A Ranking of All Bachelor Nation Shows, From ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ to ‘Golden Bachelorette’
This may be our most dramatic ranking yet!
Bachelor Nation wasn’t always the extensive franchise that we know and love today. Long before Colton Underwood‘s infamous fence jump, Tierra LiCausi’s uncontrollable eyebrow, or even Rozlyn Papa’s alleged crew member affair, there was simply a production company with a single guy, a handful of roses, and a dream.
The Bachelor premiered on March 25, 2002, changing the romance reality TV landscape by setting up an eligible man with a group of single ladies and the power to eliminate them one by one until he finds the one. A year later, the Bachelor Nation franchise emerged with the debut of The Bachelorette, a gender-swapped version of the original format, in which an eligible woman takes the lead.
Over 20 years and thousands of roses later, the franchise has expanded to include programs such as the sun-soaked singles retreat, Bachelor in Paradise, the cash-prize competition, Bachelor Pad, and the short-lived singing series, The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart, to name a few. From outside of Bachelor Nation, looking in at so many romance-filled series, it’s impossible to know where to start, let alone which shows are worth watching!
Below, you can find every major Bachelor Nation series ranked from our least favorite to the franchise standout! Did your favorite series get our final rose? Comment below with your pick for the number one spot!
Unfortunately, our hearts did not sing for The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart. While the single season of The Bachelor‘s first-ever singing competition was fun for the time being, the romance itself was rather lackluster. Turns out, finding a compatible duet partner does not mean you’ve found your soulmate. While we have fond memories of winners Bri Stauss and Chris Watson, who broke up a year after filming ended, and may not ever be able to listen to “Gravity” by John Mayer without thinking about Ryan Neal’s rendition, we’re not eager to see another season of this Bachelor spinoff.
If you’ve ever wished you could take The Bachelor 101 in college, The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever! is definitely the show for you. Hosted by Chris Harrison from his house during the COVID-19 lockdown, Greatest Seasons — Ever! consisted of two-hour-long episodes recapping entire seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. With highlights from each season, Where Are They Now? interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories, the remote show was a fantastic crash course in Bachelor Nation history for new viewers and anyone wanting to look back at their favorite non-streaming seasons. Plus, who could forget every time Harrison brought his begrudging teenage son on camera to join in on the fun!
Bachelor Pad
While Bachelor Pad was painted as “a second chance at finding love” for eliminated Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants, it quickly became clear that the final cash prize of $250,000 was the most exciting happily ever after up for grabs. According to the rules, the final couple was forced to decide whether to keep or share the cash prize, placing a level of unprecedented trust in their new partner. While Bachelor Pad ultimately was cancelled after three seasons to pave the way for franchise favorite Bachelor in Paradise, the competition-based dating show was a lot of fun while it lasted.
Bachelor Nation’s 2018 “ode to the Winter Olympic Games” was an unexpected, but delightful, addition to the franchise. The Bachelor Winter Games brought together contestants from multiple international spinoffs of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to compete in winter-themed games and, as always, find love along the way. With only five episodes and multiple Bachelor Nation favorites to root for, including Ashley Iaconetti, Kevin Wendt, Dean Unglert, Clare Crawley, and Ben Higgins, The Bachelor Winter Games was definitely worth the plunge.
The Golden Bachelor
The Golden Bachelor is absolutely one of the most groundbreaking reality TV shows to debut in the past few years, featuring a cast of senior contestants looking for a shot at love during their golden years. Since the show’s debut in 2023, the boisterous contestants have made their mark on the franchise, hosting podcasts, entering Bachelor in Paradise, and even trying to date contestants from The Bachelorette. With Season 2 on the horizon, we’re looking forward to seeing if The Golden Bachelor was a one-hit wonder or the newest franchise staple.
Bachelor in Paradise
Back when Bachelor in Paradise was created, the campy Love Island–esque series was a gift to loyal viewers. Filled with inside jokes and self-aware humor, set to one of the greatest theme songs of all time, Bachelor in Paradise was considered the best show in the Bachelor franchise by members of Bachelor Nation. However, it’s clear that the most recent season of Bachelor in Paradise, which has factored in a cash prize, has missed the mark on what viewers loved the most about the show. Sure, the series was viewed on a need-to-know basis, but it felt like a special little reward that Bachelor Nation gave its devoted viewers for keeping up with all of the other spinoffs.
It’s hard to compare a single season of one show to multiple series that have been streaming for decades, but Joan Vassos‘ season of The Golden Bachelorette was so good, it’s worth the gamble. From Mark Anderson and Charles Ling to Paradise stars Captain Kim and Gary Levingston, The Golden Bachelorette reminded viewers that an endearing cast of real, non-clout-chasing people is so much more entertaining to watch than a sea of aspiring influencers. From Joan and Chock Chapple’s love story alone, it’s clear that The Golden Bachelorette is the most wholesome watch of the bunch.
The Bachelorette
It was nearly impossible to choose whether to place The Bachelor or The Bachelorette in the #1 spot on this ranking. While it’s clear that the original format of one person with a bunch of contestants vying for a single rose is the backbone of Bachelor Nation, the gender of the person handing out the roses truly does not matter. While Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette may be the best of any show in the franchise, The Bachelor ever so slightly edges out its sister show due to two specific seasons. Of course, these are the seasons where production decided to make two women share the title, lowkey defeating the purpose of the female-centric show. With Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson, the men literally voted for who they wanted to date. Even though Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia both stayed around their whole season, their contestants took the choice between two women as a free pass to try and run the show.
The Bachelor
Ironically, The Bachelor received both our first impression and final rose, coming in as the best series within Bachelor Nation. A season of either The Bachelor or The Bachelorette is defined by its lead, and The Bachelor has provided many memorable leading lads in the past few years. From Joey Graziadei and Clayton Echard to Peter Weber and Underwood, we have to say, love ’em or hate ’em, there are so many Bachelor leads that have (sometimes unintentionally) made for some incredibly entertaining television. Whether you’re watching a contestant crashing out over their connection or a lead saying “I love you” to everyone under the sun, it’s clear that nothing can compare to the show’s original format.
