ABC Wants to Get ‘The Bachelorette’ On Air ASAP

Clare Crawley‘s season of The Bachelorette is currently on hold due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, but ABC is desperate to get things back on track. In an interview on the Chicks in the Office podcast, network executive Robert Mills revealed that the beloved reality show will resume production “the first minute we possibly can,” even if it requires testing every cast and crew member for COVID-19 or altering the usual travel-heavy itinerary. “We will figure out how to get some version that reflects the world we’re in as quickly as possible,” said Mills.

This week, Mills, head of alternative programming at ABC, called into Barstool Sports’ Chicks in the Office podcast to discuss how The Bachelor franchise is handling the coronavirus crisis. Hosts Ria Ciuffo and Fran Mariano immediately asked about the status of The Bachelorette Season 19, which halted production just after the cast was announced in early March, and the “game plan” for airing the season.

“Obviously it’s super important,” said Mills. “Look, I will be honest. We will do it as soon as it’s safe.” The ABC exec added that there are “a lot of different discussions” about Crawley’s season, including those about casting, travel opportunities, and cast and crew safety. “Hopefully, pretty soon it’s going to get to where you can start testing people easier and quicker, so if we can get everyone tested, do we just have them all in one location?” he explained. “Is it going to be safe to travel? Is it just traveling on the road? When are we going to be able to fly?”

Mills also said that it’s possible that the usual The Bachelor timeline could be shifted in response to the crisis. While The Bachelorette usually airs from May to July, followed by Bachelor in Paradise over the summer and The Bachelor in January, that schedule could change. “We’re looking at all of that,” he told Barstool’s hosts. “Or is it, do we do Paradise quickly? Is that easier to get up on its feet?”

“We definitely want to get Bachelorette in the can because we’ve announced Clare, everyone’s excited about it, there’s all these plans for it. But that might take longer to logistically figure out,” he continued, adding that keeping The Bachelor on track for early January is “a huge priority” for the network. “It’ll be tough, but we’ll definitely figure it out because we all need this — badly.” Bachelor Nation would agree.

Listen to Robert Mills’ entire interview on the Chicks in the Office podcast.

Where to stream The Bachelorette