Stop me if you’ve heard this before: there’s another new dating show. Our television screens have become inundated with these reality shows claiming that they have the correct formula to find the perfect matches, so much so that there are new versions popping up seemingly every few weeks. Yet, Netflix has quietly – as quiet as any major streaming service can be – put together a ripe catalog of dating shows spearheaded by Love is Blind and Too Hot Too Handle, two shows that added a new twist to the world of reality dating.
From these series, Netflix has spawned a handful of spin-offs, namely After the Altar, but took its largest jump into this realm with the newest endeavor, Perfect Match. As on the nose as it is, what this latest attempt does is allow Netflix to essentially make a run at the biggest dating series going and the one that spawned them all, The Bachelor and its popular tropical spin-off, Bachelor In Paradise. Perfect Match has all the offerings of that show but brings in its own identity, giving Netflix an opportunity to cement itself and this new series as the king of them all.
Multiple Shows Are Pulled Into One Pool of Contestants on 'Perfect Match'
Perhaps the strongest claim this show has to its peers is in its construction. Perfect Match takes known personalities from their dating shows, including Love is Blind and Too Hot to Handle, creating interest from its two biggest fanbases in this spectrum. From there, though, Netflix decided to pull from all of its reality shows, bringing members from a variety of shows including The Circle, Selling Tampa, and even The Mole. What this ultimately allows for is some genius marketing from Netflix, cross-promoting their own programs within this one arena. It also brings in viewers who may not typically watch a dating show and say, “Hey, I like Dom from The Mole so I’ll give Perfect Match a shot.” Netflix didn’t get this massive by accident; Perfect Match epitomizes this clever ploy to create something that can pull everyone in. How this differs from ABC’s franchise is that while Bachelor in Paradise takes former contestants from its namesake show and The Bachelorette, it doesn’t bring in any other ABC personalities. It’s simply promoting its own Bachelor universe and likely not bringing in any new eyes who otherwise wouldn’t already be watching those shows. From a business standpoint, Perfect Match takes the prize.
The Bachelor franchise has its distinctions, but where it sometimes lacks is its creativity. Once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. While it’s not something that hindered the franchise, it does allow for another entity to come in and steal the spotlight, which is what Netflix is trying to do here. ABC has found a way to control the world of dating shows by stacking these shows on top of one another, when one show ends, the new lead is announced, the next iteration begins shortly after, and in between those, Bachelor in Paradise fills the slot. With Perfect Match, Netflix can now do exactly that, and even more so because it’s providing a connector to all of its reality shows.
'Perfect Match' Is a Dating Show that Uses Competitions and Strategy
As clever as the show is behind the scenes and in its planning, the same carries into what plays out on screen. Unlike a Bachelor in Paradise where roses are handed out, then a few new faces pop in to fill those spots and so forth until the end, Perfect Match allows for competitions and strategy to break up the monotony of watching the same one-on-one conversations and drummed-up drama. Whether it be a blind kissing challenge or taking bets on how many push-ups one contestant can do with their partner on their back, Perfect Match has just enough challenges that make it far more interesting for the viewer. Because of this, there also is room for strategy to play out, as evident in the first batch of episodes that were released in which Nick, Shayne, Ines, and Izzy all agreed to match because each of them still wants to pursue things with the other two people but didn’t want either to go home. It was a unique twist for a dating show and something that allows for more drama to play out. As a result of this and the challenges that occupy screen time, there aren’t any wasted confrontations or conversations that play out. It seems as though whenever something is shown, it actually has some bearing on what will unfold as opposed to the fillers that often weigh down a show like Bachelor in Paradise.
While its main dating show, Love is Blind, still holds the most realistic premise, Perfect Match boasts a much more believable dating environment than Bachelor in Paradise. The dates that are won aren’t these extravagant trips to a 5-star restaurant that was preceded by a horse-drawn carriage as someone serenaded them. Instead, they are more so along the lines of a dinner date or an activity that is attainable in the real world such as a couple’s massage. Will this concept end up actually living up to its name? That remains to be seen, but it’s at least attempting to do something a little different and in a savvy marketing sense.
At this point, Netflix has really left a mark in the world of reality dating. The sphere was primarily owned by ABC’s franchise and saw competition from networks like MTV and VH1, but the streaming giant found success with Love is Blind and has since doubled up its efforts at building something special within its reality programming. There is so much that can spawn from a show like this, so don’t expect Netflix to ease up its dating programming, or its reality shows. If anything, having a platform that can bring together characters from all of its own series is something that would fuel Netflix to churn out more content. Whether you’re into this reality world is one thing, but it’s safe to say that we have a new reality king in our midst.
Perfect Match is now streaming on Netflix.