Dating shows are trending more than ever, and it is becoming increasingly common to see singles who, when failing to find love in the real world, turn to the world of reality. Reality TV, that is. Not all dating shows are not created equal, thoug, and there have been some real misses when it comes to finding love on camera. The dating world can be wild enough, but add some silly costumes, extraneous family members, and ex flings, and you’ve got a real circus. Check out some of the worst dating shows to make their debut on Netflix.
5. The Ultimatum
We can’t think of a better way to get someone to marry you than to give them no choice. Which is literally the premise of this Love Is Blind’s sister show, The Ultimatum, Nick and Vanessa Lachey’s dating show love child that is based on Vanessa’s own ultimatum to hubby Nick. The Ultimatum takes couples wavering on the verge of commitment and sets them up with other possible partners to help them decide if they would rather say “I do” or “I doubt.”
The premise is to give the couples a sample of what their lives would be like without each other, and some of them like the taste of their freedom. While the Lachey sister show Love Is Blind is a fan favorite, The Ultimatum has not quite found its place in the sun. The show’s ratings remain low and The Guardian among several publications absolutely demolished The Ultimatum and its premise. While the show’s intentions may have been good, the concept never really took off, and maybe it should not have.
4. Back With The Ex
The one that got away is coming back around in Netflix’s Back With The Ex. This bizarre dating show re-matched couples with their former one-and-only’s to see if they could finally make it to happily ever after. Spoiler alert, there is more drama than romance, as one would expect.
Most couples have only a 40% chance of making things work with an ex. Add that to the already 50% divorce rate of people who aren’t necessarily exes, and the chances of these couples(or this show) making it work were very slim. The ratings hit rock bottom and Back With The Ex never made it back for a second season. While a few couples did make it to the end of the show, none have survived until the current day. It seems these couples (and Netflix) should have just left well enough alone.
3. Dated and Related
While Dated and Related is not as weird as the title makes it sound, it’s still not great. Siblings (and some cousins) tag team the dating world to find true love. How could it miss? Yet Dated and Related does. In a Greek-style tragedy some of the siblings end up sabotaging each other and their blossoming relationships. Some siblings are also way too involved in the process; overbearing is an understatement for some of these sordid sibling relationships.
Did we mention there was money involved? One lucky couple got to walk away with $100,000 just to murky the true intention waters a little more. Dated and Related had the hopeful singles (and their familial plus ones) meeting at a villa in France, but soon the pairs dwindled down to a few finalists and of that one will walk away with the $100,000 prize, and oh yeah, love. While it did have its supporters with a 60% approval rating, if you are looking for a show about love, you are looking in all the wrong places with this show.
2. Too Hot to Handle
Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle starts off like many of the other dating shows with a group of sexy singles sent to an exotic location to mix and mingle. There is one noticeable exception: no touching is allowed. Too Hot To Handle follows the popular dating show premise that love is more than skin deep, except in this show, they are allowed to look at each other all they want, but just not to touch.
The contestants split the $100,000 prize that decreases with every incident of kissing, touching, or even self-gratification. While it is an interesting premise for a game show, as a dating show it’s far from successful. Only a few couples make it to the end and of those very few have made it post-production. While many consider the show a guilty pleasure, the ratings reflect the couple’s low success rate. Regardless, the drama factor seems to keep Too Hot To Handle alive as it just concluded its fourth season.
1. Sexy Beasts
The world of dating can be wild, but this show takes that concept to a whole new level. Sexy Beasts is a Netflix series where contestants don silly costumes in an attempt to find true love beneath the masks. The concept is centered around getting to know a potential partner on the inside without having any real information about their outside. While the concept that love is more than skin deep is admirable, the costumes are distracting at best and silly at worst.
Yet somehow even through the masks, a few contestants did manage to find a match, although it seemed more a result of the single’s persistent search for love as opposed to true compatibility concepts. Most of the singles that matched on Sexy Beasts are now back to dating in the real, maskless world. The first season premiered in July of 2021 with a second following shortly after. While the show did go for two seasons, viewer and Rotten Tomatoes ratings remained low and it is unclear if a season three of Sexy Beasts will ever be unleashed on the world.
So many dating shows, so little time, but with this ranking at least you will know which ones to binge, which ones to skip, and which ones are worth the watch if for nothing more than for the cringe factor. When it comes to finding love in the spotlight, these shows make even dating apps look desirable.