Dinner Date

Probably no supposed dating show has a lower success rate than this, in terms of people continuing to date afterwards - maybe 1%? Which just goes to show, we don't care that much about happy endings. Essentially it's people watching - very like Come Dining With Me, except the one-on-one setup means there's much less irritating showing off.

The soundtrack tells you that the expected audience is significantly older than the 20-something recruitment consultants on most of the shows, and the similarity of menus (and even décor - Union Jack cushions!) is surely no coincidence. The vast majority of people have little or no cooking ability; often a complete dog's dinner miraculously turns into a presentable dish, and we have a standing joke about how it's actually the cameraman who does the cooking. He probably also thinks of the flirtatious phrases for the menus which tend to get the blokes, particularly, so hot under the collar.

The show didn't really find its feet till Natalie Casey took over. Though in the approved Dave Lamb style, her voiceover has its own humour and has got funnier has time has gone on.

No-one can say it's great art, but it's been reliably watchable for a lot of episodes - good work!