Australia, will you accept this rose?

There aren’t just a lot of dating shows on the air these days; obviously because they’re built around the kind of reality TV moments where people have to endure hours of footage of walking on the beach. Even if you don’t admit you’re attracted, you know those moments: blockbuster arguments at meetings where each guest drinks exactly two more drinks than they should, backstabbing by the pool, cheating in the jacuzzi, intimate moments in honeymoon suites that verge on obscenity.

Streaming has also changed the game: like dating shows love is blind And Too Hot to Use They don’t have to worry about free-to-air standards, which means they can be upfront about the actual gender their contestants are involved in. chocolate baths Licence look docile.

But the appetite for such content in the mainstream is growing in waves. Remember there was a time in Australia Big Brother Got Up Late It was taken off the air due to public decency. Maybe the spiciness is going and tenderness is coming? But it is Gold License Are you capable of delivering this rom-com sweetness?

The Bear is presented as “Older, Smarter, Hotter”, which is a bit of a crude term for the Honey Badger, but that’s just the way it goes. The soft-spoken octogenarian is adamant that “there is no age limit for falling in love” but also admits she doesn’t like to tell people her real age. New host Samantha Armytage explains to viewers that everyone wants love, even if you’re as old as the universe itself. No one on the show can quite decide whether aging is a privilege or an absolute handicap.

The father of three explains in his introduction that he has been single for more than a decade. Sadly, the program shows him a slideshow of family photos of his wife, who died 14 years ago. (This is a recurring theme of the show, by the way: The contestants all have to explain why they’re still single, as if that’s a totally confusing situation. Prepare for lots of stories about divorce, death, and fertility issues.)

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“How do you feel about your adult sons watching you kiss women on TV?” one of Bear’s sons asks him. Bear isn’t sure; He thinks he feels bad about this. But he’s ready for love and handsome enough to be on TV.

“I know I will meet many beautiful women tonight,” he says. And so he does! Various women wearing sequins and draped fabrics arrive with poems, champagne flutes, and pleasant attitudes towards group flirting. The bear doesn’t express much emotion, which might be a problem considering he’s the focus of this television show, but he’s also very tall. Maybe it’s okay.

As the contestants line up, it’s refreshing to see women over 50 portrayed as nothing more than caregivers: they’re dazzling, radiant figures sure to arouse lust. A wonderful woman named Shamse explains that her gray streaks are “priceless accents” and describes how stupid she feels talking about such things. Very cute.

Of course we still have everything. university graduate archetypes, including people who want to make a big impact. Elizete wears a Carnival-inspired outfit that includes a back piece so large that she becomes temporarily trapped in the car she arrived in. Sunny brings a golf club and spanks Bear with it (“Where are the golf balls?” Bear asks. Sunny proudly points to her cleavage). Lauren arrives riding a horse.

As nice as it is to see these gorgeous older women laughing together about hormone replacement therapy and bunions on TV, Gold License It still has that antique feel. Medical experts, grandmothers and tech geniuses still have to compete for the “first impression rose” that will guarantee them another week of security. Has this always felt like such a bummer? Is this what we have to do to find love?

The award is given to a lovely woman named Jan. “She’s the oldest woman here,” says another woman; It’s a phrase that can mean nothing or everything.

While three women were sent home on the first night, 16 contestants are now competing for the Bear’s heart. Will this series give us hope for love later in life? Or are we so hardened that we can’t see? Licence As a path to true love?

“I’m going to cry,” says contestant Bianca when she receives the final rose. “I’m going to throw up.” Same girl, same.

Gold License It continues on Tuesday at 7.30pm on Nine and 9Now.

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