Reality TV World

'Bachelor in Quarantine' spinoff of 'The Bachelor' being considered by ABC

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/22/2020

The Bachelor producers and ABC are considering a new spinoff that would presumably feature The Bachelor and The Bachelorette alums self-isolating amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

According to ABC reality chief Robert Mills, the network is mulling over a potential new quarantine-themed show that it has dubbed Bachelor In Quarantine, Deadline reported.

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"The best thing about The Bachelor is its willingness to evolve as a format, so if we need to shoot a cycle that reflects these times, that's what we're going to look at doing," Mills said.

The Bachelor would be following in the footsteps of TLC premiering 90 Day Fiance: Self-Quarantined earlier this week, which gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of dozens of former 90 Day Fiance franchise stars as they quarantine themselves at home in attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Lifetime is also launching Married at First Sight: Couples' Cam on May 20.

Married at First Sight: Couples' Cam will feature raw, self-shot footage via mounted cameras, Diary Cams and virtual group chats that will update viewers on the current lives of former Married at First Sight couples from the show's first ten seasons.

But Mills insisted, despite the possibility of new The Bachelor spinoffs being created, ABC has not cast aside Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette, which was originally scheduled to begin filming on March 13.

Mills told Deadline that The Bachelorette's sixteenth season will definitely be executed once production can resume and then air on ABC, although its typical May premiere date is no longer possible.

"She's always been resilient," Mills said of Clare. "We're going to do her a 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."

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It's been assumed the 2020 season of Bachelor in Paradise will be delayed as well, or maybe even canceled altogether, as Paradise usually premieres in August after The Bachelorette ends each summer.

However, during a recent appearance on Barstool Sports' Chicks in the Office podcast, Mills threw out the option of airing Bachelor in Paradise before The Bachelorette given it's probably easier and quicker to produce with all the contestants staying at one resort all season long.

But The Bachelor host Chris Harrison suggested last week filming Bachelor in Paradise is more complicated than it appears.

"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," Harrison said on The Bill Simmons Podcast, according to Deadline.

"There's a lot of logistics that go into it... We are on it, we're chomping on the bit to produce content."

If The Bachelorette does end up taking precedence over Paradise on producers' timeline, Mills said he could also maybe envision Bachelor in Paradise "in a ski lodge or something like that."

"We will definitely consider that," Mills said on Chicks in the Office of potentially airing a winter-themed season in late 2020, adding that The Bachelor's 25th season premiering in January 2021 is definitely a priority.

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Harrison also reportedly revealed last week he and The Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss had discussed potentially airing some specials or retrospective episodes while production is shut down.

The Bachelorette's initial cast of 32 possible bachelors was already announced by ABC in March, but Mills previously confirmed applications are still being taken and more men continue to apply.

Harrison had told People that fans may end up seeing a totally different lineup of bachelors on Clare's season as a result.

When Harrison first announced The Bachelorette's postponement over coronavirus concerns, he admitted on March 13 that ABC didn't feel it had much of a choice.

"Things are not changing by the day; they are changing by the hour. But I was consulted about this. It was not only the right thing to do; it was the only thing to do," Harrisons had said in an Instagram video.

But Harrison insisted in the video the decision to push off filming was still "hard to make."

"This is massive. Jobs will be lost, paychecks will be lost, and there's just no way to avoid that, and that doesn't avoid the fact that this was still the right thing to do and the only thing to do," Harrison had explained.

Warner Bros. Television Group, which produces all Bachelor spinoffs, had also issued a statement to Us Weekly on March 13 announcing production of The Bachelorette was going to be delayed "out of an abundance of caution."

"There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on any of our productions, but the health and safety of our employees, casts and crews remains our top priority," said the production company.

"During this time, we will continue to follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control as well as local officials and public health professionals in each city where our productions are based."

The coronavirus pandemic has affected production schedules of many other reality TV shows, as well as nearly all scripted TV series.

Not only is ABC reportedly scrapping The Bachelor Summer Games, but CBS has also postponed filming new seasons of Survivor and The Amazing Race.