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Despite the seemingly endless controversies and growing fan frustration of recent years, the Bachelor franchise is planning…an expansion! A new dating show that shines a spotlight on seniors looking for love has been in the works for quite some time now, but if a recent tweet from The Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss is any indication, we may finally be seeing it on our screens sometime soon.

The alleged series, which Fleiss referred to as The Golden Bachelor in his tweet announcement, has been airing casting calls for men and women in their golden years for literal years now. If you’ve been watching Season 27 of The Bachelor, you’ve likely heard Jesse Palmer’s voice encouraging you to nominate your grandma or grandpa for a chance at finding love. But since it’s been talked about for so long, members of Bachelor Nation are understandably dubious of the senior-centric version of The Bachelor.

Wondering if The Golden Bachelor is really a go? Curious how to nominate someone or apply for the senior version of The Bachelor? Want to know when the show expects to film? Or what the application looks like? Here’s everything we know about The Golden Bachelor, the long-rumored dating show that will help revive the tired franchise or send it to an even earlier grave.

What Is The Golden Bachelor? Everything We Know About The Bachelor For Seniors:

While specific details of the show remain unknown, fans assume that The Golden Bachelor (name still TBD) will follow the same format as The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — just with an older lead and older contestants. If that’s the case, the first season will likely cast one man in his golden years alongside a group of women in their golden years, all of whom are hoping to find a romantic partner to be with for the rest of their lives. If the show structure remains the same, the seniors would kick things off at the Bachelor Mansion, then spend the remainder of the show traveling the world, with the final few contestants introducing the lead to their families and getting invited to fantasy suite dates — though changes to the structure may be made in order to better accommodate the fresh spin.

We may get some TikTok famous grandparents applying, but the new series will likely have less drama centered around wannabe influencers or people who are there for “the wrong reasons.” And honestly? That sounds refreshing. “Some of the casting interviews we got, they were just so touching,” Rob Mills, ABC’s top unscripted executive, said in a 2020 interview with Variety. “It’s such a different way of doing The Bachelor because these people are just at a totally different place in their lives. There is an interesting thing about people who have hit the other end of the spectrum, who’ve lived their lives, they’ve raised their kids, some have been widowed or divorced and maybe some have never been in love. We thought that would be an interesting dynamic through the Bachelor prism.”

Mills went on to share that one of the biggest changes to the show could come during Hometown Dates, as contestants would meet the children instead of the parents. I, for one, am obsessed. It remains unclear what the show’s age range is, but seniors are generally considered 65 and older, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Why Has The Golden Bachelor Taken So Long To Cast And Produce?

The senior Bachelor-style reality show was floated to fans as early as 2020, but Variety reported that casting and production for the series — which was potentially set to air in fall 2020 — was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise resumed filming during the pandemic, the shows operated with a strict new set of protocols to ensure contestants, leads, and crew members would remain safe and healthy. We just watched Season 27 lead Zach Shallcross test positive for COVID, so while vaccines are available and the franchise’s shows have resumed traveling, a senior show would likely have to take even greater precautions.

The Golden Bachelor Application: How To Nominate Someone Or Apply For The Senior Bachelor Show

To nominate someone or apply for The Golden Bachelor, you can head to the casting page at bachelornation.com and select “Seniors Looking For Love” or visit GoldenBachelorCasting.com. You’ll be redirected to an application that asks, “Are you ready to get married if you met the next love of your life today?” then lists a whopping 92 questions.

After typical inquiries like name, hair color, and height, the application goes on to ask about COVID vaccination status, employment, income, education, siblings, past marriages, children, and grandkids. Question 38 asks, “Are you genuinely looking for love and why?” followed by, “Why would you want to find love on TV?” These poor seniors are then asked to list their dating history, relationship dealbreakers, hobbies, and social media profiles (including Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok usernames).

As the application nears its finish, the questions get more in-depth. Here’s a sample of what the casting department and producers want to know about potential contestants:

• Do you have a bucket list? If so, what’s on it?
• What accomplishment are you most proud of?
• What have you not found but would like to in a relationship?
• Do you have any special talents?
• What obstacles have you overcome in your life?

Before the application wraps, the seniors are asked for a selfie, a full-body photo, and a photo of the front of their home. Exhausting!

When Does The Golden Bachelor Start Filming? What We Know About The Senior Bachelor Premiere Date

Since rumors of a senior Bachelor-style show have been swirling for years, when Fleiss tweeted confirmation that the series was “coming,” fans were understandably skeptical. One reply reads “… in 2043,” while another said, “we’ll believe it when we see it.” Though it’s been a long time coming, there ARE some dates attached to the show this time around, per the application, so we have a general idea of when filming is planned to take place.

Question 65 on the application reads: “Production is scheduled for this summer. Do you have any conflicts During July-August 2023?” And question 66 goes on to add: “Do you have a passport that is valid until August 2024?”

If all goes according to plan, production could take place in the summer of 2023, which means we could hopefully see the new series within the next year. Now if the franchise really want fans to get pumped, it should cast former Bachelorette Gabby Windey’s beloved grandpa John.