10 Pro-LGBT TV Programs That Were Ratings Disasters

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Monday, May 15, 2017

6. Boy Meets Boy

James Getzlaff, the 'leading man' from the short-lived reality TV series competition 'Boy Meets Boy.' — James Getzlaff, the "leading man" from the short-lived reality TV series competition "Boy Meets Boy." | (Photo: Wikipedia)

Launched by Bravo in 2003 while the channel's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" was on the air, "Boy Meets Boy" was a reality TV show modeled off of "The Bachelor," though with a twist.

"James, a single gay man (and Advocate cover boy), must choose from among 15 bachelors, eventually selecting one at the end of the show's six-episode run," noted popmatters.com in August 2003.

"What James doesn't know is that some of these bachelors aren't exactly 'eligible,' that is, some are straight (the show's producers are being coy on exactly how many, hinting that the number is more than one and maybe as many as half)."

Canceled after only six episodes, TheTalko.com put it on their "15 Reality Shows So Terrible They Were Canceled Immediately" list.

"Does this premise sound offensive to you? You're not alone," stated TheTalko.com in March, noting that there were different prizes promised depending on whether the bachelor picked a gay or straight contestant.

"Many viewers disagreed with the idea of the bachelor and gay contestants not knowing that there were people pretending to be gay on the show."