Gay, Straight or Taken? (Lifetime Television)

Gay, Straight or Taken? puts the potential couples through familiar dating show set-ups designed to get them comfortable with each other -- yoga instruction, pool time, a salsa lesson, etc. Each of these scenarios is awkward and hardly revealing, but, unlike some other dating shows, Gay, Straight or Taken? feels lighthearted and barely competitive: no binge drinking, no topless hot tubs, no catfights.

With its fairly original take on the dating-show concept, and one based on the day-to-day dating habits of heterosexual women all over the world, this show's premise is based on making assumptions about someone based on their appearance and actions while also being deceived -- obviously not the greatest lessons for teens. But watching an episode or two might provide a good starting point for a discussion about assumptions and identity. And although stereotypes about gay men are certainly presented, viewers are often surprised by who actually ends up being gay -- offering a lesson in avoiding snap judgments and assumptions.