Tired of the same old dirty reality dating series?  Here’s one to freshen up your view on the dating scene—The CW’s Farmer Wants a Wife.  The reality show, which aims to help one charming and hard-working farmer find romance, is based on the successful British program of the same name.  The CW gathered 10 city girls to compete for the affections of 29-year-old Matt Neustadt from Missouri.  Since April 30, we’ve been served up with butterface goodness and city-girl-gone-country antics that surely entertains our Wednesday nights.

The Associated Press recently reported that Farmer Wants a Wife is catching on the same big wave that Gossip Girl has.  In fact, Gossip Girl previously averaged 2.6 million viewers, while the reality dating show has averaged 2.2 so far. It also has outdone previous Wednesday night specials such as Pussycat Dolls Present and Beauty & the Geek.  Not bad for a TV newbie.

So what does make Farmer Wants a Wife really work?  Some say it’s the fact that our farmer likes driving his tractor around shirtless, thus showing off his well-sculpted body, while some say it’s the country culture altogether that makes it an escape from the busyness of everyday life in the city.

Executive producer Cara Tapper says that it may be a little of both.  She says that Matt is a “good-looking, smart guy” who earnestly “wanted to make sure people saw farmers aren't a bunch of hicks, that there's sophistication there.”

Tapper adds that the show has “the same respect for rural life” and the women she recruited for the competition.  In fact, it exemplifies another side of sexiness that’s enough to be rated PG-14.

"It is a sexy show, but in a really clean way," Tapper said.

FremantleMedia North America, the same makers of the phenomenal American Idol, are behind this American TV debut, and the show has aired in other countries France, Finland and the U.K. Has Fremantle done it again?  Wait and see if Farmer Wants a Wife returns with another whopping season.


-Valerie Anne del Castillo, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Associated Press
(Photo courtesy of The CW)