Hercules Hangs At
ABC’s BACHELOR PAD!!

I am – Hercules!!
A watchable new ABC reality series, “Bachelor Pad” is an enterprise much in the tradition of “Survivor” and “Big Brother” – one played exclusively by former “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” cast members. Each week the contestants compete for immunity. The winner wins immunity not only for him- or herself, but also gets to grant immunity to a contestant of the opposite gender (with a three-on-one date arranged to help along the decision). At the end of each episode, the women vote off one man and the men vote off one woman. Last one standing at the end of the summer takes hom $250,000. The host speaks of “another chance at love” but all the contestants seem firmly focused on the money (particularly the ones who openly indicate they’re already in relationships outside the show). There are 11 gals and eight fellows. All 19 contestants sleep in a single bedroom. There’s drunken cursing and anger and sadness and regret and crying and slammed doors aplenty. Also? Bikinis and bodies built to wear bikinis competing in a Twister tourney. An important bit of background: A lot of these contestants know each other not only from their own seasons but also from non-televised multi-season “Bachelor”/“Bachelorette” get-togethers. So there’s loads of backstory, a lot of it loaded with its own drama. As someone who hasn’t followed “The Bachelor” or “The Bachelorette” for a few seasons, I have to say I was for the first half-hour or so overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of gabby, attractive people trundling out of limousines. But as the big Twister competition unfolded, several players begin to distinguish themselves, and I did find myself absorbed in the proceedings and invested in the episode’s outcome. More so, frankly, than during a typical episode of the series’ mother shows. The Los Angeles Times says:

… has two major attractions. The many fans of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" get to see some of their favorites back in action, including crazy Michelle from Season 14 and the villainous Wes, who admitted he went on "The Bachelorette" to become famous rather than fall in love (can you imagine?). And everyone gets a glimpse at the growing but still intimate world of reality stars.…

The Washington Post says:

… if you're morbidly curious about people who have been through the reality show wringer -- tabloids, public scrutiny, online forums devoted to discussing their every flaw -- and would willingly come back for more, I suggest you tune in for a truly bizarre viewing experience. … There's no choice except to revel in its tawdry entertainment. … Turns out, between seasons, "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" contestants from past shows get together for grand reunions where all kinds of debauchery takes place. (Memo to ABC: Why aren't you filming that? We've already got the title: "Bachelor Party!") Just our luck, these extracurricular activities have resulted in the kind of insanity that can happen only when so many beautiful people are in proximity to one other. …

The Dallas Morning News says:

… … most of the contestants are refreshingly forthright in explaining why they are here. "I came here for the money," says one. As Juan Barbieri from season 5 puts it: "If I have to choose between the love of my life and a quarter million dollars, I'm gonna take the money and run." …

ABC News says:

… Nearly all of the contestants are from the past two seasons of the parent series, and all are endowed with physically excellent DNA and wardrobes that display it to its best advantage. Intelligence likely was considered a detriment. In the main competition, a good old-fashioned game of Twister, at least four of the contestants were eliminated for failing to distinguish left from right. … ABC, fearful of sharing the secret ending with potentially blabbermouth critics, declined to make the final few minutes available, a reasonable precaution if you assume anyone could sit through this and still care.

It’ll be interesting to see if ABC maintains its Monday dominance with “Bachelor Pad” as it has this summer with the just-concluded “Bachelorette”:

Monday 18-49 finals (prior Mondays in parentheses; repeats in gray): 3.8 (2.9) (3.4) (3.1) (2.8) (3.2) (2.7) (2.6) (2.6) (2.5) (2.8) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Bachelorette 2.5 (2.6) (2.4) (2.3) (2.4) (2.3) (2.5) (2.6) (2.7) (2.9) (5.3) (5.5) (5.3) (4.6) (3.6) (4.1) Big Bang Theory 2.2 (2.3) (2.1) (2.3) (2.2) (2.3) (2.3) (2.4) (2.6) (2.6) (5.0) (4.4) (4.6) (----) (3.1) (3.8) 2½ Men 1.9 (1.6) (1.8) (1.8) (1.0) (1.9) (1.8) (2.0) (1.8) (0.9) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Lie To Me 1.8 (1.9) (1.9) (1.8) (1.9) (1.7) (1.9) (1.9) (1.6) (1.7) (1.6) (1.8) (1.7) (1.8) (1.9) (1.5) WWE Raw (10pm) 1.7 (1.7) (1.6) (1.7) (1.8) (1.2) (1.8) (2.2) (2.0) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Last Comic Standing 1.7 (1.6) (1.7) (1.7) (1.8) (1.7) (1.8) (1.8) (1.6) (1.7) (3.2) (2.9) (3.2) (2.8) (2.5) (3.0) Rules of Engagement 1.7 (1.8) (1.6) (1.6) (1.6) (1.6) (1.8) (1.7) (1.5) (1.6) (1.6) (1.7) (1.7) (1.5) (1.9) (1.4) WWE Raw (9pm) 1.5 (1.5) (1.5) (1.5) (1.5) (1.6) (1.6) (1.7) (1.6) (1.6) (3.5) (3.1) (3.4) (3.1) (1.6) (3.2) How/Mother 1.5 (1.4) (----) (----) (1.7) (1.5) (1.6) (1.5) (1.3) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (1.0) (----) American Pickers 1.5 (1.2) (1.3) (1.5) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) The Closer 1.4 (1.7) (1.4) (1.3) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Dateline 1.4 (1.6) (1.4) (1.6) (1.6) (1.5) (1.8) (1.6) (1.9) (1.8) (3.3) (2.9) (3.2) (2.7) (1.8) (3.2) CSI: Miami 1.4 (1.4) (1.4) (1.7) (----) (1.4) (1.6) (1.4) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Real Housewives NJ 1.4 (1.3) (1.5) (1.6) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Rizzoli & Isles 1.2 (1.3) (1.2) (1.3) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) America’s Got Talent 1.1 (1.1) (1.3) (1.2) (1.2) (1.2) (1.2) (1.1) (1.3) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Secret/Teenager 1.1 (1.0) (1.1) (1.0) (0.8) (1.2) (1.2) (1.3) (1.4) (0.9) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) The Good Guys 0.8 (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Shark Attack 0.8 (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Day of the Shark 0.8 (0.7) (0.8) (0.6) (0.7) (0.9) (----) (----) (----) (----) (0.5) (----) (0.7) (0.8) (0.7) (0.8) Intervention 0.6 (0.6) (0.6) (0.7) (0.7) (0.9) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Huge 0.6 (0.6) (0.5) (----) (----) (----) 0.7 (----) (0.5) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) All Worked Up 0.6 (0.5) (0.6) (0.5) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Fantasy Factory 0.5 (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (0.9) (----) (----) (----) (----) (0.6) (----) Hoarders 0.4 (0.4) (0.4) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.5) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) RJ Berger 0.3 (0.4) (0.4) (0.4) (0.3) (0.4) (0.4) (0.3) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) 90210 0.3 (0.3) (0.4) (0.4) (----) (0.3) (0.2) (0.2) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.2) (0.3) (0.3) Adventure Time 0.3 (0.3) (0.3) (----) (----) (0.3) (0.2) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----)Flapjack 0.2 (0.3) (0.2) (----) (----) (0.2) (0.2) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Total Drama 0.2 (0.3) (0.3) (0.2) (0.2) (0.3) (0.3) (0.2) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (1.1) (1.0) (0.9) (1.1) (0.4) Gossip Girl 0.2 (0.2) (0.2) (0.3) (----) (0.2) (0.3) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Dance Your Ass Off 0.2 (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Phineas and Ferb 0.2 (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Money Hungry 0.2 (----) (0.2) (0.2) (0.1) (0.2) (0.2) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Warren The Ape 0.1 (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) (----) Scream Queens

8 p.m. Monday. ABC. Follow Herc on Twitter!! Follow Evil Herc on Twitter!! “Battlestar: Galactica” on Blu-ray, $244.99 last month, has momentarily fallen to $132.99!! That works out to Less Than $33.25 Per HD Season!! 56% Off!! Kubrick's Masterpiece in Blu: $7.99!!