You can feel it in the breeze. See it in those dark clouds gathering overhead. And the leaves that are ominously whipping about.

Coming soon to your TV is a show called Married at First Sight.

As the promo says, "eight ordinary Australians are about to do the unthinkable". "They've never met, never spoken," and yet, they will marry in a nice white ceremony the second they do.

"I think I'm starting to get freaked out," says a young woman in a big white gown, before the burning question is posed: "WILL THIS SOCIAL EXPERIMENT WORK?"

More than 1000 aspiring lovers applied to the show. Then a team of psychologists sifted through them and "perfectly matched" up four couples, on the basis that arranged marriages can last longer.

The show hasn't even aired yet, but the backlash (forwardlash?) has already begun. An online petition demanding that Channel 9 cancel Married at First Sight had gathered about 19,000 signatures as of Friday.

"This television show is a disgrace. It is morally unsound and should not be aired on Australian television," it reasons. "It is appalling that we live in country that will not support marriage equality but will support a television show such as this!"

Signatories have also noted that "this is an absolute insult to the sanctity of marriage," "Australians are being force fed garbage on our TV screens," "this show is a form of BULLYING," and "it's f**ked".

It will not be the last time someone complains. Wait for the commentary that the contestants have been exploited both emotionally and financially. And scripted and staged. And that the whole thing is setting a terrible example to young Australians and the bridal industry.

With reality TV, the one thing you can be sure of is: people will get very hot and bothered about it.

More than two decades ago, when Noeline and Laurie, their boat and kids appeared on our screens, people were outraged that it made Australia look like it was full of bogans. As Britain's The Independent wrote in 1992: "Since the first episode was shown … Sylvania Waters has caused a furore and is criticised as likely to do more damage to Anglo-Australian relations than anything since Gallipoli".

When Big Brother first aired nine years later, it was slammed for being mindless, uncouth and fostering a "famous for nothing" culture. When two male housemates were taken out of the compound in the 2006 series for assaulting a female housemate (bringing the term "turkey slap" to national prominence ), then Prime Minister John Howard called for the show to be axed.

Has there been a reality show that people haven't wanted to cancel?

The Biggest Loser "fat shames" overweight contestants. Survivor makes competitors too hungry and skinny and edits what they say so they seem horrible. MasterChef is not authentic (the dishes get retouched) and promotes food wankerism​. Australian Idol sells the unhealthy idea that celebrity is easy to come by, while glorifying karaoke and annoying teens. Keeping up with the Kardashians is the most vapid thing in the English-speaking world. The litany of complaint goes on.

That's before you get to the less – how should we put it? –  mainstream programs. Exhibits: Amish in the City, Sixteen and Pregnant, Tattoo Nightmares, Wife Swap and (my personal favourite), Dating Naked.

And yet, despite the haters, people really love watching reality television.

As of last year, Australia's most-watched shows since 2001 had MasterChef finals in third and fifth spots and an Australian Idol final in tenth. Finals of The Block, The Voice and My Kitchen Rules make the top 20 while finals of Big Brother and Australia's Got Talent make the top 30.

Reality TV has beaten Melbourne Cups, Kath and Kim, Friends and NRL and AFL grand finals.

It's not just trash for the masses. A whole academic industry has sprung up analysing the ethical, cultural and philosophical implications of the genre. But it doesn't take a philosopher to tell you that reality TV thrives, not only because it is relatively cheap to make, but because it is designed to provoke as much as amuse and divert.

Because it is about real people – even if they are in highly unreal situations – the real people watching at home can't help but feel a bit personally involved. It is part escapism, part trolling.

You have to hand it to the TV brains who come up with the concepts. They dovetail so beautifully with our insecurities and aspirations. Whether they be about fame, success, fulfilment, talent, beauty, love or our ability to catwalk model.

In some countries, arranged marriages are forced and this is problematic for obvious reasons. But in Australia, where we simply have the disappointment of relationship failure to deal with, it is a confronting idea that we are not the most qualified people to choose our own partners.

Without defending the concept of marrying a total stranger in an intimate ceremony arranged by Channel 9, I'd wager that Married at First Sight isn't about having a go at same-sex couples or the institution of marriage. It's about having a go at the way all of us end up with the people we end up with.

The inevitable panic about how society and TV is going to the dogs will kick up all sorts of debate once the show finally airs.

Amid this, don't forget, the controversy is also part of the entertainment.