Six years ago, Channel 4 was onto a winner with a dating show that finally put women in control – they need to bring it back.
Between endless episodes of Love is Blind, Married at First Sight and Celebs Go Dating, there’s a lot to choose from when it comes to this genre of TV.
They’ve become a mainstay on British telly and streaming platforms, but we’re missing one iconic title from the current line-up.
Five Guys A Week Five Guys A Week premiered in 2020, and it was one of the best dating shows ever produced, despite only airing for two seasons.
Unlike The Bachelor which premiered in 2002, and saw 25 women competing to win the attention of one man, this show flipped the often gendered dynamic that can come form heterosexual dating on its head.
Shows like Take Me Out with Paddy McGuinness reinforced this unhealthy assumption, that men possess most of the power in relationships and call the shots when it comes to making the final decision.
Then along came shows like Love Island, which on the surface appear to favour men and women on a more equal footing. But upon watching, it’s clear that male and female stereotypes still dominate the narrative.
So, just as one might have been getting fed up with the formula and craving something new – this corker of a show came along!
Five Guys A Week followed one woman across the course of a week with five men staying under her roof.
Think Come Dine With Me but with more sexual tension and one contestant eliminated each evening.
The format was simple, if the single woman didn’t like the single man, she could ask him to leave her gaff at the next given opportunity.
For once, it felt like the power was actually in her hands.
Did you watch Five Guys a Week on Channel 4?
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Yes, it was so good!
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No, but now I want to…
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I didn’t and I’m not fussed.
The beauty of it also lay in the fact she could see how they fared in a domestic setting before anything got serious. No need to date for months before inviting them over and realising they don’t put the toilet seat down! If that’s not female empowerment I don’t know what is.
It was satisfying to see men vying for the attention of deserving women. If they couldn’t put on their best show there and then, they could politely leave out the front door.
The only flaw the show had was unfortunately an issue created by some of the men.
At times, even if there didn’t appear to be genuine connection between the singletons, the men would often be unwilling to accept defeat.
Instead of graciously letting a genuine romance potentially blossom, it was clear that some of the male contestants were competing with one another purely for the chance of ‘winning’ the woman.
However, we must remain hopeful that the women taking part can see through this facade, and also suspend our disbelief by remembering some storylines are accentuated in the edit for effect.
The show had some great episodes, including one where five ginger men all attempted to woo Hope from Manchester, who denied having a type.
Another saw 68-year-old Susan from Yorkshire opening up her home to five single men who wanted her heart.
It was Channel 4 at its best – an experimental format platforming different ages, regions and personalities, breaking the mould in a genre that had become sanitised and predictable.
Looking back at my messages from 2020, I was raving about this show with my girlfriends – it ignited something in us, which is what good TV should do.
For a hot minute, it reminded us that we could absolutely be the ones controlling our own narratives and taking the wheel on the bumpy journey that is modern dating.
The worst news is, not only did it end six years ago, never to return – but you can’t even watch it now on a streaming service. It’s a crying shame!
I say: ‘Stuff the series that have been done to death.’ I know I can’t see myself locking in for another season of a dating show full of wannabe influencers and toxic men, but another series of this, I could definitely get behind.
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