Dating shows have become increasingly popular in recent years. They are full of dramas, affairs, and fights and have a unique way of engaging the audience.

Some dating programs are absurd and outlandish but in a good way. The majority of them are now presented as a social experiment, which has captivated the audience no matter how ludicrous it may seem.

The Bachelor franchise is widely credited with pioneering the "dating" component of reality television. It all began with The Bachelor in March 2002 and has since expanded to include shows like The Bachelorette, Bachelor Pad, The Bachelor Winter Games, and The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart.

Bachelor in Paradise is one of the most well-known spin-offs from the franchise. The show is like an all-star series since it features the contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. 

The competitors are confined in a "secluded paradise," as is the case with many dating programs, where they try to discover love for themselves once more. To date, six seasons have been released with 63 episodes.

Season 7 is set to premiere on August 16, 2021. While you wait for the debut of the new season of Bachelor in Paradise, here are five dating shows to pique your interest.

'Love Island'

Love Island is a British reality show where a group of participants known as Islanders lives in a villa isolated from the outside world. However, they are under 24/7 camera monitoring by the producers. 

The Islanders must be paired up with another contestant to survive in the villa, whether for love, friendship, or money. The Islanders couple up for the first time on the first day based on initial impressions.

However, they may either stay in their current relationship or switch and change with other pairs over time. Any Islander who is still unmarried after the pairing is ejected from the island.

So, the survival of the fittest happens. Couples are eliminated until the last one remains who end up taking £50,000 home. 

Despite the many controversies surrounding the show, it continues to air because of popular demand. Six seasons have been released thus far, with Season 7 set to finish on August 23, 2021.

'Blind Date' 

Blind Date has been on air since 1999 and is one of the longest-running dating reality TV series. The program is still going strong, with over 1400 episodes spread across eight seasons. 

People who have never met before are coupled up and sent out on a blind date, as the name of the series suggests. The show's producers added commentary in the form of subtitles, animations, and "thinking bubbles" while the cameras followed their every move.

The competitors are usually people in their twenties, who perform one or two activities before eating supper and relaxing in a Jacuzzi. After all the activities, the date ends. 

The show usually has a man and a woman as participants, although there are also instances when the contestants are of the same-gender and elderly couples.

Similarly, certain activities take place in various cities and nations rather than simply one. The original show ended in 2006, but it was revived by Bravo in 2019. 

'Too Hot To Handle'

Inspired by Seinfeld's episode, 'The Contest,' Too Hot To Handle is a dating game that premiered on Netflix on April 17, 2020. The show follows ten people who are primarily involved in meaningless flings and cannot build long-term partnerships.

For four weeks, the candidates are housed together, where they must refrain from being sexually involved with each other. In addition, the competitors must attend different workshops while there, all while being prohibited from kissing, coitus, or self-gratification.

The goal behind all the restrictions is to encourage genuine ties among the participants. The participants begin with a $100,000 grand prize, but there is a catch.

If any contestants break the rules, the prize is decreased. Each season begins with ten new participants, with additional contestants joining as the season progresses.

Similarly, participants who cannot make friends in the house or commit to the process are eliminated. The second season aired on June 23, 2021, and there is no news of renewal yet.    

'Love Is Blind'

Love Is Blind is an example of a program that goes to extremes with singles hoping to find love. There are many speculations the show is scripted, but the creator of the show, Chris Coelen, has confirmed that nothing is scripted and everything is as it is.

The show follows 30 single people who are paired up after ten days of speed dating. Individuals are only allowed to communicate with each other but not to see one other.

The singles are housed in a soundproof capsule with speakers that allow them to interact with one another. Men can propose to the ladies they desire to marry at any time.

After they are engaged, the singles can only meet face to face. The engaged pair then travels to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to get to know one another better.

The engaged pair meets their significant other's family and friends after their getaway. They also move into the same Atlanta apartment complex to get to know one other's living situations.

Finally, a wedding ceremony is held. The engaged couples perform wedding rituals and make their final judgments - whether to split up or marry at the altar. 

Season 1 aired on Netflix on February 13, 2020, with 11 episodes. Following its premiere, the program rapidly became a fan favorite. As a result, on March 24, 2020, it was renewed for two more seasons.

'Are You The One?'

 Are You The One? is unlike any other dating show since the singles are paired using matching algorithms. These algorithms are scientifically validated compatibility tests in which matchmakers learn about the participants' personal lives to locate their future soulmates.

The contestants' relationship histories are investigated through interviews with family, friends, and even ex-partners. After the data is obtained, it is evaluated, and then matching takes place.

A psychologist who utilizes holistic treatment and a certified marriage and family therapist are among the experienced matchmakers. Then the actual game starts. 

All the participants live in the same house where they must find their ideal spouse with no assistance from the producers. There are no rules in the house, and the show is unscripted.

The group goes on dates with each other, hoping to find their soul mate. If they think they have met their match, they go to the 'truth booth' and learn if they were correct or not. 

If they are, they will be able to spend the remainder of their time in the 'honeymoon suite,' but if they are not, they will be forced to return to experimenting with other competitors.

If the participants discover their perfect spouse by the end of the game, they will split a reward of up to $1 million. However, every time contestants guess wrong, the prize money will decrease.

There have been 88 episodes released thus far, spread out across eight seasons. Season 8 started on June 26 and lasted through September 9, 2019, with 12 episodes.

Because the cast was entirely bisexual, there was no gender restriction in finding significant others for the first time in the show's history.