Skip to content
Stranded on Honeymoon Island… literally filmed at Honeymoon Island in the Philippines.
Okay, you also get stranded with Davina McCall, but you can’t win ’em all…
For the 30+ participants, they all look like they think they’re one of the ‘beautiful people’, and all a very diverse crowd, most using the entire make-up counter from Boots, and not a single one over 30, from what I can gather. Plus, they’re not allowed mirrors and razors? No wonder so many of the men have beards.
The show starts with some speed-dating to test compatibility – where Hannah has an ideal man of “Superman“. Hmm… I think she’ll be disappointed in this bunch – and then the next time they meet… will be at the altar (fingers crossed for Jennifer Aniston! Never mind the apparent ‘no-one over 30’ rule!)
But what if they do hate the person they’re about to get married to? I did catch a look from at least one of the participants that they thought, “Hmm… I’m not into this“. Perhaps some of this lot should just marry themselves? It is a thing, now. Even Valerie from Doctors did it!
At least it doesn’t take too long before we get to the first wedding. I wondered if it would last by the end of the episode? Either way, they jump off a boat into the ocean, fully dressed, and despite taking their shoes and/or jackets off, they still hold onto them. That’s going to take some explaining when they go back to the hire shop!
However, each newly-married couple is stranded for 3 weeks with no electricity (What? No TV?!), and some other elements but the soundmix for the presenter was so low that I couldn’t hear her. Previews also don’t contain subtitles, so for once, I couldn’t hear Ms McCall!
For some contestants, as they chat to relatives – accompanied by ridiculous shaky camerawork – some have sob stories, but whilst also giving their pieces-to-camera, WHY are they filmed with TWO cameras! One is face-on, and the other is just off to the side. It was the same with The Inheritance on Channel 4. STOP IT! JUST THE POINT THE CAMERA AND SHOOT!
Similarly to the aforementioned description of events, and the incidental music in the background is drowning out the opening monologues from the participants and Davina McCall’s intro. Perhaps the people who worked on this also did the action in War 2? After all, why use one decibel when 1000 will do?
Thankfully, that unnecessary booming muzak disappeared around 8 minutes in… and then another track started up, including some autotuned mess from Charlie XCX, whatever that is.
But it’s a 12-part series, so not every one of the 30+ contestants are getting married first-off.
Overall, Stranded on Honeymoon Island is kinda fun, but I think I’m more likely to just flick through an episode and see who is paired off, and then to when they start having their eventual arguements.
Episodes are released in batches of 3 each Wednesday on BBC iPlayer. I believe da yoof call it a ‘drop’, but when you drop something, it breaks.
Stranded on Honeymoon Island begins tomorrow night on BBC1 at 9pm, and will air on Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays.
It’s unlikely to be released on Blu-ray or DVD, but other stuff is available and listed on the New DVD, Blu-ray, 3D and 4K releases UK page.
Director: Roman Green
Producers: Mo Mohsin, Adam O’Neill, Charlotte Vickers
Writer: Lee Gant
Music: Sam Gale
Presenter: Davina McCall
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.