Ever since we heard that RTE were planning to do their own version of the hugely popular Channel 4 show First Dates, we have been dying to see how it would go. To be honest, we had already set ourselves into cringe mode, because let's face it, watching Irish people on the box 'being themselves' generally does seem to leave us all morto for their ma's for havin' them.
Yesterday though, we got to head along to the press preview screening in The Gibson Hotel (where the whole show was filmed), and got to see for ourselves just what exactly the nation will be watching on Thursday night's inaugural First Dates Ireland's episode. As fans of the original Channel 4 series, expectations were high to say the least, so what did we think?
Absolutely loved it.
It's managed to take every aspect of the UK show on board that makes it great, and sprinkle just the right amount of Irish charm on top for good measure. It's funny, heartfelt - you only cringe when you're supposed to (and there will be daters that will make you want to hide behind your cushion). Overall though, the show has managed to do what we believe is the crux behind the success of the UK show - it makes you really root for these single folk. You want them to find love, and not just for your own entertainment.
This is down to the fact that this isn't just a reality show that seeks to create car crash TV by placing two really obnoxious idiots together in the hopes of making 'good' telly, the people behind this series really do care about who they match their singletons up with.
Executive producer Linda Cullen told Beaut.ie; "It's a long process we go through, from the online forms at the beginning, to very long phone calls. Then we look at who there might be and I suppose you're going for people obviously that we think would be very good characters who are also genuinely looking for love."
Casting director Ger Philpott added; "After the phone call we invite people in where we do hour-long on camera interviews that are very in-depth so by the end of the process you actually do know the person. I feel like I have 300 exes having gone through everyone," he joked, "I probably know more about the daters than people in my own life at this stage."
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Ger went onto explain that it's not just superficial questions about looks people are attracted to but also they want to know things like, where did you learn about love - was it from parents, friends etc.
"It's so you're really finding out about all these little details that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, so you get a really good idea of the person you are dealing with and that's how you match them."
Linda added; "We spent a lot of time with a lot of boards of photos on the walls of our office with their dating details, and we argued like cats and dogs about it.
"It's because we're genuinely trying to find people who really match and hit it off."
Despite their careful planning, naturally enough they can't all be hits and while one of the daters on Thursday night's episode will be wanting to taxi it out there as fast as possible (you'll know who we mean when you see it), others have sparks flying off the table with their chemistry.
There's only six episodes in this upcoming season of First Dates Ireland, but we guarantee this is one show you'll want to go the distance.
