For two seasons, I was marginally involved in the production of ABC’s The Bachelor. Unfortunately I only worked on the studio reunion shoots, “Women Tell All” and “After the Final Rose” — none of the on-location stuff.
Now, this was at a time when I didn’t watch the show. I’d been working in television for a few years by then, and the last thing I wanted to do in my free time was watch it.
This year, however, was the first time I’d seen an entire season of the show. Forget the Courtney drama, and forget boring Ben and his stupid hair — I could NOT take my eyes off the scenery of the show’s travel destinations!
The Bachelor and the paid actresses bachelorettes – went to Panama, Belize and Switzerland. They swam with sharks, explored Mayan ruins, went lobster diving, learned to salsa dance, took scenic train rides, went rappeling, went skiing, flew over the Swiss Alps in a private helicopter, and more.
Holy crap! I’d gladly act a fool and read scripts and pretend to be in love so I can go to these places! Shooooooot.
Actually, here is my perfect Bachelor season:
- The Bachelor would be Clive Owen.
- I would be the only bachelorette.
- He would whisk me away to the Galapagos to explore the islands, and hang out with tortoises and penguins.
- We’d then head south to Chile and Argentina and go on a motorcycle excursion through Patagonia.
- We’d then fly all the way over to Rajasthan to work with rescue elephants.
- Then we’d go to the Maldives for some scuba diving, and he’d feed me fruit and champagne in our romantic overwater bungalow.
- Then we’d buy a cottage in the south of Spain and make beautiful babies.
Somewhere in there, we’ll have gotten married on a coastal vineyard in the Italian Riviera.
Surely, his wife and kids won’t mind. And the show’s producers would be delighted to make these *minor* tweaks to the program for me, right?
Come on, all my TV production friends — let’s make this happen!
Kidding, of course. Really though, if you were to capture the Traveling Thy spirit on television, it’d be with Anthony Bourdain. Can someone please set me up on No Reservations or The Layover?! Please please please?! I would stoop low enough as to be a PA. Hook a girl up!
PS I was on team Courtney. Yeah I said it! She was horrible and hysterical, and I loved watching her get under people’s skin. I think I’ve watched The Courtney Autotune Video about a dozen times and it simply doesn’t get old. Winning!