Dating in the Dark is a British reality dating game show based on the original Dutch series Daten in het Donker, in which three single men and three single women move into a light-tight house, getting to know each other and forming bonds in total darkness.
The series premiered in the UK on Living TV on 9 September, 2009. It moved to Sky Living for the third season, where it ended its run on 5 July, 2011. There are 24 hour-long episodes in three seasons.
Dating in the Dark premiered in South Africa on DStv's BBC Entertainment channel on Thursday 7 July 2011, at 20h00. It later aired on BBC Lifestyle. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 3 premiered on BBC Lifestyle on Sunday 2 March 2014, at 18h00. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are eight episodes in the third and final season.
Synopsis
Forget speed-dating, forget internet-dating, forget double-dating - Dating in the Dark is the series that puts a whole new spin on blind-dating.
Putting paid to the theory that beauty is only skin deep, this series explores how important aesthetic attraction is when it comes to achieving emotional intimacy, and asks the million dollar question – do looks really matter?
Each week the show offers six singletons, all genuinely looking for love, a totally unique way of meeting someone special – in total darkness.
We all think we know what we're looking for in a partner: tall, dark and handsome... but surely you wouldn't be so shallow as to rule out the potential love of your life on something as transitory as looks?
Each episode of Dating in the Dark invites three single guys and three single girls to take up residence in separate apartments within a specially designed house where they are kept completely apart, only meeting each other in a dating room which is kept in pitch darkness: the Dark Room. So dark, the singletons cannot even see their own hand in front of their face.
Viewers follow the action, week by week, via state-of-the-art infra-red cameras in the dark room, as well as fully-lit footage of the boys and girls in their separate apartments.
Following the first group date, which takes place in the dark room, the lovebirds decide who they like the sound of most, based on listening to each other's voices.
A spot of shirt-swapping then helps guide their attraction as they get a proper whiff of each other's pheromones. Based on theses two sensory experiences, they each decide who they want to go it alone with on a first date in the dark room.
Will the pheromones kick in? Will a husky voice swing it?
The next round of dating is based on a scientific compatibility test, designed in partnership with Senior Lecturer for the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths University of London, Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic.
Based on compatibility scores, matched couples are sent back to the dark room to find out whether there really is any science in chemistry. Will new ties form and new interests blossom?
Daters are then given a free choice as to who they'd like to meet again, their original choice, or their compatibility match.
By now, all have begun to form an idea of what their potential love interest looks like physically, and sketch artists work alongside each dater to produce an artist impression of their date. The drawings are then handed to their subjects and tensions mount as expectations come into play.
In a dramatic moment, each of the lonely hearts is finally given the chance to see their date in the flesh for the first time. As they stand in the dark room, fifteen seconds of light is briefly placed on each person, and true reactions are revealed. But will that mere 15 seconds change everything? Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder?
In a brutal culmination, the love birds must decide whether to date or ditch their suitors.
If they still want to go ahead with the date they either turn up in the library to prove their love and go on a date, or leave the house and walk away with their suitcase forever. Rejection was never so harsh!
Dating in the Dark is produced by Initial, an Endemol company. The format was originally devised by the Dutch entertainment company Talpa. David Staite is executive producer, Daniella Berendsen and Alex Cross are the series poducers.
Seasons
Season 1 (8 episodes)
Channel: BBC Entertainment | Premiere: 7 Jul 2011 | Finale: 25 Aug 2011 | Thu, 20h00
Channel: BBC Lifestyle | Premiere: 8 Jan 2012 | Finale: 26 Feb 2012 | Sun, 19h00
Season 2 (8 episodes)
Channel: BBC Entertainment | Premiere: 12 Apr 2012 | Finale: 31 May 2012 | Thu, 20h00
Channel: BBC Lifestyle | Premiere: 19 May 2013 | Finale: 7 Jul 2013 | Sun, 18h00
Season 3 (8 episodes)
Channel: BBC Lifestyle | Premiere: 2 Mar 2014 | Finale: 20 Apr 2014 | Sun, 18h00