Dating game shows are game shows that incorporates a variety of matchmaking systems and services in the form of a game with clear rules. Human matchmaking is involved only in selecting the game's contestants, who are usually selected more for the amusement value than any concern for their happiness or compatibility. The audience sees only the game; an important feature of all dating game shows is that the contestants have little or no previous knowledge of each other, and are exposed to each other only through the game, which may include viewing a photograph or at least knowing the basic criteria for participation.
Boy Meets Boy is an American reality television series broadcast by Bravo. The show premiered on July 29, 2003, while its sixth and final episode aired on September 2, 2003. Filmed in Palm Springs, California, the series depicted James Getzlaff, a gay bachelor, choosing a potential boyfriend from a group of fifteen men. Unbeknown to Getzlaff, however, was that this group consisted of both gay and straight men. Each episode Getzlaff eliminated three candidates. If the final candidate was also gay, Getzlaff would win a $25,000 reward and a trip to New Zealand for the two; if the final candidate was straight, Getzlaff would receive nothing and the candidate would receive a $25,000 reward. The series was hosted by English television presenter Dani Behr.
Playing It Straight is an American reality television series broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The series premiered on March 12, 2004, although it was quickly cancelled with its third episode being the last to air on March 26, 2004. Filmed in Elko, Nevada, the series followed Jackie, a single, straight college student, as she searched for love among a group of 14 men. This group, however, consisted of a mix between straight and gay men. Each week Jackie went on individual dates with the men in order to determine if they were straight or gay. Each week Jackie was required to eliminate two men who she believed to be gay from the competition. If the final contestant was a straight man, he and Jackie would split a $1,000,000 reward; If the final contestant was a gay man, he would solely receive the $1,000,000. The series was hosted by American television presenter Daphne Brogdon.
The Dating Game is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it continued in syndication for another year (1973–1974) as The New Dating Game. The program was revived three additional times in syndication afterward, with the first from 1978 to 1980 as The All-New Dating Game, the second from 1986 to 1989, and the third from 1996 to 1999.
Singled Out is an American dating game show created by Burt Wheeler & Sharon Sussman which originally ran on MTV from 1995 to 1998. Each episode featured a group of 50 singles competing for a date with one main contestant.
For Love or Money is an American reality television show initially broadcast as summer programming on NBC in 2003 and 2004. Four seasons of the program were shown in linked pairs, and all seasons were hosted by Jordan Murphy. It was produced by Nash Entertainment with Bruce Nash and J. D. Roth as two of the executive producers.
ElimiDate is an American reality television dating show in which one contestant chooses between four contestants of the opposite sex by eliminating them one by one in three total rounds. On August 11, 2006, it was announced that the show would not be renewed for the 2006–2007 season due to low ratings, and the show went out of syndication after September 5, 2006.
Senseless is a British television dating game show hosted by Tom Price which first aired on MTV UK on 12 June 2006. It is aired each weekday at 11pm.
Weakest Link is an American television game show that made its debut in 2001. It is an adaptation of the British television series of the same name.
Parental Control is a reality television show about people looking for love produced by MTV. The two directors, Brendon Carter and Bruce Klassen, have also created other MTV shows. In Asia, this show was aired on Channel V from 2007–2009.
The 6th season of Last Comic Standing began airing in May 2008. This competitive reality show on NBC was hosted by Bill Bellamy and a new co-host, Fearne Cotton. The contest was won by Iliza Shlesinger from Dallas, Texas.
Iliza Vie Shlesinger is an American comedian, actress, television host, executive producer, and screenwriter. She was the 2008 winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing and went on to host the syndicated dating show Excused and the TBS game show Separation Anxiety.
Momma's Boys is an American reality television series that aired on the NBC network, executive produced by Ryan Seacrest and Andrew Glassman, which centers on a group of mothers who must help choose the perfect woman for their sons. Ultimately, the series poses the question: "Who really is the most important woman in a man's life?" The show ran a single season of six episodes, from December 2008 to January 2009.
Baggage is an American dating game show hosted by Jerry Springer and broadcast by Game Show Network. The original series premiered on April 19, 2010, airing for four seasons. A spin-off series, entitled Baggage on the Road, aired for one season, which debuted on January 7, 2015. The show has earned high ratings by GSN's standards; despite this, it has also received mixed critical reception.
The Choice is an American television dating game show that premiered on Fox on June 7, 2012, immediately following the premiere of Take Me Out.
Who Wants to Date a Comedian? is an American reality-based dating competition series that debuted in first-run syndication in the United States on September 19, 2011. The half-hour series was created by Byron Allen through his production company Entertainment Studios.
Are You the One? is an American reality television series on MTV, in which young singles try to find love. A group of men and women are secretly paired into couples by producers, via a matchmaking algorithm. Then, while living together, the contestants try to identify all of these "perfect matches." If they succeed, the entire group shares a prize of up to $1 million. All couples in the first seven seasons were male-female, while in the eighth season a contestant's match could be someone of any gender.
It Takes a Church is an American dating game show hosted by Natalie Grant and broadcast by Game Show Network. The show travels to multiple churches across the country looking for single members of congregations looking for a partner. The congregation of the church is primarily in charge of looking at potential daters and judging which one would be the best match. The first season, sponsored by Christian Mingle, began airing on June 5, 2014. The series was later renewed for a second season, which began airing March 26, 2015.
Blind Date is an Australian television game show which was originally based on the American series The Dating Game.
The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show is an American sketch comedy streaming television series created by and starring Iliza Shlesinger. The series premiered on Netflix on April 1, 2020.
