'Wed' set for NATPE aisle

Skein to marry strangers

By CHRIS PURSELL

Universal will be ringing in NATPE next week with a new relationship show that takes dating to the next level. After some time in development, "Wed at First Sight" will officially hit the market with a promise to bring two strangers together and marry them by the end of the show.

The unusual one-hour strip finds a potential bride-to-be selected from a database of 2.5 million singles screening three potential grooms selected from videos through a series of questions and game-playing. The bride's relatives and friends interview the potential grooms, and their opinions become part of the selection process. The hopeful newlywed finally meets the three lucky men at the beginning of the show and, if all goes well, she walks down the aisle with one.

"The concept of having two people meet for the first time and then possibly get married by the show's end makes for great glued-to-your-seat television," said Matt Cooperstein, sr. veep of domestic TV syndication at Universal Worldwide TV. "We believe the range of emotion being served up on 'Wed at First Sight' will bring a new element to viewers for daytime."

The newcomer is exec produced by In-Finn-Ity Productions. Pat Finn, host of "Shop 'til You Drop" and "Joker's Wild," serves as exec producer.