Fox Nation dropped the first trailer for "The Vow," Chris Harrison's new dating series premiering Nov. 11, and one contestant's pitch for the 30-year-old bachelor is, in her words, "put a baby in me now," per Variety.
The rose throws the same way. Five years after Harrison's exit from the ABC franchise, the format returns with a fresh coat of paint: the teaser drops the red rose on the ground and threatens to step on it, the trailer shows the bachelor praying, and the logline reads like a job posting. "Whether shared values, faith, communication, and long-term goals can build a relationship." Those words belong on a resume, not a pilot.
The trailer's most unhinged moment is a woman saying she wants to know the bachelor "biblically," then: "I think Jace would be an amazing dad. Oh my gosh, like, put a baby in me now!" The lead is 30 years old. The pitch is commitment. The wedding is being scheduled before the pilot. Harrison says he's "inspired by the faith-driven renaissance happening across America," which is what you say when the season needs to be exactly six weeks long.
The real story is in the fine print. Warner Bros. has claimed "The Vow" infringes on "The Bachelor" copyright and trademarks, and Harrison's answer to the legal threat is: "There's been one show that they've gone after. Is that a coincidence? You be the judge." His former employer's lawyers filed a document, and the response is a vibe check. Sean and Catherine Lowe, the season 17 love story, appear in the show as the success example, which is the TV equivalent of sending your last relationship's wedding photos to a new date.
One episode a week, finale Dec. 9, format export worldwide. A relationship designed to last long after the cameras stop rolling, and a licensing deal designed to outlast the lawyers.
YOUR TURN: How many of the ten women read the logline before signing?
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