"Eden is not always what it seems to be," says executive producer Arthur Smith.
As with any reality show, half the battle is in the casting.
"We saw a lot of people," Smith says. "Then you put it all up on a board. There's no computer program that will do it, you need photographs on a board. You sit there and go, 'Well, this person will like this person; this person won't like this person; this person will start off liking this person, and then they won't.'
"And you start doing the show. It's like doing tables at a wedding."
Unlike a one-day celebration, this arrangement could last for weeks, months or even (Fox hopes) years. But that doesn't mean there was a lack of people interested.
"Everyone has their own reasons to get a clean slate," Smith says. "Some are chasing fame, and they want to be part of this long-running reality soap.
"One of the things we asked the contestants was, 'How long would you be willing to go away?' There were these boxes, 'six months,' 'forever.' It was amazing how many people said 'forever.'
"People will be coming and going on the show, much like a traditional soap. In our pool is a whole series of types, including people who are going to come in later and be drama makers."
