'Married at First Sight': Reality Stunt or Legitimate Matchmaking?

The 'so crazy it just might work' dating show is about to start its second season with all new couples.

FYI Networks's latest reality matchmaking craze is falling firmly in the "so crazy it just might work" category!


Married at First Sight
takes the tried-and-true concept of a blind date one step further, dropping a pair of strangers into a blind wedding just moments after they meet for the first time.

WATCH: Steve Harvey Stages a Dating Game to Help ET's Nischelle Turner Find a Man!

The concept began as a social experiment in Denmark, where two of the three original couples surprisingly stayed together, a success rate that translated to the first season of the American adaptation.

"This isn't just a gimmick," said the show's executive producer Sam Dean. "This is an experiment we've proven now works."

It’s been successful so far in the U.S., with 7,000 brave singles between the ages of 25 and 35 auditioning in the New York Tri-state area for the show’s second season.

VIDEO: Jon Hamm's '90s Dating Show Past Resurfaces

Dean oversaw the casting process, though the final matches are chosen by a panel of four dating and relationship experts. Applicants go through extensive testing before they can even be considered to be part of one of the show’s couples.

"They go through very extensive background checks, criminal record checks; our clinical psychologist Dr. Joseph Cilona collects a lot of data from several different psychological tests that examine all aspects of someone's personality," Dean explained. "These are really sophisticated assessments that are traditionally used by organizations such as the FBI or the CIA or even Fortune 500 companies."

WATCH: Where Are the 'Married at First Sight' Couples Now?

ET checked in with the couples from the first season of Married at First Sight back in September. See how their relationships were doing in the video below.

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