8 Ways Producer Interference Is Hurting The Bachelor Franchise

Over the years, the producers of The Bachelor franchise have been accused of interfering too much in the show's various storylines. Reality television requires some level of producer involvement during production, but producers can go too far, which can hurt the show, and damage the brand. Since the franchise's inception, there have been 28 seasons of The Bachelor, 21 seasons of The Bachelorette, nine seasons of Bachelor In Paradise, and several seasons of other franchise shows, including The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette.

With every season, there have been accusations producers are making decisions that put the show before the needs of its contestants. Many feel that it's unfair for producers to push relationships or story lines that wouldn't have happened organically. Fans who watch The Bachelor franchise shows genuinely want to see good story lines about love stories between interesting contestants, but they also want organic stories. No one wants to think that the romantic relationships that they're watching flourish are actually the machinations of all-powerful producers playing puppet masters with the contestants' fates.

On the other hand, fans should try to understand that the producers aren't professional matchmakers, looking to make long-lasting relationships. They're in show business, and their job is to turn around an entertaining show. Over the last few years, since the franchise's inception, there have been multiple occasions in which producers were accused of interfering too much in stories being told by the various shows.

8 Drama Always Seems Manufactured

Kelsey's Letter

Though The Bachelor franchise shows are often extremely entertaining, some of the drama can feel manufactured. One recent example was Kelsey Anderson's late-in-the-game letter to Joey Graziadei during The Bachelor season 28. After their overnight date, Kelsey sent Joey a letter saying they needed to talk. Joey freaked out. During the entire season, he was anxiously worried that he could fall in love with someone who didn't want him back.

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Joey jumped to the conclusion that Kelsey sent the letter because she wanted to leave. Joey made his way to Kelsey's hotel room, fearing she was about to self-eliminate from the competition. When he finally sat down with Kelsey, she told him she wrote the letter because she missed him. Joey was relieved, and it really seemed like the moment was manufactured by the producers, designed to freak Joey out. In the end, Joey gave his final rose to Kelsey, and the two got engaged.

7 The Lead Could Fall For A Producer Plant

Mark Anderson

Since The Bachelor franchise leads often come from other franchise shows, it can often feel like a contestant is only on the show being groomed for the next show. A recent example involves 58-year-old Mark Anderson. Mark initially made his franchise debut on The Bachelor season 28, when his daughter, Kelsey, took Joey home to meet her father and their family during the hometown episode.

Fans immediately started clamoring for Mark to be the next The Golden Bachelor. When he was cast as a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette season 1 instead, the assumption was he was only on the show so he could then be The Golden Bachelor. When Mark was sent home early, this only added to the fan theory. It remains to be seen if Mark will be The Bachelor spin-off's second male lead.

6 Producers Often Manipulate The Lead Or Contestants

At Their Mercy

Another way producers can get too involved on The Bachelor franchise shows, is by emotionally manipulating the contestants. People have to understand that the cast of any show is at the mercy of the show's producers. They're cut off from friends and family, their phones are taken away, they can't acces the outside world or even use the internet.

Take Kelsey's previously mentioned letter to Joey, for example. The note didn't read "I miss you," it read "We need to talk." As everyone knows, the term "we need to talk" is one of the scariest phrases in the English language, especially when it comes from your significant other. Though it's possible Kelsey sat down and wrote the most incendiary thing she could possibly think of, or the producers urged her to use the scarier terminology.

5 Relationships That Form Seem Less Believable

It's All A Golden Facade

Blatant producer involvement can also lead to the formation of The Bachelor relationships that turn out to not be real. These relationships have no chance in the real world because they're entirely manufactured as an entertainment product. The recent example that rushes to mind is the ill-advised marriage between 72-year-old Gerry Turner and 70-year-old Theresa Nist on The Golden Bachelor season 1.

The Golden Bachelor season 1 ended with Gerry giving his final rose to Theresa, and they were married weeks later in a lavish wedding. When the marriage fell apart three months later, it became clear the romance was a facade. The divorce made the wedding look like a complete ratings grab. Whether it was driven by producers or happened organically, it damaged the brand.

4 Producer Interference Could Lose The Trust Of The Lead Or Contestants

Don't Influence The Plot

Another major way a producers' over-involvement hurts the franchise is it can lead to a loss of trust in the producers among contestants and even the lead. Since co-stars rely on the show's producers for everything during production, trust is important. Participants have to feel like the producers they're working with are on their side.

If contestants start to feel like the producers aren't trustworthy, it can lead to behavioral adjustments that aren't organic. If leads distrust their producers, it could devastate the entire season. The Bachelor franchise producers have to understand that though their job is to tell a compelling story, it's important that they don't influence the plot too much. Nobody likes being lied to, and people need to believe the stories they're being told are true.

3 They Cast Terrible Contestants

They're Not Always Sending Their Best

If The Bachelor franchise producers want to create better and better shows, they should start by not casting so many questionable contestants. The Golden Bachelorette season 1, which is currently airing, is a great example of less-than-stellar casting. The show cast not one but two different men with restraining orders in their recent past. One involved the 60-year-old Gil Ramirez, an educator from California. According to People, Gil's ex-girlfriend filed a restraining order against him about four months ago, accusing him of stalking, but later dropped her claims.

Joan liked 66-year-old Guy Gansert from the moment they met during The Golden Bachelorette season 1, but, according to People, Guy's ex-wife, Heidi O’Gara, filed for a temporary protective order in October 2021. She had the order dismissed a month later, but her accusations are quite disturbing. She accuses her ex-husband of being angry, making threats, and alleges that he "motioned like he was going to shoot me with his hand shaped like a pistol." The producers should never have let anyone who ever had a restraining order on the show, even if the cases were later dropped.

2 Producer Interference Could Lose The Trust Of The Audience

Love Is The Answer

Though people are generally very cynical about love stories these days, Bachelor Nation fans are a different breed. Though many of them watch the show entirely for entertainment purposes, many feel inspired by the relationships created on the show. The franchise has a fairly impressive track record, boasting many long-term marriages.

The very first couple who met on The Bachelorette season 1, Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, are still married after 20 years of marriage and two children together. Audiences need to believe true love is possible in The Bachelor franchise, or they'll eventually stop tuning in. Sure, the drama between contestants could stem the bleeding for a bit, but ultimately, they need to continue to believe true love can be found on the show.

1 Organic Drama Is More Fun

Don't Fake It

The Bachelor producers should understand that they don't have to work so hard. If they put 30 or so interesting women in a mansion and make them all compete for one man, there will be drama. There's no reason to get overly involved because things will be more interesting if they're organic.

The audience is sophisticated, and they can recognize authenticity in an instant. They can also tell when something is fake, exaggerated, or manufactured. Though some of that is necessary when producing a reality television show, otherwise contestants sit around staring at each other but The Bachelor franchise producers should step back and let the show produce itself. If they cast the right people and set up the right dates, the entertainment will take care of itself.

Source: People

The Bachelor - Season 28