Take Me Out (British game show): Difference between revisions
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====Param Singh==== |
====Param Singh==== |
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Many viewers were extremely offended when one of the girls who left her light on for contestant Param Singh made a joke about contestant Param's turban, saying she was interested in him because she could use his turban to store her phone. Despite the fact Param himself took it light-heartedly, many Sikhs found this remark to be extremely offensive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thelangarhall.com/general/the-trials-and-tribulations-of-dating-while-sikh/ |title=The trials and tribulations of dating while Sikh |publisher=The Langar Hall |date=2013-01-05 |accessdate=2013-02-23}}</ref> Param later went on to describe the backlash that he received from sections of the Sikh community <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4thought.tv/themes/is-your-faith-holding-you-back/param-singh?autoplay=true |title=Is your faith holding you back? |publisher=Channel 4|date=2013-04-08 |accessdate=2013-05-13}}</ref> |
Many viewers were extremely offended when one of the girls who left her light on for contestant Param Singh made a joke about contestant Param's turban, saying she was interested in him because she could use his turban to store her phone. Despite the fact Param himself took it light-heartedly, many Sikhs found this remark to be extremely offensive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thelangarhall.com/general/the-trials-and-tribulations-of-dating-while-sikh/ |title=The trials and tribulations of dating while Sikh |publisher=The Langar Hall |date=2013-01-05 |accessdate=2013-02-23}}</ref> Param later went on to describe the backlash that he received from sections of the Sikh community <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4thought.tv/themes/is-your-faith-holding-you-back/param-singh?autoplay=true |title=Is your faith holding you back? |publisher=Channel 4|date=2013-04-08 |accessdate=2013-05-13}}</ref> |
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===Fakery=== |
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In 2012 several of the contestants accused the show's producers of telling them whom to choose on each episode. Female contestants complained that they were forced to choose men who they didn't find attractive, while some the shows male contestants went home without a date after the girls were told not to choose them. |
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‘The whole thing is totally misleading and leaves a whole lot of people feeling humiliated and exploited afterwards,’ one girl who had appeared on the show told the media. |
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‘The producers pulled some of the girls in and said, “If you’re waiting for George Clooney or Brad Pitt, they’re not coming”,’ |
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‘They told us to keep our lights on for the next contestant, who was more than 10 years younger than me. I refused and was taken off.’ |
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Other female contestants reported that producers had told them to reject certain men even if they liked them because it made better television.<ref>{{cite news|last=Metro|title=Take Me Out Branded Fake|url=http://metro.co.uk/2012/03/17/take-me-out-branded-a-fake-as-contestants-claim-theyre-told-which-guys-to-pick-355459/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Metro|title=Fake Me Out:|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/take-me-out-contestant-naomi-hewston-1544443}}</ref> |
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===Influences=== |
===Influences=== |
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Revision as of 23:24, 26 October 2013
| Take Me Out | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Social experiment |
| Presented by | Paddy McGuinness |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 53 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Granada Studios (2010) The Maidstone Studios (2010–) |
| Running time | 60–90 mins (inc. adverts) |
| Production companies | Talkback Thames (2010–12) Thames (2012–) |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV, STV, UTV |
| Release | 2 January 2010 – present |
| Related | |
| Take Me Out: The Gossip The Love Machine The Love Machine: Love Bites Blind Date (UK) | |
Take Me Out is a British social experiment television show hosted by Paddy McGuinness. It is based on the original Australian show Taken Out and began airing on ITV in the UK and TV3 in the Republic of Ireland on 2 January 2010; in September 2010, TV3 started broadcasting an Irish version of the show. The pilot episode was for Channel 4 in 2009. The series is produced by Thames (formerly Talkback Thames) for ITV.
The first series was filmed at Granada Studios in Manchester, but due to the success of the first series, the second series was filmed at The Maidstone Studios in Kent which offered increased space and capacity for audience members.[1] A third series ran from 7 January to 7 April 2012. On 14 August 2012, it was announced that Take Me Out had been renewed for two more series by ITV, along with spin-off show Take Me Out: The Gossip.[2] The fourth series began on 6 October 2012—making it the first time that two full series of the show have aired in the same year—and ended on 1 December 2012. A Christmas celebrity special aired on 15 December 2012, featuring Matt Johnson, Keith Lemon and Joe Swash.[3] A fifth series of eight episodes, significantly shorter than previous series, began on 5 January 2013 and ended on 23 February 2013.
Format
The objective of the show is for a single man to obtain a meeting with one of thirty single women. The women stand on stage underneath thirty white lights, each with a button in front of them. A single man is then brought on stage via the 'Love Lift' and tries to persuade the women to agree to this meeting in a series of rounds, playing a pre-recorded video discussing his background, displaying a skill (such as dancing or playing a musical instrument), or playing another video in which the man's friends or family reveal more about his virtues and philosophy. At any point during the rounds, the women can press the button in front of them to turn off their light if they do not believe a meeting with this man would be constructive to their well-being and if this occurs, their area of the stage will turn red. If, at the end of three rounds, there are still lights left on, the bachelor will turn off all but two of the remaining lights himself. He will then have a chance to ask one question to the last two women, before choosing which woman he wants to go on the meeting with by turning off one more light. If the man is left with two lights at the end of round 3, then, he will just ask his question to the two remaining women and if there is only one light left at the end of round 3, then, he will go on the meeting with that girl without asking them his question. There are usually four men brought on in the course of a single episode, though in cases, where there are three, it is because a contestant has been axed for whatever reason or with the celebrity special.
If all the women turn off their lights before the end of the third round - what is referred to as a "blackout" - then, the man must leave the show without going to the meeting, accompanied by the Céline Dion version of the hit Eric Carmen song "All by Myself". In the first series, the successful couples conducted their meeting at Fernando's in Manchester, which is actually Club Bijou on Chapel Street, the outcome of which is shown as part of the following week's show. For the second series, the meeting took place abroad on the Isle of Fernando's in Tenerife. From the third series onwards, the meeting takes place in Cyprus. Successful couples leave the programme upstairs on the opposite side of the studio to the 'Love Lift', and a song, usually from the latin pop genre, will be played.[4]
The main purpose of the show is a social experiment examining the social and cultural values of people living in Britain with relation to their relationship with those of the opposite sex, however, there is some comedic value, mostly provided by its array of catchphrases such as "Let the (object) see the (object)", "No likey, no lighty!", "If you're turned off, turn off.", "If he's not Mr Right, turn off your light.", "Get out there, turn one girl off and take one girl out!", "Come and get a bit of Paddy love!", "The isle of.....Fernando's!".
Take Me Out: The Gossip
Take Me Out: The Gossip is a behind-the-scenes sister show that began airing weekly on ITV2 from series 3, following the broadcast of the main programme. It is presented by Zoe Hardman and Mark Wright. A similar format, previously broadcast online, featuring backstage gossip and interviews with the contestants, was regularly made available on itv.com just hours after the broadcast of the main programme.
Transmissions
Original series
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
Specials
| Date | Entitle |
|---|---|
Episodes and ratings
Series 1
| # | Airdate | No. of couples | First couple | Second couple | Third couple | Fourth couple | Viewers (millions) | ITV1 weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | ||||||||
| — | ||||||||
| — | ||||||||
| — | ||||||||
| — |
Series 2
Key:
- – Blackout on round 2
| # | Airdate | No. of couples | 1st couple | 2nd couple | 3rd couple | 4th couple | Viewers (millions) | ITV1 weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Series 3
| # | Air date | No. of couples | 1st couple | 2nd couple | 3rd couple | 4th couple | Viewers (millions) | ITV1 weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Notes
- ^Note 1 : The date segment of contestant Wen scoring a date with freelance journalist Aaron was axed from the programme after it transpired that Aaron had a criminal conviction for punching a woman, had worked as a male escort, and also had a long-term girlfriend; and that Wen was in fact a prostitute for a short period.[6]
- ^Note 2 : Two blackouts occurred in one programme, becoming the first time this had ever occurred on the show.
- ^Note 3 : The studio segment of contestant Judi scoring a date with builder Mike was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Mike was known to the police as a suspected sex offender. Judi did not return to the show.
- ^Note 4 : The studio segment of contestant Jade scoring a date with banker Rory was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Rory was serving a suspended sentence for common assault. Jade did not return to the show.
- ^Note 5 : The studio segment of contestant Hannah scoring a date with musician Jarvis was axed from the programme, due to an allegation that Jarvis had approached an under-age girl for sex. Hannah did not return to the show.
- ^Note 6 : Chelsea revealed on the 7 April episode of Take Me Out: The Gossip that she and Ben, the first contestant of the series, were getting married.
- ^Note 7 : David set a record for having the highest number of girls left in the final round in the third series, with 27 leaving their light on after round three. Amy Childs also later went on to date David.
Series 4
Key:
- – Successful dates
- – Blackout on round 2
| # | Air date | No. of couples | 1st couple | 2nd couple | 3rd couple | 4th couple | Viewers (millions) | ITV1 weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Henry and Meggan9 |
||||||||
Notes
- ^Note 8 : Ben was the only contestant this series to receive a blackout on the second round (as opposed to the third and final round).
- ^Note 9 : Will and Henry became the first pair of twins to come down the love lift, and go on a double date with their chosen dates.
- ^Note 10 : In the final round, Yinka let his little brother, Jono, choose which of the two girls he should pick out of all of the remaining lights.
- ^Note 11 : Despite the fact that Myko got a blackout, he later began dating Erica (who originally got a date with Jim from episode 6). Erica admitted that she regretted turning her light off for him.
- ^Note 12 : Jase set a record (at the time) for having the highest number of ladies left in the final round in the fourth series, with 23 girls leaving their light on after round three.
- ^Note 13 : Jordan became the first contestant in the history of Take Me Out to still have all 30 girls with their lights on in the final round.
- ^Note 14 : Damion and Daniella returned to Take Me Out: The Gossip in October, and revealed that they were getting married.
- ^Note 15 : Celebrity special.
Series 5
Key:
- – Successful dates
| # | Air date | No. of couples | 1st couple | 2nd couple | 3rd couple | 4th couple | Viewers (millions) | ITV weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American version
An American version of the show, based on the UK format, debuted on Fox on 7 June 2012 and airing for eight weeks until 26 July 2012.[8]
Reception
Viewership
Take Me Out has proven popular with the public, generally pulling 3-4 million viewers per episode.
Critical reception
When it first began, Take Me Out was reviewed negatively by critics. Shortly after the second series began in December 2010, The Guardian's Tim Dowling said that, "When you strip away its tired, utterly false premise, all that remains of Take Me Out is a lot of flashing lights and some scripted innuendo delivered in a range of regional accents."[9] Reviewing the show after the second series concluded in March 2011, Manchester Grouch of Manchester Central wrote: "ITV should consider renaming the show 'Desperate Moron Lift Disco'" and concluded the review by comparing it to "...a drunken Saturday night out that ends up in a dodgy club having a quick fumble with that girl from the hairdressers you’ve been eyeing up all week.".[10] Writing for the Metro during the third series of the show in January 2012, Rachel Tarley said that Take Me Out was the "death knell for feminism disguised as entertainment".[11]
However, after the beginning of the fifth series in January 2013, Julia Raeside, also writing for The Guardian, admitted that the show had become "must-see TV" and was "a worthy successor to Blind Date": "...when Take Me Out noisily barged its way on to the Saturday night schedules in 2010, it was too much for me. The little I'd seen of it put me off trying a whole episode...But about a series ago, Take Me Out really started to grow on me. One night, out of sheer laziness, I didn't bother to switch over – and now they've got me. I don't like nightclubs and I cover my upper arms at all times. But the women behind those podiums, however much I fail to identify with them for wanting to be on TV with their armpits constantly on show, make it gripping viewing."[12]
Controversies
Throughout its run, several Take Me Out contestants, both male and female, have caused controversy by hiding things that are against the show's rules or have offended viewers and/or other contestants by their actions.
Jim Brown
Wrestler Jim Brown, the first contestant on the first series, was accused of continually harassing his date Caroline Mellor despite the fact that their date didn't work out. Caroline claimed to receive numerous phone calls and texts from him for over four months. Jim was later also charged with possession of child pornography on his computer.[13] Prior to this, Jim was caught pleasuring himself in a Wishaw Sports Centre cubical, which alerted the police to investigate him. [14]
Aaron Withers
The date segment of contestant Wen-Jing Mo scoring a date with freelance journalist Aaron Withers was axed from the programme after it transpired that Aaron had a criminal conviction for punching a woman, had worked as a male escort, and also had a long-term girlfriend; and that Wen was in fact a prostitute for a short period.[6]
Damion Merry
The studio segment of contestant Chelsea Stewart scoring a date with model Damion Merry caused controversy when broadcast. During the third and final round, it became apparent that Damion used to date Jodie Marsh, and he later told one of the girls who had turned her light off, Lucy Harrold, that he would have picked her, offending all the girls who still had their lights on. It later transpired that not only was Damion not single at the time the programme was filmed, he was also about to marry his girlfriend Sarah Ann Gras; the segment was broadcast a month after the wedding took place. On This Morning, Marsh later denied having ever dated Damion, saying: "I tell you what, this guy - I went on one date with him, one date...We had pictures in a nightclub, he sold the pictures to the TV show or whoever and gave 'em away and now, it's being told that we had a whole full blown relationship and that I was his ex-girlfriend.".[15][16]
Rory Alexander
The studio segment of contestant Jade scoring a date with banker Rory Alexander was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Rory was serving a suspended sentence for common assault. Jade did not return to the show.[17]
Jarvis Walters
The studio segment of contestant Hannah Reville scoring a date with semi-professional footballer Jarvis Walters was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Jarvis had served a 12-month community order for assaulting another man in a nightclub in 2009. Hannah did not return to the show.[18]
Param Singh
Many viewers were extremely offended when one of the girls who left her light on for contestant Param Singh made a joke about contestant Param's turban, saying she was interested in him because she could use his turban to store her phone. Despite the fact Param himself took it light-heartedly, many Sikhs found this remark to be extremely offensive.[19] Param later went on to describe the backlash that he received from sections of the Sikh community [20]
Fakery
In 2012 several of the contestants accused the show's producers of telling them whom to choose on each episode. Female contestants complained that they were forced to choose men who they didn't find attractive, while some the shows male contestants went home without a date after the girls were told not to choose them.
‘The whole thing is totally misleading and leaves a whole lot of people feeling humiliated and exploited afterwards,’ one girl who had appeared on the show told the media.
‘The producers pulled some of the girls in and said, “If you’re waiting for George Clooney or Brad Pitt, they’re not coming”,’
‘They told us to keep our lights on for the next contestant, who was more than 10 years younger than me. I refused and was taken off.’
Other female contestants reported that producers had told them to reject certain men even if they liked them because it made better television.[21][22]
Influences
Take Me Out is cited by the creators of the website tubecrush.net as being an influence for their website, as they saw it as an example of how the sexual objectification of men had become part of mainstream culture in the UK.[23]
References
- ^ Bourne, Dianne (5 May 2011). "Paddy McGuinness hopes his show Take Me Out makes a 'return' date". Manchester Evening News.
- ^ Sperling, Daniel (14 August 2012). "Take Me Out renewed for two more series by ITV". Digital Spy.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Eames, Tom (24 September 2012). "Keith Lemon, Joe Swash for 'Take Me Out' Christmas special?". Digital Spy.
- ^ "Where is the Isle of Fernando's?". Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ "BARB". Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Allen, Emily (12 January 2012). "ITV Take Me Out: New scandal as winner Wen-Jing Mo reveals she was a 'prostitute'". Mail Online. London.
- ^ "Take Me Out: Series 4 - 10. Take Me Out Celebrity Christmas Special". Radio Times. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ Betiku, Fehintola (3 April 2012). "No Likey, No Lighty! Take Me Out to launch in US". Mail Online. Daily Mail.
- ^ Dowling, Tim (13 December 2013). "TV review: Take Me Out". The Guardian. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
- ^ "TV review: Take Me Out". Manchester Confidential. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
- ^ Tarley, Rachel (21 January 2013). "Take Me Out is the death knell for feminism disguised as entertainment". Metro. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
- ^ Raeside, Julia (8 January 2013). "TV review: Take Me Out". The Guardian. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
- ^ Andy Crick and Alastair Taylor (23 January 2012). "'I was stalked by Take Me Out date' - Child porn fiend harassed mum". The Sun. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ http://www.wishawpress.co.uk/wishaw-news/local-wishaw-news/wishaw-news/2011/09/21/paedophile-who-exposed-himself-at-wishaw-sports-centre-freed-from-prison-76495-29456367/
- ^ Buckland, Lucy (13 February 2012). "Love rat Take Me Out contestant (who dated Jodie Marsh) was ENGAGED". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ Eriksen, Alanah (16 February 2012). "Jodie Marsh denies dating Take Me Out love rat who was secretly engaged". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ mirror.co.uk (14 January 2012). "Take Me Out rocked after SECOND criminal assault conviction is revealed". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ Sheridan, Amy (28 March 2012). "Take Me Out beauty Hannah axed after her date hides his assault conviction". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ "The trials and tribulations of dating while Sikh". The Langar Hall. 5 January 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
- ^ "Is your faith holding you back?". Channel 4. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ Metro. "Take Me Out Branded Fake".
- ^ Metro. "Fake Me Out:".
- ^ Cooke, Matt (25 August 2011). "Tube and train commuters caught on camera". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
External links
- Take Me Out at itv.com.
- Take Me Out at UKGameshows.com.
- Take Me Out Flirting website of the show operated by Handmade Mobile Entertainment.