First Dates (Australian TV series)

First Dates is an Australian reality dating television show. The format is based on a British program of the same name.^[2] The first four seasons previously aired on Seven Network and were narrated by Sam Mac.^[3] The fifth season aired on Network 10 and was narrated by Tommy Little. The sixth season is set to return to Seven in 2025.

First Dates
First Dates promotional title card for series 1 to 4
Genre	Reality
Narrated by	Sam Mac (season 1–4) Tommy Little (season 5)
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of series	5
No. of episodes	51
Production
Executive producer	Geraldine Orrock[1]
Running time	42–56 minutes
Production company	Warner Bros. International Television Production
Original release
Network	Seven Network (2016–20, 2025)
Release	3 February 2016 (2016-02-03) – 11 March 2020 (2020-03-11) 2025
Network	Network 10
Release	24 February (2022-02-24) – 28 May 2022 (2022-05-28)
Related
First Dates UK First Dates Ireland

Premise

The program follows two strangers, who have been matched up by a relationship expert,^[2] meeting for a first date at a restaurant in Sydney.^[4] At the end of the date, the couples are interviewed together and asked whether they would like to see each other again.^[5]

During filming of the date, there are no producers or cameramen in the restaurant, to ensure the "authenticity of the date," with cameras being remotely operated.^[6]

Broadcast

The eight episode first season premiered on the Seven Network on 3 February 2016^[3][7] airing on Wednesday at 9 pm.^[8] The second season premiered on 1 November 2016, with six episodes airing on either Tuesday or Wednesday at 7:30 pm.^[9] The remaining two episodes of the season aired on 10 and 11 April 2017.^[10] In May 2017, the series was renewed for a third season.^[11] The series was renewed for a fourth season which aired in 2018.^[12]

The series was cancelled by Seven in October 2020.^[13] However casting for a fifth season was announced, with the series confirmed to be switching to Network 10. Applications closed on 1 November 2021.^[14][15][16] The fifth season (and the first for 10) began airing from 24 February 2022.^[17] In August 2023, it was originally announced the series would return to Seven in 2024, after only one season on 10.^[18][19] However, the series was pushed backed to 2025.^[20]

United Kingdom

In June 2016, the series began broadcasting in the United Kingdom under the title First Dates Abroad on E4.^[21][22]

Episodes

Series	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released	Network
1	8		3 February 2016 (2016-02-03)	23 March 2016 (2016-03-23)	Seven Network
2	12		1 November 2016 (2016-11-01)	27 June 2017 (2017-06-27)
3	12		12 September 2017 (2017-09-12)	16 July 2018 (2018-07-16)
4	8		28 January 2020 (2020-01-28)	11 March 2020 (2020-03-11)
5	12		24 February 2022 (2022-02-24)	18 May 2022 (2022-05-18)	Network 10

Season 1 (2016)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Australian viewers
1	1	Episode One[23]	3 February 2016 (2016-02-03)	921,000[24]
2	2	Episode Two	10 February 2016 (2016-02-10)	945,000[25]
3	3	Episode Three	17 February 2016 (2016-02-17)	1,039,000[26]
4	4	Episode Four	24 February 2016 (2016-02-24)	816,000[27]
5	5	Episode Five	2 March 2016 (2016-03-02)	828,000[28]
6	6	Episode Six	9 March 2016 (2016-03-09)	849,000[29]
7	7	Episode Seven	16 March 2016 (2016-03-16)	814,000[30]
8	8	Episode Eight	23 March 2016 (2016-03-23)	750,000[31]

Season 2 (2016–2017)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Australian viewers
9	1	Episode One	1 November 2016 (2016-11-01)	839,000[32]
10	2	Episode Two	8 November 2016 (2016-11-08)	914,000[33]
11	3	Episode Three	15 November 2016 (2016-11-15)	865,000[34]
12	4	Episode Four	16 November 2016 (2016-11-16)	824,000[35]
13	5	Episode Five	22 November 2016 (2016-11-22)	825,000[36]
14	6	Episode Six	23 November 2016 (2016-11-23)	736,000[37]
15	7	Episode Seven	10 April 2017 (2017-04-10)[10]	747,000[38]
16	8	Episode Eight	11 April 2017 (2017-04-11)[10]	707,000[39]
17	9	Episode Nine	6 June 2017 (2017-06-06)	630,000[40]
18	10	Episode Ten	13 June 2017 (2017-06-13)	595,000[41]
19	11	Episode Eleven	20 June 2017 (2017-06-20)	672,000[42]
20	12	Episode Twelve	27 June 2017 (2017-06-27)	628,000[43]

Season 3 (2017–2018)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Australian viewers
21	1	Episode One	12 September 2017 (2017-09-12)	741,000[44]
22	2	Episode Two	19 September 2017 (2017-09-19)	652,000[45]
23	3	Episode Three	26 September 2017 (2017-09-26)	592,000[46]
24	4	Episode Four	3 October 2017 (2017-10-03)	568,000[47]
25	5	Episode Five	10 October 2017 (2017-10-10)	531,000[48]
26	6	Episode Six	24 October 2017 (2017-10-24)	618,000[49]
27	7	Episode Seven	1 November 2017 (2017-11-01)	610,000[50]
28	8	Episode Eight	18 June 2018 (2018-06-18)	N/A
29	9	Episode Nine	25 June 2018 (2018-06-25)	N/A
30	10	Episode Ten	2 July 2018 (2018-07-02)	N/A
31	11	Episode Eleven	9 July 2018 (2018-07-09)	N/A
32	12	Episode Twelve	16 July 2018 (2018-07-16)	N/A

Season 4 (2020)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Australian viewers
33	1	Episode One	28 January 2020 (2020-01-28)	372,000[51]
34	2	Episode Two	29 January 2020 (2020-01-29)	370,000[52]
35	3	Episode Three	5 February 2020 (2020-02-05)	379,000[53]
36	4	Episode Four	12 February 2020 (2020-02-12)	408,000[54]
37	5	Episode Five	19 February 2020 (2020-02-19)	329,000[55]
38	6	Episode Six	26 February 2020 (2020-02-26)	355,000[56]
39	7	Episode Seven	4 March 2020 (2020-03-04)	402,000[57]
40	8	Episode Eight	11 March 2020 (2020-03-11)	379,000[58]

Season 5 (2022)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Australian viewers
41	1	Episode One	24 February 2022 (2022-02-24)	334,000[59]
42	2	Episode Two	3 March 2022 (2022-03-03)	374,000[60]
43	3	Episode Three	10 March 2022 (2022-03-10)	402,000[61]
44	4	Episode Four	17 March 2022 (2022-03-17)	375,000[62]
45	5	Episode Five	31 March 2022 (2022-03-31)	314,000[63]
46	6	Episode Six	7 April 2022 (2022-04-07)	337,000[64]
47	7	Episode Seven	14 April 2022 (2022-04-14)	269,000[65]
48	8	Episode Eight	20 April 2022 (2022-04-20)	N/A
49	9	Episode Nine	27 April 2022 (2022-04-27)	N/A
50	10	Episode Ten	4 May 2022 (2022-05-04)	N/A
51	11	Episode Eleven	11 May 2022 (2022-05-11)	N/A
52	12	Episode Twelve	18 May 2022 (2022-05-18)	N/A