The reality dating show “The Bachelor” is reinventing itself by adding some seasoning to appeal to Baby Boomers.
The brand new spinoff series, “The Golden Bachelor,” premieres Thursday night on ABC at 8 p.m.
This time, the central figure is 72-year-old Gerry Turner, who is looking for love and hoping to go steady as a retired restaurateur and widower from Hudson, Indiana.
Vying for his heart are 22 golden contestants, including two women from our area: 60-year-old Nancy Hulkower, a retired interior designer from Alexandria, Virginia, and 60-year-old Joan Vassos, a private school administrator from Rockville, Maryland.
The show will be hosted by former NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer, who starred on Season 5 of “The Bachelor” and took over hosting duties on “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” in 2021, predating Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift as an NFL dating story in pop culture.
In fact, before quarterbacking the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, Palmer played college football at the University of Florida for eventual Washington NFL coach Steve Spurrier, so here’s hoping this show, unlike Spurrier, lasts for more than two seasons.
