to split the prize fund with runner-up Dre, resulting in $50,000 for both contestants.[42]
Season 6
The prize fund was at $125,000 when it came to the allocation ceremony. Lana announced that there would be three winners this season, one couple and one single who was committed to the rules of the retreat. The couple would win the $100,000 and the single would win the $25,000. Demari Davis & Bri Belram and Charlie Jeer & Katherine LaPrell were announced as the two couples in the running for the $100,000. Demari & Bri won the $100,000 following a 7–1 vote from the finalists, leaving Charlie & Katherine as the runners-up.[43] Gianna Pettus was chosen by Lana as the single to win the $25,000, leaving Chris Aalli and Lucy Syed as the runner-ups for that prize money.[44]
Reception
Viewership
The first season of Too Hot to Handle became the No. 1 television program on Netflix during the week of 20 April 2020.[45] It currently has over 43,800,000 hours of viewership.[46]
The second season of Too Hot To Handle accumulated 111,680,000 hours watched while in the Netflix Global Top Ten; season 3 racked up 72,840,000 view hours, and season 4 scored 74,900,000 hours.[46] Season 5 garnered 137,300,000 hours of viewing, and season 6 ended up with 101,100,000 view hours.[47]
Critical response
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the first season of Too Hot to Handle 36%, holding an average rating of 4.9 out of 10 from 28 reviews.[48] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gives the series a score of 43 based on 13 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[49]
Critic John Serba of Decider panned the show, describing it as "a mashup of Temptation Island, Love Island, "The Contest" episode of Seinfeld and The Peter Griffin Sideboob Hour", stating that "to call it tawdry is to engage in nuclear understatement", calling it "some of the dreckiest dreck ever drecked", and advising viewers to skip it.[50]
Rachelle Hampton of Slate also wrote a negative review, stating: "Despite an irresistibly juicy premise, Too Hot to Handle doesn't know what kind of show it wants to be, and it suffers for lack of direction. (...) Its will-they-or-won't-they concept is ruined as soon as it becomes clear that, yes, they obviously will, even if it means losing tens of thousands of dollars."[51]
International versions
| Country | Title | Network(s) | Host(s) | Premiere | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Too Hot to Handle: Brazil Brincando com Fogo: Brasil |
|
July 21, 2021 | 2 | |
| Germany | Too Hot to Handle: Germany |
|
February 28, 2023 | 2 | |
| Mexico | Too Hot to Handle: Latino Jugando con Fuego: Latino |
September 15, 2021 | 1 | ||
| Spain | Too Hot to Handle: Spain
Jugando con Fuego |
June 13, 2025 | 1 | ||
| Italy | Too Hot to Handle: Italy |
|
July 18, 2025 | 1 |
