Episode One:
Fate Daters: Libby and Massimo
Air Date: February 27th, 2002
Location: The Melting Pot

Nervous sweats, a lot of pacing and even shortness of breath. And that was just the crew. The idea for Fate Date was conceived in late January because there was no other show planned to contrast Newsroom. To make the February 27th airdate the crew was in a panic to find contestants for the pilot, find a location for the date and edit this monster of a show. Luckily they found a freshman named Massimo, a partying playboy from New York and Libby, a cute rock-climbing sophomore from Boston. The scene of the crime, The Melting Pot in Towson.

The date went well, some highlights included the Fate Date Mobile speeding up York Road and nearly getting pulled over, Massimo’s wise guy quips, Libby’s boredom, fights regarding the Red Sox and the Yankees, and confusion over who sang “La Isla Bonita.”

Nothing ever became of the couple, but being the first Fate-Daters Libby and Massimo were overnight celebrities. They became the Fate Date standard instantly and latter contestants were always comparing themselves to either Libby or Massimo.

They were a brave duo and they did a great show. Thanks to them the show gained instant popularity and became TGN’s headliner in 2002.