First Dates
GenreReality
StarringFred Sirieix
Narrated byDean Lennox Kelly (series 1 and 2)
Brian Protheroe (series 3-present)
Music byMiguel d'Oliveira
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series20 (regular)
1 (celebrity)
7 (hotel)
2 (teen)
30 (overall)
No. of episodes161 (regular)
15 (specials)
7 (celebrity)
6 (best bits)
42 (hotel)
16 (teen)
1 (celebrity hotel)
248 (overall)
Production
Production locations
Running time60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production companyTwenty Twenty
Original release
NetworkChannel 4
E4
All 4
Release20 June 2013 (2013-06-20) –
present

First Dates is a British reality television programme that has aired on Channel 4 since 20 June 2013. The programme has been narrated by Brian Protheroe since 2015.

Production

The production was filmed at the Paternoster Chop House restaurant in Paternoster Square, central London from 2013 to 2020, showing many people on dates, none of whom have met each other before. At the end of the date, the couples are interviewed together and asked whether they would like to see each other again. The restaurant is closed to the public while filming takes place. The restaurant is fitted with 42 "Pan–tilt–zoom" cameras and there are at least 70 crew members on set during filming, which lasts 15 hours a day. Each diner is given £25 towards the cost of their meal.

The spin-off show, First Dates Hotel, follows the same TV format with contestants meeting for the first time in a hotel restaurant, but if the date goes well, the couples are offered the opportunity to check in for the night. The first series was filmed at Le Vieux Castillon in Castillon-du-Gard[2] offering idyllic settings with a variety of activities for the successful second daters, and added sommelier Xavier Chapelou to Fred Sirieix's team. The second series was filmed at Aquapetra Resort & Spa in Campania near Naples, Italy.[2][3]

In 2020 it was announced that filming would move to Manchester for Series 16.[4] The specific location was later confirmed in January 2021, when it was announced that the sixteenth series would begin airing on 19 January 2021, in the new location of The Refinery, located in Spinningfields, in Manchester.[5]

Another spin-off show, Teen First Dates began airing on E4 on 22 February 2021 and consisted of 6 episodes. Each episode was also available to stream on All 4. Following the same format as the parent show and also taking place at Spinningfields, it follows 16-19 year olds as they begin dating for the first time. Series 2 began airing on 23 February 2022 and consisted of 10 episodes. A third series was commissioned in 2023 to air later this year.[6]

In July 2023, it was announced that filming would be relocated to The Botanist bar & restaurant in Bath, Somerset for the 10th anniversary of the show.[7] Along with a new restaurant location, the tenth anniversary series will launch brand-new cast members as well as a format refresh.

Restaurant staff

Since series 3 (2015) the restaurant's maître d'hôtel Fred Sirieix offers pieces to camera on the nature of love, romance and dating.[8] When not filming for First Dates, he was the general manager at restaurant Galvin at Windows, although he left in December 2019 after 14 years.[9]

The waiting staff and barman do not work in the restaurant full-time, but are recruited for when the series is being filmed. Regular, Laura Tott left the show to train as a Paramedic, get married and gave birth to their son in 2023. She hasn't ruled out a return at some stage.[10] CiCi Coleman is an actor who trained at New York Film Academy, whilst barman Merlin Griffiths is a pub landlord[11] who has previously worked as a global brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire gin.[12] Griffiths also works alongside co-bartender Fiona Beck who as well as working in the First Dates restaurant, has a career in advertising. She has also worked as a model in the past, featuring in fashion shows in Paris, Barcelona and New York.[13] The waiting staff are joined by Grant Urquhart, David Marc and Daniella Kalita.[14]

First Dates: The Podcast

In June 2023, First Dates production company Twenty Twenty and Nordic podcast company Podimo announced[15] a new spin-off podcast would be launched in the Summer. The show, which launched in July 2023, is hosted by CiCi Coleman and Frankie Bridge.[16]

Transmissions

Regular

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
120 June 201325 July 20136[17]
212 February 20142 April 20148[18]
36 March 201529 April 20159[19]
410 September 201517 December 201515
515 January 20164 February 20164
615 March 201619 April 20166[20]
79 August 201612 December 201617[21]
818 April 201711 July 201713[22]
918 September 201718 December 201713[23]
104 April 20186 June 201810[24]
1129 October 201817 December 20188
1216 April 201918 June 201910
1312 November 201913 November 20196
1420 February 202019 March 20205
151 October 202022 October 20204
1619 January 202116 February 20215
176 September 202127 September 20214
186 January 202210 February 20227
1921 July 202218 August 20226[25]
20 17 April 2023 8 May 2023 5

Specials

DateEntitle
12 February 2016Valentine's Special
19 December 2016Christmas Special
13 February 2017Valentine's Special
25 December 2017Christmas Special
16 February 2018Valentine's Special
25 December 2018Christmas Special
14 February 2019Valentine's Special
25 December 2019Christmas Special
13 February 2020Valentine's Special
23 December 2020Christmas Special
9 February 2021Valentine's Special
22 December 2021 Christmas Special
10 February 2022 Valentine's Special
27 December 2022 Christmas Special
14 February 2023 Valentine’s Special

Celebrity First Dates

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
SU2C12 October 20151
18 July 201629 July 20164
SU2C2 November 20171
SU2C25 October 20181

Teen First Dates

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
122 February 20215 April 20216
2 23 February 2022 20 April 2022 10
3 2023 2023 TBA

First Dates Hotel

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
12 January 20176 February 20176
28 January 201812 February 20186
328 August 20189 October 20186
45 September 20193 October 20195
530 April 202011 June 20207
624 March 202121 April 20216
7 6 September 2022 4 October 2022 6

Celebrity First Dates Hotel

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
SU2C10 October 20191

Best Bits

DateEntitle
28 October 2020Together Forever
4 November 2020Opposites Attract
11 November 2020Second Chances
18 November 2020Plot Twists
25 November 2020Celebrity Best Bits
2 December 2020Fireworks

International versions

The format created in the United Kingdom has been adapted in Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Australia, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, Poland, USA, France, Brazil, Israel, Sweden, Norway, Argentina, Portugal, Austria, South Africa and Greece.

Country Title TV channel Year aired
 Canada First Dates Slice 1 September 2015 – 18 April 2017
 Germany First Dates sixx 21 October 2015 – 9 December 2015
First Dates – Ein Tisch für Zwei VOX 5 March 2018 – present
First Dates Hotel 20 April 2020 – present
 Australia First Dates Seven Network 3 February 2016 – present
 Spain First Dates Cuatro 17 April 2016 – present
First Dates: Crucero 13 January 2020 – present
 Ireland First Dates RTÉ2 21 April 2016 – present
 Netherlands First Dates NPO 3 (BNNVARA) 18 March 2015 – present
 New Zealand First Dates Television New Zealand October 2016 – present
 Sweden Första dejten SVT 13 March 2017 – present
 Italy Primo appuntamento Real Time 14 March 2017 – present
Primo appuntamento Crociera 18 May 2021 – present
Primo appuntamento Hotel 2 January 2024 – present
 Poland Pierwsza randka TVP2 16 March 2017 – 16 November 2017
 USA First Dates NBC 7 April 2017 – 26 May 2017
 France Premier rendez-vous et plus si affinités TF1 12 June 2017 – present
 Brazil À Primeira Vista Rede Bandeirantes 22 June 2017 – 21 September 2017
 Israel דייט ראשון
Date Rishon		 Channel 2 18 December 2017 – present
 Norway Første date TVNorge 4 January 2018 – present[26]
 Argentina Primera Cita Telefe 14 February 2018 – 30 March 2018
 Portugal First Dates – O Primeiro Encontro TVI 2 January 2019 – present
 Austria First Dates Austria ATV 17 April 2019 – present
 Finland First Dates Suomi MTV3 19 September 2019 – present
 South Africa First Dates South Africa BBC Lifestyle 16 October 2019 – present
 Belgium First Dates Eén 5 March 2020 – present
 Czech Republic První večeře Prima 30 August 2021 – present
 Greece First Dates Star Channel 30 April 2023 – present

References

  1. 1 2 Nisbet, Megan (19 January 2021). "First Dates restaurant Manchester: Where is the new series filmed?". WalesOnline. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  2. ↑ "Media".
  3. ↑ "You can actually stay at the First Dates hotel!". 16 January 2018.
  4. ↑ Heward, Emily (29 January 2020). "First Dates is filming its next series at a Manchester restaurant". men. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "First Dates: Channel 4 series will feel 'more like real life'". BBC News. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  6. ↑ "TEEN FIRST DATES RETURNS FOR THIRD SERIES ON E4". TV Zone UK. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Channel 4's First Dates restaurant relocates for 10th Anniversary to find romance in Bath | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  8. ↑ Nicholson, Rebecca (16 September 2015). "From Blind Date to First Dates: how TV matchmaking grew up". The Guardian.
  9. ↑ bighospitality.co.uk. "Fred Sirieix leaves Galvin at Windows". bighospitality.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  10. ↑ McLoughlin, Lisa (30 August 2023). "First Dates star welcomes first child and reveals sweet name". Evening Standard. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Merlin Griffiths, The Priory Tavern". Cocktail Saturdays. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  12. ↑ "32 Things You Probably Didn't Know About "First Dates"". BuzzFeed.
  13. ↑ "Who is Fiona from First Dates 2021? Meet the new bartender on series 16!". Reality Titbit. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  14. ↑ "Meet the new First Dates staff for series 16". Radio Times. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  15. ↑ Shepherd, Adam (26 June 2023). "First Dates spin-off podcast to launch this summer". PodPod. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Launch date for brand-new First Dates: The Podcast revealed". Podcasting Today. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "First Dates". Twenty Twenty. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  18. ↑ "First Dates Series 2". Twenty Twenty. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  19. ↑ "First Dates Series 3". Twenty Twenty. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  20. ↑ "First Dates Series 6". Twenty Twenty. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  21. ↑ "First Dates Series 7". Twenty Twenty. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  22. ↑ "First Dates Series 8". Twenty Twenty. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  23. ↑ "First Dates Series 9". Twenty Twenty. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  24. ↑ "First Dates Series 10". Twenty Twenty. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  25. ↑ "First Dates". channel4.com. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  26. ↑ "Dplay". www.dplay.no. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
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