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Airdate: Playing it Straight

Whoever thought this dating Reality show with gay and straight beaus would return to TV -on the ABC?

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Very surprised to see ABC is screening this one, the dating Reality show in which a single girl has to work out whether her beaus are gay or straight.

The 2004 US series of Playing it Straight played in Australia some years ago, followed by a local series in 2004. Presumably the intent was to break myths about gay stereotypes, yet neither attracted much interest, being seen as fairly deceptive television.

But the UK produced two seasons -one in 2005, and another in 2012 with the latter narrated by the very cheeky Alan Carr.

Now ABC2 is about to give it a run on Friday nights.

Switch on your gaydars everybody…the eight-part UK reality series Playing it Straight kicks off Friday 6 July at 8.30pm. With hilarious narration from chatty man Alan Carr, and hosted by Jameela Jamil, Playing it Straight is a dating game with a twist.

Eleven strapping lads are out to try and win the heart of one beautiful single girl – Cara. But while some of the guys are straight and genuinely want to win Cara’s affections, others are merely playing it straight – they are in fact gay and are out to try and deceive Cara into thinking that they’re the right man for her. With £50,000 up for grabs the stakes are high.

Cara and the guys move into our luxurious Spanish villa together, and over eight episodes the boys take part in a series of comedy challenges, all the time trying to win time alone with Cara in a bid to persuade her that they’re straight and the one for her. Each challenge plays on some form of male stereotyping – will the performance of each potential suitor give any clues as to their true sexuality? Cara needs to watch carefully, because, in each show, she will eliminate one or more of our guys from the game – but will Cara make the right choices, based on what she’s seen?

At the end of it all, if Cara chooses a straight boy they both win £25,000 each. However if she picks one of the gay guys who’s been Playing it Straight, he will walk away with the whole £50,000, and she will win nothing.

In the age of the ‘metro-sexual’ can Cara tell who’s straight, and who’s Playing it Straight? For that matter, can we?

8:30pm Friday July 6th ABC2.

7 Responses

  1. The Gay Mole, perhaps? I’m really not keen on this. A dating game show that puts gays on the same playing field as straights would be much more watchable.

  6. I remember watching a few episodes of the Australian version years ago. It was beyond offensive. Guys accusing each other of being gay every 5 seconds based on ridiculous challenges to “test their manhood” such as their ability to ride a horse, change a tyre etc

    The very idea that these things “prove” whether a man is gay or not is pathetic stereotypical rubbish.

    I can’t believe this awful concept is still being produced. How ABC can think this is worthy of broadcast boggles the mind.

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