A dating show with scruples

By Kristen Paulson, Globe Correspondent, 9/25/2003

"Carolyn and Matt spend their date in the massage room where Carolyn walks on Matt's back to relieve his tension while telling him about her one-month-old breasts," reads the summary for a recent episode of reality dating show "The 5th Wheel."

Classy.

Reality TV isn't known for its subtlety, but that may change with the arrival of "Poss. LTR," a show that plans to tackle the dating obstacles of single baby boomers, such as children, exs, demanding careers, and aging parents. The show will match couples and send them on all-expenses-paid blind dates in New England, from cross-country skiing in Vermont to clamming in south Dartmouth. Its creators promise that "Poss. LTR" won't air the catfights, hot tub shenanigans, and drunken confessions that are the usual reality TV stock in trade.Roberto Mighty, the show's producer and CEO of Celestial Media Inc., a television production company, dreamed up the show when his marriage ended last year. As a 48-year-old father, he rememembers being plagued with anxieties: "How do I do this single parent thing? How do I meet people? Will I be sneaking out on my kid?" Mighty has since discovered salsa dance lessons, for which there's always a need for male partners, adult education classes, and lectures as places to meet people.

Unlike "Blind Date" and "The 5th Wheel," which focus on 20-somethings, Mighty chose to concentrate on his generation, both to educate himself and increase the public's awareness of the complexities of life as a single boomer. He aims to capture intimate moments documentary-style, and to promote old-fashioned romance.

If you're single and between the ages of 35 and 55 and ready for your close-up, "Poss. LTR" (an abbreviation in personal ads that stands for possible long-term relationship) wants to interview you.

Mighty and associate producer Naomi Kooker are looking for people who are willing to let a TV crew follow them on a few dates over several months, and interview their friends and family. The pilot is scheduled to air next March, and producers hope a series will follow. Mighty wants "Poss. LTR" to be a family show -- one he could watch with his 10-year-old daughter. (That is, until he starts leaving the house after dark.)