▁included ▁gay / les bian ▁and ▁bis ex ual ▁contest ants , ▁with ▁some ▁players ▁pick ing ▁from ▁groups ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁gender ▁as ▁themselves , ▁and ▁some ▁bis ex ual ▁participants ▁choosing ▁from ▁mixed ▁groups . ▁From ▁the ▁second ▁series , ▁the ▁show ▁would ▁occasionally ▁include ▁potential ▁dates ▁who ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁transition ing . ▁ ▁Modern ▁innov ations ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁a ▁new ▁wave ▁of ▁d ating ▁shows ▁began ▁air ing ▁in ▁U . S . ▁synd ic ation ▁that ▁were ▁more ▁sex ually ▁suggest ive ▁than ▁their ▁earlier ▁counter parts , ▁including ▁shows ▁such ▁as ▁Bl ind ▁Date , ▁El im id ate ▁and ▁The ▁ 5 th ▁W heel , ▁which ▁often ▁pushed ▁boundaries ▁of ▁sexual ▁content ▁allowed ▁on ▁broadcast ▁television . ▁As ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁progress ed , ▁the ▁ratings ▁for ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁shows ▁began ▁to ▁decl ine , ▁a ▁situation ▁ex ac erb ated ▁by ▁the ▁Super ▁Bowl ▁XXX V III ▁hal ft ime ▁show ▁controvers y ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁as ▁production ▁companies ▁out ▁of ▁fear ▁of ▁being ▁im posed ▁with ▁mon et ary ▁pen alt ies ▁by ▁the ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission ▁( F CC ) ▁for ▁inde cent ▁content ▁began ▁self - c ensor ing ▁their ▁d ating ▁shows ▁( and ▁many ▁synd ic ated ▁programs ▁target ed ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 8 - 4 9 ▁dem ographic , ▁in