The streamer’s new dating show focuses on a group of people with Down’s syndrome who are looking for love.

By Katie Rosseinsky

Published: Wednesday, 09 August 2023 at 15:23 PM


From Love Is Blind to The Ultimatum, Netflix certainly isn’t short of dating shows. But its latest launch Down for Love looks set to offer something different.

Originally airing on TVNZ in New Zealand, the series follows a group of people with Down’s syndrome as they embark on a search for romance, dealing with all the ups and downs that inevitably entails. 

Following in the footsteps of previous series such as Netflix’s own Love on the Spectrum, Down for Love aims to provide an authentic portrayal of what it’s like to look for love as a disabled person, and was created with the support of the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association.

It’s proved such a hit in New Zealand that it has already been commissioned for a second season, so when will we be able to stream it on Netflix? Here’s what you need to know. 

When is Down for Love streaming on Netflix?

Two people walking arm in arm
Down for Love on Netflix.
TVNZ / Netflix

You don’t have long to wait: all five episodes of Down for Love season one are set to arrive on the streaming service on Friday 11th August.

It’s a bumper month for the streamer, which has also recently launched the second season of Heartstopper and Korean reality series Zombieverse.

What is Down for Love about? 

According to Netflix, the show is “a heartwarming quest for love that follows several people with Down’s syndrome as they navigate the trials and triumphs of dating”.

The “feel-good” show, the streamer adds, “aims to showcase the joys and challenges of finding love while breaking down stereotypes and promoting inclusivity”. 

According to Down for Love producer Robyn Paterson, the team behind the show “were wanting to do something in the area of love and relationships, because there are significant barriers for people living with disabilities”, she told The Spinoff

“And I really wanted to bring more of a documentary lens to it, so that it could go beyond just entertainment.”

According to the NZDSA’s national executive officer Zandra Vaccarino, the show provided a platform to challenge misunderstandings about the Down’s syndrome community, and to shine a spotlight on its diversity.

“People make assumptions that people with Down’s syndrome may not want a relationship or cannot have a relationship,” she told The Spinoff.

“I knew that people with Down’s syndrome would be keen to have their stories told and to raise awareness that, just like everyone else, they also want to have meaningful relationships.”

Is there a Down for Love trailer?