Quibi's compressed, bite-sized format is working well for 'Singled Out' reboot
Short-form dating shows had become a thing of the past until Quibi decided to revamp it with its new bite-sized reboot of MTV's 'Singled Out'. With each episode ranging between six to eight minutes, the series manages to pack a whole lot of ground.
'Singled Out' is a reality tv dating series reboot, that aired on MTV from 1995 to 1998. When the series first premiered, each episode featured a group of 50 singles who were vying to go on a date with one main contestant. Later in 2018, the network revamped the series for its YouTube channel and included social media in it.
Earlier in June last year, Quibi, America's first bite-sized mobile streaming app, revealed that a reboot version of the series will be premiering when they launch. Produced by MTV, the reboot sets up contestants with their followers on social media. Some amongst those pool of contestants vying for a date might have met earlier, and developed a connection with the main dater, while for some this was their first move.
Hosted by Keke Palmer and Joel Kim Booster, 'Singled Out' quite similar to the 90s version of the show, consists of three rounds. In the first round, titled 'Dealbreakers', the main dater gets to pick a category, that can range from whether they like having sex in public or private, where they prefer sitting on a plane, or whether they like a texter or not. If the pool of 30 contestants do not have an answer that matches the main dater, well then they head to the friend zone, aka eliminated.
In round two, titled 'Slide into DMs', the remaining three contestants will slide into DMs of the main dater with a picture of their blurred faces along with their favorite pickup line. The main dater gets to send one more contestant to the friend zone here.
In the final round called 'Get Physical', the last two contestants will have to show how far they are willing to go in order to get 'Singled Out'. Will they kiss bugs? Smash beer cans on their head? Compete in a vibrator race? Well, while these tasks don't necessarily affect the final result, it's definitely fun to watch. At the end of all three rounds, the main dater will have to choose their pick on who they want to get 'Singled Out' with.
After watching long-form reality tv dating shows like 'The Bachelor', Netflix's 'Love is Blind', 'Ex on the Beach', 'Love Island', 'Temptation Island', etc... 'Singled Out's' short 6 to 8-minute episode seem like it can stand a chance against these shows when it comes to viewing pleasure. The series might not produce social media stars and influencers like the other fan-favorite reality tv shows, but it is sure to keep you entertained.
The series is filled with high energy, which makes Keke the perfect host for the series. Meanwhile, Joel adds the comedic element by roasting the suitors in a fun manner. While the long-form series shows an exhausting search for love in someone's life, 'Singled Out' is more face pacing and swift when it comes to that, making it more entertaining for the viewers, minus the drama.
But the best standout amongst it all that fans and viewers love about the series is its LGBTQ representation and how it embraces the community. In the first episode, we are introduced to Tracy, a bisexual contestant who is looking for someone to date. She has tried singles cruises to sex seminars and now is on 'Singled Out' looking for love. In the second episode, we are introduced to Ian, who is looking for his dream guy.
One amongst his pool of contestants also included a drag queen. While you might barely learn the names of the winners, watching 'Singled Out' is definitely worth your time. And the best part is you can binge-watch it in little to no time, leaving you with plenty of time to maybe catch up on another show.