The Bachelor is casting for yet another spinoff, but for this one, only those over 65 need apply. On the heels of the announcement of The Bachelor: Summer Games and the music-themed Listen To Your Heart , ABC is currently casting for a new reality show that will feature older singles looking for love later in life, TVLine reports.
A casting announcement posted on the ABC website says producers of the long-running The Bachelor franchise are looking for “active and outgoing single men and women” who are entering their golden years and looking for romance.
ABC executive Rob Mills also took to Twitter to post a teaser for the casting announcement for the new show. Mills joked that producers are looking for the “grumpiest old men” and the “goldenest girls” who are over age 65.
To be clear, this is 65+ https://t.co/gg5qroqGXm
— Robert Mills (@Millsy11374) February 25, 2020
In comments to Mills’ post, Bachelor fans gave mixed reviews to the idea of an over-65 dating show.
“Are you going to hand out little blue pills instead of roses?” one fan asked.
“Are you looking to have Arie be the Bachelor again?” another fan joked of one of the franchise’s “oldest” past Bachelors.
“So you skip from age 30 to 65+?” another asked. “What is up – There are many many 40-60 who would give adventure and depth to a show.”
“This isn’t what we meant when we asked for more diversity in the show…” another added.
The potential show is still in the very early stages, and an official network order is contingent on finding a strong cast, Gold Derby notes. On the casting site, questions that applicants must answer include “Do you have a bucket list?” and “Do you have any grandkids?” in addition to the usual safety-related questions about restraining orders and past felonies.
The Bachelor franchise has long been criticized for its lack of diversity and for the immaturity of many of its contestants, some of whom are in their early 20s and not always signed on the show for the “right reasons.”
The oldest Bachelor leading man in 24 seasons of the male-led franchise was 40 years old when Byron Velvick headlined the show in Season 6 back in 2004. And at age 32, Rachel Lindsay was not only the franchise’s first-ever African American lead but also the oldest Bachelorette star in the show’s long history.
For the current season of the rose-filled reality show, Pilot Peter Weber is age 28, and his harem of ladies are all under age 30 except for one, Natasha Parker.
