Love isn’t just for the young and taut of buttock. That’s the obvious but still somehow revolutionary concept behind My Mum, Your Dad, ITV’s groundbreaking dating show. In this unique series, a group of twentysomething children oversee their nervous middle-aged parents’ quest for love in a country house filled with other singletons.
Originally touted as a geriatric Love Island, the initial episodes are proving to be much more intriguing. The format is surprisingly gentle and compassionate compared to typical reality TV, reminiscent of the supportive atmosphere in the Bake Off tent rather than the twisted drama of Big Brother. The focus is on the vulnerability of these individuals in their fifties as they venture into the dating scene, some three decades after they thought they had left it behind.
What sets this show apart is the inclusion of the adult children as a fiercely protective Greek chorus. They watch from hidden cameras, observing their parents’ rusty attempts at flirtation and discreetly guiding events. The opening scenes, as the grown-up kids nervously send off their parents with some last words of advice, beautifully mirror the bittersweet ritual of dropping off a child for their first week of university—except this time, the roles are reversed. (“We’re going for nice men,” firmly states 24-year-old Tia as she embraces her mom goodbye).
As connections begin to form tentatively, the relationship between the watching children evolves into a mix of supportiveness and vigilance, similar to that experienced in the parental huddle at a children’s play area. This show brilliantly captures the turning point in family dynamics where the parents start relying on their children’s guidance, while those children realize that their parents are not just their caretakers but individuals who occasionally need to be looked after.
Timing is crucial in this role reversal. If it happens too early, it can be disastrous, burdening teenage children with the responsibility of caring for their chaotic parents. However, when done right, it’s an incredibly touching passage of life, especially in single-parent families.
At its core,
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