Single people in Chicago who are having difficulty finding love through traditional methods such as hitting on fellow CTA passengers or perusing Tinder will have the chance to try another way of finding a mate when Ellen DeGeneres begins production on a dating show for NBC that will film here in the city this July.

The show is called First Dates and is based off a U.K. television series of the same name. Each episode of the show takes place in one restaurant on one night and showcases several different couples going on blind dates. The restaurants that will be featured have not yet been announced, but here's hoping we get to see popular date destinations such as the raucous Ed Debevich's, a dimly-lit deep dish pizza joint, or any place near Wrigley Field during a Cubs game.

If you would like the opportunity to allow Ellen and NBC to embarrass you via broadcasting your awkward first date with a stranger on national television, you can apply here. If you decide to apply, you'll need to set aside quite a bit of time to fill out the application because it asks more questions than a typical job interview (like "Who is your celebrity crush?"). But if it means not having to go to a 4am bar again to try and find a suitable partner, then it'll be all worth it.

Share the story