TeeVee: Surprise of the Summer
Dating in the Dark
(Reality), Monday nights on ABC.
The premise is that 3 men and 3 women are sequestered in different wings of a house. They're not allowed to have any contact with the opposite sex, except in the Dark Room. The contestants go on a group date and a few individual dates (following compatibility scorings AND what I'm going to call a 'Get-to-Know' ~example go through the other contestants' cars.) At the end of the few days, the contestants get to choose one person they would like to see in the light AND after that they can choose to walk out the front door or meet the person (they saw in the light) up on the balcony to continue their relationship.
So why is it my Surprise of the Summer?
I find most new reality TV to be a watered down, crappy copy of it's predecessor, so when a new reality show comes on the scene that piques my interest in a new way, I get excited.
I had little hope for this little dating show, but the promos caught my attention and the fact that I had nothing else to watch in the time slot gave it a chance. I'm not saying it will replace 'Lost' or 'Grey's Anatomy' in my favorites list, but as a summer filler it was a nice little gem!
I think I liked it for the same reason I like to watch House Hunters (on HGTV). I get to try and guess as to what the contestants are going to do. Are they really superficial? How can they make out with someone and then say there's no attraction?
I also like it because they're 'Real' people. They're all shapes and sizes; ethnicities and races. It's not like a lot of other reality shows that pick size 2 models and hunks with 12 packs.
What people do in the dark is NOT what they would do in the light. Some people take it as an opportunity to take more risks than they would normally. Other people are extremely more reserved, not wanting to look foolish in case the person they're in there with is 'fugly'.
Negatives of the Show:
1. With only 6 contestants at a time, the likelihood that they'll find someone they connect with AND find attractive is pretty slim. The show only boasts about 1 couple getting together at the end of each show (I'm not sure if that's a good thing for ratings, to watch rejection play out in front of your eyes, I guess I'm just a romantic).
2. The fear of rejection is greater than what most contestants are willing to face. Example ~ A couple is shown to have great chemistry and connection in the dark, they both find each other attractive in the light, BUT they still don't meet on the balcony. Usually when this happens, one of the contestants is more afraid that their partner isn't going to meet them, that they'd rather be the one walking out the front door.
Did YOU watch 'Dating in the Dark'? What did YOU think? Sound off in the comments.
