The Bachelor is back! Well, not exactly. But, with Season 16 of The Bachelorette starring Clare Crawley on hold for now, and the premiere season of the new tuneful franchise entry, The Bachelor: Listen To Your Heart, not really doing its part to connect with fans since its debut just a few weeks ago, producers wanted something to fulfill the rose-giving desires of Bachelor Nation denizens everywhere. So, this summer will see the debut of The Bachelor: The Most Unforgettable – Ever!, a retrospective which will feature a look back at the wildest seasons in Bachelor history.
The 10 episode event series will begin on June 8, and, according to Variety, each three hour episode (which will, indeed, be led by Bachelor host with the most Chris Harrison) will revisit a full season from the annals of Bachelor Nation history. So, we'll get to take a look back at the harshest breakups, most cringe-worthy kisses, deeply devastating rose ceremonies, unexpected meltdowns, passionate makeout sessions and much, much more. Here's what ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke had to say about the new series:
The Bachelor: The Most Unforgettable – Ever! is a love letter to our fans who have been with us through some of the most heartwarming, heartbreaking and unexpected moments throughout Bachelor history. We can’t wait for Bachelor Nation to fall in love all over again as we take this wild journey down memory lane.
I know a lot of people assumed that The Bachelor: Listen To Your Heart would be a shoo-in for all those eager Bachelor Nation eyeballs before it began, but The Bachelor: The Most Unforgettable – Ever! seems like it will be way more up the romance alley of fans looking to stay immersed in all things The Bachelor until they can get back on track with new episodes. With Clare's time as Bachelorette yet to be able to establish a definitive start date, this means that the late summer staple Bachelor in Paradise is also up in the air, and there seems to be nothing that fans love more than catching up with their old favorites.
Speaking of Clare, because her season would be the next to film when production can start again, the current plan is to (you guessed it) feature her time with unsuitable suitor Juan Pablo Galavis on his Season 18 of The Bachelor, which aired in 2014. Clare will be able to join in on the fun via video chat with Chris Harrison, and the hope is that those who never got to watch her previous run at finding love will have a chance to become invested in her search for Mr. Right and be even more interested to see what happens when her season of The Bachelorette can finally air.
While not all of the seasons of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, BIP, Bachelor Pad and The Bachelor Winter Games that will be featured on the show have been decided just yet, it's thought that the season that started it all in 2002 (with Bachelor Alex Michel) will be shown, along with the first season of The Bachelorette (starring Trista Rehn in 2003). In addition, we're very likely to revisit Kaitlyn Bristowe (The Bachelorette Season 11, 2015), Sean Lowe (The Bachelor Season 17, 2013) and Ben Higgins (The Bachelor Season 20, 2016). And, the hope is that other past Bachelor Nation favorites will join in via chat to talk about their time in the franchise, as well.
Those of you hoping to dive back into the messy mess that was Peter Weber's recently completed Season 24, however, will be disappointed. The show has decided not to head to those choppy, Barbara Weber-filled waters again, which is probably for the best.
The Bachelor: The Most Unforgettable – Ever! will premiere on ABC, on June 8 at 8 p.m. EST. Until then, you can give The Bachelor: Listen To Your Heart a try, and check out everything that's coming to TV this summer!
