M6 probably thought they were revolutionizing reality TV by launching The Golden Bachelor, a program where they swap out bodybuilder thirty-somethings for graying sexagenarians. A breath of fresh air in a universe saturated with young, oiled muscles and trivial disputes? Uh… no. In reality, it’s more like a breath of fatigue. Landry, 60 years old, widower and gentleman (we swear), is looking for love among twenty candidates of a respectable age. It promised romance, hearts racing… In the end, it’s mostly boredom that knocked on the door, attracting few viewers.
So, get ready for the big novelty: a luxurious villa, sequin dresses, champagne glasses… Oh no, wait. That’s the same as usual. But don’t worry, we did innovate a bit. They’re older! There you go. That’s the twist. No more young people, we replace them with seniors. With this revolutionary idea, M6 probably hoped to shake up the codes of reality TV and attract a more mature audience. Spoiler: it failed.
From the first minutes, the suspense is unbearable. Who will be the first candidate to compare Landry to a famous actor? Ah, there she is. Raquel, 60 years old, says "He looks like Pierce Brosnan." And why not? Landry, Pierce, same fight. Or almost. Between the entrances on motorcycles, on horseback, and even a little magic trick (to make the audience disappear?). In the end, we don’t know if we’re watching a senior talent competition or a dating show. We lean towards the first option.
The concept of this show seems simple: Landry, the charming widower, must choose his future half among women who compete in ingenuity to attract his attention. Well, "ingenuity" is quickly said. Some prefer to sing My Guy by Patricia Kaas, in a slightly awkward atmosphere. We prefer to see the real Patou on TF1 in The Voice… But beware, we also have drama. The beautiful Carole desperately tries to have a conversation with Landry. But she gets upstaged by another candidate, quicker to the attack. Do you feel the excitement rising? No, neither do we.
Despite everything, Landry remains impeccable, a gentleman to the end of his rose. When a suitor hasn’t brought her glasses to read her love declaration, Landry smiles: "I don’t have my glasses either." What a moment of television! But well, it might be the only one where we forced a smile. The rest of the show boils down to stolen kisses, hesitant dances, and rose ceremonies that, as Thierry Le Luron would say, are a bit "boring."
M6, which we love despite everything, probably counted on a resounding success. It seems they forgot to ask the public’s opinion. With less than a million viewers for the first episode, it seems the majority of the French preferred to go to bed early. Or switch to a more thrilling show. Maybe a documentary on the evolution of precious stones?
In the United States, the concept of the Golden Bachelor was a hit, with a wedding at the end (quickly followed by a divorce, of course, old habits die hard). In France, we are already far from this happy ending. The only unions we are likely to see are those of viewers with their remote controls. Because, let’s be honest, it takes a bit of courage to stick it out until the end.
So, what lesson to draw from this first episode? Maybe that love isn’t really a game, and even less so when you put twenty seniors in a villa to chase after a man. Landry, despite all his good intentions, has not yet found the rare pearl. Neither have we, by the way. We hope that the rest of the show will surprise some brave souls. Well, if they still have the energy to watch…
A piece of advice for the production: next time, maybe replace the roses with verbena. At least it will match the ambiance.