5.8 /10 1 Votes
6.1/10 TV Directed by Keirda BahruthJoe Dea First episode date 17 September 2001 | 5.3/10 IMDb Country of origin United States No. of seasons 3 Final episode date 21 May 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Executive producer(s) Jay RenfroeDavid GarfinkleThomas KleinHarley Tat Similar Blind Date, Excused, EX‑treme Dating, Shipmates, Average Joe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 5th wheel jason spates tv series 2001 2004
The 5th Wheel is an American dating reality series that aired in syndication from 2001 to 2004. The show was initially hosted by comedian Aisha Tyler, but when Tyler left after completing the first season, the remaining two seasons were hosted in narration by announcer Tom Gottlieb. Tyler was vocal about what an embarrassing experience hosting the show was, stating in an interview before she began a prominent guest star turn on the blockbuster show "Friends" that "everyone in Hollywood has a job they've done that they aren't proud of."
Contents
The series' closing slogan was, "...where strangers become friends, friends become lovers, and lovers become bitter, suicidal exes all on the same show." However, when Gottlieb took over the show, the catchphrase was altered accordingly to say "...where strangers become lovers and lovers become bitter suicidal exes all in the same show."
Synopsis
The show would begin with two men and two women, all of whom were sent out on a joint date. Then a provocative 5th man or woman (hence, "the fifth wheel") would join the group. At that point the participants would swap partners to learn more about them and to decide if they would like to go out with each other. The cameras would follow their every move, while commentary in the form of subtitles, animations, and "thought bubbles" (similar to the style used in Pop-Up Video) was added by the show's producers. At the end, they would all vote on whom they would like to go out with, and an option of choosing "nobody" as well. The show was canceled in 2004.
Syndication
Reruns were eventually aired on Fox Reality, but later was removed from its lineup. An "uncensored" version of the series without pixelated nudity or profanity censored was made available via pay-per-view and video on demand under the Too Much For TV branding of American PPV provider In Demand, and remains a part of the service's rotation several years after the show's departure from broadcast television.