After years of controversies as ratings steadily declined, is 2023 the yearThe Bachelorfranchise found redemption?
Wed be stupid not to say, What are other stories we can tell with these people?'
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Golden Bachelor Finale Recap: Does Gerry Turner Get Engaged?
ABC’s “The Golden Bachelor” star Gerry TurnerBrian Bowen Smith/ ABC via Getty Images
Oftentimes, reality television can wind up far afield from anything to do with reality.
Its easy to get caught up in what one thinks the audience might want to see.
But go too far and you fire off the risk of losing them altogether.
So what does it really mean to be authentic in the context of reality TV?
I have a deep respect for the cast who come on this show, she said.
Dont say, We have to do this because this is how we always did it.
But overall, those golden women flocked together instead of tearing each other apart.
For the most part, they also championed each others connections with Turner.
Once upon a time, there was no such thing as too much drama for a reality TV show.
The more spectacle, the better.
But drama without a true purpose, as it turns out, is only entertaining for so long.
Then it becomes tedious, and it pushes audiences away.
Luckily for them, the EP added, I personally really believe that they can find it here.
The nation watched his whirlwind romance with 23-year-old event planner Amanda Marsh, and the rest is history.
But few have succeeded in piercing the cultural zeitgeist the way thatThe Bachelorhas continued to in its 21 years.
For better or for worse, the show does get people talking.
What do they feel like its missing?
What other shows are they watching and why?
Solving the issues plaguingThe Bachelorwould not just come down to tinkering with what audiences saw on screen.
The franchise was also going to need to address obvious internal issues.
After a conversation with Warner Bros. over the results from the investigation, he opted to leave.
Kirkconnell posted an apology, as did Harrison.
But it wasnt enough.
This particular scandal cast a shadow on the franchise from which its been hard to emerge.
And how do we get it back?
I think there was a little bit of trust that we lost with the audience.
After that,The Bachelorettecast two leads instead of one.
But double the drama didnt resonate with fans, either, as producers quickly came to understand.
Still, the franchise may finally be finding its North Star again.
Engendering this result, Theriault says, has absolutely been intentional on executives part.
Inclusivity is a big word.
You definitely dont want people to say, Man, that was just way too long.
So that was the intention, Mills said of the shortened episodes.
But obviously, its great people want more and hopefully thatll be a consideration going forward.
As theBachelorfranchise moves forward, showrunner Freeland feels that returning to basics will be to its benefit.
A year ago, one might have said thatThe Bachelorwas a relic of the past.
The Bachelorhas been a huge part of all of our lives.
Its become an institution over the years, said Ehrlich.
They watch it and they see themselves, whoever they are, in the stories that were telling.
