Unforgettable Reality Dating Shows From The '90s And '00s

It's hard to forget the perhaps not-so-real dating shows of decades past. A quick ticket to fame was seemingly as easy as giving up some of your dignity and agreeing to be filmed vying for the attention of one lucky suitor in the '90s and 2000s. But hey, no judgement here! From the back-of-the-van antics on MTV's "Next" to the infamous love story of Tiffany "New York" Pollard and Flavor Flav on the Public Enemy rapper's VH1 hit, reality TV dating shows were every bit as addictive as they were cringeworthy and wild.

There is no shortage of opportunities to compete for love on television these days. While the overall themes may have gotten less cringy or controversial over the years, there are always suitors willing to take a chance at love — and maybe grow their influencer profiles in the process. With widely popular shows like "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" still attracting audiences decades after their premieres in the early 2000s, there's proof that viewers everywhere have continued to be just as invested as the contestants themselves. "They're part-reality TV, part-soap opera, part-game show," explains Dr. Karen McNally from London Metropolitan University. This combination of fiction and non-fiction, characterization, relationships, melodrama, competition, and aspiration creates a compelling viewing experience.

We’re taking a trip down memory lane, rewinding Flav's oversized clock necklace, and looking at the most unforgettable reality dating shows from the '90s and '00s.

Singled Out

Inside Edition/YouTube

Chris Hardwick and Jenny McCarthy co-hosted MTV's "Singled Out" in the mid-'90s, helping to filter suitors out in a series that takes two contestants — a woman followed by a man — and puts them in the hot seat to pick one lucky date out of 50. It's essentially rapid-fire speed dating in the cheesiest way possible. The catch? Contestants can't see their potential dates. Suitors are dwindled by the contestant naming qualities that are non-negotiables (like hair or height), because how deep can you get in a half-hour of airtime, right? The second round has the potential matches (now down to about 7) doing something superficial like signing an autograph, only to be selected by the contestant based on their handwriting. We don't get it either!

The series originally aired from 1995 to 1997 and also featured Carmen Electra co-hosting, appearances from future stars Fergie and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and even a "Boy Meets World" crossover, per VH1. It was briefly rebooted with host Keke Palmer in 2020 on the short-lived streaming platform Quibi, but if you'd like to tap into your nostalgia, some episodes — in all their pixelated glory — are available on YouTube.

Change of Heart

Change of Heart/YouTube

"Change of Heart" emerged on TV screens everywhere in 1998. The show features unmarried couples being set up with new partners and has them decide (after a short episode's worth of deliberation) whether or not they want to embark on a new romance or return to their current partner. Couples discuss their current relationship, their grievances, and what they are looking for in a partner before meeting their new potential matches on a blind date.

Queue up men fighting over their bicep muscles and women shaming each other, and you have the perfect recipe for a superficial, albeit entertaining dating show. Episode descriptions proved as much, with one in particular reading on YouTube, "Steve says Angie curses too much and he doesn't like her toes. Angie thinks Steve is a sexual 'wimp' and says he never helps out around the house." It doesn't surprise me that people use the show to break up with someone, as on-and-off host Chris Jagger told the Los Angeles Times.

Of the couples who didn't have the titular change of heart, however, he said, "They'll be on the entire half-hour just ripping each other apart and they've been on really good dates with these new people, but in the end, they decide to stay together. And I'll be thinking, 'What? Are you kidding me?'" The series lasted five years of riveting reality television before ending in 2003.

Unforgettable Reality Dating Shows From The '90s And '00s

Singled Out

Change of Heart

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Singled Out

Change of Heart

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