D.C. is in its reality TV era
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Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos. Photo: Disney/Gilles Mingasson
Peace out, "brat summer": DMV locals are gracing the screen in two major TV shows this season, meaning it's obviously reality TV fall here in D.C.
Why it matters: It's possible you've brushed shoulders with or Hinge-swiped some of the Washingtonians whose names will be popping up in group chats across the country.
- Plus: What better way for locals to veg out during a stressful election season than with some grade-A on-screen drama?
State of play: Rockville resident Joan Vassos is looking for love in the inaugural season of the "Golden Bachelorette," which premiered Wednesday night, and the newest season of "Love Is Blind" will feature cast members from across the DMV when it debuts next month.
Zoom in: Vassos, who was a contestant on the first season of the "Golden Bachelor," is originally from Olney and went to the University of Maryland.
- She met her husband, John, at a bar in Ocean City, and they had four kids together. He died from cancer in 2020.
- Vassos has worked in alumni relations at Bethesda's Landon School.
Meanwhile, Netflix just released the D.C. cast for "Love Is Blind," and in very D.C. fashion, we have an Accenture consultant, a Washington Post journalist, a lawyer and a federal policy expert.
- Also in the mix: several real estate agents, the owner of the art dealership Capital Art Advisory, and a marketing manager for the Baltimore Ravens.
- Predictably, locals had some thoughts when Washingtonian Probs shared the lineup. "What part of Woodbridge do they live in? Lol," said one poster. "Not a single Hill staffer, bless up," posted another. "Where's Tony P???," wrote another.
While information about DMV "Love Is Blind" shooting locations is still under wraps, contestants appeared to be filming at the bar Urban Roast last year, DCist reported.
The intrigue: Vassos has said she wouldn't want to relocate from the DMV to be with a "Golden Bachelorette" suitor.
- But — drumroll, please — there's a contestant from the area! Pablo hails from Cambridge, Maryland, and is a former UN agency director who, according to his bio, is "a sucker for a rom-com" and "cries in almost all romantic scenes."
What we're watching: Hometown visits are a staple of the Bachelor-verse, meaning there's a good chance Vassos will bring some silver foxes home to Montgomery County this season.
- And once "Love Is Blind" contestants make it out of the pods, they head back to their hometowns to continue filming — aka there will likely be plenty of D.C. spots and characters featured this season.
Plus: Former "Real Housewives of Potomac" cast member Robyn Dixon will appear on season three of the reality TV show "The Traitors," although a release date hasn't yet been announced.
Between the lines: This fall is stacked, but we'd be remiss not to hold a moment of silence for the greatest DMV reality TV appearance ever:
- The time former White House press secretary Sean Spicer played a set of bongos and sashayed out to a Spice Girls song while wearing a frilly lime green blouse on "Dancing with the Stars."
Tune in: The "Golden Bachelorette" airs on ABC Wednesdays at 8pm, and hits streaming the next day on Hulu.
- Season 7 of "Love Is Blind" will premiere Oct. 2 on Netflix.