Love Connection returns to FOX for season 'two and two,' and if you understood that reference, you and the show are a perfect Tuesday night match.
Before mobile apps like Tinder, websites like eHarmony and reality shows like The Bachelor, the best way to snag yourself a date in the public eye was to go on a dating game show. If you were single and ready to mingle in the '80s and early '90s, Love Connection was the show to be on. The show sets up one lucky man or woman with three ladies or gentlemen in hopes of one pair falling in love.
The show was originally hosted by former Wheel of Fortune emcee Chuck Woolery, who played television's favorite matchmaker for over 2,000 episodes from 1983 to 1994. Fans of the show might remember Woolery's signature catchphrase, "We'll be back in two and two."
Here's a Brad Fact for you. The meaning behind Woolery's "two and two" catchphrase is, at the time, a standard commercial break, with the fade-in and fade-out, was two minutes and two seconds, hence "we'll be back in two and two."
Last year, FOX jumped on the retro game show revival bandwagon to bring back Love Connection. The show performed decently, as there was a season one viewer average of about 2.3 million according to TV Series Finale. It was loved enough for the network to order a second season, which premiered on Tuesday, May 29th.
Watch What Happens Live host and Real Housewives executive producer Andy Cohen returns as the 21st-century matchmaker, hoping to turn first daters into soul maters.
Fans of the first season might notice a number of changes for Love Connection's second go around.
First off, the comfy looking, overly-sized purple and red leather seats Andy and the main dater sit on have been swapped out for still comfy looking, way overly-sized blood red plush seats.
By the design of the chairs, maybe they are supposed to resemble the top half of a heart shape, but seat-swapping the purple and red leather seats for these was a bit of a let-down.
The color scheme of the season one seats was a throwback to the seats used during the Chuck Woolery days. Technically, if the set designer wanted to be super specific to the original, Andy Cohen, as host, should've had the purple chair, and the contestant should've been sitting on a pink couch, but it was close enough.
While it's perfectly fine when reviving a classic game show to redesign sets for the modern day, one element that always looks good is any nods to the original show within the set.
With an expansive set that features electronics galore, including two giant video screens, two drawbridges and a lighted, heart-shaped floor, nothing screams nostalgia at first glance.
However, a keen game show fan's eye will notice four heart-shaped lights in the background of Cohen and the contestant's sitting spot. These are replicas of the heart-shaped set pieces featured around the '80s and '90s set. With the chair change, this is the only nod to the original version's set that remains in season two, which is disheartening, pun intended.
The second change involves some of the graphics used throughout the show. This season, when the audience and viewers are first introduced to the three viable men or women, and their intro information appears on the big screen, their photos are displayed on what appears to be a cell phone. It's an obvious tie-in to the mobile app dating craze that is currently taking the world by storm.
The only downside to the phone graphic is that it's the complete opposite of a remark Cohen usually makes at the beginning of most episodes. He says something along the lines of Love Connection being about getting rid of the electronic screens, such as computers and cell phones, that are now associated with dating.
Another graphic that has changed involves each individual date's sharing segment. Last season, when Andy threw to the drawbridge board to find out which date would be retelling their romantic or non-romantic evening first, second or third, the three date's faces were shuffled around until one was chosen. The shuffling of faces was completely useless because on almost every occasion, the order was the same as the order in which the three men or women were introduced.
This season, when Cohen asks who will be spotlighted first, second or third, the dater's face will automatically come up on the drawbridge screen. From the first episode, it seems like the order will be random and not necessarily the original video package order.
Despite the face shuffling being pointless, as a viewer, it was better off when the daters took the spotlight in the order they were introduced, like what mostly occurred in season one. This is because it's easier to connect them with their opening package and to the letter they were given, A, B or C, for the audience vote. Ultimately, it helps the viewer out when remembering who they guessed would be the winning bachelor or bachelorette.
The third change is the lighting color scheme. Last season, the set, for the majority of each episode, was colored heart red. From what's been shown on the first episode of season two, a blue color tone is being featured throughout, including for the heart-shaped floor and the multiple giant screens.
The blue is much more inviting than the dark, red-colored set used last season. Many current prime time game shows and talent shows are generally using darker sets for some reason. The switch to mostly blue this season for Love Connection was a good one because it makes the atmosphere of the show more bright and vibrant.
Next up on the change list are the additional date photos shared during the talkbacks. This season, the viewers actually get to view more of the date by way of photos that come up on the giant screen when the contestants are talking about their nights on the town. Last season, and continuing with this season, Cohen would often times throw to a selfie video clip of either the main contestant, or one of their three dates, talking about their overall date experience or vibe of the other person at the present moment.
Seeing the video clips adds to the viewing pleasure because we get to see actual footage from the dates instead of only hearing about them through a step-by-step retelling. Plus, we get to see the person talk about any drama or funny moments that might have occurred just minutes prior to the recording of the selfie video, which is always enjoyable.
This season, however, the viewers get treated to more date material, as selfie photos taken during the dates will be put on the giant screen. As with the videos, the still photos give the viewer a sense of how the date was going and any possible chemistry that might have formed.
Up until now, the changes have been fairly minor. This last Love Connection season two change though is the biggest, but also the most disappointing. It involves the $10,000 twist Love Connection features.
What's a post-Millionaire prime time game show without contestants forced to make really tough decisions in the matter of moments? Even a simple in concept show like Love Connection had to insert a cash prize twist when it returned to television last summer.
After the audience initially sees the three men or women the contestant went on dates with, as well as their intro package, they vote on who they think the contestant made a love connection with. If the audience chose the same person, the contestant won $10,000, as well as the standard overnight date. If not, the audience selection is revealed and the contestant had a decision to make.
They could either stick with the person they chose and go with them on the overnight date, hoping to develop their love connection or choose to go on the overnight date with the audience choice. If the contestant did choose the audience pick, they also would win the $10,000.
While this twist did add a deceitful element to the show that is supposed to help bring people together, and while the contestant was put in a position of choosing between money and true love, it did add a nice game element to a dating game show that really has no game to it.
For season two, the contestant can still win $10,000 if the audience picks the same person as they do. However, if the audience was wrong, no $10,000, but the contestant automatically stays with the person they chose and gets the overnight date. There is no switching daters just to pocket the cash.
While the format of today's version is not exactly the same as it was 30 years ago, in a way, removing the $10,000 decision resembles the main element of the '80s Love Connection. Back in the day, if the contestant and the audience chose the same person, and the two wanted to go out on a second date, the show would pay for it. If not, the two still could go out if they thought they made a love connection, just not using the show's cash.
In the second season scenario, whether the $10,000 is won or lost, the couple gets an overnight date compliments of Love Connection, so without the decision aspect, the addition of the $10,000 cash prize is pointless.
If anything, both the contestant and the person they chose should each receive $10,000. Years ago when the show would pay for the second date if the audience was right, the money was technically for both halves of the couple to use on the date. However, the contestants now can win $10,000 for literally doing nothing, the chosen person gets no share of the pot, and that money doesn't even go towards the second date.
Since the decision aspect is gone, the show should eliminate the $10,000, but if the audience does pick correctly, the couple should win a more luxurious overnight date than the couples which didn't get the audience's ultimate vote.
Back in the '70s, The Dating Game would sometimes give out dates to places like Italy, a ski trip to the French Alps, or even Columbia. Why doesn't Love Connection do the same? If the audience is correct, send the couple to a romantic destination like Hawaii, Paris or Venice.
Without the $10,000 twist, the ending doesn't really mean much anymore. However, despite it all, it still was exciting to see two contestants win $10,000 on the premiere episode, including a Staten Island, New York longshoreman named Logan Shaw.
Last season, there wasn't the best percentage of love connections that made it past the overnight date. In fact, a great addition to this season would have been if Love Connection checked in with any couples that did hit it off for at least a little while. It would be fun to see a video package of those who truly made a love connection.
Season two is off to a one and one start, with Logan the longshoreman not being able to dock his lady liberty. Hopefully, Love Connection can produce some serious summer flings this season.
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