What is "showmance"

n. (context colloquial English) A romance between cast members or production crew of a play or television show (often reality televisions) which only lasts the duration of the show, or its filming.

"Showmance" is the second episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on September 9, 2009. It was written by series co-creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan and directed by Murphy. The episode sees the glee club attempt to recruit new members by performing Salt-n-Pepa's " Push It" in a school assembly. It advances the love triangles between Rachel ( Lea Michele), Finn ( Cory Monteith) and Quinn ( Dianna Agron) and Emma ( Jayma Mays), Will ( Matthew Morrison) and Terri ( Jessalyn Gilsig), and sees antagonist Sue Sylvester ( Jane Lynch) begin to conspire against the club.

The episode features covers of six songs. Studio recordings of three of the songs performed were released as singles, available for digital download. Three of the tracks also appear on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 1. "Showmance" introduces recurring cast members Jennifer Aspen, Kenneth Choi, and Heather Morris, and guest-stars Valorie Hubbard.

The episode was watched by 7.3 million US viewers, and was the best-received scripted premiere by Fox in three years. The performance of Kanye West's " Gold Digger" in particular drew positive reviews from critics, with Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post and Entertainment Weeklys Tim Stack comparing the episode favorably to the series' pilot episode. Brian Lowry for Variety, however, received the episode poorly, deeming the show a one-hit wonder, while Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times noted weaknesses in the adult characters.

A showmance (sometimes show-mance), also known as show romance, is a romance that develops between two individuals in theater, or on films and television series and between reality show contestants or participants for the running period of the show. When the two actively engage in a "made up" situation, it can be called a fauxmance. It is also considered a neologism and its usage is gaining popularity in the media.

The term originated on the non-scripted American television show, Big Brother when it was first used by Will Kirby in 2001. Then it moved to films, theater and scripted television,\ It is primarily entered into as a ploy to gain more public and media attention and, in case of television, more camera time during the run of a theater piece, or a television series. It may be also just a publicity stunt. Showmances during reality shows are often motivated by the participants' wanting viewers to vote to keep them in the show, so that they can see the 'romance' continue. In some competitive reality tv shows (Big Brother or Survivor), contestants often engaged in a showmance for strategical purposes. A showmance couple, by protecting each other and by voting together, maintain power over other contestants. Sometimes, when an amorous relationship actually does continue after the end of a show, many people would still allege that it is "just a show" the two are putting on.

Showmance is a portmanteau of the words show and romance. With a very few exceptions almost all showmance cases end as soon as the theater piece, or the television series or reality show is over. Although mostly involving two persons, it may also possibly extend into a three-way showmance or foursome often accompanied with real or acted rivalries and jealousies. Although mostly the relations involve partners of the opposite sex, at times, showmances may involve same sex relations as well.

Often, a showmance occurs between two people playing lovers. The showmance could be caused because of the close contact between the actors in such situations, or because of a confusion between real emotions and the character's emotions.

The term has however moved to broader general use, describing any "contrived romance", also known as a relationship between two people, when either or both "act out" or fake being in love without meaning it, or in many cases with ulterior motives, like benefiting from the other party or misusing and abusing their feelings.

Showmance may refer to:

• Showmance, a romance, often contrived, that develops between two individuals in theater, or on films and television series and reality shows for the running period of the show
• "Showmance" (Glee), second episode of the American television series Glee
• "Showmance", Episode 7 photoshoot on Topmodel, Cycle 2