On Wednesday, ABC executives revealed the new schedule for their Bachelor franchise shows for the remainder of the year, all of which have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bachelorette “is one hundred percent happening,” according to ABC reality chief Rob Mills in an interview with Variety .
Normally, the reality dating series would only be a few weeks away from its premiere at this time of the year. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, those plans were put on hold. Mills said the tentative plan is to start filming around mid-summer, which would mean a fall premiere date. This is assuming conditions will be deemed safe for shooting. Filming for The Bachelorette usually begins in March with a premiere date in late May.
This season was supposed to star Clare Crawley , a former four-time contestant who competed on Season 18 of The Bachelor , had two stints on Bachelor in Paradise , and appeared on Bachelor: Winter Games . The 39-year-old will be looking for her future husband in a group of over two dozen eligible men.
With the past Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons, international travel for the cast was a major factor. This year, however, executives say that won’t be happening due to travel restrictions and safety issues, which currently don’t show any signs of letting up any time soon. Instead, the show will take place in one large, spacious location where dates could still be arranged and cast and crew would be kept safe, as Mills explained.
“As of right now, the plan is to get a great location that has a ton of space where everybody could safely be together and we can still have great dates that still feel big and romantic, and we would shoot the entire season there,” he said.
The possibility of a few road trips is being explored, but that will only happen if conditions are deemed safe.
Bachelor in Paradise is ABC’s spinoff summer series where past Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants get a second chance at finding love on a sultry island. The show has always taken place on an island in Mexico, which would indicate that it might be canceled this year. However, according to People , Mills said that they are working on how they might be able to retool the show and considering airing it at a different time.
“We’re certainly discussing it and how it could work and if it could work, but we want to make sure that the next season of The Bachelor stays on track because that’s something that everybody looks forward to at the beginning of the year.”
It was announced that The Bachelor: Summer Games has been canceled in light of the Summer Olympics postponement.
