There’s no denying it, dating shows are having a real renaissance right now.
While ITV2 bumped
Love Island up to two series a year in 2020, Channel 4 continues to shock viewers all over the
UK with the outrageous antics on Naked Attraction.
Meanwhile, First Dates takes a more tame approach, while even the rich and famous (-ish) are getting in on the act over on E4′s Celebs Go Dating and MTV’s Ex On The Beach.
Of course, the latest show to get everyone talking is the
Netflix original series Love Is Blind.
Dubbed a three-week “experiment”, the show is essentially The Circle meets Married At First Sight, with contestants “dating” one another through a wall, without being allowed to see each other face to face.That part only comes when they get engaged, after which they have just a few weeks to plan their big days.
Obviously, Love Is Blind is a completely wild ride, and has gripped viewers all over the globe (at the time of writing, it’s the second most-watched thing on Netflix in the UK, behind the drama The Stranger).
Inspired by the success of the weird and wonderful new dating show, we’re taking a look back at 11 more shows that well and truly pushed the envelope.
From the “truly bizarre” to the “actually quite distasteful”, here are the dating shows from years gone by that you may well have forgotten about...Playing It StraightIt all seemed like a bit of a laugh at the time, but in hindsight, a reality series based entirely around whether you can guess if a group of men are gay or straight is guilty of perpetuating stereotypes at best and outright homophobic at worst.
Playing It Straight ran for one series in 2005 with June Sarpong as host, only to be revived a full seven years later, this time with Jameela Jamil at the helm.There’s Something About MiriamOf course, that’s nothing compared to Sky’s There’s Something About Miriam, during which the titular Miriam chose a match from a variety of suitors, only to drop the bombshell at the end that she is transgender.
The men in question played along on camera, but prior to the series’ airdate, they collectively tried to sue Sky, alleging conspiracy to commit sexual assault, defamation, breach of contract, and personal injury in the form of psychological and emotional damage.
Wow.
In 2019, it was announced that the show’s star Miriam Rivera had died at the age of 38.I Wanna Marry HarryThe premise of this completely ridiculous show was that a group of women were flown to the UK, where they competed for the affections of a man they were led to believe was Prince Harry.
As you can see, the man in question was not
Prince Harry, but a rather dubious lookalike. As the contestants figured out fairly quickly.
Eventual winner Kimberly Birch later hit out at the show, claiming the girls were manipulated into thinking they were just being paranoid when they voiced their doubts to producers, who even went as far as urging them to speak to a fake therapist for reassurance.
Surprisingly dark stuff, for a seemingly frivolous dating show based around the fact that “marry” rhymes with “Harry”.BaggageA dating show (for some reason hosted by Gok Wan) that revolved around contestants putting their worst foot forward, by exposing their most annoying habits and airing their dirty laundry on national television.
We just can’t think why this didn’t work as a format, tbh.The X EffectThe premise of this bizarre
American show is that a couple would be treated to a luxury weekend for two. The only downside? You have to spend it with your ex, rather than your current partner.
At the end of each episode, both halves of the pair choose whether to stick with their current partner or return to their ex.
Brutal... but yes, we probably would still tune in if they made a
British version in 2020.Man O ManThis 90s show gave the female contestants all the power. In each round, the women would be presented with a line-up of men, and if they didn’t like what they saw... they pushed them in a swimming pool behind them.
A simple – but no doubt satisfying – format.The CougarExactly what it sounds like, but what was particularly special about this was show was the way the eponymous cougar would whittle down her suitors.
The “Kiss-Off” would see Stacey Anderson, the cougar in question, kiss a hopeful either on the lips or cheek, depending on whether she wanted him to stay or go. Biblical stuff.Married By AmericaSort of a Married At First Sight-meets-American Idol affair, viewers at home paired up the couples, who then immediately became engaged, via a public vote.
They then moved to a ranch for a three-week period, where they were eliminated one by one. Eventually, none of the couples chose to follow through with their engagement and actually tie the knot, rendering the whole thing totally pointless.
Money well spent.The Littlest GroomAfter just two episodes, and a whoooole lot of negative reaction from viewers, The Littlest Groom – which centred on 4′5″ Glen Foster’s quest for love – was cancelled in 2004.Chains Of LoveAs the title suggests, this show revolved around one “Picker”, who found themselves chained to four prospective dates for four straight days (all at the same time) while cameras filmed their every move.
Each night, the “Picker” would cut one perspective date until only one was left, with whom they would then share a hefty cash prize.The Ultimate MergerA show that saw Apprentice US star Omarosa on the lookout for The One. To help her is everyone’s favourite matchmaker,
Donald Trump, who helped choose her initial shortlist.
Because who would you want playing Cupid more than the always-tasteful Mr Rational himself, Donald J Trump?READ MORE: Love Is Blind Is Blinding (And Addictive) The Definitive Ranking Of Love Island's 20 Best Contestants Ever 21 Facts About The Original Love Island Series That Reveal Just How Different It Was