The first gay dating show is coming to TV.
Logo has greenlit “Finding Prince Charming,” a reality dating competition featuring a cast of all gay men. Lance Bass is set to host.
“Finding Prince Charming” will include a cast of 13 suitors. All the men will live in the same house together, as they compete to win the heart of one of the “nation’s most eligible gay heartthrob.” The contestants will be eliminated one-by-one, and in the final episode, the heartthrob will choose his one ideal man to “commit to an exclusive relationship,” per Logo.
“Logo has a long history of showcasing LGBTQ-focused stories with memorable characters that transcend pop culture,” said Pamela Post, SVP of original programming for Logo. “‘Finding Prince Charming’ will take viewers on a whirlwind journey through modern love and relationships in a way that only Logo can do.”
Reality dating shows have had long success on television, but an American series has never featured an all-gay cast. Back in 2003, Bravo broke ground with the series “Boy Meets Boy,” though the reality show did feature both gay and heterosexual men. The graybeard of dating shows, “The Bachelor” franchise on ABC, has received criticism for its lack of diverse casting, having largely featured white suitors and leading ladies. The current season of “The Bachelorette” stars a half-Persian Bachelorette, but viewers and critics have called out the network for never selecting an African-American star. That franchise, along with many others in the genre, has never featured an all-gay cast or suitor.
Bass — best known for NSYNC — came out in 2006 with a highly publicized People magazine cover. In 2007, he penned a biography “Out of Sync” in which he discussed his sexuality. His wedding to his longtime partner was featured on a 2015 E! special “Lance Loves Michael: The Lance Bass Wedding.” Bass has been featured in GLAAD campaigns supporting the LGBT community, he has fundraised for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and was awarded with the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award.
Bass recently appeared as a regular panelist on “The Meredith Vieira Show.” He has also worked as a guest correspondent on “Entertainment Tonight.”
“Finding Prince Charming” hails from Brian Graden Media with Brian Graden, Dave Mace, Fred Birckhead and Nick Murray exec producer. For Logo, Chris McCarthy, Pamela Post and Stevenson Greene are exec producers and Jen Passovoy will serve as producer.
“Finding Prince Charming” is currently in production, and will premiere this fall.
