IT’S ABOUT SODDING TIME.
‘The Bachelor‘ and ‘The Bachelorette‘ have long been staples of US reality TV, providing season-upon-season of rose-giving, tear-fuelled, heartstring-tuggin’ ~DRAMA~ that was so rich you could drizzle caramel on it and call it a dessert.
And while it’s been all well and good thus far, you couldn’t help but think there’s a nagging, lingering possibility being left well-and-truly on the table by limiting the series to just straight couples.
Sure, in years past smaller series have attempted gay-focused dating series, like the magnificently atrocious Boy Meets Boy back in 2003. But there really hasn’t been one played (for lack of a better term) straight down the line; they’ve always had some sort of wild gimmick attached. In the case of Boy Meets Boy, it was the “twist” of having some of the contestants secretly be straight plants out to win oodles of cash should they fool their potential beau into falling for them. Hilarious, right?
But finally, a US cable-network is apparently developing a Bachelor-like dating series featuring a cast of gay men, all vying for the hand of one potential bloke.
The series, currently going under the title of ‘Finding Prince Charming,’ isn’t an official spinoff of The Bachelor as such, but it seems likely to follow a reasonably similar format: A group of suitors vying for the affection of one man, with the group being whittled down until there’s only one left.
Cable network Logo is developing the show, and has reportedly enlisted former N*Sync member/one-time failed Russian cosmonaut Lance Bass to host.
In a statement, Logo chief Pamela Post described the new series thusly:
“Logo has a long history of showcasing LGBTQ-focused stories with memorable characters that transcend pop culture. Finding Prince Charming will take viewers on a whirlwind journey through modern love and relationships in a way that only Logo can do.”
All 13 potential suitors will live together in a mansion, much like in The Bachelor, and according to the series press release they will be vying for the hand of “one of the nation’s most eligible gay heartthrobs.“
Though the show hasn’t officially confirmed who their main bachelor will be, TMZ identified him as Atlanta-based interior designer Robert Sepúlveda Jr. And uh… holy shit, they weren’t kidding.
It must be comforting for the production to know that if the whole format falls on its arse mid-shoot, they’ll still be able to fill the remaining airtime with footage of quarters being bounced off old mate’s abs.
There’s no international distribution information available for the series at this stage, but it is scheduled to air in the US before the end of the year.
Source: SMH.
Photo: David Livingston/Getty.
