Dream Date: Match for the digital age?

Manila, Philippines - Several independent TV producers have always come up with ideas for a show that would appeal to the young. But the industry system isn’t cool to the prospect as it naturally favors the giant networks, which either come up with their own shows (hopefully not from the ideas proposed by others) or buy foreign franchises.

One individual who is trying to buck the system is David Abrenilla, the producer of a new show meant for young people — late teens and young professionals. Abrenilla’s brainchild: Dream Date, which is having its pilot episode tonight with a very late schedule to suit the target viewers — 11:30 p.m. on Studio 23.

Abrenilla says, “Dream Date is the first-ever tri-media, dating game cum lifestyle show in the Philippines created by Filipinos. This is not a franchise of foreign shows.” Tri-media refers to the interconnected three main media outlets, namely, online, mobile and television, to which the young seem to be perpetually attached.

Every episode of Dream Date is a search for the “ultimate dream date” with six contestants — three girls and three boys facing one another, answering questions and accepting other challenges progressively to seek compatibility. In the end, the contestants vote for their dream date facing them, based on looks, personality and special talent.

Chuzi, which Abrenilla introduces to us as “the nation’s very own and first online and mobile dating-lifestyle network,” provides the matchmaking system. “The matchmaker guarantees a selection process that is fun yet safe, inoffensive and free from rejection,” he says. Consumers shall use the Internet or their mobile phone to enroll in the game, in hopes of finding their match. The consumers are analyzed based on their success with the game and will be invited to a casting call, to have a chance to be on the Dream Date show.

Abrenilla’s Hello Media group puts things together. He is proud of the fruit of his endeavor. He says it is the first original Pinoy dating game show, and we believe the claim is accurate, for the TV industry may not have welcomed the idea of two strangers being matched and made to date in the past years or decades. But for sometime now, reality TV has changed viewers’ perception not only of the shows they want to see but also of social activities in general.

During the taping of the first two episodes of Dream Date at a popular chill-out club in Quezon City, the synergistic collaboration of talents — director Frank Lloyd Mamaril, the staff and hosts Bianca Roque and Andrei Felix (of Magandang Umaga), both of them winners of MYX VJ search — has turned Abrenilla’s vision to reality, at least for one brief moment. The hosts say they are looking forward to learning love lessons from the televiewers and the dating contestants.

 “I’m thrilled and grateful to be part of such a fun and dynamic show,” Bianca says. “It’s not your usual dating game show. For our contestants, we not only have beauty queens but also tough girls and girls-next-door. At the same time, we have the online component, which is the lifestyle angle of the show. In that website, you could get tips and advice on how to dress up, do make-up and where to go on dates.”

“Dream Date is a dream job,” says Andrei. “I’ve been on radio and on TV as a VJ. I’ve played basketball and I currently host a morning show. But this is something I haven’t done yet. Being with Dream Date is overwhelming. It’s a very big project. Everybody can join in.”

Abrenilla says of the two hosts, “Here we have Bianca who gives advice, our ‘Love Guru’ and Drei, our ‘Love Cupid’ and together, they make a perfect match to find your dream date.” But right after the taping of the first episode, winners Mark Alejandro and Odessa Fausto seemed to hit it off quickly, an instant cozy twosome watching the taping of the next episode as though they had known each other for a long time. However, time will tell whether Mark and Dessa will be Dream Date’s wished-for match made in heaven — a match for the digital age. Or maybe it’s enough that two people will enjoy each other’s company for one memorable, wonderful fun date.