Warner Bros. International Television Production announced that four European broadcasters have quickly fallen in love with "The Golden Bachelor", snapping up format rights for an exclusive relationship in their territory. "The Golden Bachelor" format was created by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon.
"The Golden Bachelor" was ABC’s top unscripted series in nearly four years when it launched and consistently the number one show of the night across all networks throughout its run. This new take on the popular franchise also garnered rave reviews, extensive press and social media coverage, and reached more than 43 million multiplatform viewers.
Such a positive response to the series has led to significant interest, with the first international version of "The Golden Bachelor", produced by WBITVP France, to premiere on M6 in France 18th September. The format has also been commissioned by Discovery Real Time in Italy, to be produced by Fremantle, and by RTL in Germany and Videoland in The Netherlands, produced by local WBITVP production companies. Numerous other deals are also in the pipeline.
Demonstrating that there is no age limit when it comes to love and romance, "The Golden Bachelor is a senior-focused take" on "The Bachelor"—the latter now produced across multiple seasons in 37 territories—and part of a global franchise that also includes "The Bachelorette", "Bachelor in Paradise", "The Bachelor Games", and "The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart". The new dating format introduces viewers to a handsome, single man in his golden years, looking for a second chance at love with a beautiful woman who shares his dreams.
Andrew Zein, WBITVP’s SVP creative, format development and sales, referred to the possibilities of the format: “T'he Golden Bachelor 'has proved to be a massive hit, shining a light on the whole franchise and allowing its halo effect to reinvigorate the wider 20-year-old brand. By focusing on more mature singles with fascinating life experiences, it successfully brings something fresh and unexpected to the world of reality dating and relationship formats and, as a result, has attracted new audiences and older demographics to these shows, while still maintaining their heartland viewers. 'The Golden Bachelor' is heartwarming and life-affirming. We couldn’t be more thrilled to see it adapted by leading international broadcasters and anticipate many more such ‘perfect matches’ to follow with this and, of course, 'The Golden Bachelorette'", commented.