Brad Garrett's latest series will be on the even-smaller screen.
The star of Fox sitcom 'Til Death switches to reality and the Web with Dating Brad Garrett, an online series that will follow him on 10 dates with women chosen by a panel that will include Garrett's ex-wife, Jill, and his urologist.
Those seeking a date with the 6-foot-8 Garrett, known to millions as Robert on Everybody Loves Raymond, can make their pitches by uploading videos starting today at crackle.com/datebrad.
Crackle.com will run the episodes, which will be three to five minutes long, in the fall.
Garrett, 48, says he wants Dating to reflect the funny, crazy, even disastrous world of real dating, something the father of two has experienced since his recent divorce.
"I'm not a fan of reality. I feel most of it is anything but reality," he says. "So, if we were going to do reality, I wanted to do something about a middle-aged guy, like The Anti-Bachelor, as opposed to this mannequin holding a rose with 35 really hot women to choose from."
Garrett, who will begin shooting the dates in mid-July, is hoping to show the humor and reality of middle-aged dating mixed with his candid style.
"I'm not looking to find my true love. They shouldn't, either. That's the best disclaimer you can really give anyone," he says. "But if you're looking for a free meal and somebody who will definitely eat more than you, then I'm your guy."
He won't know anything about the women until the date begins, but he says the ones who apply will understand the purpose of the show.
"I know anybody who uploads their video is going to be a person who can take a dinner with The Beast, which is what a lot of my exes call me."
Sony Pictures Television, which produces both 'Til Death and Dating, hopes Garrett, who won an Emmy for Raymond, will attract more visitors to Crackle.com, a Sony Pictures Entertainment online video network that features comedy and other programming.
"It's been a goal of ours to make Crackle a viable destination for original content. For us, this just seemed like a natural extension, and Brad, who is one of our greatest resources, seemed like a great person to go to first," says Tal Rabinowitz, vice president of comedy development and digital content. "Real with him means really funny ... So it seemed like a no-brainer to us."
The shorter episodes and Internet medium make Dating less expensive to do online than on television, and the more limited resources can foster creativity, Rabinowitz says. Comedy has been working well in digital space, and shorter episodes have fared better, she says.
"You'll see three to five minutes of the most absurd or funniest part of the date," Garrett says, adding, "which is usually how long I last in the bedroom."
Garrett credits those willing to hit the town with him.
"There will be courageous women, because they're first dates. Hopefully, it's going to be funny and interesting and insightful. We're not reinventing the wheel, but there's really nothing like it," he says. "My biggest fear is that only four women are going to send something in."
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