Dating for ratings with Hooking Up

Hooking Up, a new reality show from ABC that premieres Thursday, July 14, follows the adventures of a dozen New York women who venture into the world of online dating. The women attempt to develop healthy relationships they hope will grow into something special, but they are constantly thwarted by Internet postings that are incomplete and dishonest.

The executive producer of Hooking Up, the ironically named Terence Wrong, says he compiled the series from 1,100 hours of footage shot over the span of 14 months. He calls the men who put up falsely representational postings "bottom feeders." "The women are of a much higher caliber than their male counterparts," Wrong said.

Once ridiculed as a cyber meat market that catered to lonely nerds, Internet dating has become increasingly popular as more people realize it's a lot like online shopping.