ABC has greenlit production on a new series promising to be reality TV's version of a romantic comedy.

Here Come The Newlyweds, a six-episode format, will see seven newly-wed couples competing against each other for a growing cash prize.

The couples will undertake a variety of tasks designed to test their relationships and boost the prize fund, with one unlucky pairing being sent home each week.

"We wanted to do a competition that would feel more fun and light and stay away from the backstabbing elements that have crept into so many shows," said exec producer Tony Marsh. "There's so much real comedy and insight and often poignancy when you really examine male-female relationships."