The fall season on network television is looking very different this year due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike, which will keep some of the small screen’s biggest shows off the air for the foreseeable future. Networks are going all-in on unscripted shows, and that means ABC doubling up on the Bachelor Nation action. It was announced all the way back in May that both Bachelor in Paradise and The Golden Bachelor would air in the fall, but some changes to the 2023 TV schedule could mean that there’s some Bachelor Nation hilarity on the way along with the usual drama.
The original schedule for ABC’s fall lineup placed The Golden Bachelor, a.k.a. the first Bachelor Nation series centered on a senior citizen’s search for love, on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET following Dancing with the Stars, and Bachelor in Paradise on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. after Celebrity Jeopardy. Now, ABC has announced that both shows will air on Thursdays, with The Golden Bachelor at 8 p.m. ET and the two-hour Bachelor in Paradise at 9 p.m. ET. This is a major departure from ABC usually filling Thursday nights with scripted dramas like Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, and the double dose of Bachelor Nation begins with the premieres on September 28.
And since it’s safe to say that Bachelor in Paradise is always the most bonkers show in the franchise, I think that it could be quite amusing to dive into that messiness after spending an hour on Gerry Turner’s seemingly very earnest search for love. The Golden Bachelor was first announced all the way back in early (a.k.a. pre-COVID) 2020, and the “Men Tell All” episode of The Bachelorette Season 20 introduced him beyond his catchphrase for the first time. Charity Lawson has already thrown her support behind Gerry. All signs point toward a pretty heartwarming show that could hardly be more different from Bachelor in Paradise.
I can’t help but think that the transition from Gerry searching for a second chance at love on The Golden Bachelor to whatever bonkers shenanigans are happening on Paradise could be pretty funny on Thursday nights. Sure, Bachelor in Paradise has its share of happy endings, notably including Joe “Grocery Store Joe” Amabile and Serena Pitt, but the happily-ever-afters don’t happen until a lot of hot and heavy hijinks on the beach. Just take a look at the promo for Paradise Season 9:
Something tells me that there could be some tonal whiplash on Thursday nights for anybody who plans on watching The Golden Bachelor and then continuing immediately into Bachelor in Paradise! That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, however, and The Golden Bachelor may benefit from being paired with a Bachelor Nation show that’s already a hit. In a fall TV season that’s already going to be strange without any of the scripted network shows that didn’t manage to already film before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, I know that I’lll take primetime hilarity in any form!
Tune in to ABC on Thursday, September starting at 8 p.m. ET for the series premiere of The Golden Bachelor and Season 9 premiere of Bachelor in Paradise. You can also revisit past seasons of Paradise streaming with a Hulu subscription.