Since it began airing in 2002, The Bachelor and its many spin-offs have dominated the reality TV dating space. That is, until recently. With a burgeoning genre that seems to now be ever-expanding, popular series like Love Island also producing spin-off after spin-off, and Netflix hot on the network’s heels with one series after another that seems suspiciously similar in concept to other popular shows, it seems that The Bachelor franchise might need a change of strategy to stay relevant in today’s competitive reality TV market.
Recent years have seen a strategy that appears to have led the ABC juggernaut to the point of alienating fans. Jenn Tran‘s recent season of The Bachelorette is proof that over-producing a season to maximize drama and prioritize surprise and celebrity guest appearances may not be the way to go. Fans of dating series tune in for genuine romance, or at least, whatever carbon copy of “genuine” that reality TV can produce. In Season 21, The Bachelorette instead prioritized a Taylor Swiftian narrative where Jenn was forced to date men who were not committed to the process, who appeared to be interested only in reality TV fame, and who had troubling legal issues in their past and incorrigible actions in their present. All of which led to a lackluster season, and a fan base left wanting more.
An insider recently told Life & Style what they think of the situation that The Bachelor franchise now faces. And if their opinion is anything to go by, the future for the franchise doesn’t look pretty if changes are not on the horizon. Here is what the industry insider had to say about the future of Bachelor Nation.
Industry Insider Depicts a Production In Crisis
From the insider source, it is clear that viewership numbers have been sliding for a while, and production is at fault. They opined: “Producers seem to be making one bad decision after another – and the fans are sick of it.” They described a world where the network big wigs are trying to “climb out of this hole” where viewers continue to slip away, before the whole franchise goes “kaput.”
The insider blames the recent trend of producers creating “stunts” on the series in order to force viewer interest based on shock value. A good example is the Season 21 finale episode of The Bachelorette, where producers had Jenn watch back the moment when she haphazardly proposed to Devin. The reunion was filmed just one month after Devin ended their engagement on a 15-minute phone call, after which he allegedly ghosted his ex-fiancée. Fans were irritated, feeling that Jenn was further humiliated by having to re-watch such a heartfelt moment as her proposal, only to then have the entire season thrown in her face, as Devin turned out not to be seriously committed to the process. These kinds of stunts have alienated the audience, which has led to “vanishing” viewer numbers over the years. As the source confirmed, “Longtime fans are getting bored and disillusioned – and younger viewers just aren’t interested.”
Is There A Way Forward for ‘The Bachelor’?
The insider also observed that the franchise as a whole, including spin-offs, has been “dying on the vine” for quite a while, with “budgets slashed and prime locations tossed.” It’s clear that step-one in reversing its current trajectory is to invest more resources into their locations, set decoration, and construction departments, in order to create the same gorgeous scenery and dating locales achieved by Love Island and other series like Too Hot To Handle. The franchise could also consider investing more deeply in the casting process, budgeting time and expenses for producers and casting directors to meet contestants in person, even speak to their friends and family to get a deeper sense of whether they are built for the scrutiny that comes with entering the world of reality TV.
The inside source also noted that the franchise’s recent struggle may be linked to their incompetent attempts to address “diversity issues,” meaning casting contestants without a problematic past of racial insensitivity or other seediness. They have also struggled to find a cast that represents what the new generation of viewers want to see as far as the ability to date interracially without such problems arising, or without rumors of abuse rising to the surface, or other scandalous histories. Casting remains one of the biggest barriers for reality TV dating series overall, because it is difficult to predict how a person will act while falling in love in front of a camera, or what problematic issues may arise from their past once the series begins to air, especially if producers focus on the potential cast member’s current social media presence alone. The Bachelor franchise needs to reverse course, focus on finding a cast of characters that will appeal to this new generation of viewers, while still delivering to longtime fans the drama and the romance of contestants competing to find true love on TV.
Past seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are available to stream on Hulu.
Watch on Hulu
