It was the firstBachelorette, we were catching a lot of heat; it was controversial.
The wedding was just a natural progression of the success of the show.
We rolled the dice because you heard so much about Jason.
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We had people writing letters that they were going to leave their husbands for Jason.
They loved this guy.
That was about the most excitement wed seen for the Bachelor in years.
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We had a premiere party in January, and the producers said, Hes still thinking about Molly.
We had to rent a soundstage quickly, and we filmed it without an audience.
We sat on it for two months.
ABC
This was pre-social media, so the spoilers werent as prevalent.
But we really make a run at make the right decisions with the knowledge we have in that moment.
Thats what we did.
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We cleared out the audience, we did the after-show with just me in a studio alone with them.
She ended up finishing second that season.
We had to let him do what he was going to do.
ABC
It aired, and people just were stunned.
Brad was Public Enemy No.
That was when we saw the full power of this show because you saw how it touched a nerve.
ABC
I knew he wasnt scared of committing and I knew he wanted to find somebody.
He just wasnt ready to do it.
So that was when it was like, Okay, now who do we go to?
By June theyd split, and by July they were at war.
And then you had Vienna, and Vienna was so hated.
But at the end of the day, he picks Vienna.
These two absolutely hated each other.
Chris wasnt really hosting, he was refereeing.
HARRISON:I was just trying to get them to this amicable parting of the ways.
That was my goal.
And actually, I thought I had achieved that.
So because of that rumor, we ended up airing that entire thing.
(She did.)
He didnt mention Becca or his engagement.
Then we started hearing: He wants to call Lauren…hes thinking about her.
And by early January, he couldnt do it anymore.
It was a drumbeat that just kept getting louder.
We knew once we saw it that this was how this had to air.
HARRISON:If theres a happier human than Jason Mesnick in the world, I dont know.
