DATING IN THE DARK

Reality dating shows pop up more often than zits on a teenager's T-zone. Nevertheless, a new ABC show, Dating in the Dark, piqued my curiosity, at least enough to spend an hour watching the pilot. My first thought was, "Isn't all dating in the dark?" Do we ever really know our dates, boyfriends, girlfriends, lovers, even spouses? In one corner, Looks and Physical Attraction. In the other corner, Personality, Scent (?), Touch, Pure Chemistry. Let them duke it out and see who comes up the champ.

Not really.

What really happens is three guys, three girls spend a bunch of time in a wacky monstrosity of a house, complete with glass bricks, fun house colors, and an exterior of catwalks and white tubing, evocative of some late 80s apartment building in West Hollywood or Miami. The six singles meet in the dark and pair up, based on their initial reactions. "Relationship experts" of some type also pair the couples based on compatibility.

Alcohol flows. Conversation, flirting, touching and feeling ensue when the couples meet in the dark room. After an indeterminate amount of time, sketch artists draw portraits based on each single's perception of their "date." The men's perceptions were pretty much right on. One woman was clearly dreaming about commercial casting calls or her soap, maybe even one of the future "Bachelor's!"

Next step is the Big Reveal, probably first coined during Extreme Makeover, another summer reality show where a team of cosmetic surgeons, dentists, hair stylists, makeup artists, and others created a better version of what we had before. Kind of like "Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster." Well, at least better looking. I digress.

Each couple gets a chance to inspect his or her partner, spotlighted for a few minutes. The one being checked out doesn't get to see the other's reaction because he or she remains in the dark. This may have been my favorite part! One guy waxed on and on to his male counterparts about how "hot" his girl was. Shame the girl did not share his sentiments! The hippy chick with the frizzy hair, Granny glasses and poorly fitted dresses was blown away by the cute but insecure DJ from the U.K. She commented she never would have had the nerve to even approach a guy like him in real life. Departing the McMansion in a Bentley, arm in arm, smiling, they seemed like the couple "most likely to succeed."

It remains to be seen whether any couples of this show will end up in long term relationships. Of the fourteen seasons of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, only Trista and Ryan have wed. One plus to Dating in the Dark is the money saved on wardrobe, hair, and makeup. Perhaps they applied the savings to renting the Bentley!