The
reality television dating show features one contestant who chooses from four contestants of the opposite sex by eliminating them one by one in three rounds. The contestant (sometimes female, but usually male) meets their four dates one by one, and then gives their first impression in a confessional-style cut scene. The other four contestants then size each other up along with the contestant within their own confessional scenes. The group of five is cut one-by-one each round, and in each round the group usually goes to a different place. The show starts out in the late afternoon at a public place (e.g. a city park or restaurant). Then, when there are only two suitors left, the setting moves to a
hot tub or VIP area of a club, where sex acts may happen. Typically, the contestants are very competitive and insult one another many times during an episode. There are rare cases of fighting, but "catty" bickering is the show's major draw. The extremity of some of the cattiness suggests handling and line-feeding from producers, and contestants respond to these situations in interview sequences filmed after the fact. Most eliminations are preceded by some variation of the phrase
I liked everybody but unfortunately the name of the game is "ElimiDate", so I have to make a cut. So I decided to cut.... Contestants who are cut have the opportunity to react to their dismissal. Many eliminated contestants, often visibly intoxicated, insult the contestant who eliminated them, claiming ''He/she wasn't my type, anyway.'' Initially, episodes rotated between
Los Angeles,
Miami, and
New York City, but the program's popularity encouraged the producers to film episodes in other cities. Episodes were filmed in over three dozen cities, including
Atlanta,
Baltimore,
Chicago,
Columbus,
Little Rock,
St. Paul,
Jacksonville,
Phoenix,
Raleigh and
Sacramento, and syndicators usually received strong support from affiliate stations to find contestants for the series within their cities through casting calls. ==
ElimiDate Deluxe==