The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman star Andy Baldwin's background as a U.S. Navy Lieutenant proves he's a tough guy, but he may be facing his stiffest competition yet.
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ABC has announced that it will air a one-hour The Bachelor: After the Final Rose special on Tuesday, May 22 at 8PM ET/PT -- a timeslot that will put the special in direct competition with American Idol's final performance episode, which will air in the same one-hour time period on Fox.
The After the Final Rose special will not only test Baldwin's toughness, but also his chivalrous nature, as it will take the first half of Dancing with the Stars' special two-hour fourth season finale out of Idol's path. Dancing with the Star's fourth season finale was originally scheduled to air on Tuesday, May 22 from 8-10PM ET/PT, but with Officer and a Gentleman's special now serving as Idol cannon fodder, Dancing with the Stars will be able to beat a strategic retreat back to a new Idol-free 9-11PM ET/PT time period.
The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman's special will mark the first time since ABC's Spring 2005 broadcast of The Bachelorette's third season that a The Bachelor or The Bachelorette edition will end with the broadcast of an After the Final Rose special (still missing from Officer and a Gentleman's season will be a The Women Tell All ousted bachelorette reunion special, another former franchise staple that used to proceed each edition's season finale).
Due to the scheduling changes, ABC's Boston Legal season finale, which was originally scheduled to air at 10PM ET/PT on Tuesday, May 22, has been pushed out of the May sweeps period and will now air Tuesday, May 29 at 10PM ET/PT.
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Officer and a Gentleman's special two-hour finale --which will see Baldwin propose marriage to either Tessa Horst or Bevin Powers -- is scheduled to air on Monday, May 21 at 9PM ET/PT on ABC, immediately following the the broadcast of Dancing with the Stars 4 final performance episode at 8PM ET/PT. Idol's sixth season special two-hour finale will air the following night, Wednesday, May 23, on Fox from 8PM to 10PM ET.
Earlier this week, ABC announced that Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor will both return with new editions this fall.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio