3
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Three women seek love on sweet, wholesome reality show.
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What's the Story?
Three women go looking for love on reality dating show 3: recent widow and mother of two small kids Rachel, 34; fashion maven April, 29; and 22-year-old Libby, a faithful Baptist and model. The three women begin the show as a panel meeting a pool of eligible bachelors from different parts of the country. When one or more of the women feels a connection with a particular bachelor, she puts him on her dating list and travels to his city to go on a date with him, which is shown onscreen and sandwiched by interviews with each woman explaining how she felt on the date. If she still feels a connection after the first date, she goes on subsequent dates with him, ratcheting up the level of intimacy -- i.e. introducing dates to family and friends, and spending an entire day together. Eventually, each woman hopes to winnow away the no-gos and end up with a partner by show's end.
Is It Any Good?
Reality dating shows aren't known for their classiness, so it's refreshing to see an entry in which the participants seem genuine and sincere rather than on the hunt for fame or cheap thrills. The women of 3 come off as individuals, not bimbos, and they're not mocked by the camera or put in compromising positions. That said, it's always going to be weird hearing people on television talking about looking for a genuine connection -- you mean, the kind you have when there aren't millions of people watching?
Nonetheless, if reality dating is your thing, you could do worse. Both the male and female singles are presented as real people you can relate to. Between wholesome beach cookouts or hang-gliding sessions, the couples talk about their hopes and dreams as the romantic music swells; afterward, the women drive away and reflect on the dates or sit down in staged girlfriend gossip sessions to discuss the contenders. It all might grab the heartstrings even more if it didn't seem so calculated to do so, with all the romantic lighting and romcom musical cues. Teens might be manipulated by the sweet movie-like imagery; parents may want to have a little chat about how most people really meet the people they ended up marrying. It's not on a reality show, that's for sure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what kind of person would be willing to go on dates, and even to kiss those dates, in front of cameras. Why would a person want to appear on a dating show? Would you ever be on a show like 3?
Can you tell the way the producers of 3 want you to feel about certain bachelors by the music played when they're on screen? Try listening to the music playing underneath what's being said. What do you think the makers of 3 want you to feel with each selection?
How would being on camera change how you acted on a date? Do you think you could be natural and real enough on camera to make a real connection with someone else?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 26, 2012
- Network: CBS
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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