In April 2019, TLC delighted fans of 90 Day Fiancé by announcing a brand-new spin-off, The Family Chantel. The series will revolve around everybody’s favorite couple, Pedro and Chantel, along with their gaggle of tempestuous in-laws. “Our fans can’t get enough of Pedro, Chantel, and their larger-than-life families,” said Howard Lee, President of the network. “For a brand known as the destination for love, relationships, and family shows, The Family Chantel hits the bullseye.” While the show may have only just begun, viewers are already hooked. With our summer’s viewing sorted, let’s find out more about this promising new series.
1. It’s a family affair
The Family Chantel may revolve around the martial ups and downs of Pedro and Chantel, but the couple’s extended family are just as vital as the couple itself. Expect to see a lot more of Chantel’s parents, Karen and Thomas, her siblings, Winter and River, and Pedro’s sister Nicole and mom Lidia over the coming months. Winter, who played a relatively minor role in 90 Days, will be taking on a much bigger role this time around, while the rest of the extended family is expected to be as entertaining and lively as ever.
2. It’s not just a war of words
Viewers new to the franchise should be warned — there’s not a lot of love lost between the two sets of in-laws. The animosity between the two clans can be traced back to Pedro’s introduction to the Everett family. Instead of coming out with the truth about their secret engagement, Chantel claimed Pedro was visiting America on a student visa (rather than a K-1 visa). From that point forward, there was no holding back the family’s ire… with things even descending at one point into a physical altercation that saw everything from lampshades to punches being thrown.
3. It’s not the first 90 Days spin-off
90 Days has proved such a rating’s winner on TLC that the network is determined to bleed its popularity dry. The newest addition to the franchise is just the latest in a long line of spin-offs — so far, other offshoots have included 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? and 90 Day Fiancé: What Now? Later this year, TLC is also set to air 90 Day Fiancé: Other Way, which focuses on a group of Americans as they follow their hearts around the world.
4. Lidia has been accused of “grooming” her son
At the root of the bad blood between the Jimeno and Everett families is the latter’s belief that Pedro’s mom Lidia purposefully groomed her son to marry an American woman just to get a Visa (with the idea he would then use his residency status to send back funds to his family in the Dominican Republic). Chantel’s mother Karen has previously added fuel to the fire by claiming to have unearthed a now-defunct website run by Lidia that finds “rich but stupid” Americans for people to target. After some digging around by the media, it turned out it was simply a legal services site.
5. It’s the first spinoff to feature just one couple
90 Days may have generated a whole host of spinoffs, but it’s latest holds the distinction of being the first (and so far, only) one to be dedicated to just one couple. While other couples have had one-off specials (or featured as part of spinoffs like 90 Day Fiancé: Happily EverAfter), Chantel and Pedro have clearly provoked enough interest for TLC to have faith they can sustain an entire series just to themselves. Whether or not we’ll see more couples get their own spin-offs in the future, we’ll need to wait and see.
6. We might see a new side to River and Pedro’s relationship
So far, Pedro and Chantel’s brother River’s relationship has been somewhat stormy. However, over the next few months, we may see- if not exactly a blossoming bromance- then at least a cooling off of animosities. During an interview with RealityTVWorld, River expressed some regret over losing his temper during a fight with Pedro, suggesting a new level of self-reflection that may herald the beginning of a whole new chapter… or maybe not. “I don’t regret it, but I’m mad at myself because I don’t like getting out of character like that,” he said.
7. They’ll continue to appear on 90-Days
If you were concerned Chantel and Pedro would be too busy filming their new series to find time to shoot 90-Days, you can relax. The couple has no plans to bail on the show that made them, at least for the time being.
8. They’ve had their challenges
Not all the drama is expected to come from the warring in-laws… Chantel and Pedro have just as an explosive relationship as their families do. What’s more, they have no hesitation in sharing the trials and tribulations of married life with the viewing public. “We have differences that we’re working on. We have challenges, but that’s something that will play out on the show,” Chantel told E! News.
9. It’s not the first time they’ve had a show dedicated to them
Back in April, TLC capitalized on Pedro and Chantel’s popularity by airing 90 Day Fiancé, “Pedro & Chantel: The Full Story.” The one-off special chronicled the couple’s best (and worst) moments and served as a handy precursor to their new series, giving us both a taste of what was to come, and a reminder of what had gone before.
10. It won’t be airing on Sundays
If you’ve got used to getting your reality TV fix on Sundays, you’ll need to rethink your week. While 90 Days (and its previous spinoffs) may have all shown on the weekend, TLC has decided to move its latest addition to Mondays (no doubt taking into account its already jam-packed Sunday schedule). Whether or not its decision will impact on viewing figures, only time will tell, but judging by the buzz around the series, it seems very unlikely.
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