The Golden Bachelor’s lead Gerry Turner will be changing the franchise on his spin-off series from his very first night at the Bachelor mansion. Gerry, who celebrated his 72nd birthday during the filming of the series, will get the chance to look for love on the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor. As the first lead of the series, he’ll have his chance with 22 mature women who are hoping that Gerry will be the person they spend the rest of their lives with. As one of the most highly-anticipated new reality TV series of the moment, many are looking forward to Gerry’s journey as The Golden Bachelor.
While The Golden Bachelor season 1 has been in the works for ABC for years, Gerry’s time as the lead only came to fruition during the last several months. After losing his wife Toni in 2017, Gerry took the time to heal and grieve before deciding he was ready to forward with a new relationship. Considering Gerry isn’t a traditional Bachelor, it’s only fair to see that moving into his role as the lead, he won’t be keeping up with some of the traditional Bachelor conventions.
Gerry’s Family Will Be Highly Involved In The Golden Bachelor
The Bachelor franchise always incorporates a family element to the show, inviting the lead to meet their contestants’ families during hometown week and in turn, inviting the lead’s families to meet their finalists later in the season. The Golden Bachelor will be even more family-focused, as Gerry has raised a family and lived a full life with his late wife. With two daughters and granddaughters at the ready to help Gerry figure out his feelings, the Turner family will be a huge part of The Golden Bachelor, even if the decision-making will ultimately be left to Gerry.
Mature Relationships Are Quicker To Form & Solidify
One of the biggest drawbacks and difficulties found on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is the fact that the relationships form so quickly that they don’t always feel authentic. While the love between the lead and their contestants may feel strong during The Bachelor experience, things can fizzle out quickly with such young contestants. The Golden Bachelor won’t have the same issue, considering Gerry & his contestants are of a more advanced age. With maturity under their belts and relationship experience allowing them to move a bit more quickly in their emotions, Gerry’s relationships will build more quickly and likely have more depth than some of the other Bachelor Nation connections.
Gerry’s Looking For An Emotional Long-Term Connection, Not Social Media Fame
Some of the leads and contestants in Bachelor Nation weren’t on the series to look for love, which is a common criticism on the series. Many Bachelor Nation viewers are familiar with the phrase “here for the right reasons,” which typically points to contestants who are on the show looking for fame. This won’t be as big of an issue on The Golden Bachelor, especially considering Gerry is already such a beloved figure. While the contestants will likely gain a boost in popularity online, it’s more than likely that they aren’t looking for fame in the same way they’re looking for love.
The Golden Bachelor premieres Thursday, September 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
