TV Dating Shows With Weird Plots And Complicated Rules
Dating is a struggle, but these shows get a little creative with it.
Dating shows have always leaned into drama, but some of the strangest ones push the idea of romance into full-on spectacle. From blindfolded meetups to contestants in full prosthetics, these series turn simple attraction into a game with bizarre rules.
That is what makes this lineup so entertaining, and so messy. Some of these shows ask people to choose between love, money, or pure chaos, while others build the entire premise around awkward twists that make normal dating look easy.
Either way, the result is unforgettable reality TV. Read on.
1. Sexy Beasts is one of the most unconventional shows on the list.
Contestants are transformed by prosthetics experts into beastly alter egos.
Netflix2. The production of Temptation Island is shocking.
No one is single when they enter the show, but they are split up to date each other. In the end, they reveal whether they want to stay in the relationship they were previously in.
3. Love is Blind might destroy the concept of dating based solely on looks, as contestants get to know each other without actually seeing them physically.
The kicker? If you want to see the person you’ve gotten to know, you have to get engaged.
USA
Some of these shows are weird in the best possible way.
4. A very condensed version of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, The Proposal only lasts for one TV episode taping.
The guest is a mystery while the candidates flaunt themselves in a pageant-style competition before one is chosen and proposed to at the end of the episode.
Netflix
5. Have you ever fallen in love with someone just by seeing the contents of their room?
Well, there’s a whole show revolving around that. MTV’s Room Raider lets one “raider” decide whom to date based on how their room looks.
ABC/Byron Cohen
6. Although the show had a short stint, Paradise Hotel had its iconic dramatic moments.
A group of single people is chosen to stay in a hotel, share rooms together, and see who can last the longest. There are times when someone new is introduced to keep everyone on their toes, and other times someone is removed.
MTV
7. An unconventional show that involves doctors matching people and having producers make it legal for them to be married the moment they meet each other.
Lifetime/Kinetic Content
8. For Love or For Money represents what contestants value more: a relationship with the bachelor/bachelorette or the cash prize.
You can’t cheat this show by running away with the money since you have to rip up the check when you choose a relationship.
Dave Bjerke/NBCU Photo Bank
That is a tough choice to make on camera.
It also reminds me of the roommate who refused to sign an absurd, TV-style agreement.
9. Making the song “Thank U, Next” possible with this dating show.
Next involves contestants waiting their turn to go on dates in a bus, and if they’re not having fun during the date, they can stop it anytime by screaming, “Next!”
MTV
10. Being a momma’s boy means women would have a tough time not only meeting your standards but also your mother’s.
Momma’s Boys is a dating show that lets the women and the contestant’s mom get to know each other instead. In the end, the mom chooses who is worthy to date their sons.
Mitchell Haaseth/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
11. Contestants vying to marry a prince… duplicate.
The show I Wanna Marry “Harry” led women to believe that the bachelor they were competing to date was actually Prince Harry when it was, in fact, a lookalike. The series was so messy that it eventually got canceled after just a few episodes.
FOX
12. If you think being in front of strangers naked is downright weird, well, Dating Naked takes it to a whole new level by having contestants be naked together during dates and participating in activities like sports as well.
VH1
13. Dating in the Dark has a list of rules, but the main premise is that contestants only interact when they can’t see each other in the dark.
They learn about one another by seeing items brought into the house during their stay, but after the complicated reveal, they must choose whether to start a new relationship or walk out alone.
ABC/RICK ROWELL
The rules only make it stranger.
14. Chains of Love literally chains the contestants to possible dates for four nights and days.
They must choose whether to eliminate one of them or give them money as a prize.
UPN
15. Ever had to date someone with a lot of baggage?
GSN’s Baggage consists of contestants with their own secrets written in suitcases. It’s a maze of getting to know which person has dealbreakers the contestant can’t overlook and which ones they can accept.
Game Show Network
16. Average Joe gives a chance to men who are decent-looking according to American standards to compete for the heart of a beauty queen.
The twist is that hunks are involved in one part of the show and compete alongside the ‘average joes.’
Brian Kenison/NBCU Photo Bank
17. Not many shows focus on bisexuality, but A Shot of Love does.
A social media personality named Tila Tequila chooses between contestants that consist of heterosexual men and lesbians.
MTV
18. Ten girls and ten guys.
The contestants of Are You the One? must figure out who has been expertly matched with whom. If they get a lot of guesses right, they have a better chance of winning a part of the million-dollar prize.
MTV
Dating can be hard enough as it is; these shows put contestants in a controlled setting with a bunch of rules and test that theory to the max. They either have a sure thing of finding an everlasting relationship or end up in one that crumbles in the blink of an eye.
There are many risks when it comes to these shows. So if you’re actually considering being on one, maybe see how it’s going for others first.
Reality TV never runs out of ways to make romance look complicated.
After the pig race dinner chaos, read about the date disaster caused by pig racing and a WIBTA vote.
