After a string of behind-the-scenes scandals, a reality TV institution is getting a reality check…
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It won’t be on ABC’s 2026 fall schedule.
Earlier this year, ABC was forced to pull an entire season of The Bachelorette after domestic assault allegations were leveled against its star, Taylor Frankie Paul of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ fame
Now, the network has revealed when the beloved reality TV franchise will be returning…
It’s going to be a minute.
ABC announced its Fall 2026 primetime schedule, and The Bachelor and its various spin-offs were nowhere to be found.
However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for fans of rose ceremonies and questionable life choices…
The beloved reality TV franchise shall return… next year.
However, The Bachelor franchise isn’t the only one getting a belated return. Some other favorites, both dramas and sitcoms, will also be dropping their next seasons in 2027 rather than in the fall.
“New seasons of previously announced returning series The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise, High Potential, Shifting Gears, The Rookie, and Will Trent will debut in 2027,” ABC explained.
Disney’s Reality Chief Looks Ahead After Scandal Plagues ‘The Bachelor’ Franchise
The latest season of The Bachelorette was pulled after TMZ released a video of Paul’s 2023 domestic assault incident with her ex, Dakota Mortensen. Paul had previously discussed the altercation on Hulu’s Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
But Disney’s reality chief Rob Mills is confident that the franchise will be able to bounce back.
“The Bachelor is almost a perfect format and it is really powerful,” Mills told Deadline last month. “It’s over two decades old, and it’s seen really good days and really bad days. But it’s always had a lot of resilience, especially when the people making it really, really care about it, because that fan base also really cares about it.”
“However The Bachelor comes back next year, it will be done with a lot of thoughtfulness and care. I do think better days are ahead for the franchise,” he added.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org or by texting “START” to 88788.