''Perfect Match Australia'' is an Australian dating game show based on the format of the American game show ''

The Dating Game ''The Dating Game'' is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it ...

''. ''Perfect Match'' was produced by the

Reg Grundy Organisation Reg Grundy Organisation (founded as Reg Grundy Enterprises, later known as both Reg Grundy Productions and Grundy Television and known informally as Grundy's) was an Australian-based multinational mass media company, primarily involved in tele ...

. It originally aired on

Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's Paramount Networks UK & Australia, UK & Australia division and is o ...

for 30 minutes most weekdays from 5:30pm between 1984 and 1989. The format was revived in Australia for subsequent programs ''

Blind Date A blind date is a romantic meeting between two people who have never met before. Both parties arrange a date with little to no information about each other, hoping for the possibility of making a lasting impression. Typically, a family member or ...

'' based on its US counterpart on

in 1991, and again a revised version of ''Perfect Match'' this time airing on the

Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...

in 2002 premiering on 24 August. Cameron Daddo

Overview

The show featured the same format as international versions ''

'' and ''

'', with a contestant determining their "perfect match" by asking three potential suitors of the opposite sex hidden behind a screen a number of scripted compatibility questions. Each episode featured two different rounds. One featured a male asking questions of three unseen females, the other had one female asking questions of three male contestants. Viewers of the show could see all contestants throughout each round. Frequently the questions—along with the answers contestants gave—aimed for comedy and were imbued with sly innuendo. After three questions the contestant would choose their preferred partner based on the answers they had given, and would then be revealed to the contestant, both the contestant and selected match, would then win the prize of a holiday to be taken together (along with a television crew). After this the partner with the highest "compatibility score", based on responses to interview questions prior to the game, specially calculated by a computerized robot called Dexter, would be revealed. If the contestant's selection had the highest "compatibility score", both the contestant and selected match won a bonus prize. Each episode also included a recap of the holiday taken by an earlier couple. The segment included footage of their weekend away, along with edited highlights of video interviews with each individual in isolation after returning home, which would be played to the couple as they were interviewed together in the studio. Sometimes previously unrevealed true feelings would be revealed when the video interviews were replayed. '' The Comedy Company'' character Kylie Mole once appeared on ''Perfect Match''. Another ''Comedy Company'' character, Marika, Con the Fruiterer's long suffering wife, also made an appearance on ''Blind Date''. WWF professional wrestler

Paul Roma Paul Centopani (born April 29, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler and boxer, better known by his ring name Paul Roma. He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling between 1984 ...

also made an appearance on ''Perfect Match''.

Hosts

''Perfect Match Australia'' was hosted by Greg Evans for the first three years. Through an oversight, Channel Ten forgot to renew his contract, so he was signed by Channel Nine who "warehoused" him.

Cameron Daddo Cameron Peter Daddo (born 7 March 1965) is an Australian actor, musician and presenter. From 1987 to 1988, he hosted dating game show ''Perfect Match (Australian game show), Perfect Match Australia''. He won two Logie Awards for his performanc ...

replaced him as host of ''Perfect Match'' from 1987 to 1988. After Daddo left the series, Evans, whose contract with Nine had expired, returned to Network Ten as host for the final season. The show also featured hostesses Debbie Newsome (1984–85), Tiffany Lamb (1986) and

Kerrie Friend Kerrie Friend (born 2 October 1963) is an Australian model and TV presenter best known for co-hosting '' Wheel of Fortune'' and '' Perfect Match''.Nicky Buckley serving as hostess. Craig Huggins was the announcer who recapped each contestant with quirky one-liners. Nicky Buckley was later replaced by Swedish-born model Ankie Nordberg. Again known under its original title of ''Perfect Match'' a brief 2002 revival was hosted by

Shelley Craft Shelley Craft (born 21 June 1976) is an Australian television personality. She is most well known for her long-running presenting roles on the Seven Network programs '' Saturday Disney'' from 1996 until 2002, and '' The Great Outdoors'' from 2 ...

and Agro. Radio broadcasters Max Rowley and Bruce Mansfield served as announcers. The original series also featured Dexter – a "

robot A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...

" that supposedly mathematically calculated the compatibility of the couple, voiced by Keith Scott. In the 2002 version, Agro partially fulfilled a similar role to Dexter in announcing the couples' compatibility scores.

New Zealand version

A short-lived version hosted by Butch Bradley and Tiffany Baragwanath aired on

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 Niger, a commercial television channel in Niger * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Can ...

from 1989 until 1990. It followed the same format as the Australian version.

In other media

Evans appeared as himself on a parody version of the show called ''Perfect Date'' in the 1999 comedy film '' The Craic''.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0211840, title=Perfect Match Australia
Perfect Match
at the

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting, and providing access to a national c ...