�Are you old fashioned? Or do you have an edge? �Are you easygoing? Or are you a jerk? �Are you a prude? Or plain normal? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions - and if you happen to work vehemently on your abdominal muscles - you are a prime candidate for one of the current dating shows on television: Agent Love on Channel [V], Har Dil Jo Love Karega on Zoom, Humse Dosti Karoge on STAR Gold and Hello Friend on Vijay TV. Or if you dig a more international look and feel there is Date Patrol and Cooking for Love on Discovery Travel and Living. Channels will vouch that you will have a dedicated audience. These shows elicit a viewer�s sense of romance, competition, comedy and schadenfreude through the lens of the real.

"A lot of viewers watch these shows for pure entertainment," says Grace Nemching, Lecturer of Sociology at Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University. But there is an educational value as well. "Some watch such shows believing they will help them in picking up some dating tips. They can actually identify with the real ordinary people appearing in these shows," she adds.... more