The history of dating shows on New Zealand television sure is one to test the memory. Perfect Match in the early days of TV3, anyone? Blind Date on TV2 about the same time?
The various ones with urban sheilas meeting rural blokes in various formats? Nicky Watson in Sky TV's early attempt at local content in 2004, The Player?
But here we are again with a local spin on the biggest match-making format in the world, The Bachelor New Zealand, which is sure to light up the lives of many viewers - and local rose growers - as 21 women from, well, not quite all walks of life vie for the attentions of a mysterious chap whose alleged six-pack has been adorning billboards across the nation.
Read more: Bachelor producers' vetting failure let in convicted fraudster Danielle Le Gallais
The show is hosted by Mike Puru of The Edge radio and The Shopping Channel fame who is making some big promises about what the twice-a-week episodes: "Dreams are shattered, hearts are broken and friendships lost, whether it's the happiness of getting to stay on or the sadness of saying goodbye, there are usually tears."
Anyway, the names and details of the 21 bachelorettes are already out there and there isn't the room to here to profile them all again here.
But as a group, we found them statistically fascinating ...
Number of teachers: 2
Lawyers: 3
Yoga teachers/ massage therapists: 2
Sales/marketing/advertising professionals: 7
The tallest: 180cm
The shortest: 155cm
The oldest: 35
The youngest: 21
From Auckland: 11
From Christchurch: 3
From Wellington: 1
From Invercargill: 2
From Hamilton or Dunedin: 0
Those with twin sisters: 2
Confessed dog owners: 2
Those who have done or are training for endurance sports events: 2
Those who have won NZ chess champs: 1
Who have won NZ accordion champs: 1
Those requiring a tall bachelor: 1
Requiring fertile bloke to start a family: 5
Those whose "ultimate dates" involve fish and chips and beaches and sunsets: 2
Those whose ultimate dates involves Asian cuisine: 2
Whose ultimate dates involve alcohol: 4
Whose ultimate dates involve skydiving, bungy jumping, skiing or surfing or something adventurous and outdoorsy: 6
Whose ultimate date would be "a barefoot walk through the unpredictable highlands of Papua New Guinea": 1
Those whose ultimate dates involve visiting Timaru: 1
Who mention ultimate dates should have no cellphones or social media (presumably TV cameras okay though) involved: 2
Read more: The Bachelor: Full line up and launch date revealed
The Bachelor NZ
When: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7.30pm
Where: TV3
What: Well, hello handsome ...
- TimeOut