Quibi, the latest entrant in the Streaming Wars, launches on Monday. And because Quibi stands for “quick bites,” here’s a quick-bite review of one Quibi’s quick bites.
Singled Out packs an awful lot of premises into just eight minutes an episode. It’s a blind dating show—based on an MTV show of yore—where a pool of 30 contestants gets narrowed down to three finalists based on their answers to a few “dealbreaker” questions, sight unseen. It’s also a show about setting people up with their acquaintances on social media, from which the aforementioned pool is sourced. And to give the matchmaking some visual pizzazz, finalists engage in stunt-y feats like bug kissing and dildo racing. The contests don’t actually affect the final result, but they’re fun to watch.
Such manic energy fits well with the ebullience of cohost Keke Palmer, who works the daters while comic Joel Kim Booster patrols the suitors. Smushing the distended dating format—looking at you, two-hour Bachelor episodes—into such limited space punctures much of the pretense. This isn’t an exhaustive search for the love of your life; it’s a setup that’s trying to grab your attention by any means possible, up to and including thirsty DMs. The actual singles in question are an admirably diverse bunch, from a bisexual black woman to a Pennsylvania drag queen in full beat. Still, you’ll barely learn their names before they’re packed off to fend for themselves off the soundstage. Singled Out is a hit of pure junk food, and everyone knows junk food is best enjoyed in … you guessed it … quick bites.