Well, any of you who loathed the very idea of this show don't have to worry anymore, for it shall never be seen again... I just found this online. I didn't see the show, but I'm not vastly against the idea. Not because I like to support annoying stereotypes (that bit of it does repulse me), but as a wanna be social scientist I think it's a fascinating demonstration of all sorts of interesting social theories and principles. (lord, I'm such a geek, hehheh.) Anyway, Share and Enjoy!
--J.
Fox Embarrassed by TV Groom, Says No More Marriages
(http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000221/re/fox_millionaire.html)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Fox network has canceled a rerun of ratings sensation ``Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire'' and dropped plans for any more such specials after learning that its TV groom was accused of violence by a past fiancee, a spokesman for the network said on Monday.
According to court documents posted on the Internet by TheSmokingGun Web site (www.thesmokinggun.com), TV groom Rick Rockwell was accused of slapping and threatening a former fiancee, a model named Debbie Goyne, after she tried to break off their engagement.
TheSmokingGun reported that Goyne in 1991 obtained a restraining order against Rockwell, 42, -- the wealthy bachelor who married nurse Darva Conger in front of 16 million viewers at the end of ``Multimillionaire'' -- in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Fox spokesman Tom Tyrer said the network canceled a planned rebroadcast of the wildly successful ``Multimillionaire,'' scheduled for Tuesday night, after the allegations surfaced. The network also pulled promotions and radio advertisements for the show.
``Fox has become aware of information regarding Mr. Rockwell's past,'' the network said in a statement. ``In light of that new information, the network feels that to rebroadcast the special would be inappropriate and consequently we have removed it from our schedule.''
Tyrer added that Fox was ``not planning to proceed with any specials of this kind in the future.''
Rockwell was on his honeymoon with Conger in the Caribbean and could not be reached for comment by Reuters. Tyrer said Rockwell issued a statement confirming that he was the subject of a restraining order but denying that he ever committed an act of violence against Goyne.
A source at Fox said future such broadcasts had been canceled because the network had screened Rockwell extensively and still had not found out about the restraining order -- proving the difficulties inherent in such programming.
The network had been planning future installments of ''Multimillonaire,'' perhaps with a rich bachelorette and a group of single men.
But Fox had already faced questions about Rockwell's credentials after he turned out to be a stand-up comic and motivational speaker who had appeared in three direct-to-video sequels of the cult film ``Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.''
Rockwell -- who was presented on the air as a multimillionaire real estate developer looking for a wife -- was also remembered for trying to get in to the Guinness Book of World Records by telling jokes for 30 straight hours.
Critics said that stunt and Rockwell's show business background suggested his interest in publicity was greater than his desire for a wife. But the network has insisted that Rockwell is a legitimate millionaire who made his money investing with his father in southern California real estate.
The show, broadcast last Tuesday night, featured Rockwell choosing a bride from among a group of 50 women who paraded by him in swimsuits and wedding gowns. Rockwell chose 34-year-old Conger, a emergency room nurse from Santa Monica, California, and married her at the end of the show.
The show -- a cross between a beauty pageant and a quiz show -- drew a total of 16 million viewers in the midst of the February sweeps, when ratings are used to gauge future network advertising rates.
It became an immediate media sensation, the subject of articles in major magazines and topic of discussion nationwide, but also faced heavy criticism from social critics and women's groups as ``gutter television'' that perpetuated stereotypes about both men and women.