The Undateables

The Undateables was a British reality television series that follows a range of people on dates who have long term conditions, including: disabilities, developmental disorders, neurodevelopmental conditions, and learning difficulties. The series worked in conjunction with the dating agency, Flame Introductions, and was broadcast on Channel 4. 53 main episodes aired since the documentary first aired on 3 April 2012, split into eleven separate series. The documentary has been narrated by Sally Phillips throughout.

Not to be confused with The Undateables (South Korean TV series) or Undateable.

The Undateables
GenreReality
Voices ofSally Phillips
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series11
No. of episodes53 (to 9 April 2020)
Production
Production companyBetty
Release
Original networkChannel 4
Picture format16:9
Audio formatStereo
Original release3 April 2012 (2012-04-03) –
9 April 2020 (2020-04-09)

Transmissions
SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
13 April 201217 April 20123
28 January 20135 February 20135
39 January 201430 January 20144
45 January 20152 February 20155
54 January 20161 February 20165
62 January 201730 January 20175
711 September 20179 October 20175
821 December 201729 January 20185
910 September 201818 December 20185
109 January 201917 December 20196
1111 March 20209 April 20205

Episodes

Series 1
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Luke & Lucy Stand-up comedian Luke has Tourette's. He is reluctant to approach a girl in case he calls her a slag – or worse. How will he cope when he meets Lucy, who has never known anyone with Tourette's before?[1] 3 April 2012
2 Justin & Shaine Justin has tumors on his body and face, and has never been out with a girl. He goes on a date with Tracey. Shaine has a learning disability. He can write a lady a poem but struggles to ask women out.[1] 10 April 2012
3 Hadyn & Sam Hadyn has undergone 40 facial operations and is partially deaf. His twin brother hopes to help Haydn get over his lack of confidence with girls and find a girlfriend.[1] 17 April 2012

Series 2
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Michael, Brent & Sarah Michael's autism makes conversation difficult; Brent from Plymouth has Tourette's syndrome; and Sarah from Hertfordshire has expressive aphasia, which makes communication hard.[1] 8 January 2013
2 Sam, Ray & Steve Featuring Sam, 34, who has achondroplasia, the most common type of dwarfism, Ray is 49, an office-worker who has a learning disability, and Steve, 30, who has a facial disfigurement, Crouzon Syndrome.[1] 15 January 2013
3 Kate, Damian & Oliver The Undateables this time include incurable romantic Kate, who has Down's Syndrome, and Damian, who has albinism and whose dream date is a moonlit picnic in the park.[1] 22 January 2013
4 Heather, Gareth & Matthew Heather has severe OCD. Gareth has brittle bones and has broken his legs over 200 times. Matthew has autism. Can the three of them find partners?[1] 29 January 2013
5 The Undateables – Revisit This episode revisits Richard, an amateur radio enthusiast with Asperger's, and comedian Luke, who has Tourette's.[1] 5 February 2013

Series 3
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Mary, Daniel & Hayley The Undateables returns to follow the journeys of several extraordinary singletons as they enter the dating circuit. This episode features Mary, a mature student with achondroplasia.[1] 9 January 2014
2 Ruth & Zoe The dates this time include bisexual jazz singer Ruth and the incurably romantic Zoe.[1] 16 January 2014
3 Michael, Ray, Brent, Kate & Steve This episode catches up with some memorable daters from previous shows, including incurable romantic Kate, and Michael, whose autism makes it hard for him to understand the rules of dating.[1] 23 January 2014
4 Sam, Shaine, Richard & Justin This episode catches up with some memorable daters, including actor Sam, romantic poet Shaine, Richard, who has Asperger's, and self-confessed flirt and local hero Justin from Rugby, Warwickshire.[1] 30 January 2014

Series 4
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Alex, Matthew & Daniella A professional model with a stammer gets his tape measure out. There are dates at a ski park and also at Brands Hatch race track.[1] 5 January 2015
2 Tim, Ali & Alec Tim, who has a mild learning disability, meets Laura. Essex boy Ali has achondroplasia, and has never had a girlfriend. And will love blossom when raver Alec meets research scientist Charlie?[1] 12 January 2015
3 Richard, Chris & Christina Richard, who has Asperger syndrome, has high hopes for his posh afternoon tea at a five star hotel with Tammy, while Chris, paralyzed from the chest down, longs to find lasting love.[1] 19 January 2015
4 Ruth, Daniel & Michael Revisited The show catches up with Ruth, Daniel and Michael as they continue their quest to find love. Daniel, who has autism, goes on a bowling date with Charley, and Ruth meets comedian Nathalie.[1] 26 January 2015
5 Two Weddings and a Baby This special episode follows some success stories from previous shows, as Brent and Steve plan to pop the question to their girlfriends and Carolyne prepares to become a mother.[1] 2 February 2015

Series 5
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 James, Tammy & Tom How does James fare on a first date with Chloe? Will Tammy get over her first date nerves? And as Tom prepares to meet with Megan, what will he reveal of his Tourette's and Asperger's?[1] 4 January 2016
2 James, Lucas & Tom James has a learning disability and has not had a girlfriend in 10 years. Lucas has facial dysplasia and wants to conquer his fear of being rejected. And Tom is looking for love of the magical kind.[1] 11 January 2016
3 George, David & Bethany George, who is paralysed from the chest down, meets Nathalie; magician David, who has a learning disability, goes on a first date with Claire; and Bethany, who has Down's syndrome, meets Bradley.[1] 18 January 2016
4 Holiday Romance Some of the Undateables from previous shows embark on romantic adventures overseas, including Alex and Eloise in France, and Brent and Challis in Amsterdam.[1] 25 January 2016
5 Wedding Bells Steve, who has Crouzon Syndrome, prepares to marry Vicky, while Matthew is concerned that his stammer may hinder his bid to propose to Jessica.[1] 1 February 2016

Series 6
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Sam, Kate & Ian Postman Sam has Asperger's syndrome. Kate has narcolepsy. Ian is going blind. Can they find love?[1] 2 January 2017
2 Eddie, Lily & Pani Musician Eddie, who is autistic, meets Cassie for a date. Josh and Lily, who has Williams syndrome, go for a date at a haunted house. And Pani, who has dwarfism, meets Ellen.[1] 9 January 2017
3 Jamie, Luke & Lizzie Jamie, who has Asperger's, has his first ever date. Luke, who is autistic, uses his language skills to impress Alice. And Lizzie, who has a learning disability, dreams of finding love.[1] 16 January 2017
4 Shaine, Alex & Ray Shaine, who has a learning disability, goes on a date with an old school friend. And Alex, who is autistic, wants to celebrate his two-year anniversary with Eloise in style.[1] 23 January 2017
5 Richard, James, Tom & Daniel This episode catches up with familiar faces, including rugby player Tom, whose Tourette's and Asperger's leaves him short of dating confidence, and singer-songwriter Daniel who is autistic.[1] 30 January 2017

Series 7
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Jason, Souleyman & Charley Jason is a transport buff with autism. Vlogger Charley has cerebral palsy. And Souleyman is a sprinter going blind, whose search for love is a race against the clock.[1] 11 September 2017
2 Kaia, Rhys & Joshua Cooking enthusiast Kaia is profoundly deaf. James Bond fanatic Rhys is autistic. Keen gardener Joshua is also autistic. Can these three young people find a partner?[1] 18 September 2017
3 Sam, Katy & Donovan Movie fan Sam, who is autistic, looks for his leading lady. Katy, who has Tourette's, seeks a man who accepts her for who she is. And Donovan is looking to bag a second date.[1] 25 September 2017
4 Richard, Lizzie, Eddie & Sam Richard is 43 and autistic and last year managed his first ever second date. Can he now build on this success with Anna? There's also postman Sam. And the show also catches up with Lizzie and Eddie.[1] 2 October 2017
5 Shaine, Lily, Ray & George Poet Shaine and Gemma celebrate their first anniversary, as ghost hunter Lily and charity worker Ray go looking for love again.[1] 9 October 2017

Series 8
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Daniel, Shaine, Ray & Sam Rock-Popstar Daniel is dreaming of a girlfriend for Christmas. Poet Shaine is getting in the mistletoe. Ray plans a romantic date. And postman Sam plans to ask Francesca if she will be his girlfriend.[1] 21 December 2017
2 Luke, Sam & Becky More singles looking for love. Like rugby player Luke, who has Tourette's, and Sam, who has Asperger's and finds the gay scene intimidating. There is also self-confessed romantic Becky.[1] 8 January 2018
3 Nisar, Daniel & Fatima Trainee accountant and Bollywood fan Nisar has a stammer, grunge-lover Daniel has Asperger's and fashionista Fatmina has dwarfism.[1] 15 January 2018
4 Amber, Richard & Nick The love-seekers this time include Amber, who had a major stroke eight years ago. Having learned to walk and talk again, Amber's ready to find her Prince Charming. There's also Nick and Richard.[1] 22 January 2018
5 Alex, Jason & Tom The singletons looking for love are airplane buff Jason, rugby player and model Tom, and Alex – proud owner of a new sports car.[1] 29 January 2018

Series 9
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Charlotte, Mitch & James Film buff Charlotte, who has Asperger's, is a sucker for romance. Mitch, who was born deaf, lip reads when dating, while James has all the chat-up lines ready to go.[1] 10 September 2018
2 Rory, Roland & Molly Rory has Asperger's and hopes to meet a girl who shares his love of horror films. Roland wants a leading lady to serenade. And animal lover Molly seeks a soulmate.[1] 17 September 2018
3 Jordan, Paige & Sam Three singletons go looking for love: personal trainer Jordan, who had a road traffic accident; vlogger Paige, who has cerebral palsy; and basketball player Sam from Shropshire.[1] 24 September 2018
4 Ray, Jason & Luke Revisit The cameras catch up with charity worker Ray, who celebrates his first anniversary with Christine. And plane spotter Jason and Luke from Hull resume their search for The One.[1] 1 October 2018
5 Christmas: A Festive Proposal It is almost Christmas and some familiar faces have big plans. 18 December 2018

Series 10
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Michael, Tobi & Emily In this episode, there's a poetry lover, a bold dance teacher anxious about meet-ups, and a tennis player seeking a guy with a six pack. 9 January 2019
2 Tom, Esther & Thomas This episode features the romantic adventures of autistic film aficionado Tom, nurse Esther, who has a large birth mark on her face, and Thomas, a deaf Sports Science student 16 January 2019
3 Ray, Becky, Shaine & James A catch-up with some familiar faces, including Leeds fan Ray, photographer Becky, James, who is back dating, and poet Shaine, who marks two years with his girlfriend on a special trip to London 23 January 2019
4 Daniel, Rhys, Richerd, Rory Rock-Popstar Daniel's career has taken off, but his biggest hit has been finding love with Lily. And James Bond fan Rhys has joined a dating agency, hoping to find romance. 30 January 2019
5 Francesco, Feron & Alex Featuring Japan aficionado Francesco, who has never been on a date, 54-year-old Feron, and Alex, who dresses loudly to stand out from the crowd. Will any of them find romance? 13 March 2019
6 The Undateables at Christmas 2019 A festive show featuring much-loved familiar faces sharing their special plans for the most wonderful time of the year, including Rock-Popstar Singer Daniel, and massive Leeds fan Ray from London 17 December 2019

Series 11
Episode Title Description Original air date
1 Nicholas, Sam and Shantae The award-winning dating show returns. Nicholas is struggling to find love, Robbie Williams superfan Sam is looking for his own 'angel' to sing to and Shantae dreams of meeting a religious family guy 11 March 2020
2 Sam, Jodie and Hannah Sam, who has never had a date, is looking for love, Jodie is looking for someone to explore the world with and Hannah, who plays ice hockey for Team GB, is looking for an action man 18 March 2020
3 Rory, Lily, Jordan and Nicholas Rory is determined to find love, Lily is on a mission to find the one, country boy Jordan takes his girlfriend away on a surprise weekend, and Nicholas is back for his second date 25 March 2020
4 Charlotte, Richard, Alex and Sam Charlotte and Richard are looking for love, bright clothes-loving Alex is back to find that special someone, and postman Sam is back happier than ever now he is engaged 1 April 2020
5 Michael and Zena Fine art student Michael expresses his emotions through his work, but there's one emotion he's yet to paint: love. And showgirl Zena is looking for someone to settle down with. 9 April 2020

Additional episodes
Title Description Duration
Extra: What We Learnt About Love Some familiar faces from The Undateables explain what the series has taught them about love.[1] 4 minutes
Extra: A Guide to Dating A guide to navigating the tricky world of dating from some of The Undateables.[1] 4 minutes

Controversy

Early controversy was generated from newspapers such as The Mirror and The Guardian, due to the word "undateable" being used in the title to describe people with mental and physical disabilities. Channel 4 claimed that the title of the series is based upon society's preconceptions of these people.[2] The Undateables faced significant backlash from doctors who branded the show "offensive" and "exploitative". Dr. Rachael Pickering said that the series had left her "disturbed at being part of a society that might seek to view disabled people as a source of comedy". She also spoke with the BMA (British Medical Association) annual representatives about the danger of patients being exploited by the TV documentary.[3] In an interview with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning, two stars of the then-upcoming fifth series, Tammy and James, responded to the assertions, with Tammy stating that she found it "quite insulting" that she "would be exploited in any way." She added, "Just because I’m disfigured, I’m not stupid."[4]

Awards and nominations
YearAssociationCategoryNominee(s)Result
2014BAFTA Television Award[5]TV Programme of the YearThe UndateablesNominated
2017Diversity in Media AwardsTV Programme of the YearThe UndateablesNominated

References
  1. "The Undateables – Episode Guide – All 4". Channel 4. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  2. Ryan, Frances (2 April 2012). "The Undateables? Disability rights, but Channel 4 wrongs". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  3. McGeorge, Alistair (24 June 2015). "The Undateables branded 'offensive' and exploitative by doctors". mirror. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  4. Kitchener, Shaun (4 January 2016). "'It's insulting' The Undateables stars rubbish 'exploitation' claims ahead of new series". Daily Express. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  5. "Bafta TV awards 2014: Winners in full". BBC News. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
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