Welcome to the inaugural episode of our new series, Bachelor of Hearts: Ancient Kisstory, in which we take a look back into the ancient texts & historical records of The Bachelor franchise, to learn how the show has changed, and what the document reflects about our changing world. On this mini-series, we're covering the first ever season of The Bachelor, which aired on TV in the USA in March-April 2002. The premiere episode is a momentous, confident piece of world-building, which sets up elements that would stay with the franchise for decades - but also, it's... kind of dull? How are you supposed to know how to root for? Why can't anyone find a suit that fits? And what's going on with the Deliberation Room?
Bibliography:
'A History of The Bachelor, By The People That Lived It', by Jada Yuan, published Dec 2015 in The Cut
'Bachelor Nation: Inside The World of America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure', by Amy Kaufman, published 2019 by Dutton / Penguin Random House
