Annnnnnnddddd I’m back again. This time to discuss a cult classic, a fan-favorite if you will.

The Bachelor. 

An image from one of the world’s favorite seasons of The Bachelor (and their favorite man), and a clear view of what exactly the show is all about. 

Now I’m not one to pick favorites, but this reality television show has been running since 2002, for 28 seasons (and running) for a reason. The concept is simple. One bachelor man (normally very conventionally attractive if you were wondering) is thrown into a pool of women with the expectation that by the end of the season he will have a new fiancé. Sounds simple and not drama filled at all…right?

You could imagine that a group of women fighting over an attractive eligible bachelor could get pretty messy, and season after season this proves to be true. To the viewer, this show is the perfect trilogy. First, plenty of attractive stars to go around. Second, enough drama to keep the audience coming back every week and wanting more. And third, arguably the most important aspect, the idea that at the end of every season, despite the roller coaster that may occur, there is a opportunity for a happy ending. That last part, to me, is exactly what has kept this franchise churning for 28 seasons (and counting).

Let’s get into some of the history and allure of The Bachelor franchise though, because there is A LOT to unpack here. The time when the show debuted, 2002, was a hot and heavy time to be entering the field of reality television. Producers were facing competition from some of the newest and most popular shows, like Survivor, Big Brother, Fear Factor, and American Idol. These are household names of extremely popular and profitable shows that are household names now, so it begs the question, what gave producers the confidence that it could be successful?

Producers liked the idea that this was something different and unheard of in dating shows: only one possibility for the girls that agree to the show, and yet so many ways that things could go wrong. Those endless possibilities for mayhem, combined with viewers naïve desire to somehow see love prevail is exactly what has kept this franchise in business and relevant through the many up-and-coming reality television programs.

Enough about the producers of the show though, the dating and conversations are the true star of the show. What is interesting about the way love is depicted on the show is that it is clearly orchestrated to create a whimsical dating show, where the stars and the viewers are on a “‘journey’ together, on a never-ending search for ‘clarity’ and a ‘forever’ ‘connection.'” Although the idea of one man dating over a dozen women would traditionally be a sign of infidelity, producers paint a different picture that instead illustrates a world of possibility for connection.

Although there are dozens of events in the show that viewers fan-girl (or boy) over, by far the most iconic is the rose ceremony. I mean, just listen to that title, rose ceremony. Doesn’t that make you want to tune in?

The Rose Ceremony from The Bachelor’s 2015 season, pictures the Bachelor handing the rose to a woman he is choosing to keep on the show for another week. (romantic right?)

The ceremony essentially is the Bachelor deciding who will stay in the running to be his fiancé for another week, and who will have to leave the show. As the season goes on, these ceremonies get more and more emotional, and thus more and more addicting to watch.

Enough from me, but as host Chris Harrison puts it, “The show is escapism.” For that fact alone, it comes highly recommended as a must watch, classic reality television show.