The Bachelor producers are casting for a new reality dating show starring senior citizens.

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ABC has announced a new show is in the works featuring older participants.

During a commercial break that aired during Peter Weber's season of The Bachelor on Monday night, The Bachelor host Chris Harrison said in a voiceover, "Looking for love in your golden years?

"We're looking for eligible seniors who want their shot at love," Chris continued. "To nominate someone or apply, go to abc.com/casting."

Chris spoke over an on-screen graphic featuring a blurred field of red flowers that read, "Now casting seniors looking for love. Go to: abc.com/casting."

Whether the new show will actually be branded a new senior citizen edition of The Bachelor or, similar to The Proposal, only be presented as a new ABC reality dating show that's also produced by The Bachelor's producers remains unclear.

However, given the Chris Harrison voiceover, the former appears more likely.

ABC's casting page does not specifically identify the show as a Bachelor spinoff but offers a up a few more details.

"New Dating Show for Seniors," the page reveals.

"Now 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 at: http://seniordatingshow.castingcrane.com."

The Bachelor and all of its spinoffs are produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television and created by Mike Fleiss.

On Monday night, ABC reality chief Robert Mills tweeted about the new dating show for seniors.

"#Bachelornation give us your Grumpiest Old Men, give us your Goldenest Girls. #TheBachelor," Mills tweeted during the latest episode of The Bachelor's 24th season.

"To be clear, this is [age] 65 [and up]."

A casting notice for the new seniors project had originally appeared online in January, disclosing that "producers of The Bachelor" were looking for single men and women age 65 or older.

However, the January casting notice didn't reveal what network was attached to the show or whether it would be an actual spinoff of The Bachelor franchise.

The Bachelor franchise already has a couple of new spinoffs set to air on ABC this year.

In addition to the return of The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise this year, ABC will also be premiering The Bachelor: Listen To Your Heart on April 13 and The Bachelor Summer Games in Summer 2020.

In 2018, ABC and The Bachelor producers also attempted The Proposal, a 10-episode reality series which wasn't officially considered a Bachelor spinoff but essentially condensed an entire The Bachelor season into each episode.

Hosted by former The Bachelor star Jesse Palmer, each episode of The Proposal featured 10 suitors competing in four pageant-style rounds to win the heart of a bachelor or bachelorette who was concealed from them.

Once the field was narrowed to two suitors, The Proposal lead finally showed themselves to the suitors and had to decide which suitor to propose marriage to.

ABC did not renew The Proposal for a second season and the series did not return in 2019.

The new senior citizen project also wouldn't mark the first time The Bachelor producers have attempted apply The Bachelor's format to a different demographic pool of participants.

In 2010, they also produced The Cougar for TV Land.

The Cougar featured a 40-year-old woman -- the "cougar" -- choosing a boyfriend from a group of 20-something men and was hosted by actress Vivica A. Fox.

The show even filmed at a mansion that looked similar to the famed The Bachelor mansion in Malibu, CA. (Watch a clip of the finale below!)

TV Land did not renew The Cougar for a second season.

Fleiss also executive produced More to Love, a dating series that starred a plus-size bachelor attempting to woo plus-size bachelorettes. The series aired on Fox in 2009.

Former Fox reality chief Mike Darnell billed More to Love as the "first dating competition show in television history that reflects what most real single men and women look like, which makes it instantly relatable to the vast majority of people in the dating pool."

"This is a dating show that sends the right message about embracing and loving yourself no matter your shape or size," Fleiss added in the show's initial announcement.

"When you are comfortable with your own body, you can really allow yourself to be open to the possibility of finding the right person to love."

NBC's reality show history also includes a couple of attempts to create a reality dating show featuring older participants.

In 2003, NBC aired Who Wants to Marry My Dad?, which ended with 48-year-old Don Mueller proposing to 40-year-old Christena Ferran.

Who Wants to Marry My Dad? was renewed for a second edition which aired on NBC in 2004 and concluded with 47-year-old Marty Okland getting engaged to 39-year-old Stacy Leutner.

In 2007, NBC also aired Age of Love, a reality dating show that starred Mark Philippoussis, a 31-year-old professional tennis player from Melbourne, Australia.

However unbeknownst to Philippoussis, his group of 13 women ranged in age from 21- to 48-years-old.

Age of Love ended with Philippoussis selecting a 25-year-old and was not renewed by NBC.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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