Netflix's '연애실험실' holds press day: PD defends 'bed blind date' format ahead of premiere

Netflix's dating experiment show 연애실험실 held its production presentation on June 23 at Stanford Hotel Korea in Sangam, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The first thing everyone wanted to know: why do first-time strangers end up in bed together?

PD Lee Jin-ju kept it simple. "Bed blind dating is a device to help people open up and share their true feelings in a relaxed environment." She pulled the concept from her own life—conversations just flow better when people talk lying down at home rather than sitting upright in a conference room. The cast they assembled bought into that logic.

The show drops participants into unimaginable, unscripted situations to capture instinctive romantic responses. Lee confirmed four experiments total, with two revealed so far. Each one was cast differently, prioritizing people suited to that specific scenario. Authenticity mattered most. The show needs to test whether people actually fall in love.

Charles Entertainment showed up at the presentation a bit rattled by the title itself. "When I saw the word 'bed blind date,' I was taken aback," they said. Familiarity with Lee's previous work—환승연애 and 연애남매—made clear the show would land differently than the name suggests. They also mentioned one odd side effect of being involved: unlike other dating shows, they couldn't text friends their reactions without spoiling everything.

연애실험실 premieres on Netflix on June 17 with episodes 1 and 2 dropping back-to-back at 11:00 AM.