In 1993, Meat Loaf released his massive power ballad “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” sparking decades of debate on what exactly “that” is. Now, regular folks will have to test the commitment of their relationships on an upcoming, Meat Loaf-produced, reality dating show.
The new TV show, named after the classic Meat Loaf song, sounds like a mix between Married at First Sight and Fear Factor. Produced by Meat Loaf and the creatives behind Netflix’s Nailed It!, I’d Do Anything for Love… But I Won’t Do That is currently being shopped to networks and streaming services.
“In each episode, two couples will put their relationship on the line for the show’s cash prize,” Deadline reports. “After two rounds of absurd and sometimes frightening physical contests, inspired and accompanied by ballads, the couple on top will advance to the ‘Endgame,’ where their faith in each other will undergo the ultimate challenge.”
The report continues, “Maybe he’s crazy, but it’s true that Meat Loaf, who will exec produce the project, will feature as the ethereal figure behind the madness. He will pull the strings in the show, which will see couples compete in a variety of comedic physical games designed to reveal how well they can work together and how much they really trust and believe in each other – all to a soundtrack of classic hits, performed live in studio by the original artists as well as new stars.”
“For the most part, we want to create shows that are funny, clever and buzzworthy, but two out of three ain’t bad,” Nailed It! creators Christopher Potts and Jonty Nash say, with Meat Loaf adding, “You took the words right out of my mouth.”
Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell album, which features “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” saw a career rejuvenation for Meat Loaf in 1993. It reunited him with Bat Out of Hell producer Jim Steinman and returned him to the top of the Billboard 200 Album Chart. The record has been certified five times platinum in the U.S. and is his second biggest selling album behind the original Bat Out of Hell which has been diamond certified for 14 million-plus albums sold.