Come with us on, yes, a journey all the way back to 2002, when Kelly Clarkson ruled television, and you tried to rock a dress over jeans. But it's also likely you flipped the channels to ABC that year to check out a little new show called The Bachelor, a series that rocked audiences and the ratings, and, like Queen Victoria, will never lead our side. This week, on our new episode of TV. Watch. Repeat., my co-host Allison Piwowarski and I join forces with Here To Make Friends' Emma Gray and Claire Fallon to explore the history of the The Bachelor, which introduced us to Chris Harrison, Trista Sutter, and (*checks notes*)... Alex Michel.

Forgettable Bachelor aside, there is much to discuss about the first episode that launched a 20-plus-year franchise, including its ties to Who Wants To Marry A Multi-Millionaire, limo introductions that lasted an eternity, the Mike Fleiss of it all, and outrageously large suits.

Listen to the latest episode of TV. Watch. Repeat. on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also, check out Here To Make Friends on the same platforms, and subscribe to their new newsletter, Rich Text, here.

Will you accept Alex's shoulder pads?

Image: ABC