5 quirky dating reality shows like Love is Blind
The dating reality show Love is Blind premiered on Netflix in February 2020. Created by Chris Coelen and produced by Kinetic Content, the show follows fifteen men and fifteen women from the same metropolitan area. They go on blind dates for ten days in purpose-built isolation pods, where they can only talk to each other through a speaker but not see each other.
At the end of the ten days, participants must either get engaged to someone without seeing them or exit the show. After getting engaged, the couple finally meet in person and spend time with each other for three weeks, during which they also need to prepare for their weddings. At the altar, each participant decides whether to get married or not.
Two couples from each of the two seasons of Love is Blind are still together, which means there is some success to this formula apart from being an entertaining watch. The second season of the hit dating reality show premiered in February 2022, and the third season is slated to be released on October 19, 2022. The show has also been renewed for a fourth and fifth season.
Love Island USA, Dating Around, and 3 other exciting dating reality shows like Love is Blind
1) Dating Around
The show is the first original dating series that Netflix produced. Created by Chris Culvenor and directed by James Adolphus and Wylda Bayron, the show premiered in February 2019.
Each episode of the show follows an individual going on five blind dates. The show features a diverse group of people from various backgrounds. After a period, the individual selects the person with whom they'd like to go on a second date.
The second season of this inclusive show premiered in June 2020. If you want to see couples meet each other for the first time and experience first-date awkwardness, then this show is for you.
2) Love Island USA
Love Island USA is a dating reality show based on the British series of the same name. The first season of the hit dating game show was shot in Fiji and premiered on CBS in July 2019. Its second season premiered in August 2020 and was shot in Cromwell, Las Vegas, amidst the pandemic. The third season, filmed in Hawaii, was released in July 2021. The fourth season, shot in California, premiered on Peacock on July 19, 2022.
The first three seasons of the dating reality show were hosted by Arielle Vandenberg, while Sarah Hyland hosted the fourth season. The show involves a group of contestants, known as Islanders, who live in a villa under constant video surveillance. The contestants must survive elimination to remain in the game by coupling or re-coupling with the other Islanders.
The contestants also participate in many games and challenges designed to test their physical and mental abilities to survive elimination. The elimination happens via a public vote during the series, where the public can vote for their favorite couple through the Love Island app available on smartphones. Ultimately, the winning couple takes home $100,000.
3) First Dates
Based on the British version of the show of the same name, this dating reality show first aired on NBC in April 2017. It was executively produced by Ellen DeGeneres and narrated by 50 First Dates star Drew Barrymore.
The show exhibited people going on blind dates at MK Restaurant in Chicago. The daters were of all ages and backgrounds from across the US. At the end of the date, the couple was asked if they would like to see each other again for a second date or start anew.
If you want to witness two strangers meeting their potential partners for the first time over a romantic dinner for two, then this show is for you. Experience the realities of the first date with all its adorably awkward moments when two individuals struggle to make an excellent first impression.
4) Love on the Spectrum
Created by Cian O'Clery, this Australian dating reality show premiered on ABC in November 2019. It began streaming on Netflix in July 2020. The second season of the show premiered in May 2021. The series' massive success led to the American version of the show, titled Love on the Spectrum US, in May 2022.
The show follows a group of young people on the autism spectrum as they enter the dating world to find true love. Their dating journeys also offer a view into life on the spectrum as the participants learn how to navigate the dating scene, love, and relationships under the guidance of specialists.
This entertaining and heartwarming show does not stray from its initial focus and does justice to the people on the spectrum. Apart from finding true love on the show, the participants also form long-lasting friendships with like-minded people.
5) The Bachelorette
A spin-off of The Bachelor, the most famous franchise in the history of dating reality shows, the show debuted on ABC in January 2003. The show flips the original script and puts the power in the hands of one woman who gets to choose a husband among 25 men. She dates her potential suitors and eliminates the ones that don't fit her bill through each episode until she's left with her top options.
The show often features former contestants from The Bachelor, tying the two shows together. Chris Harrison hosted the show for its first 16 seasons. The seventeenth and eighteenth seasons were hosted by former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe.
The nineteenth season premiered on July 11, 2022, with Jesse Palmer as the host. Five of the couples from this dating reality show are still together. Watch the show to witness their beautiful journey.
Don't forget to watch the third season of Love is Blind on October 19 only on Netflix.
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