![Madison and Alex hit it off on their first date in new reality TV dating show Love Triangle. Picture by Stan. Below, Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith in House Of The Dragon. Picture by Binge Madison and Alex hit it off on their first date in new reality TV dating show Love Triangle. Picture by Stan. Below, Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith in House Of The Dragon. Picture by Binge](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/E9srhG6YCw3ZDt9UDADP4R/84a88338-1127-4c5e-b449-40cd6793ace5.jpg/r0_0_6000_4000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
LOVE TRIANGLE
Stan
ONCE upon a time viewers jumped on streaming services to escape the mind-numbing dross that has all but consumed prime time free-to-air TV.
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A program like reality dating show, Love Triangle, should be a ratings winner on Channel Nine.
But for some reason it finds itself on the Nine-owned streaming service Stan.
Love Triangle was created by Tara McWilliams and John Walsh, the executive producers of Married At First Sight, and it naturally replicates that proven MAFS formula of creating cheating-inspired drama.
Thankfully we've dispensed with the tiresome marriage ceremonies and there's no experts embarrassing themselves and their professions with relationship advice.
There's also no mention of the word "experiment".
Rather, Love Triangle markets itself as a "radical reconstruction of modern dating".
The show presents six singles who are jaded with the modern dating world of Tinder where appearances dominate.
Each single is given two possible matches who they must communicate with over text and phone calls - without revealing anything about their appearance - for three days before choosing a partner to move in with.
There's your usual alpha male egomaniac characters like afro-haired Yannick, who boasts that friends describe him as a "walking Tinder because I can pick up anywhere", but there's also some more normal blokes like Kyle, a former "chubby kid" turned fitness fanatic who lacks confidence with women.
Of course it wouldn't be reality TV without a twist and stage-managed drama. That comes at the dinner party when the discarded picks are re-introduced into the "love triangle".
Is Love Triangle actually any good?
Not really. But the chances are you'll get hooked.
![Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith in House Of The Dragon. Picture by Binge Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith in House Of The Dragon. Picture by Binge](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/E9srhG6YCw3ZDt9UDADP4R/421fcb63-29a1-4217-8dff-40ccdd8d4960.jpg/r0_0_6000_4000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
Binge
THERE'S two episodes left in the first season of House Of The Dragon and it's safe to say that the Game Of Thrones prequel series has done a stellar job at resetting the fantasy franchise.
Plenty of fans were disgruntled by the final two seasons of GoT as much of the plotting and political intrigue, which made the show such compelling viewing, was jettisoned in favour of epic battles and lazy and rushed storylines.
House Of The Dragon has taken author George R.R. Martin's Westeros drama back to its core focus - that of the lust for power and bloodlines and how they intermingle with devastating repercussions.
However unlike GoT, which involved the houses of various high-born families throughout the realm, Dragon hones in on the dysfunctional ruling Targaryen clan and is set 200 years before the original series.
The Targaryens are no Brady Bunch. There's brutal children's fights which end up with someone losing an eye, and a strong dose of incest. This is the Seven Kingdoms after all.
Paddy Considine is outstanding as King Viserys Targaryen, who is torn between his dutiful wife Queen Alicent Hightower and his oldest daughter and appointed heir, Princess Rhaenyra, and their warring offspring.
But the real star of the series is English actor, Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown).
Smith plays Viserys' surly younger brother Prince Daemon, who undoubtedly has Dragon's most killer line to date: "He can keep his tongue."