Over the years, the producers ofThe Bachelorfranchise have been accused of interfering too much in the show’s various storylines. Reality television requires some level of producer involvement during production, but producers can go too far, which can hurt the show, and damage the brand. Since the franchise’s inception, there have been 28 seasons ofThe Bachelor,21 seasons ofThe Bachelorette,nine seasons ofBachelor In Paradise, and several seasons of other franchise shows, includingThe Golden BachelorandThe Golden Bachelorette.
With every season, there have been accusations producers are making decisions that put the show before the needs of its contestants. Many feel that it’s unfair for producers to push relationships or story lines that wouldn’t have happened organically. Fans who watchThe Bachelorfranchise showsgenuinely want to see good story lines about love stories between interesting contestants, but they also want organic stories. No one wants to think that the romantic relationships that they’re watching flourish are actually the machinations of all-powerful producers playing puppet masters with the contestants' fates.
On the other hand, fans should try to understand that the producers aren’t professional matchmakers, looking to make long-lasting relationships. They’re in show business, andtheir job is to turn around an entertaining show. Over the last few years, since the franchise’s inception, there have been multiple occasions in which producers were accused of interfering too much in stories being told by the various shows.
8Drama Always Seems Manufactured
Kelsey’s Letter
ThoughThe Bachelorfranchise shows are often extremely entertaining, some of the drama can feel manufactured. One recent example was Kelsey Anderson’s late-in-the-game letter to Joey Graziadei duringThe Bachelorseason 28. After their overnight date,Kelsey sent Joey a letter saying they needed to talk. Joey freaked out. During the entire season, he was anxiously worried that he could fall in love with someone who didn’t want him back.
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Joey jumped to the conclusion that Kelsey sent the letter because she wanted to leave. Joey made his way to Kelsey’s hotel room, fearing she was about to self-eliminate from the competition. When he finally sat down with Kelsey, she told him she wrote the letter because she missed him. Joey was relieved, andit really seemed like the moment was manufactured by the producers, designed to freak Joey out. In the end, Joey gave his final rose to Kelsey, and the two got engaged.
Mark Anderson
SinceThe Bachelorfranchise leads often come from other franchise shows, it can often feel like a contestant is only on the show being groomed for the next show. A recent example involves58-year-old Mark Anderson. Mark initiallymade his franchise debut onThe Bachelorseason 28, when his daughter, Kelsey, took Joey home to meet her father and their family during the hometown episode.
Fans instantly fell in love with the tall widower, and a star was born.
Fans immediately started clamoring for Mark to be the nextThe Golden Bachelor.When he was cast as a contestant onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 instead, theassumption was he was only on the show so he could then beThe Golden Bachelor.When Mark was sent home early, this only added to the fan theory. It remains to be seen if Mark will beTheBachelorspin-off’s second male lead.
At Their Mercy
Another way producers can get too involved onThe Bachelorfranchise shows, is byemotionally manipulating the contestants. People have to understand that the cast of any show is at the mercy of the show’s producers. They’re cut off from friends and family, their phones are taken away, they can’t acces the outside world or even use the internet.
Bachelorco-stars are completely vulnerable and, therefore, much easier to manipulate than they would be in the real world.
TakeKelsey’s previously mentioned letter to Joey, for example. The note didn’t read “I miss you,” it read"We need to talk." As everyone knows, the term"we need to talk" is one of the scariest phrases in the English language, especially when it comes from your significant other. Though it’s possible Kelsey sat down and wrote the most incendiary thing she could possibly think of, or the producers urged her to use the scarier terminology.
5Relationships That Form Seem Less Believable
It’s All A Golden Facade
Blatant producer involvement can also lead to the formation ofThe Bachelorrelationships that turn out to not be real. These relationships have no chance in the real world because they’re entirely manufactured as an entertainment product. The recent example that rushes to mind is theill-advised marriage between 72-year-old Gerry Turner and 70-year-old Theresa NistonThe Golden Bachelorseason 1.
Gerry was the first male lead of theBachelorspin-off that centered around the love lives of single senior citizens.
The Golden Bachelorseason 1 ended with Gerry giving his final rose to Theresa, and they were married weeks later in a lavishwedding. Whenthe marriage fell apart three months later, it became clear the romance was a facade. The divorce made the wedding look like a complete ratings grab. Whether it was driven by producers or happened organically, it damaged the brand.
Don’t Influence The Plot
Another major way a producers' over-involvement hurts the franchise is it can lead to a loss of trust in the producers among contestants and even the lead. Since co-stars rely on the show’s producers for everything during production, trust is important. Participants have to feel like the producers they’re working with are on their side.
If contestants start to feel like the producers aren’t trustworthy, it can lead to behavioral adjustments that aren’t organic. If leads distrust their producers, it could devastate the entire season.TheBachelorfranchise producershave to understand that though their job is to tell a compelling story,it’s important that they don’t influence the plot too much. Nobody likes being lied to, and people need to believe the stories they’re being told are true.
3They Cast Terrible Contestants
They’re Not Always Sending Their Best
IfThe Bachelorfranchise producers want to create better and better shows, they should start by not casting so many questionable contestants.The Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, which is currently airing, is a great example of less-than-stellar casting. The show cast not one but two different men with restraining orders in their recent past. One involved the 60-year-old Gil Ramirez,an educator from California. According toPeople,Gil’s ex-girlfriend filed a restraining orderagainst him about four months ago,accusing him of stalking, but later dropped her claims.
While Gil was eliminated fairly early on, the season’s other restraining order controversy involved one of Joan’s final three men.
Joan liked 66-year-old Guy Gansert from the moment they met duringThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, but, according toPeople, Guy’s ex-wife, Heidi O’Gara, filed for a temporary protective order in October 2021. She had the order dismissed a month later,but her accusations are quite disturbing. She accuses her ex-husband of being angry, making threats, and alleges that he “motioned like he was going to shoot me with his hand shaped like a pistol.“The producers should never have let anyone who ever had a restraining order on the show, even if the cases were later dropped.
2Producer Interference Could Lose The Trust Of The Audience
Love Is The Answer
Though people are generally very cynical about love stories these days,BachelorNation fans are a different breed. Though many of them watch the show entirely for entertainment purposes, many feel inspired by the relationships created on the show. The franchise has a fairly impressive track record, boasting many long-term marriages.
The very first couple who met onThe Bacheloretteseason 1,Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, are still marriedafter 20 years of marriage and two children together. Audiences need to believe true love is possible inThe Bachelorfranchise, or they’ll eventually stop tuning in. Sure, the drama between contestants could stem the bleeding for a bit, but ultimately, they need to continue to believe true love can be found on the show.
1Organic Drama Is More Fun
Don’t Fake It
The Bachelorproducers should understand that they don’t have to work so hard. If they put 30 or so interesting women in a mansion and make them all compete for one man, there will be drama. There’s no reason to get overly involved because things will be more interesting if they’re organic.
The audience is sophisticated, andthey can recognize authenticity in an instant. They can also tell when something is fake, exaggerated, or manufactured. Though some of that is necessary when producing a reality television show, otherwise contestants sit around staring at each other butThe Bachelorfranchise producers should step back and let the show produce itself. If they cast the right people and set up the right dates, the entertainment will take care of itself.
