SBS Undressed: Getting naked is the latest trend of the TV dating show

Two strangers meet, undress each other, sit on a bed and talk, obey instructions, and answer personal questions for half an hour. They then vote whether or not they would like to meet again. It sounds like a recipe for the trashiest, smuttiest, and most deeply shallow reality TV.

The word "love" appears twice in the introduction, and we are asked, "Is it possible to fall in love with someone in just half an hour?"

This is standard dating-show fare, and perpetuates the prevalent notion of romantic love, that The One is out there, like a sand lion at the bottom of its pit, and if we search long enough, we will find them, and fall in love.

The participating couples are drawn from a pool of young and relatively good-looking people. The selection process has been further refined by pairing-up people who have shown some level of compatibility in a previous screening process. These are not random strangers recruited straight off the street.

Undressed: Take off your clothes and get to know each other.Credit: SBS

What does impress, however, is the diversity represented – racial, cultural, sexual and class, as well as the inclusion of people with a disability. It is refreshing to get away from hetero-normative and physically perfect stereotypes.

When the undressing began I was a little disappointed to realise that this meant down to underwear. While it was probably not possible to nude up for television, the dress code was actually no more challenging than asking a couple to have a chat at the beach. The presence of a bed, however, clearly sent other signals, and it was interesting to see how difficult some people found the situation.

The non-verbal cues and body language were as revealing and fascinating as what was being said, which, in many cases, was little more than helpless giggles.

Notice what each person chose to wear under their clothes. The men I saw were in modest boxers, for example – no jockettes or G strings.

Undressed: Not all contestants are comfortable about not wearing clothes.Credit: SBS

Once undressed, some participants seemed comfortable in their skins. Others, especially a number of the women, were apologetic and insecure about what seemed to me to be lovely bodies. Some even grabbed the bedding and covered up again. It certainly reinforces the idea that what is really attractive is confidence.

As the participants shared their personal stories and answered set questions, a degree of honesty and vulnerability was revealed that was, at times, quite moving. Again, what was not said and body language spoke volumes.

When a more physical interaction was called for, such as giving a massage, it was clear that some people were a lot more comfortable with touch than others. Again, laughter was the most common defense mechanism, and served some people as a way of putting up a barrier to genuine intimacy.

The final challenge was presaged by the screening of pictures of people kissing. Check out the body language as the couples realise what they are going to be asked to do.

Yet this kiss was very revealing. It is amazing to see how some people had really connected with each other in such a short amount of time, while others limited themselves to a friendly peck, or stilted smooch. I had no idea how deeply some people can blush. No one was inappropriately sexual, or sleazy, and no one was mean or unkind.

The ending used a standard reality TV device. Each participant secretly presses a yes or no button to indicate if they wish to see their partner again. They sit side by side, the tension mounting – it's the least comfortable part of the show: humiliation as entertainment.

Yet it was fascinating to see how far couples had drawn together in such a short time, and in such an artificial situation.

The ABC series Luke Warm Sex demonstrated that Australians are mature enough to approach the subject with a degree of well-meaning honesty, open-mindedness and a humour that disarms rather than belittles. There is a lot more to some, if not all, of these TV dating shows than voyeurism or titillation. They investigate and inform and don't just offer Eric Idle-style "nudge, nudge" innuendo.

If there's a single take-home message of this show – the latest in a long list of "nude" dating shows – it's that people are people, regardless of their colour, sexual orientation or level of physical ability, and we can be enriched by any human encounter when we move beyond fear and prejudice. Love is about opening your heart to those you meet, without judgment, and sexual attraction needs not involve exploitation, objectification, or sensationalism.

WHAT Undressed

WHEN SBS, Monday, 9.35pm

Maureen Matthews is a sex educator who founded bliss4women.com.au, and writes a weekly column in the Sunday Age.