Endangered Species Alert?

Ratings for the Season Premiere Were Down

Judging solely by anecdotal evidence, I was worried that this season's Bachelor might be an endangered species.  The level of apathy toward him by female fans of the show appears staggering.

So I went in search of empirical evidence to see if this were true or not.  The Los Angeles Times reported that last week's season premiere was  watched by "only" 7.7 million viewers.  In comparison, last year's premiere of Brad Womack's second chance at love on the Bachelor (which was noted as "already one of the show's lowest premieres") had 9 million viewers.  (Brad's first season in 2007 had 9.6 million viewers for the premiere and over 11.6 million for the finale.)

For comparison's sake, last week's premiere of the Jersey Shore drew 7.6 million viewers even though it was on cable--not one of the broadcast networks.  Maybe Mike Fleiss needs to cast Snooki as the next Bachelorette?  Actually, let's hope not...

Bigger than The Bachelor?

But don't worry, I think after nearly a decade and 16 seasons of the show, Mike Fleiss and the Bachelor producers deserve a little more credit.  The show was still a solid second for the night in its time slot, finishing ahead of other shows in the 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. time slot like "Who's Still Standing?" (NBC's new game show which featured my brother-in-law and had 5.5 million viewers); "Fear Factor" (NBC - 6.0 million); House (FOX - 3.6 million); and "The Secret Circle" (CW - 800,000).

I predict that Caveman will grow on the show's traditional female fan base and perhaps win many of them over.  And even if Caveman doesn't, the franchise will survive.  How do I know?  Well, Fleiss has already given us Byron Velvick, Bob Guiney, and Charlie O'Connell.  Somehow, the show continued...

Love 'em or Leave 'Em?

Even if Bachelor fans aren't necessarily converted into Caveman fans, the show's fan base knows how to appreciate a train wreck, especially since this season (as always) promises to be "the most dramatic season of The Bachelor ever!"  ;)

See you tomorrow night!