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As each photo blurs into the next, it becomes increasingly apparent why film and television production companies have actual casting departments… and why cutting that particular corner to come in under budget—and, fine, because I can’t delegate to save my life—may have been a massive mistake.
With a groan, I lean back in my desk chair and swivel it side to side. I’ve been in this office for days on end, and aside from the occasional glance outside to gauge where the sun sits in the sky, I’m not sure what day, time, or year it is.
But I asked for this. Begged and prayed for it.
I dreamed and schemed and planned and worked my goddamn ass off to get here.
So I’m not complaining. Really, I’m not. My dream is coming to fruition and I could not be happier.
But damn, no one tells you that dreams can be exhausting.
And maybe if I’d been a bit less of a control freak, I could have hired someone to handle this part of the process, but The Baker’s Dozen is my baby. And you don’t hand your baby off to just anyone. Especially in regards to the most important aspects of the production—like choosing the men who will participate.
Or, at least, twenty-three of them.
After that, I will have help narrowing it down to the final thirteen, thank God.
And then, once the thirteen contestants are selected, it will be out of my hands completely and into the hands of the audience and one charming bakery owner looking for love.
What a lucky bitch she’s going to be.
Grabbing a handful of composite cards, I set them atop the pile stacked on the left side of my desktop, the most promising of the bunch. The stack is tall, far more than twenty-three hopefuls, and I’m running out of time. But God, there’s so much to consider.
Obviously, the contestants have to be aesthetically pleasing, but there are other things to consider as well, and here is where my show will be different.
Some people might even say unprecedented.
(It’s me, I’m some people.)
The Baker’s Dozen will be so much more than a dating show. This show, my show, will take things one step further. On top of checking off the usual boxes of good looks, stellar personality, interesting backstory, et cetera, my cast of eligible bachelors have to check off one more box.
The most important box.
No, not that box.
The food box.
Can he cook?
If being the daughter of one of the world’s most renowned chefs taught me anything, it’s that food is life. Food is medicine. Food is connection.
In many ways, food is love.
To me, the two are one in the same.
So, not only do these eligible bachelors have to be hot, loveable, relatable, and ready to fall in love—with clean backgrounds and no strings attached—they also have to cook their way into the hearts of not only the woman they will be vying for, but the viewers at home as well.
And therein lies the problem. Since the audience obviously won’t be tasting each guy’s food, the contestants’ looks and personalities have to be appealing, and I have to consider whether or not the viewers will take to each man individually. Otherwise, how will the audience choose who to vote off and who to keep? If voting is based on food alone, the process won’t work because only the star will get to taste the goods.
Like I said, lucky bitch.
Additionally, I find myself obsessing over the risk factor for each contestant, like whether he’ll be too chaotic for the show, causing trouble that could potentially distract from my star’s quest for love. Or, on the other hand, what if he’s too bland? If he’s boring, he could inevitably fade into the background like scenery. So, the guys I choose have to carry a certain amount of risk, but not too much. They need to be bold enough to take chances, but not so bold that I mistakenly create a cast full of competing villains.
A show without villains at all would be ideal—as far as my star’s love life goes—but not where ratings are concerned. Historically speaking, placing a group of people into a competition setting of any degree meant a villain would emerge regardless. There was always at least one.
And, like it or not, villains equal ratings.
Can’t have a successful show without those.
