A new dating show is to hit prime-time ITV, it was announced, six years after long-running favourite Blind Date was axed. ITV has struggled to find a successful dating format since the demise of Cilla Black's show, which was a staple of the Saturday night schedule for nearly 20 years. Elaine Bedell, the broadcaster's director of entertainment and comedy said it was time for the dating show to return to prime-time television. Take Me Out, hosted by comedian Paddy McGuinness, will feature 30 women from around the UK looking for Mr Right. Each week one single man will walk into the studio and introduce himself to the women, who will each have a light in front of them. If they decide the man is not for them, they switch it off, and the show will progress through a series of rounds until only one contestant is left. With the same girls coming back each week, show producers hope viewers will get to know them as the series progresses and Paddy tries to match them up. Paddy said: "To say I'm excited about hosting Take Me Out is an understatement. "ITV and dating shows are a match made in heaven. It's going to be a lorra lorra fun kid, or should I say, flower!" ITV has commissioned Talkback Thames to make an initial run of eight hour-long shows, which will be filmed in Manchester at the end of the year. Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's new weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop
