Farmer Wants A Wife

I know, I know everyone see's the title and thinks another version of the Bachelor or Love Island, but it's not. This show has been running for many seasons in Australia now and has 10 successful relationships which are still running strong.

Of course it's about entertainment and some parts can be a bit hard to watch but this show has a real heart, and it is actually trying to build relationships. It's an alternative to the swipe left or right dating scene that's sadly taken over our modern world.

Give it a chance, you might enjoy it, and if you get hooked on the US version you might want to take a peek at the Aussie one :)

I watched Season 1, Episodes 1 &11 (first & last episodes) On Demand of Farmer Wants a Wife. Having grown up in a city surrounded by small farms and stables, I often visited friends on their rustic properties (picking fresh grown corn, beans, etc. In the great outdoors) plus horseback riding on densely wooded trails so I dressed to protect myself from the elements: deer flies, rough hides, sun, rain, mud, muck, dander, dampness, gloves, etc. In "Farmer Wants a Wife", clueless women arrived alluringly exposed, coifed, manicured and dressed for limousines and city dating rather than prepared for the rugged outdoors in pants, boots, long sleeves, neck scarves, hats. Second, the "farmers" are what I'd term RANCHERS as they don't raise crops as farmers do but instead own large livestock (cows, bulls, pigs, etc.). If I were meeting these men, I'd expect them TO TAKE OFF THEIR HATS in my presence. They were all nicely dressed but appeared to be hiding from the women rather than attempting to interact with them like gentlemen, IN A COURTEOUS MANNER. Are they shy or sneaky? Third, I'd be freaked spending time with a guy I don't know on a spread 3 miles from the nearest neighbor. The show is geared for well-established males, not for single women being expected to give up their city lives and careers.

This reality dating show has similarities to "The Bachelor" and other titles in the genre, but there are four bachelors---all farmers. And the five women chosen by each farmer get to live on the farm for the weeks that the series runs. These women are more citified (to use a rural term) but think they are amenable to the farm life.

Of course farm life is not easy, so the women get to try their hands at mucking stalls, feeding cattle, and any of the myriad of tasks that farmers do routinely. Some of the reactions are comical, but the women really try.

There is also time for some group dating and one-on-one dating, when they can explore their compatibilities and ask more personal questions. Or two-step.

Unlike some other shows, everyone gets along remarkably well. No cat fights or backstabbing. That will make the show too tame for some viewers. But I find it mildly entertaining.

I had hoped the US version would be different than season 10 of the Australian series. The prior seasons on the Australian version were very good.

In prior seasons they picked four women to start with and throughout the series they received a message telling them they had to send one women home. I don't think they should have the option to send one home or not. I feel it is giving some women false hope. They came there, looking for love as well, not to be a group of friends following a farmer around.

They didn't have special one on ones every week. They can have one on ones while they are working on the farm. They don't need to wait for that one special date. They should know after a couple weeks if there's a spark or not.

Also, I would love to see more of the work done on the farm. That gives a real indication if they will be able to handle life on the farm. Maybe show them doing jobs by themselves.

I did NOT like all the drama between all the women especially at group events. I can get this on so many of the other reality shows that I don't even consider watching.

However, I really do like the series.

The Littlest Hobo (season 3, episode 13, 1982): Mail Order Bride with Simon Oakland and Barbara Gordon. I do not have TV or cable, so I cannot watch current programming. The commercials for Farmer Wants A Wife I see on online movie sites remind me of this show. This episode is currently available online. I have always remembered the scene in which Barbara Gordon's character makes a picnic lunch for Simon Oakland's character with the little sandwiches. It would be interesting to compare the two shows. I wonder if the creators of Farmer Wants A Wife knew of this Mail Order Bride show and decided to make a new expanded version of it.