Newest takes on voyeurism are not your parents' 'Dating Game'

From: University Wire| Date: February 7, 2002 | Author: Shana Dines

University Wire

02-07-2002

(Daily Bruin) (U-WIRE) LOS ANGELES -- Is it voyeurism or curiosity, loneliness or horniness, a sick obsession or just plain old boredom?

All of these characteristics make TV viewers crave dating shows and have subsequently made the shows so damn popular.

"They are entertaining because they are so unrealistic," said Yasman Alaghband, a first-year MCD Bio student. "Guy meets girl, and it's so extreme. They either love each other or hate each other."

Taking over the airwaves recently, they are forerunners in the reality TV era. The road to fame, however, has not been a short one.

Going back to their origins, dating shows can be traced to their grandparents, "The Dating Game," which premiered in 1965, and "The Love Connection," which began in 1981. These artifacts of TV history set the standard for the dating shows of today. With substantial renovations and alterations, they were reinvented to appeal to more modern demographics. One of the main changes was taking the shows out onto the streets.

"It just seemed like the right time to move the whole dating concept out of the studio and into the field, where you actually start to experience and be part of the date itself," said Tom Kline, producer of "Rendez-View" and creator of "Blind Date" and "Fifth Wheel." "It's such a universal theme of dating; everybody can relate to it."

With such a wide variety of shows to choose from, there really is a scenario to suit just about anyone's fancy. In order to clear things up, here's a breakdown of the major players:

"Blind Date," one of the original next-generation shows, features commentary from host Roger Lodge, as well as graphics, icons, and various other little interruptions to keep the viewer entertained. Partnered with this is "Rendez-View," which is hosted by comedian Greg Proops and relationship expert Ellen Ladowsky, in addition to two celebrity guests. Getting the studio audience to participate in the gossiping, "Rendez-View" seems to be the most interactive of the bunch.

"ElimiDate" features one man and four women, or vice versa, who go through a series of three rounds, in which the main squeeze of the date must "elimidate" one suitor after each round. Starting out with two men and two women, "Fifth Wheel"offers up another version of the group date scenario. After the four of them pair off and get to know each other, a fifth person is thrown in to stir up the drama.

"Dismissed" is MTV's answer to the dating show bandwagon. There are two contestants who fight over the lucky third person, who is not necessarily of the opposite sex. "Dismissed" is the only show that features same-sex relationships.

"Change of Heart" takes unstable relationships and pushes them to the limits as host Lynne Koplitz leads the contestants and live studio audience through the dates of two lovers as they test the waters with other fish. At the end of each episode, the original couple must choose if they want to stay together or if they've had a "change of heart."

Numerous other dating shows are struggling for existence in syndication or on local cable networks.

"There a lot of dating shows on the air and some of them are going to go away, but I like to think that there's a place for the good ones to stay for a while. They speak to a segment of the audience that seems to really respond to them," Kline said.

The ups and downs of dating seems to be a topic to which that audience can relate. The shows seem to be popular even with the pre-teen crowd as well, those looking forward to the dating drama that awaits them.

"I have an 11-year-old son and all of his friends are watching the show," Kline said. "They like them because they are just starting to have those feelings about guys and girls and all that stuff."

Between the guilty pleasure of voyeurism, the comedic commentary of the hosts, and the possibility of a fairy tale ending, dating show producers seem to have found a formula that works.

"It's the fantasy; it's love; everyone's interested in that; it's maybe finding your life-mate or your soulmate or just someone to go out with," said Alex Duda, executive producer of "ElimiDate." "I think love is a subject that will always fascinate people and I think that's what attracts people to these dating shows."

Lack of a permanent cast further offers ever-changing entertainment in dating shows. The success of each episode depends on immediate connections.

"It begins and ends in casting: every time you have five different personalities, so every time you have a different show," Duda said. "You never know what's going to happen."

While the crash-and-burn dates may be more entertaining, Kline swears that no one is put on dates that are predestined to fail.

"We definitely do not try to mismatch people," Kline said. "We try to put people together who we think will connect and we're right about 20 percent of the time."

Either way, the masterminds behind all of the various dating shows have hit the target and are doing everything right. In its first season, "ElimiDate" raised its ratings by 70 percent.

"We are happy where we are, but we want to keep growing," Duda said.

Strong ratings aside, success is shown by the fact that channel surfing at any hour of the day often reveals a dating show in one of its forms.

Though few things stay gold forever in the entertainment industry, there seems to be some promise for longevity among the diamonds of the dating show rough.

"Love is something that will always interest us," Duda said. "I hope that this genre will stick around."