A ‘Bachelor’ Spinoff May Be In The Works At ABC, Plus Possible ‘Fresh Off The Boat’ Spinoff, More Reboots
Another entry into the Bachelor franchise is in the works at ABC, the network’s president told The Wrap on Tuesday. Also possibly in the works are a Fresh Off the Boat spinoff and a possible reboot of the 2011-2013 sitcom Happy Endings.
With the 2019-2020 fall TV season just around the corner, ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke sat down for an interview about what’s happening at the alphabet network. Much of what she talked about consisted of confirming, denying, or obliquely referencing rumors and speculation, of course. But what she did reveal paints a bright picture for fans of certain ABC properties.
A Bachelor Spinoff
There’s no doubt that The Bachelor and its attendant spinoffs (The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelor Winter Games, assorted short-lived spinoffs) make for one of the biggest properties on ABC’s shelf. And there’s another entry in the franchise in the works.
“There’s an extension to the Bachelor franchise coming,” she said, but she was short on specifics.
She did say, however, that it’s possible to go all-in on a franchise to the point that it “dilutes the brand,” so she says that the network wants to make sure it’s done right.
“I think it’s a sound strategy, and I’d like to continue it, but for the right reasons and with the right people,” she said.
'Fresh Off the Boat,' 'Bachelor' Spinoffs in the Works, ABC President Says https://t.co/rtFrUzYLJP pic.twitter.com/70phziGdVE
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) August 6, 2019
Fresh Off the Boat Spinoff
In addition to expanding The Bachelor into multiple spinoffs, ABC has had success spinning off ’80s-based sitcom The Goldbergs with ’90s-set Schooled. This fall, they’re hoping lightning strikes twice, when the black*ish spinoff mixed-ish, set in Mom Rainbow’s hippie childhood, drops.
To these ends, another spinoff appears to be in the works as well. Fresh Off The Boat, the semi-autobiographical tale of Chef Eddie Huang’s childhood with a family of Asian-American immigrants, looks like it’s going to be getting a spinoff. Again, details are scarce, with Burke only saying that she’s heard that there’s such a spinoff in the works, but that she doesn’t know much more than that.
Happy Endings Reboot
For those not familiar, Happy Endings aired on ABC from 2011-2013, and was sort of 2010’s answer to Friends, only set in Chicago. The show aired for three seasons, gathering middling ratings while being treated as an afterthought by ABC.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Burke is “hearing whispers” that a reboot may be in the works. Specifically, she says that this show is just the type of thing ABC wants to add to its expanding comedy brand.
“It’s at the very beginning [stages],” she said.
