# The Undateables - Channel 4



## madzone (Apr 3, 2012)

I know Tourettes isn't funny but I can't help laughing


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## Maurice Picarda (Apr 3, 2012)

It's possible that documentary makers, schedulers and advertisers naively expect people to be saddened and touched by films featuring Tourettes sufferers or about people with that sleeping disorder the name of which I forget, rather than amused. But I doubt it somehow.


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## 5t3IIa (Apr 3, 2012)

Narcolepsy. The Narcoleptics AGM! Lololo!


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## Maurice Picarda (Apr 3, 2012)

Yes, that was it. Perhaps someone should make a sympathetic documentary about my struggle with nominal aphasia, for giggles.


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## 5t3IIa (Apr 3, 2012)

Maurice Picarda said:


> Yes, that was it. Perhaps someone should make a sympathetic documentary about my struggle with nominal aphasia, for giggles.



Nominal aphasia is a funny word. What is it?


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## Maurice Picarda (Apr 3, 2012)

Won't the travel agency let you install google? Bastards.


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## bi0boy (Apr 3, 2012)

These sort of documentaries are heart-warming tales of human struggle in the face of adversity, not the 21st century equivalent of Victorian freak shows.


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## UrbaneFox (Apr 3, 2012)

From the channel that brought us Gipsy weddings.


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## 5t3IIa (Apr 3, 2012)

Maurice Picarda said:


> Won't the travel agency let you install google? Bastards.



I'm currently on the sofa, on the iPhone, in my mansion :hand: 

It'll be more interesting in your own words, I'm sure.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 3, 2012)

There was a lass on R4 / Woman's Hour this morning who's in a wheelchair after a blood vessel burst in her spine. Apparently she's on it, at some point.

She said she was horrified when she discovered what it was going to be called, and was tempted to pull out... but decided to go with it, to confound the programme's expectations / prove that she IS dateable.

Erm. Front Row were going into conniptions about the title, too. It's certainly caused a bit of a stir amongst us chattering classes.

BBC won through when it was first televised - something about women with partners / families in prison - but then I twigged this was on 4+1 so it's getting a viewing now...


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## mrs quoad (Apr 3, 2012)

(I'm not sure that Richard's mum is the most helpful person in the world wrt his Aspergers 

"You could be flexible on where she lives."

"Could I? COULD I?"

And then going through a dry run of his date with him when, basically, he really wants to be dating her.)


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## Geri (Apr 3, 2012)

I felt very sorry for his mum, she's obviously deperate to palm him off onto somebody else.


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## madzone (Apr 3, 2012)

I quite fancied Richard. And the tourettes guy


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## mrs quoad (Apr 3, 2012)

madzone said:


> I quite fancied Richard. And the tourettes guy


I'm kinda surprised the bloke with Tourettes hasn't had more success. He seemed to have a solid circle of friends!

And didn't quite get what went wrong with Richard's date. Apart from stealing cold chips  "I've gotta go now. I've gotta go now." And BANG she was gone!

e2a: and Penny was like a wet weekend! Tap water on the pier!


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## mrs quoad (Apr 3, 2012)

Also, Richard looks like someone.

Perhaps a 1980s comedian.


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## quimcunx (Apr 3, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> I'm kinda surprised the bloke with Tourettes hasn't had more success. He seemed to have a solid circle of friends!
> 
> And didn't quite get what went wrong with Richard's date. Apart from stealing cold chips  "I've gotta go now. I've gotta go now." And BANG she was gone!
> 
> e2a: and Penny was like a wet weekend! Tap water on the pier!


 
Joey doesn't share food!


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## mrs quoad (Apr 3, 2012)

quimcunx said:


> Joey doesn't share food!


?

Friends?


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## quimcunx (Apr 3, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> ?
> 
> Friends?


 
Yes.


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## FridgeMagnet (Apr 3, 2012)

I got a questionnaire about this programme earlier. It asked what i thought of the title. I said it was sensationalist and patronising. I've not changed my mind.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 3, 2012)

I missed a bit.

Are the French considered disabled now, or has she signed up with this particular dating agency for another reason?

e2a:


quimcunx said:


> Yes.


 
Ahhhhhh.


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## smmudge (Apr 3, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> (I'm not sure that Richard's mum is the most helpful person in the world wrt his Aspergers
> 
> "You could be flexible on where she lives."
> 
> "Could I? COULD I?"


 
I switched off half way through but saw the bit where he was getting really stressed about where he was going, it wasn't coming up properly on the computer or something and he didn't think he could go through with it.

Mother: "OH FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE RICHARD"


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## joustmaster (Apr 3, 2012)

tourettes is one of the funniest afflictions there is.

in the early 2000s the website tourettes.com was full of info about the illness. and the site tourettes.co.uk forwarded to tourettes.com

but not before flashing up "fuck off" in huge letters


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## smmudge (Apr 3, 2012)

I guess it would be funny if uncontrollable swearing was called Tourettes, and not coprolalia.


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## FridgeMagnet (Apr 3, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I got a questionnaire about this programme earlier. It asked what i thought of the title. I said it was sensationalist and patronising. I've not changed my mind.


You know, I said that just based on my perception of the advertising, having not seen any of the series - which was what I was being asked about, so that was proper responses.

I've now watched five minutes of it. Fucking sensationalist patronising fuckers. I can't watch any more actually - well, I could if I was promised a simultaneous feed of the chortling Old Street producer cunts being roasted in an oven in a split screen.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 3, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> You know, I said that just based on my perception of the advertising, having not seen any of the series - which was what I was being asked about, so that was proper responses.
> 
> I've now watched five minutes of it. Fucking sensationalist patronising fuckers. I can't watch any more actually - well, I could if I was promised a simultaneous feed of the chortling Old Street producer cunts being roasted in an oven in a split screen.


Were there 3 people in it? I think there were.

Anyhows. Of them, one seemed to be doing quite well, and was well in for a third date with a lass who clearly liked him.

And the other two turned down people who were well up for a second date. (Though one of them had a flop along the way).

That alone seems to confound the title somewhat.


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## FridgeMagnet (Apr 3, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> Were there 3 people in it? I think there were.
> 
> Anyhows. Of them, one seemed to be doing quite well, and was well in for a third date with a lass who clearly liked him.
> 
> ...


I twitched, immediately. From the outset it was Old Street cunts interviewing someone to patronise. They probably didn't even realise their place in it all.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 4, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I twitched, immediately. From the outset it was Old Street cunts interviewing someone to patronise. They probably didn't even realise their place in it all.


What is an Old Street Cunt?


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## FridgeMagnet (Apr 4, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> What is an Old Street Cunt?


They make programmes for Channel 4. They come from a very limited social subset.


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## toggle (Apr 4, 2012)

oh, are aspies supposed to be undatable now then?

glad someone didn't tell me that a few months ago


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## mrs quoad (Apr 4, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> They make programmes for Channel 4. They come from a very limited social subset.


That narrator. I recognise her dry, 'o, I'm just, u no, reading this out, like' voice. The one that says 'these aren't _my _judgments and interpretations I'm loading onto you. They're _yours. Listen _to my objective descriptions, why don't you. _Listen.'_


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## mrs quoad (Apr 4, 2012)

toggle said:


> oh, are aspies supposed to be undatable now then?
> 
> glad someone didn't tell me that a few months ago


Wasn't Cleopatra famous for clasping an Aspie to her breast?

If that isn't eligibility, I don't know what is.


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## UrbaneFox (Apr 4, 2012)

10 minutes on Front Row was enough for me. Richard's mum advising him on how to show a bit of interest in a woman - she's his Mum, surely she knows how he relates to people?


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## toggle (Apr 4, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> Wasn't Cleopatra famous for clasping an Aspie to her breast?
> 
> If that isn't eligibility, I don't know what is.


 

always found that clasping one to my breast puts him in a good mood.


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## FridgeMagnet (Apr 4, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> That narrator. I recognise her dry, 'o, I'm just, u no, reading this out, like' voice. The one that says 'these aren't _my _judgments and interpretations I'm loading onto you. They're _yours. Listen _to my objective descriptions, why don't you. _Listen.'_


Every time I go to the office, I have to go to Old Street. Imagine the casual twat conversations. They are mostly even more trivial than this. Imagine my turmoil when it comes to not engaging in mass murder.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 4, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Every time I go to the office, I have to go to Old Street. Imagine the casual twat conversations. They are mostly even more trivial than this. Imagine my turmoil when it comes to not engaging in mass murder.


I still have this vague difficulty that 'Old Street' isn't really connected to any network or web of meanings, as of yet. At the moment, the sole link that I've got is with the voice of the female voiceover, and I'm not sure the implications of that association have quite sunk in. I'm, basically, hearing 'blah blah blah' where you've put Old Street atm. Though that may change with time and education.

So if I'm entirely honest, the mental picture I'm getting is this:

Well, ok, I can't find anything that looks like the mental picture. But it's basically a mental picture of a roomful of slightly manic, grinning cartoon cats.

A bit like this: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 only more cartoony, and more layered on top of one another.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 4, 2012)

Yeah, actually. I'd probably be up for going to my office if it looked like that.


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## 5t3IIa (Apr 4, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> Yeah, actually. I'd probably be up for going to my office if it looked like that.


The voice over was Sally Philiips ie Clare in the Community


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## 5t3IIa (Apr 4, 2012)

I dint think fridgey realises how insular and weird he's being with the 'Old Street' stuff


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## TitanSound (Apr 4, 2012)

5t3IIa said:


> I dint think fridgey realises how insular and weird he's being with the 'Old Street' stuff


 
But you must agree, it's 99% cunt nowadays.


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## 5t3IIa (Apr 4, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> But you must agree, it's 99% cunt nowadays.


Meh. My point is that Qoad doesn't know what it is


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## TitanSound (Apr 4, 2012)

5t3IIa said:


> Meh. My point is that Qoad doesn't know what it is


 
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.


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## FridgeMagnet (Apr 4, 2012)

I mentioned it a couple of times in the middle of the night before it was stated that the reference wasn't understood. Oh _I'm fucking sorry_, I must be _really weird_. Jesus.

quoad: it's an area of London with a lot of media people in it, I wasn't being very clear with my references, but not many cats


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## gabi (Apr 4, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I mentioned it a couple of times in the middle of the night before it was stated that the reference wasn't understood. Oh _I'm fucking sorry_, I must be _really weird_. Jesus.
> 
> quoad: it's an area of London with a lot of media people in it, I wasn't being very clear with my references, but not many cats


 
Er, you do know where C4 is based dont you? Ie, where this was commissioned and signed off from? The editing may well have been farmed out to a shoreditch based editing house (altho i doubt it) but the C4 Creative Director sits quite a long way from east london.

Time to update your prejudices methinks.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 4, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> quoad: it's an area of London with a lot of media people in it, I wasn't being very clear with my references, but not many cats


Ahhhh.

ty, but I preferred the cats


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## London_Calling (Apr 4, 2012)

They should try the online dating thread - they'd fit right in...


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## Blagsta (Apr 4, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I mentioned it a couple of times in the middle of the night before it was stated that the reference wasn't understood. Oh _I'm fucking sorry_, I must be _really weird_. Jesus.
> 
> quoad: it's an area of London with a lot of media people in it, I wasn't being very clear with my references, but not many cats


See: Shoreditch Twat


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## gabi (Apr 4, 2012)

Programme was made for C4 (SW1) by Betty TV (W1)

Old St = EC1

That part of town is mostly web tossers now. Most TV production is west london.


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## butchersapron (Apr 4, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> That narrator. I recognise her dry, 'o, I'm just, u no, reading this out, like' voice. The one that says 'these aren't _my _judgments and interpretations I'm loading onto you. They're _yours. Listen _to my objective descriptions, why don't you. _Listen.'_


How could a privately educated oxbridge voice be anything but objective?


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## frogwoman (Apr 4, 2012)

joustmaster said:


> tourettes is one of the funniest afflictions there is.
> 
> in the early 2000s the website tourettes.com was full of info about the illness. and the site tourettes.co.uk forwarded to tourettes.com
> 
> but not before flashing up "fuck off" in huge letters


 
some of what i do shows signs of tourettes  it's commonly linked to ocd and other related illnesses. Not sure why it should be related to ocd but there you go. And the swearing is only one symptom of tourettes that i don't think is present in all sufferers, it's often other types of verbal / non verbal ticks (sp?)


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## frogwoman (Apr 4, 2012)

what i worry about is that this programme will confirm peoples self hatred and stigmatisation of themselves that people with this type of condition often have. that they're "undatable", freaks, weirdos, etc. tourettes and ocd are often related and ocd creates very very high levels of anxiety in people (i know this coz i've got it).


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## butchersapron (Apr 4, 2012)

Is this old street - _I’m a creative, we don’t know how to talk to suits - _the millionaire businesswoman CEO of Betty TV (who just happens to also be a former head of commissioning of C4).


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## 5t3IIa (Apr 4, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I mentioned it a couple of times in the middle of the night before it was stated that the reference wasn't understood. Oh _I'm fucking sorry_, I must be _really weird_. Jesus.
> 
> quoad: it's an area of London with a lot of media people in it, I wasn't being very clear with my references, but not many cats


 
Sarcasm = the last resort of short-tempered, busy people in bad moods


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## frogwoman (Apr 4, 2012)

> betty is the UK’s leading producer of high quality, modern, factual TV. They create popular series such as Country House Rescue, Freaky Eaters and The Joy of Teen Sex.


​


> ​Liz Warner, betty CEO, came to us for advice. While the investor presentation told the betty story beautifully, the last thing Liz wanted was ‘to turn the pages’ in front of prospective buyers.​​_“I’m a creative, we don’t know how to talk to suits – and I hate PowerPoint.”_ We helped the management team tell their great story and feel confident with the financial information they had to get across to potential buyers.​


​​stigmatising people with mental health conditions in a "creative" way. ​


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## DJWrongspeed (Apr 5, 2012)

This is exploitation TV no doubt.  In it's defense it gives the participants the best dating chance they can have. The broadcast is just a grand instigation of, hopefully,  alot of interest for all the individuals.


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## scifisam (Apr 5, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> But you must agree, it's 99% cunt nowadays.


 
I live 20 minutes' walk from there. And work in the media.


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## Stigmata (Apr 5, 2012)

scifisam said:


> I live 20 minutes' walk from there. And work in the media.


 
Me too, and i'm about to move even closer 

I work for a museum though


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## mrs quoad (Apr 10, 2012)

Bumping this to point out that Prison, My Family and Me is on BBC3, for anyone looking for a thoroughly worthwhile alternative


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## articul8 (Apr 10, 2012)

I'm watching this


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## Geri (Apr 10, 2012)

Me too. I find the people interesting.


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## Mogden (Apr 10, 2012)

I find the people interesting but not "undateable" by any stretch of the imagination. I'd expect this of Channel 5 but 4....


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## articul8 (Apr 10, 2012)

The scheduling after that skinny/fat show suggests it's there to make the 'average' viewer to feel better about themselves.  They seem like a nice bunch


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## pigtails (Apr 10, 2012)

The woman doing the voice over is a patronising cunt mind.


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## butchersapron (Apr 10, 2012)

Who/what is the dating agency?


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## articul8 (Apr 10, 2012)

Is it the same agency involved - there was one for learning disabilities they referred to.  But not everyone fits that bill?


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## pigtails (Apr 10, 2012)

butchersapron said:


> Who/what is the dating agency?


There's a few featured, one is specifically for people with learning diffs, which was started and is run by people with learning diffs.


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## articul8 (Apr 10, 2012)

Why is a chaperone needed?


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## pigtails (Apr 10, 2012)

articul8 said:


> Why is a chaperone needed?


That's only with the agency for learning diffs and I assume it's their policy to make sure the people who meet are ok; it's only for the first date they said.


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## butchersapron (Apr 10, 2012)

pigtails said:


> There's a few featured, one is specifically for people with learning diffs, which was started and is run by people with learning diffs.


Ta


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## articul8 (Apr 10, 2012)

The lass Shaine is with is hard work!


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## Geri (Apr 10, 2012)

articul8 said:


> The lass Shaine is with is hard work!


 
A friend of mine has a girlfriend like that. I have never, ever heard her speak.


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## weltweit (Apr 10, 2012)

Am I the only one thinking that this program may be less than edifying?

Never seen one mind.


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## zoooo (Apr 10, 2012)

Shane/Shaine looks like someone off the telly, but I cannot think who.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 10, 2012)

zoooo said:


> Shane/Shaine looks like someone off the telly, but I cannot think who.


John Sergeant?


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## mrs quoad (Apr 10, 2012)

Bloody hell, hope the cats get on!


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## moomoo (Apr 10, 2012)

Justin made me cry.


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## neonwilderness (Apr 10, 2012)

moomoo said:


> Justin made me cry.


He seemed to do alright out of it in the end.

It's a shame they don't seem to be showing any follow ups from the previous dates, I was interested to see what happened with the tourettes guy from last week.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 10, 2012)

neonwilderness said:


> He seemed to do alright out of it in the end.
> 
> It's a shame they don't seem to be showing any follow ups from the previous dates, I was interested to see what happened with the tourettes guy from last week.


That'd need a format that was expecting any success!

As it is, if their expectations are confounded and anything works out, they can milk it for an extra one-hour special, ay.

e2a: I like Justin's cat.


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## moomoo (Apr 10, 2012)

I'm going to insist on a chaperone if I ever go on a date.


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## mrs quoad (Apr 10, 2012)

moomoo said:


> I'm going to insist on a chaperone if I ever go on a date.


 
"Would you like to meet my little fella?"


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## Cid (Apr 11, 2012)

gabi said:


> Programme was made for C4 (SW1) by Betty TV (W1)
> 
> Old St = EC1
> 
> That part of town is mostly web tossers now. Most TV production is west london.


 
Yep, 'silicon roundabout' they call it these days.


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## aspx (Apr 12, 2012)

pigtails said:


> The woman doing the voice over is a patronising cunt mind.


 
Was interested to see if anyone reacted to the show in the same way as me, so typed "undateables voiceover patronising cunt" into Google, and your post came up...


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## frogwoman (Apr 13, 2012)

welcome to the boards aspx


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## Celt (Apr 13, 2012)

I haven't seen the second episode should I sky+ it or family guy?


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## pigtails (Apr 13, 2012)

aspx said:


> Was interested to see if anyone reacted to the show in the same way as me, so typed "undateables voiceover patronising cunt" into Google, and your post came up...


 
Well that's gonna be a story you tell often on the frequent "how did you find urban?" threads!
You'll never leave,
You're ours now MWHAHAHAHAH!!!!

Anyway, welcome to the boards


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## Mrs Magpie (Nov 18, 2012)

Bit of an update on this...my husband knows one of the women who appeared in this. As a result of the programme she's been recognised on public transport and verbally abused and humiliated by cunts. OK, chances are they're the sort of cunts who abuse people with learning disabilities anyway, but I think the experience has really shaken her.....


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