Tuning IN

Bachelor Baio reflects

Scott Baio feared the worst whenever someone suggested he consider reality television.

“Scott Baio gets his chest waxed … or a colonoscopy,” Mr. Baio says. “I’ve been dodging these things forever.”

It’s easy to see why, given the depths many former celebrities plumb just for another crack at stardom.

To his credit, VH1’s new reality series “Scott Baio is 45 … and Single,” premiering at 10:30 p.m. Sunday, doesn’t traffic in obvious humiliations.

The program puts Mr. Baio in the hands of a stern life coach who examines why the actor has never settled down.

The obvious question could be: “Why should he?”

Mr. Baio has dated some of Hollywood’s most stunning actresses, from Pamela Anderson to Denise Richards.

As the show opens, Mr. Baio finally seems ready to take the plunge with Renee, his girlfriend of more than a year. However, a romantic past teeming with infidelity continues to haunt him, leading him to take stock of his life — all while being trailed by a coterie of cameramen, of course.

“It’s a guy looking to figure out what his problem in life is in a way that’s comedic and serious, things that make good television,” Mr. Baio says.

The series follows the actor as he revisits past loves in face-to-face meetings, analyzing why each relationship fell apart and applying the lessons to his current romance.

First up: Erin Moran, who played Joanie to his Chachi on ABC’s long-running “Happy Days.” The actress, now 46 and on her second marriage, still sounds a tad bitter about their long-ago split.

The women didn’t mince words about the relationships.

“They were coming after me, one almost physically, and I don’t blame them,” Mr. Baio says.

In addition to the soul-searching, we also get scenes with Mr. Baio’s “band of brothers,” three longtime pals who rib each other like a Little League version of “Entourage.”

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