Don’t mistake Netflix’s new unscripted series “Love on the Spectrum” for another reality dating show. Though the love-centric series, out Wednesday, follows the success of predecessors like “Love is Blind” and “Too Hot to Handle,” it’s not a competition at all — it’s a chance for neurotypical people to understand the experience of dating with autism.
“People on the spectrum want love just like everybody else does,” creator, director and executive producer Cian O’Clery told TheWrap. “It’s really refreshing and nice to be able to show people on an authentic dating journey who aren’t picture-perfect, good-looking people looking for Instagram followers.”
For starters, O’Clery and his team didn’t hire casting agents to go out and find their subjects, which consist of seven singles and two couples on the autism spectrum all living in Australia. Instead, they called autism organizations, social groups, disability employment organizations and even set up stands at comic conventions.
“Our casting methodology was completely the opposite of a dating show,” he said. “We look at it as we’re filming a series on the terms of the participants, not on our terms. We see it as, we are people who are being allowed into their lives to tell their stories. We’re not casting a show and finding people up for something that they can’t get out of.”
He also opened up about the subject he still keeps in touch with the most.
“I speak to Michael every couple of days, but that’s partly because he rings me up about all sorts of things,” he said. “We have quite a good relationship and it’s great, and interestingly when we were in the first phase… Michael was one of the people who just kept ringing the office. We saw that he was such a unique and interesting guy.”
At the end of the day, O’Clery’s biggest hope for “Love on the Spectrum” is to change assumptions people may have about autism.
“We’re representing people who are very underrepresented in media,” he said. “The number one thing I hope people will get from the series is that they’ll understand more about autism. We’re telling autistic stories via the lens of dating and relationships, but really, it’s about getting to know these people and understanding the diversity of autism and the fact that everyone is so different. It’s something you just can’t make assumptions about.”
All five episodes of “Love on the Spectrum” are now streaming on Netflix.
Alex Trebek: 9 Things You Didn't Know About the 'Jeopardy!' Host (Photos)
"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek passed away on Nov. 8 and left behind an amazing legacy. We've compiled a list of nine interesting things you probably didn't know about the longtime television personality from a new biography written by Lisa Rogak called "Who Is Alex Trebek?" out now from Macmillan Publishers.
Trebek, his wife Jean, and his son Matt, courtesy of "Who Is Alex Trebek? A Biography" by Lisa Rogak
He was a troublemaker in his youth
In his teen years, Trebek was sent to a Catholic boarding school after his parents separated. There, he was nearly expelled over disagreements with one of his teachers.
Alex Trebek in 1984 (Photo by Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images)
He nearly became a priest
In college, Trebek considered becoming a priest and went so far as to spend a summer at a Trappist monastery. But it was the vow of silence that changed his mind. He later said, “I’m not one to keep my big mouth shut.”
A Trappist monk / Getty
He's a clean-freak
After quitting his job of 12 years at the CBC, he moved to Los Angeles. There he found a roommate in "Growing Pains" actor Alan Thicke, who compared living with Trebek to Felix, the neat-freak character on the sitcom "The Odd Couple."
Felix from "The Odd Couple" / ABC
He went through a rough divorce
Trebek's first marriage lasted seven years and ended in 1981. He later admitted that he lived “like a very depressed monk,” spending most nights watching TV with a bucket of fried chicken and a bottle of white wine.
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Lucille Ball helped him land "Jeopardy!"
The "I Love Lucy" star was a big fan of "High Rollers," the game show Trebek hosted previously. She told her friend, producer Merv Griffin, to consider hiring him when they decided to resurrect "Jeopardy!"
He named his cat Sleaze Bucket
Trebek is an animal lover, but when it comes to names, he doesn't hold back. He had a dog named Spammer, two rescue cats named Winger Dinger and Sleaze Bucket (A.K.A. Sleazy) and another cat named Safety Puce.
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Ladies love him
A woman at a book signing once gifted him a cupcake topped with a pair of breasts made out of frosting. And during the days when he hosted the Pillsbury Bake-Off, a contestant once asked the judges, “Is Alex here yet, and do you know his room number?”
Pillsbury Bake-Off promo / CBS
He swears like a sailor
Known for his proclivity for profanity, Trebek has let more than a few f-bombs fly over the years. During a 2014 radio interview with Dan Patrick, Trebek was informed that they were operating on a profanity delay. “I’m worried about your language,” Patrick said at the time.
He's a Luddite
“I don’t text, I don’t access the Internet, I don’t blog, I don’t tweet,” Trebek has said. He only uses his cell phone to make calls, but he's not a fan of social media. “Everyone has their face buried in their phones,” he continued, according to Rogak. “Why is it important to know what I did this morning and convey that to other people?”
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Fun fact: He briefly considered becoming a priest during his college years
"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek passed away on Nov. 8 and left behind an amazing legacy. We've compiled a list of nine interesting things you probably didn't know about the longtime television personality from a new biography written by Lisa Rogak called "Who Is Alex Trebek?" out now from Macmillan Publishers.