‘The Golden Bachelor’ could learn a lot from its biggest mistake

Joan Vassos made his debut in The Bachelor franchise with The golden bachelor as a contestant. The show quickly rose to fame for its unique twist on the traditional reality dating show format: casting an older lead and contestants to find love. It was a refreshing change of scenery for viewers to witness mature love, which touched on themes of mortality and love in later stages of life. It was also a delight to finally see older people, especially women, unapologetically try their luck in love as they dolled up for tender date nights and romantic getaways with the show’s stud. The show became The highest rated new reality show of 2023 with Gerry Turner wearing the leading man’s hat as a 72-year-old retired restaurant owner who had to find love among a list of 22 charming women selected by the producer. Vassos, 61, was one of the contestants competing for Turner’s heart. Although the show was a hit, with Gerry Turner charming contestants and viewers alike, Vassos had little opportunity to develop a connection with the audience or the man of the hour. He had to leave the program in the third week. after receiving the news of her daughter’s postpartum depression.

Despite her early exit from the show, Joan Vassos hadn’t completely given up on the idea of ​​finding love with Turner. According to People, Vassos revealed that she had planned to return to the series. Golden BachelorHowever, things didn’t go as expected and Vassos never returned. But it seems that the Bachelor Nation had other plans for Vassos. The franchise announced a new reality show, The Golden Bachelorettewhich will follow a similar format to Turner’s show, but this time with a female lead. Several months after this announcement, in May 2024, Vassos was revealed to the public as the main star of the upcoming show. However, the choice of Vassos, for obvious reasons, was immediately considered a huge mistake by the producers.

The golden bachelor

It follows a new kind of love during the golden years, when a hopeless romantic is given a second chance at love as he searches for a partner to share the final years of his life with.

Release date

September 28, 2023

Cast

Jesse Palmer, Gerry Turner, Leslie Fhima and Theresa Nist

Seasons

1

The newly announced ‘Golden Bachelorette’ isn’t exactly a golden movie

The newly anointed and first Golden Bachelorette, Joan Vassos, is easily… Making history as the oldest woman ever chosen by ABC being the center of attention as a group of carefully selected suitors compete for her love. At 61 years old, it’s truly an incredible milestone for her to be the star of a dating show. And we have no qualms about her season being intriguing – it’s sure to provide plenty of reality TV moments for fans to enjoy and gossip about. However, Vassos still has four years to go before being officially considered a senior citizen.since she is from the US.

On top of that, Joan barely looks her age. Her youthful glow and smooth skin may (and probably already do) surprise people when they find out she’s actually a grandmother to two adorable babies. She barely shows any signs of aging, and to be honest, Vassos can star in a traditional Bachelorette and if you don’t look closely enough, there might not be many complaints. However, even if producers weren’t looking for a fresh face for some reason, There were still many other options to choose from, and not only those who were older than Vassos, but those who had actually spent more time on screen and were therefore more familiar to the audience. Andy CohenIn fact, he also shared his two cents on the situation, as he wanted to Real Housewives alum Luann de Lesseps be the golden bachelorette.

The public simply didn’t get to know her as well as other ‘The Golden Bachelor’ stars.

There is no doubt that Joan Vassos has a charming personality that would have left an impression on the audience had she stayed on for longer. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and viewers naturally grew more attached to other contestants on the show who lasted much longer. Her early exit from the show meant that the emotional investment viewers make in the contestants was never fully developed and Their limited presence hampered the connection with the viewer that was necessary to achieve a lasting impact.Ironically, it was her departure from the show due to family commitments that led many viewers to sympathize with her and develop a soft spot towards her.

Related

Andy Cohen wanted a ‘RHONY’ alum to be the eligible bachelorette

She wished Joan Vassos luck for the first season of ‘The Golden Bachelorette’.

They threw her into the ring The Golden BacheloretteWhile it has generated a useful buzz from a marketing perspective, it is not exactly the buzz that the producers might have hoped for. The other argument here is that, if it were to be someone from the Golden BachelorWhy couldn’t she be one of the leads? The producers could have chosen any of the wonderful ladies who made it to the final rounds. After Gerry Turner and By Theresa Nist The divorce took place in April 2024, just a few months after they got married. The franchise had a great opportunity to bring back Nist as the Golden Bachelorette.This would help spark conversations about what went wrong between Turner and Nist, and all of this would happen against a backdrop of genuine audience empathy and connection with the Golden Bachelorette herself. At the same time, it’s true that returning to the show so soon after the split may not have been the healthiest choice for Nist.

Another strong candidate could have been Leslie Fihmathe second finalist of the Golden Bachelorwho was pretty sure Turner would cast her, until he didn’t. The show could have given Fihma another chance at love.considering how unlucky she had been in the previous installment of the franchise. Despite calling her “the one,” the Golden Bachelor ended up giving his final rose to Nist. Fihma couldn’t hold back and went on to express her heartbreak in the most sentimental way to Turner, which could have been the perfect icebreaker for the counterpart installment. “Everything you told me was a complete lie. I’m heartbroken again, but now I have to do it in front of the whole world,” Fihma said. It would have been a great way to have the show’s alumni glued to their screens, if the Nation of singles They chose Fihma as their Senior Bachelorette. Even the third runner-up, Faith Martin She could have been a great choice for the new show. She was a very likable personality and her openness about the difficulty she had in “putting herself out there” would have only made fans root for her even more.

Family problems may once again play an important role for Vassos

It is no secret that Joan Vassos left The golden bacheloras soon as he heard that his daughter needed his help. While it must have been difficult for her to make that decision, His departure from the program generates a tacit general consensus that the same could happen in he The Golden Bachelorette also. Even if you don’t, Her early departure is a clear indication of her strong family commitments. But what does that mean for the future of the series, which will this time depend entirely on her?

A new face like Gerry Turner would have been much better

It would not be fair to compare The golden bachelor with The Golden Bachelorette when The first one introduced a new face. as the show’s lead. And by extension, bringing in a new lead would have been a smarter move to keep the anticipation high among the audience. When Gerry Turner was introduced as the first Golden Bachelor, his presence brought a wave of excitement to the show. With each episode, viewers not only I managed to connect with all 22 contestants. of the show, but they were also very curious about Turner and her life. Turner’s season, therefore, is a great example of how new faces can revive a franchise, and the same could have been true for the The Golden Bachelorette also.

The public’s lack of knowledge about Turner’s background allowed them to… Form unbiased opinions about him and develop an authentic connection with her character. That may not be the case in Vassos’ case. Casting decisions are critical to the success of any show, and to keep the momentum going, it might have been better for producers to prioritize a new face for the show’s next installment’s successful run. While Joan Vassos has already been cast for the new show, it is now crucial and more important than ever that she delivers a successful first Golden Bachelorette.

While a release date has not yet been revealed, The Golden Bachelorette is established in Premiere in autumn 2024 and will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC. Episodes will be available to stream on Hulu the following day. Until then, it might be a good idea to catch up on the Golden Bachelorwhich is also available to stream on Hulu.

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