No, this is not an article about the camp 1961 studio comedy directed by Jack Arnold — as appreciable as that would be.
The popular ABC reality series Bachelor in Paradise, a spin-off from the similarly well-loved, albeit tacky dating show The Bachelor, has been recalled for an eighth season by the network per Deadline. The seventh season, hosted by David Spade, Lil Job, Titus Burgess, and Lance Bass, scored 2.8 million viewers for its lovelorn finale, which saw a handful of couples shack up, indeed, a couple of broken hearts. Host details are forthcoming for season eight, but expect some similarly swanky stars to handle the proceedings, although perhaps not wearing priest collars.
The series sees a number of returning figures from older seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, all in renewed searches for love. Some commentators were critical of the age gaps between the titular bachelors and the women with whom they were eventually paired. Vulture's recap of the finale — a three-star affair, apparently — calls it "bleak," noting that there was an average age difference between the engaged couples of "11.3333333333334 years." They continue:
"The casting this season relied on the slightly older men of Clayshia’s season (who were picked for our oldest Bachelorette) and the very young women of Matt James’s season (who were picked to match his emotional maturity), and the result was a bunch of men in their 30s and older going after people who haven’t even attended their five-year college reunion yet."
Others were critical of the initial disparity between men and women contestants, with Pure Wow noting that there were only ten men for thirteen women, meaning that the unlucky ladies who didn't get a rose would have to leave before their journey even starts. They write:
"Throughout the installment, guest host David Spade continually teases the first rose ceremony, where each man will choose one of the 13 women. The problem? There are only ten boys, which means three women are going home before their journey even starts. While it sounds dramatic, the episode doesn’t get anywhere near the rose ceremony because it’s so focused on introducing the contestants. (Go figure.)"
Whatever the case, it sounds like Bachelor in Paradise has a couple of issues to address ahead of Season 8.
Bachelor in Paradise is produced by Next Entertainment and Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon. Mike Fleiss, Martin Hilton, Nicole Woods, Tim Warner, Louis Caric, and Peter Geist executive produce the show.