You would think the producers of this show would have the resources to do proper vetting to find a decent guy without a checkered past. Is the shortage that bad that they had to resort to the current jerk they selected? Apparently the guy doesn’t even get the premise of the show and told them he was not willing to date anyone over 60, even though he’s 66. He went on to say that he didn’t want women with ‘the wigs and artificial hips.’ WHAT???
This info got out to the extent that the female contestants got wind of it. They were allowed to ‘roast him’ as a way to redeem themselves. How sad is that? The winner then has to marry him, which already qualifies as a dubious honor. Beforehand there’s always some gratuitous hanky panky when he gets down to a few finalists, which initiates my gag reflex.

The first season was unwatchable. I could only get through 5 minutes before I yelled at the TV for Gerry to ‘get a set’ and changed the channel. He was constantly crying about having to let some of the women down. He cried more than they did about it. The last two finalists were the prettiest one and the least attractive one, who was rich. He chose the latter and they were divorced within 3 months. The reason surfaced eventually that it was because they couldn’t settle on a place to live and she couldn’t be away from her kids and grandkids. Most likely it was because he was trying to hit her up for money. He wasn’t as rich as they claimed, but who really cares with these stupid dating shows? Who in their right mind would marry someone they barely know in the first place?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2025 01:38PM by Minime.

I can't watch reality tv, but I bless those who can - so I can't comment on this one.
I've only ever made it through one season of Survivor, but I understand it's still a show out there.
But you've given me an idea for a new thread - tv show recommendations/reviews - whether network based or streaming or whatever.
I can suggest Task on HBO Max with noted actor Mark Ruffalo.....FBI crime genre but reasonably well written if anyone is into that...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2025 09:32AM by BarefootBliss.

I’ve been considering getting HBO to watch Task. Martha Plimpton is getting great reviews and it’s from the same writer as Mare of East Town.
As far as reality tv goes, I like American Ninja Warrior and Dancing with the Stars. Both qualify as contests but there’s no competitive angle with either one, which is so common with sports shows. I hate the hype.

I watch Amazing Race, Alone, Homestead Rescue, and Naked and Afraid. I have no use for Big Brother, Love Island, Real Housewives, Survivor, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, the Kardashians, etc.

I watched the first episode (DVR, lots of skipping) and could tell he isn't ultimately marrying any of them no matter what was said to save the ratings.

His first wife is 19 years his junior and his kids are still in school. He appears to have the idea that he's a supreme catch and can attract someone substantially younger than himself. I mean, Belichick's surely his hero?

After the obvious ending, they will probably send him to a sequel of the combined ages Paradise. Then you will really see the gross come out. This was likely the plan all along.

I think I kinda watched the first bachelor season, but I don't remember much about it other than I thought it was incredibly stupid. I have and still do watch Survivor, every single season, but Survivor is the only reality tv show that I watch. I also don't watch all the stupid singing competitions and "talent" shows.

I like Survivor, and Jeff Probst. Other than that I mostly watch police "procedurals." There are a few that are just too campy or too incredibly badly directed or written to be worth the time, like "The Listener", "18 Wheels of Justice", and "Hudson and Rex."

MLZ, Are you a fan of CSI?
A long time ago, I loved the original CSI Las Vegas...
Someone recommended a show called "Bones" to me....I have never seen it.

A good friend of mine is obsessed with Law & Order lol.

Bare, I used to like CSI when it was new. When they tried to continue the story a couple years ago it mostly sucked. I tried watching a couple of the spin offs, but I really dislike David Caruso, so I've actively avoided CSI: Miami. I've watched some Bones episodes, but it was because I liked David Boreanaz from when he was on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I like stories about Vampires too sometimes), but I never got into the series, and I don't like the lady, I don't her name.

I liked Law & Order before Jerry Orbach passed, but I didn't get to watch it often because I worked 2nd shift, and we didn't get NBC at work.

I feel the same....David Caruso, I just couldn't connect and find interest....he was no Gil Grissom/William Peterson.

True story....the L&O crew contacted my in-laws and asked to rent their apartment for a scene in an episode. My father in law was on medical leave at the time and asked if he could be there during the shoot - and they said yes. He wasn't familiar with the show. Jerry walked in and my father in law said "hey, aren't you Baby's father?"

LOL.

speaking of actors - that's another dustup in Hollywood.
Concern over AI created actors taking work away from human actors.

@Deedeezthoughts wrote:

I watched the first episode (DVR, lots of skipping) and could tell he isn't ultimately marrying any of them no matter what was said to save the ratings.

His first wife is 19 years his junior and his kids are still in school. He appears to have the idea that he's a supreme catch and can attract someone substantially younger than himself. I mean, Belichick's surely his hero?

After the obvious ending, they will probably send him to a sequel of the combined ages Paradise. Then you will really see the gross come out. This was likely the plan all along.

LOL! He requested an age range between 45-60, like he’s entitled to that for some reason. He’s one of those types who thinks he’s much better looking than he really is and has a much higher opinion of himself than everyone else does. I bet he would have gone much younger if given the opportunity. No doubt he’ll pick the best looking woman with the loosest morals.

I would watch it for laughs if not for the disgusting make out sessions with different women, and on the same day, no less. Yuck. They should have scrapped it and started over with a guy who isn’t as repulsive and narcissistic as Mel.

@BarefootBliss wrote:

I feel the same....David Caruso, I just couldn't connect and find interest....he was no Gil Grissom/William Peterson.

True story....the L&O crew contacted my in-laws and asked to rent their apartment for a scene in an episode. My father in law was on medical leave at the time and asked if he could be there during the shoot - and they said yes. He wasn't familiar with the show. Jerry walked in and my father in law said "hey, aren't you Baby's father?"

LOL.

I found that show unwatchable because of David Caruso. The way he talked was so odd. The cadence and delivery of his lines made him sound like a male version of Mae West. They always had to use dark lighting a weird camera angles to make him look better, but nothing worked.

I can’t stomach any crime drama that starts with a gruesome crime scene. I don’t watch any fictional shows or movies with violence, blood and gore. Don’t think society needs more of that. There’s an over saturation of true crime docu-series on TV about women getting killed as it is.

Yes, I agree with the gruesome crime scene addiction for these types of shows. I have been a yo-yo watching them and then upset because of the impressions they left me with. I also think they give people ideas of how to hurt people. When I stay away from them for a long time they do not attract me and I see the harm they do.

That being said, I did watch "The Night Of," a miniseries on HBO, and I think it is still on. It was only 8 episodes, but I did like it and thought Riz Ahmed and John Turturro were very good.

I'm inspired by this thread to add original CSI LV to my queue. I was enamored of Gil Grissom and related to him in so many ways....and of course, the story lines and other characters as well, so a re-watch is in order.

I avoid horror and gore as a rule, but sometimes make exceptions if it fits well with the plot and script.
I will confess to having lost my stomach for much of it over the years...I guess it's because we already have enough shown in the media, who needs to purposefully add more....not only that, my compassion for most people has grown over time...so I don't tolerate it as well any longer.

PI/ I am a HUGE fan of the Turturro family of actors! since way back when....I will check out "The Night Of"

Thank you all for this thread. A close family member was diagnosed this week with a serious illness and I need occasional distractions to stay calm and provide support and not fall down a hole of worry.

I watched the entire original NCIS series (22 seasons) over the past 6 months. Yes, there is some gore but you get used to it. I liked the fact that there was very little sex, swearing, or political bias. True, that did deal with social issues but were not overtly political. Many of the holiday storylines were very touching and of course, they were always respectful of our military.

I loved the science and technology stories, such as the person who had a pacemaker that was actually an eavesdroppoing device. I particularly enjoyed watching David McAllum as I grew up watching him on Man fron U.N.C.L.E.

Now that you mention it - at the time +/- 2000 when Season 1 first started, I wouldn't have noticed a lack of political bias, sex, cursing because they weren't as common, but now in our coarse culture (my opinion) I think I would find it noticeable.
Interesting point, thank you....
The episode where Gil, needing a break, went out and rode the roller coaster....has never left my mind.

@Minime wrote:

You would think the producers of this show would have the resources to do proper vetting to find a decent guy without a checkered past. Is the shortage that bad that they had to resort to the current jerk they selected? Apparently the guy doesn’t even get the premise of the show and told them he was not willing to date anyone over 60, even though he’s 66. He went on to say that he didn’t want women with ‘the wigs and artificial hips.’ WHAT???
This info got out to the extent that the female contestants got wind of it. They were allowed to ‘roast him’ as a way to redeem themselves. How sad is that? The winner then has to marry him, which already qualifies as a dubious honor. Beforehand there’s always some gratuitous hanky panky when he gets down to a few finalists, which initiates my gag reflex.

The first season was unwatchable. I could only get through 5 minutes before I yelled at the TV for Gerry to ‘get a set’ and changed the channel. He was constantly crying about having to let some of the women down. He cried more than they did about it. The last two finalists were the prettiest one and the least attractive one, who was rich. He chose the latter and they were divorced within 3 months. The reason surfaced eventually that it was because they couldn’t settle on a place to live and she couldn’t be away from her kids and grandkids. Most likely it was because he was trying to hit her up for money. He wasn’t as rich as they claimed, but who really cares with these stupid dating shows? Who in their right mind would marry someone they barely know in the first place?

Well, I am on their list and am constantly getting emails to be on this show.
Absolutely no.

#1 I'm far too smart
#2 I'm too chunky now
#3 I'm married!

Yeah, otherwise, I'd be down to humiliate myself in front of the nation - not!

I guess I don’t understand why the visuals are necessary. We have become too desensitized to it. It’s sad the broadcasting of this content can’t be restricted until after 10 pm to at least try not to expose children to it. It has a lasting impression. Then people wonder why, and try to investigate why there are so many mass school and church shootings these days. Duh…

Growing up in the 70s we were protected from gratuitous violence on tv and I’m grateful for that. The one disturbing occurrence for me happened at a movie theater. My oldest sister, in her infinite wisdom, took me and the middle sister to see the movie ‘Tommy’ (b/c they wanted to see it) while we were staying with her. I was maybe 10 or 11 years old. I found Keith Moon’s ‘Cousin Kevin’ and Tiny Turner’s ‘Acid Queen’ horrifying and it left a lasting impression.

On another note, for some odd reason I find true crime from the 70s to be interesting. The Chowchilla school bus kidnapping, the Getty grandson kidnapping, Patty Hearst, the Candyman killer (the first spree killer who inspired the label of ‘serial killer’) and the Manson Family murders to name a few.
The Bugliosi narrative never made sense to me based on what some of the family members reported. A few years ago there was a program about the Manson Family murders that I believe was either a 2 parter, or 2 hours long. They gathered a bunch of forensic experts and crime investigators to pick apart their crimes. They developed a completely different narrative concerning the ‘family’s’ motivations and actions that made much more sense. It was very interesting. I can’t find it now, but would love to watch it again.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2025 03:00PM by Minime.

@BayShopper22 wrote:

Well, I am on their list and am constantly getting emails to be on this show.
Absolutely no.

#1 I'm far too smart
#2 I'm too chunky now
#3 I'm married!

Yeah, otherwise, I'd be down to humiliate myself in front of the nation - not!

Do you have any idea what they pay? I mean, I am guessing it isn't all that great for the bulk of the contestants, the lead gets much better treatment? A lot of them seem to sign up as an audition to try for the lead role the next season (or at least a shot at the Paradise spinoff)

Never heard of it...Sounds like a waste of time.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2025 06:01AM by 7welcomehome77.

It’s not a ‘waste of time’ if it provides entertainment value. I’ve decided to watch the next episode for that reason, although I can’t promise it won’t be shut down with the first make out session, or that there will be a critique to follow. I do have my limits.