UNBELIEVABLE: Producers Of The Golden Bachelor And The Golden Bachelorette Must Do This One Thing To Save The Franchise
The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette are in serious trouble, but there’s something the producers can do to save the franchise. When ABC announced a Bachelor spin-off that chronicled the love lives of single senior citizens, the excitement was palpable. It was historical because it was the first reality show to center singles in their golden years of life. When 72-year-old retired widower Gerry Turner was announced as the show’s first lead, women from all over the country rushed to apply for a chance to date him.
The Golden Bachelor season 1 was so well received that it wasn’t long before a female-led version was announced. 61-year-old Joan Vassos, who made her television debut as a contestant on Gerry’s season, kicked off The Golden Bachelorette season 1 by greeting 24 single men who had traveled to The Bachelor mansion to meet her. Though the spin-offs have yielded two relationships, the brand was deeply damaged by a very public divorce. The producers need to make changes if they want to save the franchise.
Gerry & Theresa Fell Apart
From Indiana To New Jersey
Gerry and 70-year-old Theresa Nist seemed to hit it off from the moment she stepped out of the limousine on the opening night of The Golden Bachelor season 1. They’d both lived full lives before meeting each other. Gerry was married to Toni Turner for 43 years until she passed away in 2018, and they had two children together. Theresa was married to William Nist, with whom she had two children, for 42 years before he died in 2014.
Gerry gave Theresa his final rose, and the two were married in a lavish Golden Bachelor wedding a few weeks later. Sadly, the septuagenarian couple announced their divorce after only three months of matrimony. They blamed the split on distance, with Theresa living in New Jersey, and Gerry in Indiana, and neither wanted to move to the other’s home state. They never even lived together, traveling back and forth to see each other instead. The couple briefly talked about moving to North Carolina, where they both had friends and family, but it never happened.
Joan & Chock Are Going Down The Same Path
Like Gerry and Theresa, Joan and 60-year-old Chock lived far apart before joining the cast of The Golden Bachelorette season 1. Joan was a private school administrator in Maryland, while Chock, an insurance executive, lived in Kansas. Joan was married to John Vassos, with whom she had four children, for 32 years before he passed away in 2021. Chock had two children with his first wife, whom he divorced, and was engaged to Katherine Goree for nine years before she died in 2022.
Joan and Chock are approaching their long-distance relationship very similarly to Gerry and Theresa.
Since getting engaged at the end of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Chock have decided to continue to live in their respective homes, while traveling back and forth to see each other. They’ve also been spotted apartment shopping in New York City, where they plan to live together at some point. They seem to be trying to get to know each other better before completely upending their lives to be together, but it remains to be seen if the strategy will work out better for them than for Gerry and Theresa.
Producers Should Keep Locations In Mind When Casting
Seniors Don’t Like Change
By the time contestants are old enough to be cast in The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette, they’ve lived full lives. Most have children and grandchildren and are often located near their families. Some of the contestants are still working, like Theresa, Joan, and Chock, and changing jobs is a big deal, especially late in someone’s career. Change is challenging for anyone at any age, but asking senior citizens to upend their lives and leave their families in their golden years for someone they met on a reality television show may be too much to ask.
If ABC wants to save the franchise, they should consider location when casting contestants.
Married At First Sight is a great model, as each season is set in one city. Since The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette were filmed in Los Angeles, it would be easy enough to start there, while the following seasons could take place in Florida, then New York, and so on. Instead of setting contestants up to fail, ABC should keep locations in mind when casting future seasons.
