Netflix Puts Lazy Gen Z Contestants to Work in Italian Reality Show ‘Summer Job’
Netflix is launching its first Italian reality show, “Summer Job,” in which 10 lazy Gen Z contestants embark on a dream vacation in a luxury villa on the Mexican Riviera, only to discover that they have to work real jobs to pay for their stay.
Produced by Banijay Italia, “Summer Job” will drop on Netflix on Dec. 16 in all countries where the service is active. The Italian reality show is part of the streaming giant’s push to increase its unscripted output across Europe and other non-U.S. territories with local stories and formats.
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In Spain, for example, Netflix has scored a hit with Fremantle’s steamy reality show “Love Never Lies,” a competition in which six couples with trust issues are taken to a “Love Island”-style resort where they are subjected to eye-scanning lie detector tests.
The concept of “Summer Job” sees the 10 Italian contestants between the ages of 18 and 23 initially told they will be spending a dream vacation in a villa on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Once there, for the first day, partying and having fun seem to be the only thing they’ll need to worry about. But on Day 2, the contestants are informed “that in order to continue the adventure and experience the most incredible holiday of their lives, they will have to do something they have never done in their lives: work,” as a Netflix statement puts it.
Divided into groups of two or three, the contestants are made to try their hand at different summer jobs, such as serving, gardening, and working at an animal shelter. Those who do not complete the work assigned by a demanding employer, or do not perform it with the necessary commitment and dedication, don’t get their paycheck and are at risk of being eliminated. In the end, the most hard-working and/or resilient contestant wins a €100,000 ($106,000) jackpot.
Italy, where the youth unemployment rate exceeds 30%, is also known as a country where youth tend to stay at home with their parents well past their twenties and enjoy having an “easy life.” Thus, “Summer Job” can be considered to have an educational function, along with its entertainment value.
The eight-episode reality show is being hosted by actor Matilde Gioli (“Human Capital,” “Doc”). The show’s projects manager is Romina Ronchi and Angelo Poli is directing. The head writers are Sonia Soldera, Giovanni Piccione and Marco Cappellini.
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