''Love on the Spectrum'' is an Australian

reality television show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

that follows people on the

autism spectrum The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

as they explore the dating world. The show is produced by Northern Pictures for the ABC TV, and currently available to stream on

ABC iview ABC iview is a video on demand and catch-up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Currently iview video content can only be viewed by users in Australia. As of 2016, ABC iview attracts around 50 million plays monthly and ...

and

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

. The show is co-created by Cian O'Clery, who got the idea for the series after working on '' Employable Me'' about people with different disabilities trying to find employment.

Release

''Love on the Spectrum'' first aired on the ABC in November 2019. In July 2020, it was released on

to other territories. A second season was confirmed in September 2020 and premiered on 18 May 2021.

Cast

Reception

The show has received positive reviews from critics. It was awarded 4 out 5 stars by Rebecca Nicholson of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', saying that "at its best, this show is a compassionate, human celebration of difference, and of love." Brett White of '' Decider'' recommended for viewers to stream the show, observing that "''Love on the Spectrum'' is unlike any Netflix reality dating show you've seen before, in the best way." Alison Foreman of '' Mashable'' gave the show a positive review, saying that "''Love on the Spectrum'' is an affecting show that paints telling portraits of human connection that are so lovely, so moving, and so wholly satisfying, it's hard to imagine reality dating being done any other way", while Brian Lowry of

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said that the show "exhibits empathy toward the featured players without condescending toward them, and quickly bridges any cultural barriers in a broadly universal manner." In his review of the series, Daniel Hart of Ready Steady Cut was also positive, concluding that "a reality series that helps to dispel some of the stigma surrounding autism is particularly welcome." Although Michael Phillips of the ''

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'' was somewhat more critical of certain parts of the series, he nevertheless observed that "Unlike '' Tiger King'' or '' The Bachelor'', or certain real-life political reality shows that lost touch with the real world a long time ago, ''Love on the Spectrum'' is about empathy. And about something more interesting than contempt." Autistic reviewers generally liked the show but questioned aspects such as editing choices, focusing on parental reactions and the neurotypical coaching, that preferenced neurotypical perspectives and infantalised the neurodivergent cast members. Sara Luterman from

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors ...

said "The show is also riddled with bad advice and is frequently infantilizing. There are more interviews with parents than with the people the show is ostensibly about... The therapy and assistance offered to the young people featured on the show is similarly out of touch." Sarah Kurchak from ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'' asked: Is the score a bit too cutesy for a show about adults and dating? Would the close-ups on potentially eccentric clothing choices have happened if their subjects were neurotypical? Were the introductions that listed their subjects' "quirky" likes and dislikes genuinely informative or infantilizing?" Joseph Stanichar from '' Paste'' said "Love on the Spectrum isn't perfect, especially in its first season... some of the questions posed seem inappropriate or infantilizing, even down to the tone of voice, and the music is occasionally too cutesy for adults going on dates." The second series reduced the role of the neurotypical relationship coach and expanded the depiction of the social lives of the main cast members with them discussing their dating with peers in a more age appropriate way.

American version

An American version of the show, titled ''Love on the Spectrum U.S.'' premiered on May 18, 2022 on Netflix. It is also produced by Northern Pictures with Karina Holden and Cian O'Clery as executive producers. The series was renewed for a second season in September 2022.

References

External links