Like other shows, The Bachelor franchise is currently at a standstill. The Bachelorette was supposed to start shooting in March with Clare Crawley as lead Bachelorette.
Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, all production has shut down. As it stands right now, Bachelor In Paradise may not even be cleared to take place this summer.
Meanwhile, ABC executives are not giving up on the idea that Bachelor Nation programming can happen during this trying time.
In fact, the network may borrow an idea from TLC, who recently created a 90-Day Fiance quarantine edition. For the series, contestants filmed themselves at home rather than being captured by a production crew.
So, could that same strategy work for The Bachelor franchise? Fans are about to find out.
The Bachelor producers are working on a new format
Even though production has been shut down, ABC has been scrambling to find a way to continue making Bachelor-style shows despite the coronavirus. In a new interview, the network’s executive Rob Mills opened up about what ABC is currently exploring.
“The best thing about The Bachelor is its willingness to evolve as a format,” Rob Mills told Deadline about the possibility of the show.
“So if we need to shoot a cycle that reflects these times, that’s what we’re going to look at doing.”
Of course, given the travel restrictions currently in place, sending a production crew along with contestants to Mexico for Bachelor In Paradise seems very unlikely. In fact, Chris Harrison recently downplayed the idea of shooting Bachelor In Paradise south of the border, revealing that to do so would mean a lot of necessary circumstances would need to transpire before that could actually happen.
“Getting 20 cast members is one thing, getting 100 to 180 crew members and putting a director in a truck next to the producers, where you’ve got 30 people in a trailer next to each other is another thing. There’s a lot of logistics that go into it,” he told The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“We are on it, we’re chomping on the bit to produce content.”
A lot of questions remain regarding a way in which this new kind of format could work. However, given how 90 Day Fiance created a show and how The Circle on Netflix created connections between contestants without them ever meeting during the show, the proof is positive that ABC will be able to find the way.
The Bachelor boss reveals Clare Crawley will get a shot at The Bachelorette
Given all the uncertainty these days, one thing is for certain: Clare Crawley will get her shot at love. Bachelor Nation executives plan on covering her season of the show when that inevitability becomes possible.
“She’s always been resilient,” Mills also revealed about Clare Crawley.
“We’re going to do her season and it’s going to be fantastic. If she finds a person, then this all means it was all meant to be. We’ll be nimble,” he declared.
Before the coronavirus shutdown, fans begged producers to please cast new guys for her season. Clare, who is now 39 years old, was pursued by men who were in their early 20s. While the reality star has revealed she likes younger guys, fans want her to enjoy a larger mix of possible mates to increase her chances of finding love.
Before the shutdown due to COVID-19 happened, Clare had been spotted filming a scene alongside ex-fiance Benoit in Sacramento.
The Bachelor is currently on hiatus.