Playing It Straight
A title card for the American television series Playing It Straight, featuring brown and red letters overlaying a wooden heart that is floating on the ocean shore.
GenreReality television
Presented byDaphne Brogdon
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Jeremy Mills
  • Ciara Byrne
Production locationElko, Nevada
Running time41–42 minutes
Production companyLion Television
Original release
NetworkFox
ReleaseMarch 12 (2004-03-12) –
March 26, 2004 (2004-03-26)

Playing It Straight is an American reality television series broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The series premiered on March 12, 2004, although it was prematurely cancelled by the network following the broadcast of its third episode on March 26, 2004. Set at the Sizzling Saddle Ranch in Elko, Nevada, the series depicted fourteen men who attempted to pursue a romantic relationship with college student Jackie Thomas. However, this group of suitors was split between men who identified as straight and gay. Through a series of group activities and one-on-on dates, Thomas was required to eliminate men from the competition who she believed identified as gay. If the final suitor was a straight man, he and Thomas split a reward of $1 million. Conversely, if the final suitor was a gay man, he alone won the reward. The series was hosted by American television presenter Daphne Brogdon.

Playing It Straight was a part of Fox's intent to capitalize on a rising interest in LGBT-themed reality television shows. The series' format was inspired by The Bachelor, with the addition of an LGBT-related twist. Playing It Straight was met with criticism from many television critics, who claimed that it reinforced stereotypes and promoted a negative portrayal of gay men. The series premiered to modest ratings, which declined with the broadcast of subsequent episodes. Following its mid-season cancellation, Fox released the full series on their website on a pay-per-view basis. The cancellation of Playing It Straight caused some network executives to reevaluate their own LGBT-related television shows. The series spawned adaptations in Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Format

Set in Elko, Nevada, at the Sizzling Saddle Ranch, the series followed Jackie Thomas, a 21-year-old college student from Wisconsin, as she was pursued by a group of fourteen men.[1] Upon arrival to the ranch, Thomas learned that the group was composed of both straight and gay men; all of the gay men attempted to pass as straight throughout the course of the competition.[2] Thomas was required to discern which of the men identified as gay; she made her determinations based on observations from a series of individual and group dates.[3] These dates included activities such as shopping trips and swimsuit competitions. At the end of each week, Jackie was required to eliminate two men from the competition who she believed to be gay. Following their elimination, each man had the opportunity to disclose their sexual orientation and explain their reason for participating in the series. If Thomas ultimately selected a straight man at the end of the competition, then the two split a reward of $1,000,000. Conversely, if Thomas selected a gay man at the end of the competition, then he alone won the reward. The series was hosted by American television presenter Daphne Brogdon.[4]

Production

Production for Playing It Straight began in mid-2003 under the working title Who Will She Choose?[5] The concept for the series originated in the United Kingdom, although it was ultimately sold to Fox. According to executive producer Adam Wood, the series was conceptualized as a version of The Bachelor with a "slightly absurd" twist.[6] Variety initially reported that the series was a potential cover for a new season of the reality dating show Joe Millionaire.[7]

In 2005, nearly one year later after the show was recorded, Fox issued a press release stating that Jackie and Banks were still together. After the show, Jackie and Banks dated for about two years. For the first eight months, they had to keep their relationship quiet until the show aired. Banks went so far as to tell friends that he had to leave the show because he broke his arm, rather than reveal he won.

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"March 12, 2004 (2004-03-12)5.3[8]
Jackie arrives at the Sizzling Saddle Ranch and meets her 14 suitors.
2"Episode 2"March 18, 2004 (2004-03-18)3.7[8]
Jackie and her suitors go square dancing.
3"Episode 3"March 26, 2004 (2004-03-26)3.1[8]
Jackie and her suitors go on an overnight camping trip. Tensions begin to rise among several of the men.
4"Episode 4"UnairedN/A
Jackie and her suitors go on a trip Las Vegas.
5"Episode 5"UnairedN/A
The suitors partake in an arm-wrestling competition, resulting in an injury.
6"Episode 6"UnairedN/A
As tensions continue to rise, several suitors attempt to out their competition.
7"Episode 7"UnairedN/A
Jackie goes on separate dates with the remaining suitors in an effort to determine who is gay.
8"Episode 8"UnairedN/A
With three suitors remaining, Jackie makes her final decision.

Reception

Playing It Straight received generally unfavorable reviews from television critics. Dana Stevens of Slate criticized the series for portraying gay men as "romantic pariahs." She further commented: "[N]ot only is Playing It Straight ideologically offensive, it’s also colossally boring."[9]

Ratings

Playing It Straight premiered to modest ratings, in which it received 5.3 million viewers. It was the highest-rated program of the night among several demographics, including adults 18–34, persons 12–34, teens and men 18–34.[10] The series averaged 3.9 million viewers and a 1.7 rating/6 share among adults 18-49 over the course of its three-week run.[11]

Cancellation

On March 29, 2004, Fox announced the series' removal from the network's schedule due to poor ratings of its three aired episodes.[12] Despite this removal, the network affirmed that they intended to air the five remaining episodes at some point during the summer season.[13] Following this announcement, Playing It Straight was replaced on the Fox schedule with reruns of Totally Outrageous Behavior and World's Craziest Videos.[12] On May 21, 2004, Fox's entertainment president Gail Berman announced that the series was cancelled, although she claimed that the network would provide "any viewer that needs the information with the information of the conclusion."[14] Two months later, Fox posted synopses of the unaired episodes on their website, in which it was revealed that Jackie chose a straight man and thus won the $500,000 reward.[15] On January 17, 2005, Fox published the entire series on their website, in which users could download the individual episodes on a pay-per-view basis.[16] Despite the network's claims, Jackie disputed the reason for the series' cancellation. She stated: "I can’t say it was cancelled due to ratings. It aired on Fridays, and no shows have been successful on Fridays ... [Fox] blamed it on the ratings, but I think it may have been something deeper."[17]

The mid-season cancellation of Playing It Straight had an impact on other LGBT-related programming. Seriously, Dude, I'm Gay, another Fox produced LGBT-related reality television special, was set to air on June 7, 2004, although it was abruptly removed from the Fox schedule only eleven days before its airdate.[18] An "insider" at Fox claimed that the underperformance of Playing It Straight was a significant factor in the special's cancellation, as it caused the network to "believe the gay reality phenomenon was on the wane."[18] The producers of the TBS series He's a Lady viewed Playing It Straight—in addition to Boy Meets Boy and Seriously, Dude, I'm Gay—as an example of the "potential pitfalls" to avoid when producing an LGBT-themed show.[19] The underperformance and cancellations of these series resulted in executive producers Douglas Ross and Tommy Campbell consulting GLAAD for review of He's a Lady.[19]

Results

Contestant Occupation Status Sexual Orientation
Gust Real Estate Agent Eliminated week 1 Straight
Louis Brokerage Firm Manager Eliminated week 1 Straight
Alex Law Student Eliminated week 2 Gay
Ryan Etscin Waiter Eliminated week 2 Straight
Eddie School Teacher Left the show week 3 Gay
Chad Corporate Communications Eliminated week 3 Gay
John Bartender Eliminated week 4 Gay
Lee Financial Consultant Eliminated week 4 Gay
Bradley Bartender Eliminated week 5 Gay
Luciano Costa Personal Trainer Eliminated week 5 Gay
Bill Bouvier Event Promoter Eliminated week 6 Gay
Chris Retired Entrepreneur Eliminated week 8 Gay
Sharif El-Mahdi Musician Eliminated week 8 Straight
Banks Software Consultant Winner week 8 Straight

UK version

Playing It Straight
Titlecard used for series 2
Presented byJune Sarpong (2005)
Jameela Jamil (2012)
Narrated byAlan Cumming (2005)
Alan Carr (2012)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series2
No. of episodes14 (to 27 February 2012)
Production
Production locationsMexico (2005)
Spain (2012)
Running time60 minutes
Production companyLion TV
Original release
NetworkChannel 4
E4
Release8 April 2005 (2005-04-08) –
present
Related
Playing It Straight

Series 1 (2005)

The first UK version started on April 8, 2005, as part of their Twisted Dating Season. The series was set on a Mexican ranch and Zoe Hardman is spending time with 12 men. Ten men started the show and two more, Lee and Marco, were added in week 3 - it was revealed when they arrived that one was gay and one was straight. The prize money was £100,000 and the show was hosted by June Sarpong. The series has been repeated on Channel 4's sister channel, 4Music.

Early reporting revealed Ben Harris to be Mr Gay UK and also said: "Ben Harris, a builder, looks to be one of the favourites to win the show after the first episode in which he played to the builder stereotype."[20]

Contestants

Contestant Status Sexual Orientation
Raphael Eliminated week 1 Straight
Pritesh Eliminated week 1 Straight
Demetrius Eliminated week 2 Gay
George Eliminated week 2 Straight
Lee Eliminated week 3 Gay
Peter Eliminated week 3 Gay
Jonny Eliminated week 4 Gay
Alex Eliminated week 5 Gay
Daniel K. Eliminated week 5 Straight
Marco Eliminated week 6 Straight
Danny B. Eliminated week 6 Straight
Ben Winner Gay

Notes

  • In week three, Lee was not allowed to reveal his sexuality on being voted off, in order that Marco's sexual orientation stayed secret.
  • In week five, Alex won the contest to dress Zoe and received a dinner date with her. On their date, Alex decided to confess to Zoe that he was gay, as a result of which she eliminated him that week.
  • Zoe picked Ben and it was then revealed that he was gay. Ben offered Zoe the prize money, and she decided to split it evenly with him.[20] She stated that even though he was gay she was still glad she chose him.

Series 2 (2012)

In October 2011, it was announced that Channel 4 had ordered a full second series. This time the location was set in Spain and the new series was hosted by T4 presenter, Jameela Jamil and comedian Alan Carr provided the narration. The prize fund was decreased 50% to £50,000 (£25,000 each).[21][22] The second series made its debut on 9 January 2012 at 9pm on E4.[23] The series was set at a Spanish hacienda - Hacienda de los Hombres. The series was also aired on Channel 4's teen-strand, T4 on Saturdays.

Contestants

  • The Girl: Cara
Contestant Status Sexual Orientation
Fletcher Left week 1 Straight
Filippo Eliminated week 1 Straight
Kyle Eliminated week 1 Gay
Leroy Eliminated week 2 Gay
Andrei Eliminated week 3 Straight
David Eliminated week 4 Gay
Mitch Eliminated week 5 Gay
Levi Eliminated week 6 Straight
Jordan Eliminated week 7 Straight
Ben Eliminated week 7 Gay
Danny Eliminated week 8 Gay
Sam Eliminated week 8 Gay
Sven Eliminated week 8 Gay
Dean Winner Straight

Notes

  • Contestants Jordan and Mitch were introduced in Week 4.
  • Dean was chosen as the winner. As he was straight, both he and Cara won £25,000 each.

Transmissions

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
18 April 200513 May 20056
29 January 201227 February 20128

Adaptations

Adaptations of the series premiered in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, an adaptation titled Herken de Homo (Dutch; the English title is Recognize the Gay) premiered on January 4, 2005, on RTL 5. The series, which was hosted by Dutch television presenter Fiona Hering, was broadcast for a single season. Filmed in Mexico, the series followed Nathalie Biermanns, a 23-year-old actor, as she competed for a €50,000 (US$55,229). She had to choose between 14 men. At the end, only Marcel remained who turned out to be straight. Both Biermanns and Marcel won €50,000 (US$55,229) each.

An Australian version of the show aired on the Seven Network starting October 2004 hosted by Natalie Garonzi. Despite much of the hype surrounding it the shows ratings dwindled and it was moved to a later timeslot. After Rebecca eliminated Campbell (who was gay) Chad, Dane and Evan were left for one non-elimination round before appearing in the final episode. Rebecca chose Chad and he was revealed to be straight.

The Australian show has also aired in the US on FOX Reality.

References

  1. ↑ Abernethy, Michael (March 22, 2004). "Playing It Straight". PopMatters. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  2. ↑ Wagner, Curt; Rodriguez, Victoria (July 28, 2004). "Fox outs 'Playing it Straight' results". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  3. ↑ Charlesworth 2015, p. 55.
  4. ↑ Sullivan, Brian Ford (February 2, 2004). "FOX Schedules Two More Reality Series". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  5. ↑ "New dating show on Fox to feature gay twist". The Advocate. August 21, 2003. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  6. ↑ Yahr, Emily (August 5, 2020). "The revealing and disturbing story of America, told through 20 years of reality dating shows". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  7. ↑ Adalian, Josef (August 19, 2003). "Fox date shooting straight?". Variety. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 "Episode List: Playing It Straight". TV Tango. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022.
  9. ↑ Stevens, Dana (March 24, 2004). "The Bachelors". Slate. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  10. ↑ Kissell, Rick (March 14, 2004). "Critics 'Wonder,' auds don't". Variety. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  11. ↑ Adalian, Josef (March 29, 2004). "'Straight' down the drain". Variety. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Adalian, Josef (March 29, 2004). "'Straight' down the drain". Variety. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  13. ↑ Dehnart, Andy (March 31, 2004). "FOX pulls Playing it Straight". Reality Blurred. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  14. ↑ Dehnart, Andy (July 28, 2004). "Fox releases details of 'Playing It Straight's unaired conclusion". Reality Blurred. Archived from the original on June 3, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Fox outs 'Playing it Straight' results". Chicago Tribune. July 28, 2004. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  16. ↑ Fritz, Ben; Adalian, Josef (January 13, 2005). "Fox puts busts online". Variety. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Homecoming queen wins reality show". The Spectator. September 19, 2004. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  18. 1 2 Goodridge, Mike (12 October 2004). "Seriously, dude, it was a joke". The Advocate. Vol. 924. Here Publishing (published October 12, 2004). p. 87. ISSN 0001-8996. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  19. 1 2 Goodridge, Mike (October 26, 2004). "Dude looks like a lady". The Advocate. Vol. 925. Here Publishing. p. 60. ISSN 0001-8996. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  20. 1 2 "theVoiceofReason.co.uk, Ben Harris Was Mr Gay UK 1998". Archived from the original on 2005-12-16. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  21. ↑ "'Playing It Straight' to return to E4 - TV News". Digital Spy. 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  22. ↑ "E4 brings back 'Playing It Straight' - Channel 4 - Info - Press". Channel 4. 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  23. ↑ "Playing It Straight - Playing It Straight". Channel 4. Retrieved 2014-01-11.

Sources

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