‘Love Island USA’s “Powerpuff Girls” Deserve Their Own Show

The Big Picture

• The PPG trio from Love Island USA have a strong bond, deserving their own series.
• A potential reboot of The Simple Life featuring Leah, JaNa, and Serena would be entertaining.
• Peacock should consider sending the PPG to work small-town jobs in a reality TV goldmine.

The PPG (Powderpuff Girls) trio from Love Island: USA, Leah Kateb, JaNa Craig, and Serena Page continue to entertain their fans on their social media accounts as the fervor from their Peacock series continues. The highly anticipated reunion episode will air on August 19, and the fact that the network decided to switch up the format to include a reunion episode speaks to their confidence in the entertainment value this cast brings to the table. Peacock should strike while the iron is hot when it comes to utilizing the lightning-in-a-bottle talent the PPG have when it comes to creating entertaining reality TV.

Leah, JaNa, and Serena easily merit a stand-alone series, and the network wouldn’t have to look far for inspiration. They have already begun the process of rebooting The Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie reprising their roles traveling around the country as glamorous outsiders in small-town America. Paris and Nicole are sure to produce entertaining content of their own in the upcoming reboot; the dynamic duo have maintained their friendship over the years, and both have proven in their reality TV appearances since their inaugural series that they are still just as charming now as they once were, if perhaps a little less vapid.

But there is no reason that the series should not always have to center on these two LA ladies, and another reboot should be on the table. A reboot of The Simple Life, or a special season that features Leah, JaNa, and Serena in similar circumstances to Nicole and Paris doing dirty jobs in small towns would be guaranteed to draw an audience. Peacock now produces both series, so a cross-over is well within the realm of possibility.

‘The Simple Life’ Is Reality TV Gold

The Simple Life launched in 2003, at the forefront of what soon would be a boom in reality TV programs throughout the early aughts. The premise was simple; take the two LA party girls and put them in middle America, with no access to their cell phones or credit cards. Season 1 saw Paris and Nicole in Altus, Arkansas, staying with the Leding family. Seeing the farm family trying to get Paris and Nicole to participate in family chores and adhere to a nightly curfew provided lots of comedic material, especially Paris’ ongoing feud with the family’s run-down truck. The later seasons switched the format, to have the two friends road-trip around America taking odd jobs and begging for gas and toll fares. The whole thing wouldn’t work if Paris and Nicole had truly bratty attitudes; instead, they often applied themselves to some truly hard work, however terrible they turned out to be at it.

Some people will still sneer at the mention of The Simple Life, associating it with the MTV culture of the early aughts. Reality TV was a guilty pleasure at best, and viewed as complete trash at its worst. Because of Paris’ party-girl persona, her incessant quip of “that’s hot” and her attitude about wealth, people can often view her as nothing more than an empty-headed heiress and symbol of consumer culture on steroids. Watching her series Paris In Love definitely showed a more serious side to the hotel heiress, featuring her perfectionism when it comes to her DJ career and her insane schedule during events like Fashion Week, it is obvious that Paris knows what hard work is.

The PPG Will Always Be On Top

Peacock has such faith in the success of taking Paris and Nicole back to their roots that they have already begun shooting a reboot. Cameras even caught them filming scenes while the ladies put on a shift at a Sonic Restaurant on August 5, and faithful viewers of The Simple Life will remember the girls’ first efforts at learning to fry bacon, make onion rings, and hang the letters for the roadside signage in Altus. Although their managers at the time might have something to say about the girls getting rehired after the disaster of a day the two socialites put them through back in 2003, when TODAY reached out to the restaurant chain for confirmation, a representative responded to say that while they cannot comment on the names or employment records of their crew, they were happy to confirm a pair of “their most iconic carhops” were hired again for the day. Since Peacock has demonstrated they have faith in the franchise, and both Nicole and Paris have suggested on social media that what they are filming is closer to a “reunion special” than a relaunch, the network should look for another way to reinvigorate the series.

The friendship between Leah, Serena, and JaNa could certainly carry The Simple Life into a new generation. One of the unique qualities of Season 6 on Love Island: USA was the friendship bonds that developed in the Villa. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, host Ariana Madix noted that while the series isn’t titled “Friendship Island,” the friendships that do form while the Islanders are in the Villa is an important aspect of the show. The original Islanders all formed tight friendships almost immediately this season, but none were so committed as the PPG. Anytime Serena was hurt or storming off, viewers were sure to see Leah trotting after her, followed in quick-step by JaNa. When Leah was making mad moves in the Villa, her friend Serena told the camera: “I support women’s rights, and women’s wrongs.” They always communicated openly with one another, even in moments of dispute when misunderstandings arose in the he-said-she-said of the Villa.

The Girls All Have a Sense of Humor

At one point, Leah even set her sights on the same man as JaNa, with both ladies turning their attentions to newcomer Connor Newsum. And JaNa wasn’t exactly happy with the development. But the girls handled the situation like the queens they are, and JaNa was right there cackling along with Serena when Leah, looking slightly guilty but hiding her smile, admitted she had almost immediately gotten “the ick” after spending too much time with a man who was fawning over her. Leah turned her notorious sense of humor on herself, admitting laughingly in a confessional that she was toxic and in need of therapy.

Even though Serena was the winner of the series with her partner Kordell Beckham, when asked by Extra what her favorite part of the series had been, she answered that her friendship with her girlfriends was at the top of her list. Serena went on to say the girls had “amplified” her experience. JaNa answered “I think I’m supposed to say Kenny…” referring to her partner Kenny Rodriguez, but went on to say it was a “solid tie” between Kenny and the girls. She also spoke about how the girls had formed a “crazy bond,” and bragged that there is nothing that can break it, bantering to the camera “so don’t even try.” When JaNa then brought up the time she was considering leaving the show, Leah chimed in to explain they had convinced her to stay. The catch was, Leah and Serena made the bargain that if she still wanted to leave the next day, her girls would leave with her, which speaks to their deep investment in their friendships, since there was a cash prize on the line.

The PPG Would Terrorize Small-Town America In The Best Way

Leah is living at home in her parents’ mansion in Calabasas, reportedly down the street from Kim Kardashian. Her ditsy California online persona makes her an already perfect fit with the established premise of The Simple Life, but don’t let the mask fool you. Leah is whip smart and super-funny, though she may play airhead for fun now and then. She’s like if Cher Horowitz from the movie Clueless turned 25, was still living at home with her father, and had an aggressively funny opinion on every possible scenario. Since departing the Villa, Leah has shared vlogging footage of hanging out with her Love Island friends, lounging by her family pool. Her friendly banter with Serena is similar to the dynamic Paris and Nicole share, gassing each other up but also poking the occasional hole, as only sisters can. And JaNa’s pure but slightly sheltered spirit has always complimented the fiery duo’s back-and-forth teasing.

Unleashing Leah, JaNa, and Serena on small town Americans, and making them earn their way by working small jobs without access to their cell phones or credit cards would be endlessly entertaining. The ladies donning uniforms, punching clocks, and trying to fit in with the local nightlife would provide endless amounts of footage to fill the episodes with entertaining moments. Paris and Nicole caused chaos at the dairy farm they worked at in Season 1 of The Simple Life, or at the Sonic restaurant, or at any number of odd jobs they performed throughout their time filming the series. Leah, JaNa, and Serena could bring to these work scenes the same aura of Lucille Ball and Ethel Mertz let loose in the chocolate factory that Paris and Nicole managed in the first iteration of the series. And since Peacock produces both Love Island:USA and The Simple Life, one would think it would be easy enough to arrange. Ahem.

All seasons of Love Island: USA are streaming on Peacock.

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