Where Was ‘The Ultimatum’ Season 1 Filmed? Netflix Follows the ‘Love Is Blind’ Model
Netflix added another popular reality dating TV series to its lineup in April: The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On. Created by the same team as Love is Blind and hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, this show follows six couples on the verge of a big ultimatum: One partner is ready to tie the knot and the other isn’t ready. After 10 episodes, they’re forced to choose their initial partner, someone “better” for them on the show, or walk away.
Like Love is Blind, the show was an instant hit, becoming one of the most popular Netflix series after the first eight episodes premiered. Netflix has already received the green light for the show’s second season, which is expected to feature an all-queer cast.
What makes “The Ultimatum” different from other reality dating shows?
Netflix’s newest dating experiment follows six couples as they decide if they’re ready to commit to marriage to their partner or say goodbye. However, there’s a catch. Each couple has a little over eight weeks to make their choice. During that time, they must watch their partner cozy up to a new potential partner. By the 10th episode, they’re expected to get engaged or break up for good.
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On kicks off with each committed pair spending one a final week together. Each cast member gets to know the other contestants on mini-dates. At the week’s end, everyone picks a new partner to live with for three weeks in a “trial marriage”.
After time apart — and possibly a fling with their new roommate — the couples move back in together and have three weeks to make a decision. When “Ultimatum Day” rolls around, each contestant must decide if they will tie the knot, explore a relationship with someone they’ve just met, or leave alone.
Where did ‘The Ultimatum’ cast members live during filming?
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On was filmed in Austin, Texas. This also served as the setting of Netflix’s coming-of-age reality series, Twentysomethings: Austin and season six of Queer Eye. According to Cinemaholic, the first part of the show was filmed at the Austin Marriott Downtown. Pool scenes were filmed at Zanzibar, the hotel’s rooftop terrace bar, and the hotel’s bar and lounge, The Lobbyist, was also used as a filming location.
The cast stayed at the Austin Marriott Downtown through the end of the first week. Then, according to Decider, contestants moved a few blocks away to Aloft Austin Downtown and settled in with their new partners. After three weeks, the original couples reunited and spent another three weeks living at the Aloft Austin Downtown.
Those aren’t the only Austin hot spots featured in the show. Contestants go on dates to several well-known Austin spots, including The Oasis on Lake Travis. Contestants also grab a bite at the Moontower Saloon and Patrizi’s, always with The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On’s iconic metal cups.
Does the “Love is Blind” model work?
The Ultimatum takes another key part of its show from Love Is Blind: All of the contestants live around the filming location. During casting, they focused on finding twenty-somethings in the Austin area. The idea behind this was to improve any new couple’s chance of staying together without the added complication of long-distance.
It can also help to give the dating reality TV show a more realistic feel because it doesn’t remove contestants from their real life. Contestants get to meet the friends and families of their new prospective partners and see how the new relationship fits in their life.
The cameras aren’t on 24/7 and most of the filming takes place during the evenings, giving new couples a chance to see what their daily life could look like. When the cameras are off, they go to work, spend time with loved ones, and do other everyday activities.
