Lights, camera, first date
Meet the creative brains behind 'Better Date Than Never'
Contact goes behind the scenes of the hit TV series Better Date than Never with executive producer and UQ alum Karina Holden to learn how she brought the show to life and why everyone has fallen in love with the cast.
In January this year, the team behind Love On The Spectrum debuted their new TV series Better Date Than Never – a TV show that depicts dating as a very human thing that can be awkward, nerve-racking, funny and a bit weird.
Each participant has a unique story, and a different reason for a later start to their dating journey. But all share a common goal – to step out on their first date.
It’s a nice shift away from most dating-show genres, and has been met with adoration across the world.
Stephanie Haber, Karina Holden, and Cian O'Clery after winning the award for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program for Love on the Spectrum at the 2022 Creative Arts Emmys in Los Angeles. Image: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
Stephanie Haber, Karina Holden, and Cian O'Clery after winning the award for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program for Love on the Spectrum at the 2022 Creative Arts Emmys in Los Angeles. Image: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
Contact watched Better Date Than Never and fell in love with the cast, diversity and representation it was bringing to our screens. Curious to know more about the people behind the show, we spoke with executive producer and Emmy award-winner Karina Holden (Diploma Conservation Biology '95) about her role in bringing Better Date Than Never to life and what she loves about the show.
Q: Can you tell us about your role behind the scenes of the show?
A: My colleague Cian O’Clery and I created the show. I am the executive producer, which means supervising our team and being across all casting and storytelling.
Q: Can you share how the idea of Better Date Than Never came about?
A: Dating shows are typically set up as blood sports, where women are bitchy, men are privileged, and relationships are disposable. We wanted to create a show that allowed people to meet in a more empathetic and sensitive way, that would hopefully lead to genuine connection.
Q: What did you love most about making the series?
A: I love how each of the cast members blossomed in confidence and self-assurance. Some ended up in solid relationships, but all of them became more open and were buoyed by overcoming that nerve-rracking experience of the very first date.
Q: Why do you think people have fallen in love with the show and what is it about the cast that makes them so appealing to the audience?
A: We wanted to make an inclusive and relatable show, by casting people who aren’t the usual fame-seekers we often see on shows like Married at First Sight or The Bachelor. There are no villains to be seen!
"Instead, we follow the love stories of people who express their vulnerabilities openly as well their authentic desire for love. It’s a feel-good watching experience."
Q: We’re a team of word nerds: are there any quotes from the cast of Better Date Than Never or Love On The Spectrum that have stuck with you?
A: It has to be the moment Charles felt heartbroken at the end of a date, when he was rejected by someone he had fallen for. He said, "It’s the 31st of August today, and spring is coming tomorrow." I was so touched by his outlook at that moment – there was hope just over the horizon.
Q: Did you expect the show to be so successful?
A: Well yes! Real stories of love – told well – are so life-affirming. Having created the series Love On The Spectrum, which has become so successful globally, gives us some sense of what audiences appreciate.
Q: Can you tell us about your role behind the scenes of the show?
A: My colleague Cian O’Clery and I created the show. I am the executive producer, which means supervising our team and being across all casting and storytelling.
Q: Can you share how the idea of Better Date Than Never came about?
A: Dating shows are typically set up as blood sports, where women are bitchy, men are privileged, and relationships are disposable. We wanted to create a show that allowed people to meet in a more empathetic and sensitive way, that would hopefully lead to genuine connection.
Q: What did you love most about making the series?
A: I love how each of the cast members blossomed in confidence and self-assurance. Some ended up in solid relationships, but all of them became more open and were buoyed by overcoming that nerve-wracking experience of the very first date.
Q: Why do you think people have fallen in love with the show and what is it about the cast that makes them so appealing to the audience?
A: We wanted to make an inclusive and relatable show, by casting people who aren’t the usual fame-seekers we often see on shows like Married at First Sight or The Bachelor. There are no villains to be seen!
"Instead, we follow the love stories of people who express their vulnerabilities openly as well their authentic desire for love. It’s a feel-good watching experience."
Q: We’re a team of word nerds: are there any quotes from the cast of Better Date Than Never or Love On The Spectrum that have stuck with you?
A: It has to be the moment Charles felt heartbroken at the end of a date, when he was rejected by someone he had fallen for. He said, "It’s the 31st of August today, and spring is coming tomorrow." I was so touched by his outlook at that moment – there was hope just over the horizon.
Q: Did you expect the show to be so successful?
A: Well yes! Real stories of love – told well – are so life-affirming. Having created the series Love On The Spectrum, which has become so successful globally, gives us some sense of what audiences appreciate.
Q: When you have some downtime, what do you love to do that fills your cup?
A: I can never get enough adventure. Every spare minute of my life I try to fill with something new and challenging. I want to stuff as much living into every moment as I possibly can! So, downtime is always uptime.
Q: What interested you to undertake a Diploma in Conservation Biology at UQ, and how has a qualification like this helped you in the world of film and television?
A: I started my career in television in natural-history filmmaking. My degree helped me make specialist programs and I’ve travelled the world filming wildlife. I still make a lot of environmental programs, but I have been able to expand into broader documentary filmmaking. I now work across many genres including science, politics, social issues and, of course, love.
Karina Holden filming on Albatross Island in north-west Tasmania.
Karina Holden filming on Albatross Island in north-west Tasmania.
Q: It wouldn’t be a Contact Q&A without a question about your time at UQ. On the theme of love, did you meet anyone special on campus?
A: Of course! I was very much in love as a student at UQ and have very fond memories of the time. My boyfriend was doing a PhD in zoology, and we were inseparable – until we weren’t.
The funny thing is, I started dating again around the time I created Better Date than Never, after a long time holding on to a broken heart (not from the relationship at UQ… oh no, that was back in the '90s). And after a series of awkward dates, I eventually met my new partner – who is actually a UQ alum as well. Yes, love can happen any time. And I reckon the more we live, the better love gets.
Love at UQ
Contact is sharing the stories of alumni who came to UQ for an education and found love as well.
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