Taken Out

Taken Out

Company type	Television program
Industry	Entertainment, Television
Founded	September 1, 2008 (2008-09-01)
Founder	FremantleMedia
Headquarters	Australia
Products	Dating game show
Parent	FremantleMedia (Fremantle)

Taken Out represents an Australian dating game show that originally aired on Network Ten from 1 September 2008 through 26 February 2009. The program was created by FremantleMedia (currently known as Fremantle) and hosted by James Kerley.

The concept expanded globally under different names, debuting in 2008 in Denmark as Dagens Mand (meaning Today's Man) and in 2009 in the Netherlands as Take Me Out. This latter title was also used for versions produced in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Philippines, and the United States. An updated Australian adaptation, retitled Take Me Out and fronted by comedian Joel Creasey, aired on the Seven Network from 3 September to 27 November 2018.

Further international versions have been developed across numerous countries including Sweden, Indonesia, Japan, China, Spain, Finland, Thailand, Germany, Italy, France, Malaysia, Taiwan, Canada (Quebec), Vietnam, and Lebanon.

Format

The core of Taken Out is a studio-based competition where a single contestant is introduced to thirty singles of the opposite sex within the Taken Out arena. The structure consists of two main phases: an initial studio selection followed by a two-part dating sequence. The host shares details and video clips about the featured single, after which each of the thirty participants independently decides whether to keep their light illuminated to remain in contention or extinguish it to withdraw.

Initial selection

Note: The description below illustrates a scenario featuring one single man presented to thirty single women; the reverse arrangement is also employed.

At the start, women receive a single piece of information about the man, which they combine with his appearance to determine interest, choosing to either turn their lights on or off. Once a light is switched off, it cannot be reactivated. Next, a video profile showcasing the man's attributes is played, prompting another round of light decisions. Subsequently, viewers see a video from someone close to him—such as a friend, family member, colleague, or former partner—followed by an additional opportunity to decide.

If four or more women remain with their lights on, the man meets each individually and turns off lights until just three remain. He then poses a question to eliminate one contestant at a time until only one remains. When only two women are left, the initial question round is skipped; with only one woman remaining, he asks a question before making his final decision. Should all lights be turned off at any point, no match occurs and the game concludes. Throughout this process, host Kerley interacts with participants to collect their feedback.

Dating process

Once selection concludes, the couple embarks on a three-stage dating process. Initially, they converse privately in a studio 'green room' to become better acquainted without external influence. This is followed by an in-person date at locations such as restaurants or bars in Melbourne. If mutual interest continues after this meeting, they may proceed to an optional rendezvous at the observation deck of the Eureka Tower, featuring champagne and panoramic city views—though occasionally only one party attends. After these encounters, a final decision is made regarding whether either individual wishes to pursue further contact; those interested keep their light on, while others turn it off. This result is revealed during the subsequent episode.

Broadcast

Originally, the program was scheduled to air from Monday through Friday at 7pm but was shifted to a 6pm slot after two weeks to address competitive pressures. Following a four-week run comprising 19 episodes, it was taken off the schedule due to underwhelming viewer ratings. Nevertheless, FremantleMedia had produced a total of 65 episodes. On 12 January 2009, Taken Out was reintroduced in a late-night midnight slot, broadcasting the remaining 46 installments until 26 February 2009.

Additionally, the show was available on the Australian pay television channel Channel V.

External links

• Official Site

Region/Country	Title	Network	Debut	Host(s)
Australia (Original version)	Take Me Out	Seven Network	3 September – 27 November 2018	Joel Creasey
Belgium (Flanders)	Take Me Out	2BE	15 December 2010 – 2011	Gerrit De Cock
Template:Country data Brazil	Me Leva Contigo Take Me With You	Rede Record	9 May 2014 – 2015	Rafael Cortez
Template:Country data Chile	Elígeme Pick Me	Mega	24 March 2010 – 9 February 2011	Luis Jara
Template:Country data China	我们约会吧 "Let's Date" (gender roles reversed)	Hunan TV	24 December 2009 – 25 June 2014	He Jiong (何炅)
	非诚勿扰 If You Are the One Meaning "If Not Sincere, Don’t Bother"	Jiangsu TV	15 January 2010 – present	Meng Fei (孟非)
Czech Republic	Take Me Out	Prima televize	14 September 2017 – present	Jakub Prachař and Milan Zimnýkoval
Denmark	Dagens Mand Today's Man	TV2	17 September 2008	Pelle Hvenegaard
		TV3	8 September 2016	Mattias Hundebøll
Estonia	Vali Mind! Pick Me!	Kanal 2	2011	Kristjan Jõekalda
France	Séduis-moi...Si tu peux! Seduce me...if you can!	W9	30 September 2013	Jérôme Anthony
Germany	Take Me Out	RTL	13 March 2013 – present	Ralf Schmitz Jan Köppen
Hungary	Vigyél el! Take Me Away!	RTL Klub	5 September 2015	Bence Istenes
Indonesia	Take Me Out Indonesia	Indosiar	19 June 2009 17 November 2012	Choky Sitohang and Yuanita Christiani
	Take Him Out Indonesia		2 August 2009
	Take A Celebrity Out Indonesia		2010
	All New Take Me Out Indonesia		February 2014	Indra Bekti and Nycta Gina
	Take Me Out Indonesia	antv	19 September 2016	Eko Patrio
	Cari Jodoh Lagi Find a Soulmate Again		20 August 2017
	Take Me Out Indonesia	GTV	27 July 2019 – 2020	Robby Purba
		MNCTV	29 June 2023 – present	Rian Ibram, Angel Karamoy and Vega Darwanti