The Undateables (2012-2019) is a UK documentary series/Docusoap airing on Channel 4, focusing on disabled people and their attempts at dating.
It is Reality TV mixed with documentary.
Not to be confused with the NBC sitcom Undateable.
Compare with First Dates, another Channel 4 show that focuses on this topic.
Tropes:
- Attractiveness Isolation: In some episodes, this was a very present trope; one woman had Asperger's Syndrome but complained that few people wanted to talk to her, despite her being attractive.
- British Brevity: Nearly every episode was very short in episode count, and there were no filler episodes.
- Darker and Edgier: One of the more serious matchmaking shows on television, which is a rarity in this genre, given that most normally have some competition or comedy element - here, this is no-holds-barred and very serious.
- Docusoap: It covers the work of dating agencies who work with disabled people, and shows the profession in as tactfully a manner as can be done.
- Minimalist Cast: The only people ever shown on screen are the participant, their parents, a dating expert and the participants' date. Only three people are shown each episode. Other background people do occur, but their faces are blurred out.
- No Antagonist: The only real conflict comes from within, there isn't a villain on the show.
- Relationship Revolving Door: For participants who return, this trope is in play often because their relationship doesn't work out.
- Speech-Centric Work: For a documentary, there is a lot of speech on this show; it's often people sitting in a room talking to one another.
- Status Quo Is God: In some cases, matchmaking did not work out and the individual in question returns to being single not long after.
- The Matchmaker: This is the whole point of the series; by comparison to other Reality TV show, it's a lot more serious in tone.
- The Spook: Zig-zagged: sometimes we know a lot about the participant, other times their background is a complete mystery, but this is justified due to privacy reasons.
