The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
‘The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever’ premieres on ABC
When tensions are high, there’s nothing like indulging in some guilty pleasures, from decadent food to steamy romance novels and cheesy music. Luckily for reality television fans, the TV version of a guilty pleasure is about to hit prime time once again.
Indulge in some Monday night fun as host Chris Harrison reminisces about the hits and misses of one of TV’s most popular reality TV franchises in “The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever,” premiering Monday, June 8, on ABC. He guides viewers through past seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” reliving memorable moments, both good and bad.
The first trailer for the new ABC program dropped on May 11, and it included some big promises for the show’s 10-episode run.
“Revisit the ones you love, the ones you hate and the ones you hate to love,” a voice says in the promo. “It’s Monday’s new onenight stand.”
It’s enough to make “Bachelor” fans swoon, and they know a thing or two about swooning. Over the years, the franchise has attracted a staunchly loyal fan base dubbed “Bachelor Nation.” Surely, many fans have favorite memorable moments, and they’ll be on the edge of their seats waiting to find out whether their picks made Harrison’s cut. Each week, the host steps back in time to look at one of his favorite seasons. It might be almost like watching an entire “Bachelor” season in one night. The new ABC show shines a spotlight on countless romances and showmances, not to mention plenty of heartache. Thrilling proposals and sweet, tender moments are juxtaposed with disastrous rose ceremonies, serious meltdowns, unexpected surprises and, of course, cringe-worthy breakups. That’s a lot of ground to cover. Flash-in-the-pan reality TV shows wouldn’t have such a wealth of material to pull from, but ABC’s “The Bachelor” franchise has been going strong for 18 years. It first debuted in 2002, innovating the dating and romance reality TV genre with its unique premise. The show revolves around a single bachelor, and later bachelorette in “The Bachelorette,” which premiered in 2003. He or she meets a variety of single women or men, goes on dates with them and decides which ones they’d like to get to know better. Over the course of the series, the field of eligible singles dwindles down to a single candidate, and the bachelor or bachelorette in question may decide to propose marriage. While it may seem far-fetched on paper, the franchise has been a proven winner in the ratings game again and again, even in the wake of streaming services offering binge-worthy dramas, comedies and more.
The goal may always be romance, but as the history of the franchise has shown, things don’t always go off without a hitch, or with a hitch, as it were. In fact, very few “Bachelor/Bachelorette” couples have stayed together in the long run. From “The Bachelor,” only Season 17’s Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici and Season 23’s Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph are still together. “The Bachelorette’s” alumni have fared slightly better with successful couples that include Season 1’s Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, Season 7’s Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum, Season 9’s Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried, Season 12’s JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers, Season 13’s Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo, and Season 14’s Becca Kufrin and Garrett Yrigoyen.
As for the rest, they’ve moved on in different ways, and viewers of “The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever” will find out how some of them are doing. In addition to a look at the high points and low points of past seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” Harrison treats fans to some virtual check-ins with favorite alumni to find out how they’re doing after the final rose. It looks as if such virtual check-ins are about as close as most of Bachelor Nation will get to new content because of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Originally titled “The Bachelor: Most Unforgettable - Ever,” the 10-episode series has been on Bachelor Nation’s radar since April when Variety broke the news of the show. The decision to bring the special retrospective series to prime time came about because the current season of “The Bachelorette” had to halt shooting earlier this spring due to the pandemic. That may be bad news to millions of fans, but take heart. Variety has reported that the “Bachelorette” team may get back to work this summer in an undetermined location. Reports indicate that all cast and crew for the series would have to be tested before shooting started and then remain quarantined until it is finished.
Plans for “The Bachelorette” are, as of yet, still up in the air, as are plans for the spinoff “Bachelor in Paradise” and ABC’s reality TV take on the now postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, “The Bachelor Summer Games.”
In the meantime, longtime “Bachelor” host Harrison is offering viewers a walk down memory lane. For those who may not be familiar with the popular franchise, the new retrospective series is the perfect opportunity to dive right in. Get a crash course in the ups and downs of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” and find out what all the fuss is about by tuning into “The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever,” premiering Monday, June 8, on ABC.