Aussies remember 'cringe' 90s reality series: 'Can't believe a show like this got on TV'

The 90s were a strange time. We had t-shirts that changed colour if you touched them, pants that looked like they could save you if you fell off a cliff and we worshipped Vanilla Ice with the kind of enthusiasm that would make us extremely deserving of an Eminem diss track today.

And then, there were the TV shows we watched that were, quite frankly, absolutely cooked. From the nightmare-inducing Mulligrubs to the questionably designed Plasmo, we 90s kids really went through it. Yep, it was an interesting time or, as one Facebook user recently mused, a 'Wild West' - especially when it came to reality TV.

Now, if you're thinking, 'Hang on! There were no reality TV shows in the 90s!" then I would urge you to think again. There was one reality show in particular that nostalgia lovers have been reminiscing about and it's safe to say that it would never pass the vibe check in 2024.

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The show in question? Man O Man - hosted by the late Rob Guest and designed to make even the most sex-positive crowd shake their heads (or have a good laugh).

"Anyone else remember this show? Some kind of dating show, where the men would be pushed into a pool when they were rejected. It is older than I thought it was," someone wrote in an online group, along with a screen grab from the series.

"Oh it wasn’t a dating show, " someone replied. "It was to see which contestant was the best pick-up artist. I kid you not. They wouldn’t even try to remake this."

"I remember, I was in High School when it came on TV," another person recalled. "I did see a bit of it. I really can't believe a show like this got on TV, to be completely honest. I was never surprised a show like this didn't last. The host Rob Guest said it was trash in a lot less words."

"90s reality TV was the wild west lol," another person commented.

"It was sooo cringe but mum and I always tuned in," someone else laughed while others expressed that they 'missed' the show, 'loved it' and said it was 'so funny.'

One fan went so far as to call it the 'best show ever' and another demanded, 'bring it back!'

What was the premise of Man O Man?

So, what was the premise of this divisive 1994 series that paraded near-naked men around for the amusement of women?

Picture this: the event was sort of like a male beauty pageant but with a twist. Ten guys competed and they went through a series of challenges to win over the audience which was made up entirely of women.

The ladies then got to vote for their favourite using little computers on their tables and the guys who didn't make the cut got pushed into a pool by some of the female models from the show.

And that was the whole premise.

Fans reveal other shows filmed in Man O Man studio

Some fans shared some insider trivia with their fellow nostalgia lovers, revealing that the studio where Man O Man was filmed has also been home to some other 'iconic' Aussie shows.

"Same studio that Dancing With the Stars filmed in," one person said. "They filled in the pool."

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"Apparently the pool is under the Deal or No Deal cases," another revealed.

"The old Deal or no Deal with Andrew O’Keefe was filmed here," a third explained. "If you were quiet enough you could hear the ghost of a splash."

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