NBC has announced that Age of Love, a new reality dating series of some kind, will air as part of a Summer 2007 original programming lineup that will also include the returns of America's Got Talent and Last Comic Standing and a late summer early launch of The Biggest Loser's fourth season.
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"We have a strong hand to play this summer season with a proven stable of winning series from past summers," NBC Craig Plestis stated in an announcement of the network's Summer 2007 programming. "Impressively, each returning show will have a fresh look with new hosts and the competitions on America's Got Talent, Last Comic Standing, and The Biggest Loser will be even bigger and better than before. Likewise, we like what we see with the new Age of Love, which could prove to be the breakout hit of the summer."
While NBC is keeping mum on any additional details about Age of Love's concept, the network did announce that Mark Consuelos -- whose acting credits include My Super Ex-Girlfriend, All My Children and Hope & Faith and is married to unabashed The Bachelor fan Kelly Ripa -- will serve as the show's host.
Despite NBC's attempt to keep the show's specifics under wraps, some details do appear to have leaked out. In a casting notice posted online in March, Age of Love's casting directors stated the show was seeking men between the ages of 28 and 36 and women between the ages of 21 and 50 to participate in a show about "modern romance and finding love in an increasingly complicated world." "If you're a single female looking for love, we'd love to meet you. We have one of the world's most eligible bachelors waiting for you. We are looking for all age ranges," the casting notice stated.
Age of Love is being produced by 3 Ball Productions, with JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson, Adam Greener and Craig Armstrong serving as the show's executive producers.
In addition to The Biggest Loser, 3 Ball's previous credits also include Beauty and the Geek, Unan1mous, Endurance (a Survivor-like children's reality show), and For Love Or Money, one of the reality dating show genre's first "twist" concepts. Broadcast in Summer 2003, For Love Or Money featured a Joe Millionaire-like twist in which unbeknownst to the show's bachelor star, his final bachelorette had to decide between pursuing a relationship with him or winning a "$1,000,000" prize (which despite NBC's hype, was actually payable over 40 years and only had a present day lump sum value of less than $500,000).
Immediately after For Love Or Money's highly-rated six-episode first season ended with final bachelorette Erin Brodie choosing the money over bachelor star Rob Campos, an already-filmed The Bachelorette-like sequel that featured Brodie -- now in on the show's twist -- attempting to "double her money" and convince her final bachelor to pick her over his own "$1,000,000" prize aired.
When For Love Or Money 2 ended, Chad Viggiano, Brodie's final bachelor, did choose her over the money, resulting in Brodie -- who'd offered to share her additional "$1,000,000" with Viggiano -- walking away with a total lump sum amount of $732,000 and Viggiano receiving $244,000 (the lump sum value of half of Brodie's additional "$1,000,000.")
Since For Love Or Money 2 was also a summer ratings hit, NBC broadcast two more similarly-structured For Love Or Money editions the following summer, however despite some new twists, the show's third and fourth editions did not do as well in the ratings and no additional editions were produced.
Last Comic Standing's fifth season will premiere on Tuesday, June 13 at 9PM ET. America's Got Talent's second season will premiere Tuesday, May 29 at 9PM ET.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
