The new Fox reality tv show Flirty Dancing isn’t the same feel-good version the UK had since the US version has turned the dating show into a competition. This time, the show has winners and losers, and the show doesn’t work the same because of it.
Flirty Dancing premiered in the UK and was instantly a hit with fans. A clip of two men from the show even went viral, in part because the dance they performed was amazing and impressive for two non-professional dancers. However, there was more to it than that. It was the premise that led to its popularity; not to mention the sheer romance of it all. Having grown weary of the endless sea of dating shows that bank on competitive drama and aren’t always necessarily family-friendly viewing, it was refreshing to have a show with no other goal than to try to help two people make a connection in the most romantic way possible. Unsurprisingly, Fox seized the opportunity to immediately begin a US version. Sadly, the show isn’t at all the same as the UK sensation.
In a gross miscalculation of what viewers were looking for, they attempted to make the show more like the million-plus reality TV dating shows we already have in the US. The new version’s creators completely failed to get the point that having a show without a negative or competitive spin was part of the charm of Flirty Dancing. The premiere started out great, with the same uplifting feeling. Viewers watched two singles who were exhausted from the dating scene, but were still game to give it a go with an unconventional attempt. They threw their hearts and bodies into it, and fans ate it up. It played out every fantasy of having a soulmate show up in, complete with a spontaneous song and dance routine. And then - cue record scratch - it went horribly off track.
In the original, fans were invested in the couple, sitting behind screens, fingers crossed, hoping for a romantic connection. The “win” came from a confirmed match. Even if there wasn’t one, there was a feeling that both had participated in an amazing experience that renewed their desire to keep searching. In the Fox spinoff, that high was immediately followed by a second routine. In true American fashion, it had to become a competition.
There are many reasons this doesn’t work. For starters, the joy of everyone being on one team is gone. Viewers can no longer root for everyone. They have to pick a favorite. It’s not about rooting for love, it’s about rooting for a team. In addition to this, there are technical problems with this format. The playing field isn’t level. The singles don’t pick or choreograph their own routine. They don’t perform the same routine either. This means the person who is doing the choosing may have a routine they loved or connected to more than the other, which impacts how they feel about and judge their partner. One single has an advantage going in that they have no control over. Then there is the fact that these are not professional dancers. That was OK in the original, but it now has two people competing - so who is a better dancer suddenly matters. It loses the appeal of looking past that and getting lost in the beauty of it all. Now, skill matters, making it feel less about matchmaking and more like a dance-off.
Fans of the original series will likely agree that the US version was a let down. It felt a lot like the network underestimated the American public and its ability to enjoy something beautiful without turning it into a competition. While reality TV competition shows have had plenty of success, that is just not what Flirty Dancing was all about. It was fun because viewers could walk away feeling there were no real losers. It was fun because, in a world full of division, there was a fleeting moment with a harmless TV program where everyone watching was cheering for the same team.
Next: Flirty Dancing: Everything You Need to Know About the Blind Date Dancing Series
Flirty Dancing airs Wednesdays at 8pm EST on Fox.
