First Dates


First Dates is a British reality television programme that has aired on Channel 4 since 20 June 2013. The programme is narrated by Brian Protheroe.

Production

The programme was originally filmed at the Paternoster Chop House restaurant in Central London, showing many people on dates, all of whom have not met each other before. At the end of the date, the couples are interviewed together and asked whether they would like to see each other again. The restaurant is closed to the public while filming takes place. The restaurant is fitted with 42 cameras and there are at least 70 crew members on set during filming, which lasts 15 hours a day. Each diner is given £25 towards the cost of their meal.
The spin-off show, First Dates Hotel, follows the same TV format with contestants meeting for the first time in a hotel restaurant, but if the date goes well, the couples are offered the opportunity to check-in for the night. The first series was filmed at Le Vieux Castillon in Castillon-du-GardFirst Dates#cite note-2| offering idyllic settings with a variety of activities for the successful second daters, and added sommelier Xavier Chapelou to Fred Sirieix's team. The second series was filmed at Aquapetra Resort & Spa in Campania near Naples, Italy.
In 2020 it was announced that filming will move to Manchester.

Restaurant staff

The restaurant's maître d'hôtel Fred Sirieix offers pieces to camera on the nature of love, romance and dating. When not filming for First Dates he was for 14 years the general manager at restaurant Galvin at Windows though left in December 2019.
The waiting staff and barman do not work in the restaurant full-time, but are recruited for when the series is being filmed.
CiCi Coleman is an actor who trained at New York Film Academy, Laura Tott was briefly a member of the Royal Navy, and barman Merlin Griffiths is a pub landlord who has previously worked as a global brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire gin. The waiting staff are joined by Sam Conrad, Austin Ventour, Grant Urquhart, Will and Ehsia.

Transmissions

Regular

Specials

Celebrity First Dates

''First Dates Hotel''

''Celebrity First Dates Hotel''

International versions

The format created in the United Kingdom has been adapted in Belgium, Finland, The Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Australia, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, Poland, USA, France, Brazil, Israel, Sweden, Norway, Argentina, Portugal, Austria and South Africa.
CountryTitleTV channelYear aired
First DatesNPO 3 18 March 2015 – present
First DatesSlice1 September 2015 – 18 April 2017
First Datessixx21 October 2015 – 9 December 2015
First Dates – Ein Tisch für ZweiVOX5 March 2018 – present
First Dates HotelVOX20 April 2020 – present
First DatesSeven Network3 February 2016 – present
:es:First Dates|First DatesCuatro17 April 2016 – present
First DatesRTÉ221 April 2016 – present
First DatesTelevision New ZealandOctober 2016 – present
:it:Primo appuntamento |Primo appuntamentoReal Time14 March 2017 – present
:pl:Pierwsza randka |Pierwsza RandkaTVP216 March 2017 – 16 November 2017
First DatesNBC7 April 2017 – 26 May 2017
Premier rendez-vous et plus si affinitésTF112 June 2017 – present
:pt:À Primeira Vista |À Primeira VistaRede Bandeirantes22 June 2017 – 21 September 2017
דייט ראשון
Date Rishon		Channel 218 December 2017 – present
Första dejtenSVT13 March 2017 – present
Første dateTVNorge4 January 2018 – present
Primera CitaTelefe14 February 2018 – present
First Dates – O Primeiro EncontroTVI2 January 2019 – present
First Dates AustriaATV17 April 2019 – present
First Dates South AfricaBBC Lifestyle16 October 2019 – present
First DatesEén5 March 2020 – present