Dating on the Spectrum

Key Takeaways

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  The show prioritizes social responsibility over reality TV exploitation

  “It's one of the biggest shows on Netflix, and it's so unique to have a show that is actually socially responsible but it's also scratching the itch that people have to watch reality dating series. With other dating series, I think that even if viewers say, oh, I'm watching for the romance, the moments that are really sticky are often the most dramatic and, as you said, exploitative. And what people say is, oh, the people who go on those shows signed up for it. So whatever happens to them, they deserve it. This, I think people genuinely want the best for the people on the show.”

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  Creator Kian O'Leary mastered invisibility on film sets

  “Baz used to say to me, it's like you're invisible, which I thought was actually a really nice thing, and he would meant it as a compliment that, you know, I was able to get really close in on, you know, him working with the actors on these sets with a camera filming, and kind of people wouldn't really even notice me. And so I was able to capture this really great intimate footage. And then, Kian used that footage to make a big career pivot into reality television.”

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  Psychiatric ward filming established the show's ethical framework

  “There were people in psychosis. There were people with extreme depression. I mean, you know, I was interviewing someone several hours after they've attempted to take their own life in the emergency department. I mean, it was quite actually some really quite heavy stuff. Previously, I directed, like, segments or, you know, a particular, cast member for a show, but this was, like, one docuseries, three parts, directing the whole thing. So this was my first kind of real directing assignment in a sense.”

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  Consent requires continuous verification throughout the production process

  “The consent process involved people double, triple consenting. He would try and get consent before, but often people were in psychosis. He would talk to their family members if they had them, and then he would speak with them after they were out of psychosis. Mhmm. But they didn't get to see the footage. So they had to trust Kian to put themselves out there when they're, like, really, really unwell to the point where they had been hospitalized.”

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  Authentic representation counters societal stigmas regarding neurodivergent futures

  “Kian believed that it was really important for the public to see people who society might believe don't have a future, but see them when they do get treatment and when they are properly cared for, that they can get better. It was a documentary series about people with disabilities who were looking for meaningful employment. I think that the people who are making the show want the best for the people who are on the show. And that's not always the case when you're producing reality television.”

Episode Description

The reality show “Love on the Spectrum” — which just released its fourth season — has become a big hit; it’s currently one of the most watched shows on Netflix in the United States. The show follows autistic adults as they search for love. “Love on the Spectrum” is unlike much of reality television — a genre known to subject its cast members to drama and humiliation for entertainment’s sake. Instead, the show captures a dating world that has more heartwarming moments than histrionics, and is sensitive and nuanced in its portrayal of neurodivergent people. On today’s episode of “The Sunday Daily,” Rachel Abrams talks with Anna Peele, a contributing writer for The New York Times, about the show’s origin story and why it has resonated with so many people. On Today’s Episode: Anna Peele is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and the author of the forthcoming book “Enter the Villa,” about the reality show “Love Island.” Photo credit: Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.