Blind Date: Paul O'Grady plays a blinder as legendary dating show returns

Time to read
4 minutes
Read so far

Blind Date: Paul O'Grady plays a blinder as legendary dating show returns

June 22, 2017 - 20:57
Posted in:
0 reader reviews
Average: 4 (1 vote)
Rate this programme

For nearly twenty years, Blind Date was the bread and butter of Saturday nights. It launched in 1985 and quickly gained a huge following, with over 17 million viewers regularly tuning in to the matchmaking show. For many, it became an important part of their early evening, gearing them up for a night out.

Blind Date with Paul O’Grady

By Matthew Gormley @MatthewPGormley

For nearly twenty years, Blind Date was the bread and butter of Saturday nights. It launched in 1985 and quickly gained a huge following, with over 17 million viewers regularly tuning in to the matchmaking show. For many, it became an important part of their early evening, gearing them up for a night out.

It was hosted by the late Cilla Black, who became synonymous with the show during its 18 year run. Her catchphrases and dulcet Scouse tones were part of the fabric of the programme; her irreverent humour and genuine warmth and charm around the contestants was what made the whole thing so appealing. So, understandably, there were murmurs when Channel 5 announced they were planning to revive it. It’s a rare occurrence for a remake to do justice to the original. How would it work without the show’s shining star? With the conglomeration of reality show names that were originally touted for the plum hosting role, and the fact that it was drifting away from its spiritual home on ITV, it seemed doomed to be a tacky, second-rate resurgence.

Bagging Paul O’Grady as the host was the best thing that could have happened. It no doubt took much persuasion. O’Grady himself admitted that it wasn’t something he initially wanted to do, but out of loyalty to his dear friend, he was adamant that nobody else could get their hands on it. Channel 5 should be rubbing their hands together with glee, as it’s quite possibly one of the best signings they’ve ever made.

The new show is almost identical to the original. Despite being away for 14 years, little attempt has been made to modernise it. Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But the dating scene has changed so dramatically since 2003 that the book has been ripped up and completely rewritten. Paul acknowledged how times have changed in his opening monologue: ‘There was no social media back then, so the only tablet you had in your handbag was a Valium or a water pill’. In age where Tinder and the like dominate the dating scene, it’s a refreshing throwback to simpler times.

The familiar theme tune rang out from television sets across the land at 7 o’clock, the old time slot. As Paul made his Blind Date debut, he paid tribute to Cilla, ‘the woman who gave me two heart attacks and broke my nose in a Jacuzzi’. It was a personal touch; ‘I don’t half miss her’, he added. As one of her closest friends in recent years, he can send her up with such affection.

He continued to pay tribute to Cilla throughout, echoing her most famous catchphrase as he met the contestants: ‘what’s your name, number one, and where d’ya come from?’. But it wasn’t a case of simply copying her, as Paul immediately put his own stamp on the iconic show. His trademark humour and quick wit makes for lively banter with the singletons. As he meets the first batch of single lads, he asks Ryan, ‘Why did you say you want a woman with small hands? Is that to make something else look bigger?’

Yes, the retracting screen still separates the choosing contestant from their three potential Blind Dates, something that, Paul jokes, might persuade the President of the United States to tune in. ‘Donald Trump would love this’, he quipped.

To the older audience who have the fondest memories of the Cilla Black era, it may have seemed a little racy. Whilst it was far from rude, there’s no denying that it’s been sauced up just a little bit. ‘Look at that, it’s massive’, Paul exclaimed upon meeting Damian, the date selector with an impressive eight-inch beard, before peeping over the partition to reassure the girls that he was ‘talking about a beard, just in case you were wondering’.

Stepping into the voice-over booth to replace ‘Our Graham’ is Melanie Sykes, hired personally by O’Grady to provide a wry running commentary on the contestants. Mel oozes personality on screen and has a wicked sense of humour, which she shows off with her tongue-in-cheek recaps. ‘Who doesn’t love a Brazilian?’ she ponders after sales manager Ryan revealed he was from Brazil. I can’t help but feel she’s wasted in her minimal role. The producers have missed a trick by not having her providing a narrative for the VTs in which we see the couples on their dates. Not to mention she has a superb rapport with Paul (the pair hosted Today with Des and Mel together on a number of occasions), so more interaction wouldn’t go amiss.

The only major change to the format was with the dates themselves. Damian chose to pair up with Cara, after she told him that the squat was her ‘favourite position’ in response to a delicately loaded question, whilst quality assurance manager Debbie opted for part-time model Richard, not that it was his occupation that swung it, of course. Rather than being flown across the globe to exotic holiday destinations, Damian and Cara were sent off to play ping pong whilst Debbie and Richard went to Junkyard Golf. Underwhelming, to say the least. It seems Blind Date has fallen victim to Channel 5’s lower budgets. Back in the day, if they hated each other, at least they came back with a sun tan.

Perhaps all the money had been used up on the new set. If that’s the case, they shouldn’t have bothered, for it’s the only part of the revival which I didn’t like. I was expecting glitz and glamour, a sophisticated studio with a sweeping staircase. Instead, it looks more like a cross between a nightclub and the interior of the TARDIS. It’s too dark and ultra-modern.

Given that this was the debut episode, there were no previous contestants whose dates we could have a nosy at, so to bridge the gap, the producers had thrown together two couples and sent them on dates to Paris and Barcelona. Having spent over a decade as one of the best chat show hosts on the circuit, Paul couldn’t be more at home here, having a gossip about what went on when he welcomes the returning participants onto the sofa for a chat. It may have seemed rather academic given that we’d never met these people before, but eased continuity during the opening episode and helped us get back into the swing of things.

Since Cilla said ‘ta-rah’ to Blind Date, we’ve had all sorts of different takes on the matchmaking format, from Take Me Out to Meet The Parents, and not forgetting the ridiculously unnecessary Naked Attraction. Now, the daddy of them all is back.

Amid fears it may seem dated in 2017, Paul O’Grady has expertly recreated the magic of this Saturday night institution. The late, great Cilla will be looking down on him with glee, no doubt hoping he’ll make the odd mistake here and there. With all the key ingredients of the original coupled with Paul’s irrepressible humour, it’s sure to be a lorra lorra laughs.

Blind Date continues on Saturday nights at 7.00pm on Channel 5.