We here at PopWatch — and by that I mean me and Slezak, who’ll once again be writing his weekly mini TV Watches — are gearing up for tonight’s 11th season premiere of The Bachelor (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) After chatting with bluntly outspoken executive producer Mike Fleiss, I give you five reasons you should be, too.
1. You won’t have to hear "Up Where We Belong" again… We had a love/hate relationship with last season’s theme song for Bachelor Lt. Andy Baldwin, officer and gentleman. "I paid an extra 20 grand for that song," Fleiss says. "I dug down deep because I’m like, ‘That’s the key to the whole f—in’ thing, man. Gotta have the song. Gotta have the song.’" Fleiss isn’t expecting to have a theme for the new Bachelor, Brad Womack (pictured) — a successful, 34-year-old bar owner from Austin, Texas, whom he refers to as a "prism of hunkiness."
2. But you will get to see another ambulance. "Second day of shooting — ambulance. Taking care of business, baby," Fleiss says. "The first ambulance was in season 1. Who will ever forget Rhonda Rittenhouse and the panic attack? We were so relieved. We were like, ‘Ah, thank God, she’s having a panic attack. That’s gonna make for great TV.’ There hadn’t been an ambulance on a reality show like that in prime time. But now it seems it happens every f—ing show. Now, I’m like, ‘F—, an ambulance.’ But no, it’s good. A girl fell down the stairs and dinged herself pretty good."
3. The women are "Hot. Hot. Hot." Fleiss attributes the"influx of high-quality girls" to the success of last season. "Andy wasso popular that it gave us credibility among the hottest women in thecountry that we could deliver a great bachelor," he says. "Andy justseemed like a good guy. He didn’t seem arrogant or cocky. He didn’tseem like he was there to sell records or get a movie role. He was asincere, salt-of-the-earth dude. We took that philosophy into castingthis time. We found a solid guy."
4. We may actually get to see how they "connect" with Womack, instead of just hearing them say that they do.You can thank PopWatch for this one. We asked Fleiss if the subject offavorite movies and TV shows ever comes up on dates. (That’s how weconnect.) "I’m gonna add some of that in there this year," he says. "Idon’t know why we don’t put a lot of that in. People talk about that…I guess we’re so worried about moving the format forward and makingsure people know they’re playing for a rose that’s sitting at a tableover there. But that’s a good idea, ’cause I would like to know whatsome of these chicks think their favorite movie is."
5. Womack has an identical twin brother, Chad. "We played areally good trick on the girls when there was 12 left," Fleiss says."We brought Chad in instead of Brad, and half the girls didn’t get it.That was an awesome moment."
Will you be watching? Have any tips of your own for Fleiss?
Sorry, Mandi, despite respecting your opinion, I’m not going anywhere near this show. Due to the “high-quality girls”, what the “chicks” think their favorite movie is and the “prism of hunkiness”, I think I’ll pass. (Although the phrase, “prism of hunkiness” does take my breath away.)
Are you kidding? You’re trying to talk me into watching The Bachelor? You got money invested in it or something?
“Thank God she’s having a panic attack” makes me ill. Only a Hollywood producer would be heartless enough to sincerely mean that.
That being said, I can honestly say that I have never watched, and never felt inclined to watch, a show like this. Try to convince me all you want, but it will be in vain.
But gee, I do hope another girl falls down some stairs and “dings” herself pretty good. At least Fleiss will be laughing.
Yeah, if there was ever something that could make me even *more* convinced that this was a nasty, misogynistic bit of hell-TV, this Q&A would be it.
Is it slimy in here, or is it just him?
On the other hand, I’ll totally be reading the write-ups. Slezak’s multiple choice quiz from last season still gives me the giggles.
Um, I’ve never watched this show, but am puzzled as to why you think I would be after reading one of the masterminds behind the camera is a rude, chauvinistic, ratings-hungry a**hole?
Yuck.
Mandi, you are trying to get people to watch a show were women ǝɹoɥʍ themselves out for a guy that won’t marry them? Are you stuck doing a TV Watch for this show? (Who’d you ssıd off?)
“5 Reasons You Should (Still) Be Watching ‘The Bachelor’”? How about I give you 1 reason not to watch: IT SUCKS!!!
I’m watching for one reason: I’ve got money that the black girl doesn’t make it past the 3rd rose ceremony.
Why the disgusted attitudes, folks? The bachelorettes are no victims of Hollywood producers. There may be a handful of women on the show who really ARE looking for their true love, but in many cases they are simply looking for their brief moment in the spotlight. If they didn’t want the attention, they wouldn’t be “searching for their soul mate” on national television.
These “heartless, rude, chauvinistic, ratings-hungry a**holes” are delivering what the public has demanded… drama, drama, drama. They are doing their jobs, and apparently doing them well since they’ve stirred up enough emotion in the lot of you to evoke responses, even though they are criticisms. Won’t watch the show, but you can’t wait for the write-ups? Come on now.
Publicity is publicity, whether positive or negative. By posting your opinions here, you are only adding to the momentum that has kept the Bachelor going for 11 seasons.
Like it or not, you’ve all been sucked in as well. Now excuse me, I have
… a season premier to watch.
ummm I just flipped it on there while heroes was on commercial. why are these 30 year old women jumping on the bed?
I’m thinking Jen is a fanatic of the show. If publicity is publicity, then I’m guessing you think Britney is in a good place?
Clarification: I read the write-ups not because I am in any way invested in this show, but because the worse things get, the funnier the recaps are. Bad tv=hilarious blogging.
You might want to ratchet it down a bit. If only for your blood pressure, man. No one thinks these are naive virgins searching for true love. Nothing wrong with us acknowledging a show we don’t intend to watch. You gotta admit a lot of what Fleiss said was gleefully horrible. Yes, you can enjoy a good blog without having to slog through hours of the Bachelor. Enjoy your show, but understand that everyone doesn’t feel the same about it or even TV for that matter. I can tell you like your drama, drama, drama.