‘The Bachelor’ Eyeing Production Start Later This Month in New Remote Location

Elizabeth Wagmeister
·3 min read

“The Bachelor” is looking to head into production sometime within the next month, multiple sources confirm to Variety, following a successful pandemic-proof shoot of “The Bachelorette,” which essentially filmed in a bubble with the entire cast and crew quarantined at a remote location.

An insider tells Variety that the new season of “The Bachelor,” starring Matt James, will shoot at a completely different location than “The Bachelorette,” which filmed at La Quinta resort in Palm Springs, Calif. Our source indicates that production on “Bachelor” will not take place in California, but will shoot domestically in the United States, given international travel restrictions.

Sources explain that while plans are not firm, at this point, the flagship dating show is eyeing a production start date that is at least three weeks away. However, once contestants and crew members travel to the production location, they will have to be tested and enter a quarantine before cameras actually start rolling, which could take up to 14 additional days.

As with all productions in the age of COVID-19, an insider cautions that all potential plans are still subject to change.

Warner Bros. TV declined to comment on any production plans.

ABC also declined to comment, though network executive Rob Mills said production will start up this month in an interview with Deadline published earlier Tuesday.

When “Bachelorette” — starring Clare Crawley (and Tayshia Adams) — headed back into production, Variety exclusively reported on the health protocols put into place, which were very strict to allow for the safest shoot possible, given that the reality dating show was the first major U.S. show to go back into production after the industry-wide shutdown. The entire season was shot at the resort with all cast and crew members living on-site. Everyone was tested before they entered with regular testing and temperature checks occurring. Even host Chris Harrison had to sit out a few episodes to quarantine after leaving set to drop off his son at college.

Should “Bachelor” successfully start up production within the month, the show should be able to meet its typical airtime with a winter premiere in the new year.

“The Bachelorette” will be airing this fall, starting Oct. 13, though it usually airs in the spring. With production shutting down at the offset of the pandemic in March, production on the female-led show was halted. The domino effect also caused fan-favorite summer series “Bachelor In Paradise” to skip a season entirely.

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