It came down to Robert and Hank, and the voters chose Hank to marry Lisa. They did not say what the final numbers were, but I have a feeling that it was close. Robert looked like that he did not want it to be him. Hank and Lisa were both relieved that Hank was chosen. Last week, Lisa and her friends made it obvious that Hank was their choice. In the end, Hank said "NO, he would not marry Lisa on live TV." He justified his decision by saying, "Lisa means something to me, and I am not going to cheapen that." Everyone, including Lisa, seemed happy with his decision. Lisa said that she and Hank discussed it, and they agreed not to get married on live TV. They will not get the money, but Lisa seemed to think that she found her match. So in the end, Lisa did not really buy into the premise of the show. The whole idea of saying "I do" on live TV and letting America make the choice was, in fact, a farce and merely a ploy for ratings. Well, this is another show which attempted to dupe the viewing audience with false promises.
Laura Restumhas resisted all attempts at civility on camera. She screams, pushes, threatens, mocks, throws objects and insults all potential suitors vying for the hand of the beauteous maiden Lisa Shannon. Laura can barely contain her impatience, anger and unbridled sense of superiority in front of every would-be prince. She is no lady. She has, even by the shockingly low standards of prime-time television, done more to harm the image of a gentlewoman than any of the eye-gouging, cat-clawed, shoe-throwing jades on The Jerry Springer Show. Why? Because Restum mistakenly thinks she possesses the one thing she most certainly does not: charm.
Cupid is entering the phase where viewers get to choose a man for its star, Lisa Shannon, and the network apparently wants more people to be able to make that choice. So, the show will move from its current home at 10 p.m. ET Wednesdays to 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays beginning Aug. 5. They have been showing reruns on Tuesdays and the new show on Wednesdays. In its first three Wednesday airings, "Cupid" has averaged about 7.6 million viewers, well behind the 13 million or so that "Law & Order" repeats have been drawing for NBC at the same time. The show has done well among younger viewers, though, ranking in the top 10 among adults 18-49 and first among adults 18-34 among original summer programs.
Simon promises that Cupid won't be like The Bachelor or any of its knockoffs (Joe Millionaire, Mr. Personality, For Love or Money). "There will be no red roses, no violin music, no soft focus," he said. "There will be a lot of pain." The 43-year-old record producer is making the rounds, this week, on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Howard Stern and co-hosting Live With Regis and Kelly. He is promoting Cupid, which premieres this week. During the first two episodes, the field will be narrowed to 10 bachelors. By episode four, viewers can watch filmed dates, listen to the friends' analyses and vote for Mr. Right. The dating segment will be this show's answer to the musical performances on American Idol. In the process, the man with the fewest votes is ejected each week.
When SIMON COWELL's new relationship reality series, "Cupid," premieres on July 9, on CBS at 10 p.m., the first two episodes feature 25-year-old LISA SHANNON's search for Mr. Right. Luckily, the "Cupid" girl had the help of her girlfriends KIMBERLY and LAURA to see her through the nervewracking -- and bizarre -- tryouts!
ET went behind the scenes with the trio of manhunters as they scoured the country auditioning potential suitors. On tonight's show, we'll show you how the contenders in L.A. racked up.
"I thought there would be more stereotypical guys indicative to each city, and we have seen all sorts in each city," Lisa tells ET. "I can't really say one city has had any one type of guy. There are freaks in every city, and good guys in every city, so it has run the gamut."
Among those vying for Lisa's hand were:
SPIKE, 48 years old, from Palm Desert, CA, who showed up dressed in a gladiator costume that he says he was wearing because he was pulled off Hollywood Blvd. Despite his claims to be a romantic, Spike has never been married, although he was engaged once. Lisa, Kimberly and Laura were in agreement on Spike, and gave him the thumbs down.
MARCUS, a big hunk of a guy bearing tattoos, who after waiting two hours to meet Lisa, played the bongo drum to convince her he was the one. Trust us, he wasn't.
Marcus was followed by a contender from San Diego, CA, who shall remain nameless. No. 4040 promised to protect Lisa's heart, as well as her body. So saying, he demonstrated his skill at martial arts. Need we say more?
"The types of guys that have impressed us are the ones who walk in without anything rehearsed," Lisa continues. "You can clearly see they are nervous, and they give it to you straight, 'I am nervous. This is a weird situation, but I had to meet you. You seem really cool.' They just talk normally."
As we left Lisa, we wondered if she might be considering taking some advice from a CONNIE FRANCIS song. The chorus of which goes: "Hey, hey set me free. Stupid cupid, stop picking on me."
Lisa and her friends have already finished filming the first two episodes of the show, and she has narrowed it down to 60 men. By the time of the premiere on July 9, they will have narrowed it to 10 men. Beginning with the third episode, the voting public will get to decide who is the best partner for Lisa. In the interview, Lisa reveals that all 60 men are being screened for STDs as well as given background checks.
