The most unhinged reality dating shows on TV

Love Island USA has finally wrapped, and if your group chat is already mourning the loss of six nights a week of people making catastrophically bad decisions, don't worry. I've spent years seeking out reality dating shows that somehow make Love Island look... well-adjusted.

From genuinely compelling social experiments to concepts that should never have made it past a network pitch meeting, here are the most unhinged dating shows of the last decade. But first, a moment for the pioneers.

First generation reality dating

Throughout reality TV history, we've been blessed (or cursed) with some truly unhinged dating concepts. The early aughts gave us Flavor of Love, which introduced the world to Tiffany "New York" Pollard; A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, which was honestly ahead of its time with a bisexual lead and contestants of all genders; plus MTV’s iconic lineup of Room Raiders, Next, and Date My Mom.

Then there's one that people seem to have erased from their memory: Baggage, hosted by the one and only Jerry Springer. Three contestants compete for a date while revealing increasingly horrifying secrets, escalating from "I cheated on my ex over 100 times" to "I make jewelry out of my own teeth and skin." Here’s a full episode if you’re up for it…

Thankfully, these kinds of dating shows are far from a relic of the past. These are the 6 most unhinged from the last decade, and to keep things scientific, I graded each show on two very important metrics:

🌪️ Unhinged: a scale of “wtf” to “WTF?!”

🍿 Watchability: a scale of “boring” to “omg you need to see this”

Unhinged: 🌪️🌪️ | Watchability: 🍿🍿🍿

If Casa Amor and movie night are your favorite parts of Love Island, this is the show for you. Sure, the premise is inherently unhinged, but let's be honest: any couple willing to go on a show to "test" their relationship probably isn't headed for a fairy-tale ending. So when they inevitably cheat on each other, it's hardly shocking. But it is still the perfect show to laugh, gasp, and scream over with your besties. Or with your dad, if you're one of Matt Damon's kids.

Damon unexpectedly became one of the internet's favorite reality TV fans during his press tour for The Odyssey after telling Amy Poehler he and his daughters watched an episode of Temptation Island. His review? "It did not disappoint."

Unhinged: 🌪️🌪️🌪️ | Watchability: 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿

I came to this show in a truly spectacular way. While waiting to board a delayed flight to Dallas in 2018, I was seated directly behind the best friends and mother of a Married at First Sight Season 7 contestant who were all on their way to the wedding.

I hung onto every (eavesdropped) word. I was fascinated that the show's concept was actually real: their friend was about to legally marry a complete stranger, and none of them had known until just a few days earlier. Did they think she was crazy? Absolutely. But they were also surprisingly supportive, and honestly, is it really that different from any other form of extreme matchmaking?

Since then, I've gone back to the very beginning, and Season 1 is essential viewing. One bride is in literal tears at the altar over how unattractive her husband is, and somehow they’re still married with kids. A love story for the ages…

I just binged the first three episodes of the brand new Season 20, and I’m hooked. It has the ideal release schedule—a three-episode drop every Thursday—which is just enough time to text your friends about every red flag before the next batch arrives. Trust me: you'll have opinions.

Pix Plus subscribers get the full breakdown — the week's biggest moment, what's worth sending to the group chat, and Meredith's read on why it matters — Pix Plus subscribers get it all.