“The Golden Bachelor,” the latest series in ABC‘s “Bachelor” franchise, finally has a premiere date. The season that will revolve around Gerry Turner finding a second shot at love will premiere Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET.
This marks a departure from the network’s previously announced schedule, which originally had “The Golden Bachelor” premiering on Mondays after “Dancing with the Stars.” Now, in this revised lineup, the new spinoff will be followed by “Bachelor in Paradise,” which is set to premiere at 9 p.m. ET.
A premiere date for “Dancing with the Stars” is expected to be shared soon, an ABC insider familiar with the matter told TheWrap.
These “Bachelor” updates are far from the only announced changes in ABC’s fall schedule. On the “Jeopardy!” front, Ken Jennings will be hosting “Celebrity Jeopardy!” starting Sept. 27. Not only is this a shift from the series’ previously announced Tuesday debut, but it also marks a host change from Mayim Bialik, who was the face of the program during its first season. In May, Bialik stepped away from “Jeopardy!” during its last week of filming to stand in solidarity with the WGA strike.
“Celebrity Jeopardy!” will then be followed by “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” at 9 p.m. ET and “The $10,000 Pyramid” at 10 p.m. ET on Sept. 27.
Season 15 of “Shark Tank” is set to debut on Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. ET and will be followed by ABC News’ “20/20” at 9 p.m. ET. Finally, “AFV” will premiere on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. ET, followed by “The Wonderful World of Disney” at 8 p.m. ET.
Though this marks a shift in the schedule ABC presented during its upfronts, it’s still one that’s largely in line with what’s expected for the network. In the early weeks of the ongoing WGA strike, ABC presented a schedule that was heavily dependent on reality programming and game shows. However, it does mark major departure ABC’s typical scheduling.
Historically, “The Bachelor” and its various spinoffs have premiered on Monday or Tuesday nights. Putting new installments from this buzzy franchise on Thursdays — a day typically reserved for Shondaland’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Station 19” — seems to be a strategic ratings move on ABC’s part.
