Undressed ‘the most diverse dating show in Australia’?
SBS sets a date for its bold series with strangers disrobing, getting up close and personal.
- Published by David Knox
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SBS has announced an airdate for its bold social experiment Undressed, in which couples disrobe for cameras, and claims it will be the most diverse dating experiment on Australian screens.
Produced by Screentime, episodes feature two pairs of strangers meet in a room furnished only with a bed and a large-screen TV. Instructions and questions flash up on the screen, to strip each other down to their underwear, get into the bed and answer a series of personal questions. At the conclusion each person is given the choice to stay and get to know their counterpart better or to leave.
Originally an Italian format, the Australian series will feature participants from a mix of different cultural backgrounds and sexualities, designed to challenge preconceptions about race and sexuality.
Marshall Heald, SBS Director of Television and Online Content, said: “Undressed is much more than a dating show. By bringing diverse individuals together in a new TV format for SBS, the program is an opportunity for us to explore our Charter in a fun and mischievous way.”
Jennifer Collins, Screentime Executive Producer, said: “What I love about this series is that it’s as equally smart as it is funny and as honest as it is bold and daring. Undressed is sure to resonate with and enthrall a broad spectrum of Australia, especially when it comes time to decide… Yes?… or No? You will be surprised!”
It premieres Monday 16 January at 9.30pm on SBS but SBS On Demand will have a sneak preview of the first four episodes available from 12 January and, from 23 January, will feature a series of Undressed Uncuts – 14 minute uncut episodes of the couples’ original dates.
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9 Responses
The UK version did have a fairly good diversity of people and certainly of ages. Unless those variations are included, the show will tend to be weak because it will be the same “good looking” crew seen on many other shows. This said, the original Italian version didn’t include same-sex couples because that is fairly unacceptable there. Research the hoohah on Brokeback Mountain if in doubt. The problem I see however is truly seeing a diverse crowd. If a couple if obese then that may simply become the focus of review and audience reaction rather than said audience being led into a realm of acceptance that not everyone is a babe or ‘hot’ (in traditional magazine and TV terms). I feel the show requires a little moderation to lift it out of the simpler voyeuristic but time will tell. I hope it does well here and that it fairly and credibly does what it says it will do – apart from a…
This looks fun! Like sevens first dates. I shall watch an episode
Well kudos must go to SBS for show casing diversity and stereotypes.
I actually think the lack of clothes and at least underwear make a point about honesty from the clip I viewed. If it was on a commercial channel I would go tacky, but this seems in better faith (in my opinion). But I acknowledge the hype will attract some attention and perhaps additional advertising…
This crap cheapens the SBS brand and just adds fuel to the argument for merging SBS with ABC. The motivation for this show isn’t diversity. It’s a ploy for publicity and advertising money.
But! … but! … it’s a social experiment! That must mean it’s Science!, and not simply a thin veneer of respectability over tawdry titillation…
(Presumably “a bold social experiment” is one where you get to see naughty bits…)
And the rating for the show is ……………… ?
I don’t know about the rating but the ratings will be negligible.
I honestly see no value in this sort of program and don’t think either of our public broadcasters should be spending money on this voyeuristic tripe. Even tho’ it’ll be summer, I’m surprised that this will be on the main channel on a Monday and not Viceland on a Friday.
I expect SBS thinks this show will be revenue positive.
The whole point of SBS’s Food Network feed is to make money. I expect the aim for Viceland is for it to be too.
Having such cash generators then allows SBS to invest that money (and the bulk of the govt funding) in more “worthy” programming.
Agree with you regarding the funding models for Food and Viceland. However, this program is on the main channel. If this is the sort of thing that SBS are going to buy with their extra cash, I’d rather went back to the old model of saving $ by buying cheap Asian stuff for SBS2.