Half-Baked Idea of the Week: Backyard Bachelor

Welcome to the Half-Baked Idea of the Week. These are innovative ideas that may or may not already exist. Some ideas are more half-baked than others, and some are fully baked ideas. To pay homage to the Bachelorette Season 9 premiere looming tomorrow night, this idea is entitled "Backyard Bachelor".

This idea is incredibly half-baked. It will never happen unless I become a TV producer, which looks doubtful at the moment. However, I love this idea. As a general overview I would describe it as MTV's "The Challenge" meets "Bachelor Pad" meets Fantasy sports managing. The main idea with Backyard Bachelor is that there are 2 bachelor's and not one. As we saw with the terrible NBC show Ready for Love, multiple bachelors can be a problem. However, I think if it's handled correctly, it can be done.

Basics-there are 30 girls in the house. With two bachelors. The premiere episode launches with a free-for-all. Everyone is game. Any girl can talk to either guy and any girl. Much like the first episode of the Bachelor/Bachelorette, it's basically an open house meet and greet. However, at the end of the night, the two Bachelor's pick the 15 girls for their team, Backyard style. It goes back to playing basketball at recess. It develops drama, who gets picked where. It establishes likeability, competitiveness, and raw emotion.

Any guy can pick any girl based off the impressions made at the first cocktail party. If both guys want a girl on their team, her demand increases. It gets interesting. Now, after the first episode, the teams break up and do challenges. Physical, mental, dating games, whatever. The team who wins, gets a party or a "group date". The team who loses, will have to face an elimination. At some point during the show, there will be a cocktail party or an event that has all the teams together. Where the girls will have to use their time wisely. If they have a connection with the other bachelor, they can use the time to try and force a trade.

Trades will happen or be available every two weeks. A bachelor can choose not to change his team if he desires, which would neglect any trade. If there is a girl who ends up not being how the bachelor wanted her to be, or his connection is just stronger with other girls on his team, the bachelor can put her on the trading block. The bachelors can meet up and discuss trades to better the competition, and better their field of women as potential partners.

What Backyard Bachelor would do is it would allow the Bachelors to view how the women interact with other women, how they work together, who steps up to be a leader, who is the most athletic, who's the smartest, etc. It would give the Bachelor a better understanding of how the women's personalities are, rather than just going on unrealistic luxurious dates, which "The Bachelor" does way too much of.

Also, it would impact the way that the teams are designed and picked. A Bachelor doesn't want to assemble a team full of tom-boys, or a team full of smart girls. It would allow for dating a bunch of different types of girls. One of my favorite things about "The Bachelor" is how many different times the bachelor has no idea what kind of girl they want. They always describe their dream girl as "someone who can be my best friend. Someone who I can talk to. Someone who's beautiful on the inside as well as out". Well, no shit you want those things. Everybody does. Rarely ever do you hear a Bachelor say "I'm looking for a nurse or a lawyer. I'm looking for a sports fanatic. I'm looking for a girl who gets along with other girls. I'm looking for someone who would get along with my family. I don't want a trophy wife". Backyard Bachelor is designed to help a Bachelor find his type, as well as a potential partner. Because a guy almost never even knows his own type.

The bachelorette version of Backyard Bachelor would appeal to much more of a male demographic, increasing viewership. Using "The Challenge" as an example, the challenges and eliminations are so entertaining to watch. Easily the best part is watching the jocks out-jock each other. With the bachelorette version, there are 30 different kind of males competing. For example, how perfect would Des's upcoming season of the Bachelorette be for the first season of Backyard Bachelor? Have you seen the bios? These dudes are huge. Plus, there are doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs. There are smarts and athletes. And it would more than make up for what's about to be a terribly boring season of the Bachelorette (though it's not like Sean and Ben really set the bar high).

I'm not saying change the Bachelor. They've found their niche and they have found their success. Don't fix something that's not broken. I'm simply trying to introduce a different, equally as successful dating game that would appeal to the male demographic as well. The drama would be intense for both female and male versions of the show. Getting picked last would deflate a girl's confidence. It would establish class. It would involve so many things that the bachelors would get to evaluate the women on. How they take getting picked in the 7th round as opposed to the 2nd or 1st picks. Are there whiny bitches (there always are). Is someone going to gloat. I'm sure in the male version getting picked 1st overall would make a guy extremely cocky. But, if he takes it with honor and humility, that says something about his character that the bachelorette would be able to see.

Since the idea is half-baked, I haven't fully come up with how the eliminations work, how the games would work-especially if the teams start to get lopsided. You can't even out the teams like The Apprentice does or the Challenge because it is a dating game still. You can't just move a girl to the other team, she's dating the guy! Individual dates with the Bachelors would have to be established somehow. There definitely needs to be more power in the girls hands with team selection. A girl could easily get screwed by getting picked by the wrong bachelor. There are a lot of small elements to the game that could use fixing, but that's why it's a half-baked idea!

You can follow Will Harmon on Twitter at @willharmon8