A new reality show in which 15 men vye to win the opportunity to father a child with the female star has been dubbed a "mating show, not a dating show".
Labor of Love follows 41-year-old Kristy Katzmann on her quest to become a mother, whittling down the male contestants with a series of tests and challenges.
The winner will "skip the dating and go straight to the baby-making" with Katzmann, according to Sex in the City star Kristin Davis, who hosts the show.
In Instagram posts promoting the show, Katzmann insists Labor of Love is an "inspiring" journey of "female empowerment", but concedes the concept will ruffle some feathers.
"Will this be controversial? Yes. Change never comes without controversy and a willingness to take the heat!" Katzman wrote online.
"Trust me when I say it's not easy for me to open up such a vulnerable part of my life, but knowing my story could help other women makes this a resounding 'yes' for me."
In a particularly shocking teaser clip shared on her Instagram, Katzmann and Davis welcome the 15 men to a party by presenting them with a silver tray of plastic specimen cups brought in by smartly dressed waiters.
"Part of this process is figuring out if you're fit enough to be fathers. I mean that in the most literal way possible," Davis tells the contestants.
"Y'all are ruthless," one of the men responds.
"That is messed up," another can be heard saying.
Meanwhile, Katzmann appears to have had her eggs frozen, per an Instagram post in which she thanked the team at a specialty egg freezing centre for "helping make her dream come true".
It's not just the contestant's sperm that's being scrutinised. Other challenges see them changing diapers, watching a room full of children, and being hooked up to a machine that simulates the pain of labour.
The Guardian's television reviewer Stuart Heritage said the series was "arguably the most knuckleheaded show I have seen in half a decade".
"Watching Labor of Love is like pulling your brain out of your ear with a corkscrew and booting it into a lake," Heritage wrote.
It's not Katzmann's first foray into the world of reality television, having appeared on season 11 of The Bachelor US in 2007, where she competed for the affections of Brad Womack.
Still, Katzmann assures fans "This is NOT your typical dating show," but promises audiences will be "very entertained".
