To watch The Undateables?

[Ifyourawizardwhydouwearglasses]

It's on catch up.

Is it interesting, well done, and raising awareness of disabilities?

Or is it voyeuristic crap?

Love any dating shows but I don't want to be just be sitting here seething in an hour.

Did anyone watch it?

I thought the first lot of people chose the title name?...

Does Matthew have a learning disability? I don't remember it being mentioned. I thought he just had a stammer.

I think the title is fine. In the credits the "un" is knocked off - the implication being that they're not UNdateable after all despite what some people might think.

Apart from the title which I'm not a fan of, I like how the programme illustrates that we all have the same needs, feelings and worries, regardless of any disability we might have. I think it does help to break down barriers about how people with disabilities are regarded and what it feels like having to try get people to look beneath and around them.

I live opposite a guy who has mild learning/speech issues. His greatest wish in life, is to meet the right person,marry, have kids and do what his brother has done. He has so much love to give and would make a very loving, caring and thoughtful partner, but he has had a very negative experience of trying to date and at nearly 40 seems to have given up.

If this programme does anything to help people meet someone, without exploiting them or patronising them, then I'm happy for the series to be made and to watch it.

I

What is key, obviously, is not what we think people with disabilities should participate, but whether they want to. I don't think that the show patronises in any way, and is much kinder than other dating shows like that god awful Take Me Out which involves 2 people going on a date who may, or may not, end up having a long term romance, with the audience oohing and aahing - much like the Undateables.

so why could none of those people have contacted those dating agencies without channel 4's involvement and a camera crew in toe then?

I've just watched Monday night's episode, and I found Matthew horrifying. Given that the only issue he is said to have is a stammer, can you imagine if he'd been on a mainstream dating show and had insisted on a certain measurement or it would be a deal-breaker? Having a stammer doesn't make it ok to be that particular or shallow about what would work in a woman to the point of taking his tape measure with him, but because he's on the "undatables" people would feel uncomfortable mentioning that, presumably?

Perhaps they did contact the dating agencies? I would imagine it would be the dating agencies who would be contacted by C4, and those interested could apply - our charity had something similar recently from a production company. Even if the participants hadn't used dating agencies, it would still be their decision as to whether or not they went on the show - just as it is with anyone who goes on a dating show.

King1982
I don't see why you felt the need to personally attack me on my view that this programme helps to educate people on the rights/needs/wants of disabled people. Saying that a show is educational, does not equal saying that I personally needed that education myself.

You know nothing about me, my understanding of disabilities before seeing this show, and whether in fact I may have a disability or not myself.

Wow some of these posts are a bit sanctimonious...

What I saw on the show this week, the first time I have watched it, was uplifting and inspiring.

The anxieties that the people on the show had were similar to those any one dating has IMO, ("will they like me?") and the outcomes were positive. Whether the dates were setup or not, by the end all the people on the show had either started a relationship , taken a huge step of going on their first ever date, and/or were feeling much more optimistic.

And yes a lot of people DO assume people with eg learning disabilities won't want sex or to live with a partner, and this show I think goes a long way to enlighten them. Maybe you should step out of your little bubble occasionally King

Well take me out and all kinds of dating shows have men liking brown hair big boobs etc etc mathew had a thing about shoulders his date had the right to tell him to fuck right off she didn't . ANYWAY I like the programme I don't think it exploits people and the parents of the folk with autism and other disabilities are shown supporting their kids. There is a telly addicts thread on the go if anybody wants to join us for the next episode

I loved the poet, his poetry was really good. Alex was great, infact they all were. Good luck to them, I hope they are successful in their quest for love.

Wannabe it was clear from the credits, and also the voice-over in all of the programmes, that most of the dates were following people who had joined the specialist dating agencies for niche groups, many of them had chaperones. A few were using regular agencies.

Someone said no-one would follow 'undateable' people without disabilities, this is untrue, the Tracy Cox dating show from years ago used to put people who had difficulty/confidence/self-esteem issues on dates - there used to be a psychologist, someone who helped with appearance and Tracy who used to do things like confidence-building/what to say.

I don't read this as King does about social conditioning because I don't think we only get together with a mate because of social conditioning. What it shows me is that everyone wants someone (or perhaps many people) to think they are special, to 'get' them, and to have sex/sexual interest. If you don't want these things, then you don't date, go to any dating agencies or find it fun to date people when you do. The participants weren't enduring their dates, they were experimenting with dating the opposite sex.

As for enduring relationships, some of the relationships did last a while, I remember the man with Downs syndrome who was in an acting group with his girlfriend and that had its ups and downs over many months. I know several people in rl with LD who attend our church who are in relationships, they are adults and whilst they do live in supported care, they also have long-term relationships and break-ups and affairs of the heart - we all do!

I should not have said dating the opposite sex because in the last series, participants were handling same sex crushes etc

I love the show but sadly many people do see it as comedy. A quick Internet search brings up some horrific threads about it.

And my colleague shouted "great girls, the undateables is on tonight, best comedy on TV". They went very quiet as they know I have a DD with LDs. As they should have.

Fanjo some people are absolute twats whatever, I am sure they are horrid about other shows on TV. It was lovely to see Alex doing what any other young man does, dating, driving a car. It gives me hope for dd who has ASD, mabey she could do that too in 10/15 years time.

I saw some people really rip into Miranda, she reminds me of me. Some people are just nasty, its like those awful internet trolls, they are fine hiding behind a keyboard, but I don't think they will have the guts to tell it to your face.

I remember that Tracy Cox show - I loved it and it really helped me when I was first dating again in my 30s, from not having dated since I was 16. Believe me, having your dating IQ stuck at your 16 year old self's level wasn't good.

Fanjo - there are idiots everywhere.

Anyone still watching this?

Got a bit of a crush on Ali. Just HOW lovely is he?!
Stunning smile and twinkly eyes... I would.

As the parent of a young adult with SLD, I love it! I love the personalities on the programme.

Was anyone else at butterfly date woman. She didn't seem genuine and I wondered if she was a stand in for someone who dropped out.

I only have to look at Daniel from Undateables and smile. What a lovely beautiful guy!