When it comes to reality TV reunions, Andy Cohen knows a thing or two. He’s hosted dozens and dozens of reunions and always holds it down and gets the goods. Meanwhile, Netflix just had an epic flop when trying to produce a live Love is Blind reunion. So, the Real Housewives executive producer shared his thoughts. As Us Weekly reported, he dished about the magic it takes to craft a perfect reunion and why a live taping should have never been planned in the first place.
Andy chatted about the Love is Blind reunion fiasco during a recent episode of his SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. When dishing on Netflix’s mishap, he didn’t mince his words. “Live reunions are a very bad idea,” Andy explained. “There is a reason we don’t do reunions live.”
Maybe someone at Netflix should have asked Andy for this advice before millions of Love is Blind fans sat in front of their TVs, staring in disappointment because the reunion didn’t air on time. Netflix later blamed the fiasco on technical issues. However, Andy asserted that outside of potential technical difficulties, there are more reasons why a live reunion is just a bad idea.
He explained, “There is a reason [reunion episodes are] edited down. We could talk about a topic on a reunion taping for 25 minutes, for 45 minutes before really getting to the heart of something.”
Andy is used to hosting reunions where everyone constantly talks over each other when he’s trying to ask questions. He explained that editing helps production pick out the important moments from the sitdown that might have otherwise been missed.
Andy continued, “Reunion shows are almost like a fishing expedition. You’re talking about different topics [and] you don’t know what’s going to land [or] what’s going to hit. By the way, a lot of times people will have incredible one-liners that no one in the room really heard because someone on the other side is talking. So we go through the footage, we hone it, we edit it [and it] is finally shaped.”
Ultimately, the Love is Blind reunion failed to deliver anything incredible. Many fans are petitioning for Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey to be removed as the hosts. Maybe Andy can take over since he’s such an expert on this stuff. During his radio show, he explained that hosting a reunion is an art.
Andy said, “By the way, you want them to be feeling the most intense feelings that they can about the seasons. That takes time to shape and craft. There’s an art here. You can’t just bang it out and say, ‘OK, we’re doing it from 9:00 to 9:59 and that’s when the reunion’s going to be.'”
He is speaking from a place of expertise, but even he learned this lesson about live reunions the hard way. Back in 2011, the Real Housewives of Miami tried a live reunion. The cast crammed into the Watch What Happens Live clubhouse and talked over each other for 40 minutes straight. That was the first and last time Andy did a live reunion. Let’s hope this is the first and last time Netflix will try it, too.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ANDY’S ANALYSIS ON FILMING REALITY TV REUNIONS? DO YOU THINK NETFLIX WILL TRY A LIVE REUNION AGAIN IN THE FUTURE?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo]
