The Bachelor franchise just keeps on growing in 2020, first with a music-themed dating show and now a dating show targeted at seniors from Bachelor producers. No, not seniors in high school or seniors in college, but seniors looking for love in their golden years. The upcoming show revealed its search for seniors with an ad during the February 24 episode of The Bachelor. Believe it or not, this show really is a thing that is happening!
Before we get into the details of what the new show will entail, check out the ad during the Bachelor broadcast that caught fans' attention:
Hey, why should people not get to search for love on reality television just because they're not in their early-to-mid 20s? Using a photo of a sun setting may not be the most tactful way to make seniors think they have a long, hopeful future in their search for romance, but hey, maybe it's a sunrise!
Since the prospect of a Bachelor-esque show centered on seniors seems out of the regular Bachelor realm (despite recent comments about potentially going for aged up contestants in the future), I of course checked out abc.com to make sure that this is happening. Most contestants in this franchise aren't even over the age of 30, after all!
Fortunately, ABC shared some details that promise something very different from the usual Bachelor fare:
New Dating Show for SeniorsNow casting Seniors Looking for Love! Are you entering your golden years and looking for romance? The Producers of The Bachelor are looking for active and outgoing single men and women IN THEIR GOLDEN YEARS for a new exciting dating show! Applicants must be legal U.S. residents; other eligibility requirements apply.If you are A SENIOR CITIZEN ready for a committed relationship apply today
Unfortunately, ABC hasn't revealed the name of the show or how it will work, but it does sound like this could be more similar to Bachelor in Paradise or The Proposal (which tanked after one season and some bad press) than The Bachelor or Bachelorette. The description is looking for "men and women" plural, not "man" or "woman."
Interestingly, the description also doesn't give an age range for who qualifies as "senior" when it comes to reality TV dating. Is it the normal 65 and older, or is it more along the lines of 40+ since this is a show coming from the producers of The Bachelor?
In all seriousness, once I moved past my knee-jerk reaction that The Bachelor is looking for school seniors and stopped laughing at the idea of repeat Bachelor franchise contestant Chris Bukowski trying his hand at reality TV love again, I think this is a fun direction for the franchise to go.
The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart struck me as more bizarre and unlikely than actually entertaining, but a dating show centering on people in their "golden years" trying to find love? That's something new and different, and not just because Chris Bukowski probably needs another few decades of Bachelor in Paradise to qualify.
If you're interested in the senior dating show (or know somebody who would be), the site for applying is already live! To see more of The Bachelor while Peter Weber is still trying to find his future wife, tune in to ABC on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes.
