Crafting a popular show is hard to do, especially when there is a ton of competition. The sphere of reality television is packed with shows like Jersey Shore, Welcome to Plathville, and Love is Blind, and networks looking to add a new show have a tough road ahead of them.
Back in the 2000s, Joe Millionaire came along and made a name for itself in a hurry. It didn't last long, but the show was able to find a large audience and shake things up.
Let's take a look back at the deceptive nature of Joe Millionaire and see what the future of that series holds.
2000s Reality TV Was Wild
Let's face it, reality TV is not a place that is known for being tame, as these shows all look to take things to another level to get viewers interested. It just so happens that the 2000s was perhaps the craziest time in reality TV history. Just look at the shows on the air and you'll quickly see what we mean.
During this period, virtually every network was hopping on board the reality train, and many shows came and went without much fuss. Other shows, however, became smash hits and left a permanent mark on fans. The Girls Next Door, The Simple Life, Flavor of Love, Survivor, and The Bachelor are all reality shows that started in the 2000s, which is a stacked lineup for fans.
One of the most interesting reality shows from that decade was one that was predicated on the art of deception.
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'Joe Millionaire' Found Success
Back in 2003, during reality TV's wildest era, Joe Millionaire made its official debut, and the series utilized some crazy deception to conjure up great television. The premise was simple: have women compete for the hand of a millionaire bachelor. The problem? The guy wasn't rich in the slightest.
Evan Marriott was the star of the inaugural season, and he played his role on the show to perfection. People couldn't stop buzzing about the show before its debut and, lo and behold, the show was able to drum up enough intrigue to become a success in the blink of an eye.
According to Today, "The two-hour finale of "Joe Millionaire" season one also delivered the best ratings for a night of entertainment programming in Fox's history at the time, averaging 35 million viewers. Its final half-hour climbed to a 21.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 40 million viewers in the second hour (when Evan asked Zora to go steady or something like that), and remains the highest-rated and most-watched unscripted entertainment series telecast of the past two decades (excluding post-NFL)."
Marriott would find a bride and a $1 million prize, but the duo went their separate ways and eventually split the money.
When speaking on the downside of fame that came from being on the show, Marriott said, "It's really powerful when not just your friends know you, but everybody thinks they know you. They think they do. And depending on how you take it, it's sometimes not that pleasant."
The show did last for two seasons, but there was a definite fallout for Marriott, who is leading a normal life these days.
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'Joe Millionaire' Is Making A Comeback
It has been years since Joe Millionaire went off of the air, and while fans do like to reminisce about the past, this show is a rare example of a reality show that is actually being revived. That's right, Joe Millionaire is making a comeback, only this time around, there is a twist to it.
Rob Wade, Fox President of alternative and specials, announced the project some time ago, saying, "This revival of 'Joe Millionaire' represents a potent combination: one of the most innovative and popular dating shows of all time with SallyAnn Salsano, who ranks among the most fearless producers in the business. I've long admired 'Joe Millionaire' for its daring premise, and since the moment I joined Fox, I've wanted to bring it back in the spotlight in a whole new way for both new viewers and fans of the original."
Needless to say, fans were quite shocked to see that this show was making a comeback, but the new twist of having two bachelors involved with things will assuredly get eyeballs on the show.
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Joe Millionaire remains one of the most deceptive shows in the history of television, and there was some fallout from it. Crazy to think that it will be back, but you had better believe people will be talking about it in no time.
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