Whether you’re blissfully single, partnered up, or somewhere in between, there’s one thing we can all likely agree on, and that’s a mutual adoration of watching real people (just like us!) try their best to find, and fight for, love — in front of a crew of cameras, of course.
Luckily, there are a slew of dating and relationship shows available to stream, and in just about every genre and competitive arena you could dream up. Prepare your popcorn and pour yourself a glass of wine, because these series are guaranteed to make you shake your fist at the screen — and maybe even believe in love, too.
In this dating experiment, it simply doesn’t matter how many candles were on your last birthday cake or how few wrinkles have formed on your forehead. Romantic hopefuls ranging from 22 to 60 years old get matched to see whether age matters when the connection is real. Hosts Nick Viall and Natalie Joy — who themselves are in a high-profile age-gap marriage (Viall, 44, and Joy, 26) — are well-suited to serve as guides through this process.
Japan’s first dating show for rebellious yankii — a Japanese subculture of delinquent youth — gathers 11 singles, each possessing a past checkered with violence, crime, and other dark spots. The series sees the group living together for 14 days as they learn about honesty, vulnerability, and true love. “It has been incredibly meaningful for all of us to see the yankii culture — something we consider to be ‘ultra-Japan’ — reach not only audiences in Japan, but viewers around the world,” said producer MEGUMI of the already-renewed series.
This makeover-style show spotlights “eternal singles,” or adults who have never been in a romantic relationship. Known as motae-solos in Korean, these dating rookies navigate their first real steps in love with the help of “cupid experts” — Seo In-guk; Kang Hanna; Lee Eun-ji; and Car, the Garden, all of whom are known in Korea for their relationship advice — who coach them through this uncharted territory. The series, renewed for a second season, also follows their awkward yet endearing first dates.
Falling in love is easy, but staying in love is hard. Inspired by the viral YouTube series, this British show sits down with seven young couples, all of whom are nearing their breaking points for various reasons, on the couch of seasoned couples therapist Karen Doherty. Over eight episodes, they move out of their comfort zones to try and work through their relationship roadblocks — including long-held resentments, commitment issues, financial clashes, repeated infidelities, and more.
Japan’s first same-sex romance reality series is about building intimate connections of all kinds. It follows nine single men as they head to a Japanese seaside city where they’ll spend the summer living together in a beach house called the Green Room. Over 10 episodes, the young men run a coffee shop together as they form genuine bonds with each other. And as the summer months go on, they learn valuable lessons about first loves — and first heartbreaks.
Can two people torn apart by infidelity find their way back to love? This series asks that very question of eight couples who are trying to figure out their futures after one partner cheated on the other. Host Amanda Holden and relationship expert Paul C. Brunson guide the former flames as they confront their past, rebuild trust, and decide if they can move forward — together or apart.
Dating is hard enough on your own — but what about searching for love in a French villa alongside your sibling? That’s what seven pairs of relatives set out to do in this series. The cast is made up of British twin brothers, Italian cousins from New Jersey, and gorgeous Iranian twins, among others. The show follows them as they try to find their soulmates — and potentially win $100,000.
This series follows real-life singles of diverse ages, races, and sexual identities in New York City and New Orleans as they navigate five blind dates per episode. The goal is to find at least one match worthy of a second date. Watch as widower Leonard takes a spontaneous dance lesson and newly-divorced Gurki speaks her mind over cocktails. It’s an honest and intimate look at modern dating — and you’ll feel like you’ve pulled up a seat at their table.
Travel from California to India as Mumbai matchmaker Sima Taparia helps her eccentric and overly enthusiastic clients find their future spouses. She relies on her years of experience and ever-growing network to find the perfect match — a process that includes interviewing family members and asking about preferences in a potential partner (including height, career goals, and hobbies). Come to learn about the traditional arranged marriage system, stay to virtually attend a few extravagant Indian weddings.
It’s never too late to find love. The eight-episode docuseries follows six silver singles who are ready to expand their search for a partner over a succession of blind dates. Since many of them haven’t been in a relationship in over a decade, they get help navigating the modern dating scene from their children and close friends — as well as from dating coach Logan Ury, who encourages them to have fun and relish the joys of meeting new people.
Can love ever truly be blind? That’s the question this hit series continues to ask with each new season (and international edition). The experiment drops singles into “pods” that allow them to build emotional connections through a wall rather than jumping to any conclusions based on looks. Only after getting engaged do they meet in person for the first time. Each season then follows the couples as they enjoy a tropical honeymoon, move in together, and consider saying “I do” at the altar.
Warning: this picturesque getaway is not exactly a relaxing and romantic vacation. In this Spanish reality show, six couples are subjected to eye-scanning lie detectors, old flames, and new temptations. Every single lie has a monetary cost, while truth and trust add up to a cash prize. Keep the competition going with the series’ Sardinia-set edition, plus its equivalents farther afield: Love Never Lies: South Africa and Love Never Lies: Poland.
The US version of the popular Australian series follows young adults on the autism spectrum as they navigate dating and relationships — some for the first time — with pure joy, nerves, and the occasional discomfort. The docuseries helps dispel some of the stigma surrounding autism, and also showcases empathy and compassion toward the community. “The most important thing we can do with this series is to introduce audiences to a diverse range of autistic people, telling their stories in their own voices,” said co-creator and director Cian O’Clery.
If only the men of our favorite romantic K-dramas were real. This Brazilian series attempts to make that dream a reality for five Brazilian women, following them as they arrive in Seoul to find out whether their relationships with the Korean partners they met online can survive challenges like daily routines and cultural differences. The show is the first Brazilian reality production filmed in Korea and offers real couples’ stories with a K-drama setting.
In today’s times, it’s rare to travel or experience romance without the use of social media, messaging apps, emails, or phone calls. This Japanese series challenges 10 singles to do both: navigate a foreign city without using any digital devices, meet potential dates by relying on chance encounters and written letters, and fall in love within 10 days. The show includes entertaining studio commentary from singer-actress Kyoko Koizumi and the comedy duo Reiwa Roman.
Hosted by Nick Lachey, Perfect Match takes some of the biggest names (who are still single!) from Netflix’s other unscripted series (Love Is Blind, The Ultimatum, and Too Hot to Handle among them) and plops them all together in one tropical paradise. The goal? To find love, of course, but with a twist: As contestants battle to form relationships, the most compatible couples ultimately wield all the power, breaking up couples and assigning dates with new singles they’ll be able to summon to the villa.
This show takes a unique approach to first impressions, transforming daters into animals and other characters with prosthetics and makeup. (That means you’ll see a panda bear and a monster out on an axe-throwing date, as well as a mandrill and a devil taking a spin on a roller coaster.) Hosted by Rob Delaney, each episode ends with the removal of the costumes. Will their looks live up to their personalities — or be just as beastly as their alter egos’?
This South Korean reality show drops single men and women on Inferno, a deserted island that’s free of any modern comforts and luxuries. Their lone goal? Find a connection and couple up with a fellow contestant to be swept off to a utopian island resort known as Paradise. There’s another catch: Contestants cannot disclose their job or age to their partners until they’ve made it to Paradise, their only safe haven for honest conversation.
A “sneaky link” is usually limited to a secret, commitment-free hook-up — but what if yours is actually the one? This dating experiment brings together a group of semi-single daters who check into the Sneaky Links Motel with their casual flings to discover if they are meant to be — or just getting in the way of finding long-lasting love. The contestants regularly meet with host Chloe Veitch and relationship expert Spicy Mari to navigate their situationships.
The iconic series — in which couples test their commitments by living with a group of singles of the opposite sex — is back, with fresh seductions and a high chance of infidelity. Hosted by Mark L. Walberg, the show follows four pairs as they leave their partners behind to meet a batch of eligible hookups. They must then decide whether to return to their lives together, chart a new path alone, or leave the island with a different lover.
On the shores of paradise, gorgeous singles meet and mingle. That sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Of course, there’s a naughty catch: Search for love and form a deeper emotional connection — but refrain from kissing, heavy petting, and sexual intimacy of any kind. Any forbidden activity results in deductions from a $100,000 prize that’s up for grabs. It’s fun to watch serial daters get terrorized by celibacy; it’s hilarious when they’re policed by the show’s robot sex cop, Lana.
This dating show follows already established heterosexual couples as they try to determine whether love is enough. In each pair, one is ready to walk down the aisle, and the other is dragging their feet. They all date someone outside their relationship and enter into a trial marriage. At the end of the experiment, each person must decide between two futures. The Ultimatum: Queer Love sees five couples — made up of women and nonbinary people — doing the same for themselves.
