'Blind Date' Was a Masterpiece of a Dating Show

Long before there were captivating dating shows like Are You The One? and Dating Naked , there was Blind Date. If you are not familiar with the brilliant program, allow me to break it down: As you might’ve gleaned from the name of the Roger Lodge-hosted show, people go on blind dates. The format is simple: Two strangers are set up and sent off on a blind date. Cameras follow the blind date. Producers add captions, thought bubbles, and animated jokes to the final cut. Sometimes the blind dates pan out, most times they do not. And yes, hilarity always ensues.

About a decade ago, the great series went on its final voyage. Its final journey. Its final blind date. Ugh, I miss it so dearly.

Why am I typing words about this now-defunct reality show today? What is the occasion? Um, no occasion. For some unknown reason, Blind Date crossed my mind today. That's all.

This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me and my love of falling down a YouTube rabbit hole, but this morning, I spent a preposterous amount of time watching clips of old episodes of Blind Date. I've chosen a few that are truly worth a revisit (or a first visit)/worth carving out a chunk of your day for:

Paul & Karyn

Paul's hat belongs in the Smithsonian.

Lauren & Bill

First date massage? First date massage!

Mark & Beth

"Fears calluses."

Christine & Steven

This is, as Roger Lodge warns before the footage begins, a Date from Hell. One highlight: After propositioning Christine, Steven calls his date "pretty dumb."

As terrific as videos these videos are, they're just the tip of the iceberg. I may still be down the YouTube rabbit hole. Hard to say if/when I'll leave. I am as obsessed by these clips as Mark is obsessed by reptiles.