Chris Harrison is speaking out about the future of The Bachelor franchise.
It’s no secret that coronavirus has played a considerable role in the delays for the production, as The Bachelorette was supposed to be filming right now.
However, ABC is now trying to figure out how to proceed from here, as the summer programming is usually jam-packed with Bachelor shows, including The Bachelorette and Bachelor In Paradise.
This year, ABC was also planning on introducing Bachelor Summer Games to celebrate the Olympics.
Now, everything is up in the air.
Chris Harrison reveals The Bachelorette must come first
Harrison can only provide a few snippets of what they are looking at doing now that scheduling is up in the air.
Chris sat down to talk about the future of The Bachelor franchise with ET’s Lauren Zima. He reveals that while the franchise had lots of plans in 2020 with both Summer Games and the senior version added to the list of programs, many plans are now on hold.
“It’s crushing us right now,” he explains about The Bachelorette. “We know that this too shall pass and there are bigger problems and bigger fish to fry, but we really wish we were making an incredible show with Clare.”
“I mean, we would be over halfway done [with filming by this point], and Clare might be narrowing down finding the love of her life. How exciting — and I hate that that is stolen from her at this particular time.”
Harrison also revealed that their future schedule depends on how long the pandemic continues. If the numbers haven’t changed and people are still asked to stay home later this summer, all programming could be canceled.
“Maybe we do it all this summer, but if things don’t go as planned with this virus and with this quarantine, maybe we won’t have time to do it all,” Harrison points out.
“So we have to think, ‘OK what is our priority?’ It’s trying to create any content in the interim, and then let’s get The Bachelorette.”
Harrison also explained that they have never seen anything like this and that production’s schedules are completely ripped apart.
Right now, they are trying to figure out everything from healthy workers to job security, according to Harrison. But he did add that they are continuing to cast so the shows will move ahead at some point.
As Monsters & Critics reported yesterday, Reality Steve guessed that The Bachelorette would move ahead but under a quarantine setting.
The whole thing would be filmed at a resort, and no one would be allowed to leave after being tested for coronavirus to keep everyone safe.
Harrison mentioned no such plans.
Chris Harrison says Bachelor In Paradise could see changes
Bachelor In Paradise usually films in June in Mexico. Right now, ABC can’t make any definitive plans for that show.
Harrison’s comments about Bachelor In Paradise are that the guys from Clare’s season would be going to Paradise, meaning they would need to wait for The Bachelorette to finish before they start filming the summer show.
Chris suggests that they may need to pull some contestants from The Bachelor: Listen To Your Heart, a musical-Bachelor spin-off that starts on Monday, April 13, at 8/7c on ABC.
We also reported yesterday that Bachelor In Paradise could still move ahead, but that the international location could be up in the air.
As of right now, filming in Mexico isn’t an option, but the show doesn’t start filming for another few months.
Right now, there are so many unanswered questions that time will be the biggest factor in how everything will play out. If the quarantine doesn’t end soon, the shows could be pushed further or canceled for 2020.
As for Bachelor Summer Games, that show has been put on the backburner. He reveals that it is uncertain right now whether the show will be rescheduled or just canceled.
As for the senior Bachelor spin-off, it’s so early in production that it doesn’t even have a title yet. He adds that they will probably still do it, just not now.
The Bachelorette is currently on hiatus.
Instead of bachelor in paradise just change the name to what ever state your in it doesn’t have to be mexico