Reality TV fans might soon be joining the ranks of those who are livid about the current partial government shutdown — the longest ever at 33 days and counting — because the president and lawmakers' inability to come to terms is about to affect a hit show.
Page Six reports that the wildly popular TLC series "90 Day Fiancé" — which follows couples (like Season 1's Paola and Russ Mayfield, who made headlines when they welcomed their first baby a few weeks ago) who've applied for or received a K-1 visa allowing foreigners who are betrothed to Americans to visit the United Stated for three months — could be affected by the ongoing shutdown.
"It could cause significant delays in visa processing," a source explained to Page Six. "It's going to be a new challenge for reality producers looking to cast the upcoming seventh season."
The show just finished airing its sixth season — which featured six couples (including Steven Frend and Olga Koshimbetova and Kalani Faagata and Asuelu Pulaa) on Jan. 13. On Jan. 22, Deadline revealed that the program had been renewed for a seventh, which Page Six reports is currently being cast.
"The casting process is going on right now. In a sense, [the shutdown is] holding up production, because without a locked-down cast, we can't film," an insider told Page Six. "The stories are contingent on a good cast, so it's harder to find available couples, because it's following people who have already been approved. The wait is longer."
The show has been a bona fide success, averaging 2.5 million total viewers an episode during Season 6, during which it was the No. 1 cable show on Sunday nights with the key 18-34 female demographic, Deadline reported.
The drama-filled documentary-style show also made Twitter's list of the top 10 national trending topics.