# Love on the Spectrum (American TV series)

Love on the Spectrum is an American reality television show. Based on the Australian version by the same name, it follows people on the autism spectrum as they explore the dating world. The show is produced by Northern Pictures for Netflix, and is created and produced by both Karina Holden and Cian O'Clery. O’Clery also served as the director.
Originally, the show was referred to as Love on the Spectrum U.S.

## Release

Love on the Spectrum U.S. first aired on Netflix on May 18, 2022. A second season, which was announced in September 2022, premiered on January 19, 2024. On April 2, 2024, Variety reported that O'Clery announced that it was renewed for a third season.

## Cast

Cast members :
| Cast member | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons |
| Cast member | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Dani Bowman | Main | Main | Main |
| James Jones | Main | Main | Main |
| Abbey Romeo | Main | Main | Main |
| Kaelynn Partlow | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Steve Spitz | Main | Main | Does not appear |
| Subodh Garg | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| David Isaacman | Recurring | Main | Main |
| Connor Tomlinson | Does not appear | Main | Main |
| Tanner Smith | Does not appear | Main | Main |
| Journey | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear |
| Adan Correa | Recurring | Recurring | Main |
| Madison Marilla | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main |
| Pari Kim | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main |
| Jennifer Cook | Relationship coach | Relationship coach | Relationship coach |

## Episodes

Series overview :
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| 1 | 6 | 6 | May 18, 2022 (2022-05-18) | May 18, 2022 (2022-05-18) |
| 2 | 7 | 7 | January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) | January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) |

### Season 1 (2022)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | May 18, 2022 (2022-05-18) |
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | May 18, 2022 (2022-05-18) |
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | May 18, 2022 (2022-05-18) |
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | May 18, 2022 (2022-05-18) |
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | May 18, 2022 (2022-05-18) |
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | May 18, 2022 (2022-05-18) |

### Season 2 (2024)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
| 7 | 1 | "Episode 1" | January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) |
| 8 | 2 | "Episode 2" | January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) |
| 9 | 3 | "Episode 3" | January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) |
| 10 | 4 | "Episode 4" | January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) |
| 11 | 5 | "Episode 5" | January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) |
| 12 | 6 | "Episode 6" | January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) |
| 13 | 7 | "Episode 7" | January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) |

## Reception

Similar to the original Australian series, Love on the Spectrum U.S. has received positive reviews from critics. The show has garnered an 8.2/10 on IMDb, 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a "Stream it!" from Decider among others. The American version, made by the same team as the Australian version, was highlighted as having positive improvements from the Australian version. The American version expanded the age range of the cast featuring 63-year-old Steve, diversified the previous dating experiences of the cast whether through online dating, highschool relationships, or relationships with people not on the spectrum, featured a dating coach and expert who herself is on the spectrum, and cast participants with disabilities in addition to autism (ADHD, dyslexia, etc.). Not all of the differences were praised, however; the absence of LGBTQ relationships in the first season was critiqued. In season two, Journey, a lesbian, joined the cast. It was also later revealed that Dani, who is shown only going on dates with men in the show, is pansexual. Another critique was the lack of attention for couples on the spectrum who were already together as was done on the Australian version. In season two, Abbey and David, who were introduced and started dating on season one, had their story followed both in their hometown and on their trip to Africa to see their favorite animal, the lion.
Autistic audiences generally enjoyed the portrayal of autism. Allison Wall wrote, "Yes, there are problem areas, but in my estimation, the positives outweigh the negatives. Autistic people are shown as empathetic, humanized individuals with a variety of abilities and skills, with agency, as adults, in romantic situations." Wall did question the settings for dates. Many dates happened in restaurants or 'typical' date settings that Wall notes "An environment like that, for me, is not conducive for getting to know a stranger... Would it have been difficult to tailor the dating environments more to what the participants were comfortable with?" Cian O'Clery, the co-creator, director, and producer stated in an interview with Mashable that "...it's all about what that particular person wants and needs. Some go to a restaurant if they want to go to a restaurant." Jill Escher of the National Council on Severe Autism notes that members of the autism community may feel as if Love on the Spectrum is a "goofball charade that too conveniently sidesteps the trauma and poverty pervasive among autism families" but also points out that "...for the majority of viewers I do think they will walk away more curious, patient, and caring about autism – which is definitely a gift from Netflix to the autism community."

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Nominees | Result |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program | Laura Ritchie, Kat Elmore and Jeffrey Marx | Won |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program | Rachel Grierson-Johns, Simon Callow-Wright and John Rosse (for "Episode 1") | Won |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program | Cian O'Clery, Karina Holden and Stephanie Haber | Won |
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program | Cian O'Clery, Sean Bowman, Marina Nieto Ritger, and Emma Choate | Won |
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program | Cian O'Clery (for "Episode 7") | Won |
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program | Rachel Grierson-Johns, Leanne Cole, Toby Stratmann and Gretchen Peterson (for "Episode 7") | Nominated |
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program | Cian O'Clery, Karina Holden and Marina Nieto Ritger | Nominated |