Fox's new dating/reality series "More to Love" is a bigger — but not necessarily better — version of "The Bachelor."
Frankly, "More" (Tuesday, 8 p.m., Ch. 13) is so similar to "Bachelor" that I'm sort of surprised ABC didn't call in its lawyers. Words like "complete-and-total rip-off" certainly come to mind.
The one difference is the twist that makes "More to Love" different. Whereas both "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" — and umpteen other dating/reality shows — feature handsome, beautiful and fit people, "More to Love" features 21 overweight individuals.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
And, much to the credit of both Fox and the producers, "More" never mocks any of the chubby contestants for their weight. The only time anyone is mocked for their weight is when the contestants make some mean comments about thin people.
(The irony of that seems to be lost on them.)
For the most part, though, everybody on "More to Love" seems very nice.
So nice and so needy, as a matter of fact, that watching this show isn't easy. Unless you're the Grinch before his heart grew, it's impossible not to feel empathy for the women on "More to Love."
Beyond empathy, you're going to feel bad.
The format of "More to Love" is exceedingly similar to "The Bachelor." Luke Conley, 26, is a successful real-estate investor who's looking for love. He's also 6-3 and 330 pounds, which is the point of the show.
He stands outside a mansion as 20 young women in expensive dresses get out of limousines and introduce themselves to him. Then they spend the evening socializing — until he has to eliminate five of the 20 women.
(Supermodel Emme is on hand as the host, but, as is the case with these shows, she really doesn't have much of anything to do.)
There are no hokey roses on "More to Love," there are hokey diamond rings. Each of the 20 women is given a ring as a "promise to each of you that I'm going to open up my heart and accept you as you are for who you are," Conley says.
Gag.
But then they have to give the rings back, and he hands out 15 to the women he wants to stick around for another episode. "Will you wear this ring?" Conley asks lamely, over and over again while the women agonize.
"I don't want to be alone," one woman cries.
This is where it really gets tough. Because we've been hearing from the women throughout the night, and some of their stories are just heart-breaking.
A number of them are beyond excited about the show because they've never had a boyfriend. Some of them have never been on a date.
"Nobody really looks at who you are inside," one woman says.
"What if I'm alone for the rest of my life, just because of my weight?" asks another.
And yet another says she's always been afraid to accept when she's asked out because, "I'm always scared that it's a joke. ... Like, they're doing it out of meanness."
Yikes.
If it's one of the gorgeous women on "The Bachelor" getting the boot, you don't necessarily feel that terrible (particularly not in the season premiere). Maybe this is a weight-ist thing to say, but you figure someone thin and gorgeous is not going to be lonely for long.
If, on the other hand, it's a plus-size woman who has just told you she's never been on a date, that adds some drama. And when the five eliminated women cry, it doesn't seem like they're just acting for TV.
There are lots of tears. Lots and lots of tears.
This is a show that's supposed to be "aspirational." And there are elements of that.
"It really is about who you are, not the size of the package you come in," one woman says
And Conley delivers a Big Speech to the 20 women there to meet him.
"I just wanted to say that I know coming here is a really big step. And we've all experienced being judged or pushed aside in the past because of our size. But I just want to let you all know that I think you're all gorgeous on the outside. But I have a personal feeling that real love comes from the inside. So now it's just a matter of if we can make that inward connection."
But, for all its attempts to be aspirational and constant reminders that big is beautiful, it's worth noting that everyone on "More to Love" is big.
Maybe it's about time the overweight got equal treatment. Or maybe it's just reinforcing stereotypes — that fat people can only be with other fat people.
e-mail: pierce@desnews.com