Considering the massive success of the reality dating show Love on the Spectrum, which has streamed two seasons thus far, it comes as no surprise that Netflix has decided to offer an American version of the series. Given the success of show, which has seen some couples who were already together get married and others at least gain more dating experience and confidence, it has been well received.
Originally featuring a cast from Australia, the American version is based in California and bears a lot of similarities to the original. Thematically, in fact, it's almost identical. But there are some key differences beyond that.
The Setting
Naturally, since this is the American version of the show, the setting is in the U.S. In particular, all the singles are located in Los Angeles or surrounding areas, including Long Beach, San Francisco, and Alpine.
While the weather was most often warm and comfortable for outdoor dates, there are a few times when heavy winds were present, such as when Steve headed outside to take photos for a dating profile.
Older Cast Members
The age of the cast members in the American version varies greatly, from people in their 20s and 30s to Steve, who is 63 and was only recently diagnosed as being on the spectrum. In the Australian version, most of the cast is much younger, many in their 20s or early 30s.
Steve is a unique cast member in that he is of a mature age but still hasn't found "the one." In fact, like the other cast members half his age, he has been single his entire life. He is also the only cast member to live on his own, with a personal assistant who visits him and provides support as needed. He called having a "lovely lady" to live with him an "absolute dream come true." His date with Candida and his corny jokes would rank among the best singles dates on Love on the Spectrum.
Cast Not Living With Their Parents
Some of the cast members don't live with their parents, but rather with aunts, uncles, and even, in the case of 63-year-old Steve, alone. It is a big difference from the Australian version where most (though not all) of the cast members live with their parents.
Abbey even spends a lot of her time with not only her aunt and brother but also a married couple who live in the guest house, and who she refers to as her stepfathers.
Cast Having Dated Before More Often
While some cast members, like Subodh, have never had a girlfriend or even gone on a date, some of the others have. Dani and Abbey, referenced having boyfriends in high school. James, meanwhile, mentioned that he was in a relationship with a woman before who wasn't interested in pursuing it as seriously as he was.
In the Australian version, with the exception of a few cast members, most of them had never been on a date before. So, the show not only helped them get better at it but introduced them to the concept for the first time. On the American version, most of the cast had been on dates prior.
Some Have Tried Online Dating
Online dating was mentioned by a few of the cast members in the Australian version, with a few having even tried it before. But it is featured much more prominently in the U.S. version. Kaelynn sits with her mother while scrolling through profiles, swiping left or right depending on which man she likes or doesn't. He also mentioned during speed dating that she notices every guy has a dead animal of some kind in his hands in his profile photo.
Steve, meanwhile, had his personal assistant take photos of him to set one up on eHarmony so he could try online dating for the first time. James noted he connected with a few women via online dating in the past but they never expressed interest in actually meeting him in person.
Couples Move Much Faster
Within minutes of their first date, Dani declared her love for Solomon, bluntly telling him and the camera how she was falling for him. He had to take a break for a moment then returned to reveal that he felt the same way. Their exchanges would easily rank among the funniest and most adorable moments on Love on the Spectrum.
They were holding hands and even shared a few kisses by the end of the date, which is something that never happened on the Australian version of the show so quickly or even for most, at all. While some of the couples held hands or shared a single kiss, the Australian version was never as intimate as this version of the show.
The Expert Herself Is On The Spectrum
Jennifer, the expert brought in to help coach the cast members before their dates, is on the spectrum herself as well. She also revealed she has three children who are also on the spectrum. Jodi in the Australian version is an autism expert but she, herself, is not on the spectrum.
Jennifer wasn't diagnosed until she was 35. But she said that being on the spectrum gives her a particular understanding of the cast and helps her relate to them more. They all felt comfortable around her during pretend dates where she helped them work through the art of conversations, manners, and more.
Cast With Other Different Abilities
Among the cast is Kaelynn, who is not only on the spectrum but also has, as she explains, "every other learning disability you could have." That includes dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and ADHD. "It makes a lot of the different aspects of my life challenging," she adds. In fact, one of the problematic things about Love on the Spectrum, according to Reddit, is that the stars refer to autism as a disability.
Dyslexia is a learning disability that pertains to reading, dyscalculia relates to math, dysgraphia involves impairments in writing letters by hand, and ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is often diagnosed in childhood.
No LGBTQ+ Representation
While the Australian version of the show features several cast members who identified as bisexual or gay and were open to dating people of different genders and gender identities, the American version focused solely on heterosexual male-female couples.
With that said, the Australian version of the show focused more on LGBTQ+ couples in its second season. So it's possible that if Love on the Spectrum US is renewed for a second season, the show might add more diversity in that respect with a new selection of singles with various dating interests.
Dating Someone Who Isn't On The Spectrum
Kaelynn went on a date with Peter after meeting him at the speed dating event when each selected the another as a match. Unlike the Australian version of the show where all the dating parties were on the spectrum, Peter is not. Kaelynn also did not reveal her diagnosis to Peter until they went on their official first date.
Peter was seemingly accepting of Kaelynn and indicated that he enjoyed spending time with her and wanted to see her again. It's for reasons like this that Love on the Spectrum ranks among the best reality dating shows, according to IMDb. With that said, the end of the show revealed that Peter canceled and they never spoke again.