Well folks, it has finally arrived. The show that “The Bachelor” franchise has been teasing for a number of years finally aired: “The Golden Bachelor.”
The premise of the new show is to give the older generation (yes, baby boomers) a second chance to find love. One lucky grandfather (literally) dates 22 women, in an attempt to find the second love of his life.
The very first Golden Bachelor was Gerry Turner, 72, from Indiana. Turner married his high school sweetheart Toni, and they subsequently had two daughters together. After being married for 43 years, Toni fell ill and died unexpectedly in 2017.
Turner went on the show looking for the second love of his life among the 22 contestants on ABC’s most recent spin-off from the wildly popular “Bachelor” franchise.
The women ranged in age from 60 to 75 and all came across as vibrant and life-loving individuals.
Their entrances were truly something to watch as well. One woman faked using a walker, only to reveal a black minidress underneath her grandma-like appearance. Another woman entered while riding on a motorcycle.
It is safe to say that for these women, age is truly just a number.
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Turner hosted a rose ceremony every week. During the ceremony, he handed out a number of roses. If a contestant received a rose, that meant Turner wanted to spend more time with them and they moved on for another week of filming.
However, if a contestant did not receive a rose, it meant that Turner didn’t want to pursue a potential relationship with them any longer. Sadly, that meant their journey on the show came to an end.
Turner handed out 16 roses on the first night, so unfortunately six women were sent home.
In all honestly, I had my doubts on whether or not I would enjoy the show. I am ashamed to say, I didn’t know whether or not the show would bring a good combination of romance, drama and entertainment that is required from every good reality TV show.
However, I am glad to say I was wrong. I quickly came to adore the cast, their fun personalities and their thirst for love and adventure.
“The Golden Bachelor” is distinctly different than the franchise’s previous shows. Shows like “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise” must always be watched with a grain of salt. This is because a majority of the contestants seem to participate for fame and not love.
The aforementioned shows tend to focus on looks rather than love. In addition, the drama (though I enjoy it) is superficial the majority of the timel. After all, it’s hard to take 30 drunk men and women fighting over a person they just met five hours before seriously.
However, “The Golden Bachelor” had such a genuinely good energy. The women and lead were lovable, funny and had such an air of authenticity to them that you can’t help but hope that all of them are successful on their journey to find love.