'Love Island' is the best British reality dating show you're not watching

At precisely 9 p.m. every night for the next three months, just as the sun is setting over the United Kingdom, Twitter comes alive.

There's nothing in the water and we certainly can't blame it on the weather. It's all because of Love Island, a British reality dating show that currently has the nation transfixed. Brits are gripped by the action unfolding on their television screens, and they begin flooding Twitter with their feelings using the #LoveIsland hashtag.

So, what the hell is Love Island? Well, in a nutshell, it's Britain's answer to the U.S.'s Bachelor In Paradise. The only difference is that the show airs 👏EVERY👏SINGLE👏NIGHT for three drama-packed months.

The new season of Love Island — which began one week ago — kicked off with the arrival of 11 strangers comprising six men and five women. The women arrive first and exchange hugs with their fellow contestants. Then, as the men arrive one-by-one, the ladies step forward when they see someone they like the look of.

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Much like Bachelor in Paradise, the power alternates between the male and female contestants each week. Now, if that sentence sounds like a load of drivel, it simply means that the men have the power in the first week, so they can choose whoever they want to couple up with. Whoever doesn't get chosen to be in a couple gets kicked off the island. Once a contestant has been booted off, the power goes to the women for a week, and they then get to decide who they wanna be with.

But, it wouldn't really be a reality dating show without the odd surprise here and there. And, those surprises come in the form of fresh additions to the island. New contestants get added into the mix, which of course, brings drama in abundance. Sparks fly, jealousy abounds, couples break up, and ~everyone~ questions who they're really attracted to.

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The aim of the game is, of course, to couple up. But you'll also have to do a convincing enough job that the public feels inclined to vote to keep you on the island. Obstacles are thrown in the path of these couples when voters decide to send certain contestants on dates — which they can vote for using the Love Island app.

The promise of eternal love and partnership isn't the only thing keeping these people trapped inside a villa in the middle of Mallorca. The match that makes it to the very end of the series wins £50,000 ($37,363).

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For first-time-viewers, one of the oddest things to get your head around is the fact that "couples" have to share a bed, even on their very first night in the house when they've literally just met. And, yes, you do get to see what the contestants are getting up to once the lights go out. Let's just say, they're not holding hands under the covers.

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As with IRL dating, some of the matches decide they're not as into each other as they first expected to be. Some end up fancying other contestants (who also happen to be coupled up with other people). Tears are shed, hearts are broken. It's really rather dramatic, to be honest.

But, what makes this show so truly watchable is just how relatable the contestants' experiences are. It's like watching a sped-up version of your love life unfolding on the screen before you. Some contestants—like Samira and Alex on the current season—keep finding themselves not getting picked by the people they like (much to the outrage of the general public). And, Alex's very relatable struggles with his nerves and confidence make for very endearing viewing. We are all Alex, really!

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So, I suppose you're wondering how to watch it? Well, cast your FOMO aside, because the UK show has been sold to 15 territories worldwide, including New Zealand, Poland and Thailand.

If you're in the U.S., you can watch seasons one to three on Hulu.

If you're in Australia, the first series of Love Island Australia launched in May. Season two of Love Island Germany kicks off later this summer. Per an ITV spokesperson, Love Island Sweden will launch later this year, "with more international versions to be announced in due course."

Enjoy!