Even before Joan Vassos was announced as the first Bachelorette, viewers wanted to see the 61-year-old find love. Luckily, ABC is revamping the format of The Bachelor to help make that happen.
Starting this fall, Joan's show will air in 90-minute episodes every Wednesday night, while Gerry Turner's show will be an hour long.
This will be a welcome change for many viewers, who requested longer episodes during Gerry's debut. In addition to giving contestants less screen time, shorter episodes also affect the show's plot. As ABC executive Rob Mills tweeted, the shortened series meant Gerry could only invite three contestants (instead of the usual four) to the hometown date .
Expect the pace of the season to be different for Joan. "The first Bachelorette had an incredible story, and while we're excited about how it turned out, last year we felt there were still story elements, characters and aspects of the show that 90 minutes could really capture the full essence of," K. Regger, Disney Television Group president Eric Erich told Deadline.
Joan, a school administrator, left Gerry's season early to support her daughter - an example of her prioritizing family. She had four children and two grandchildren with her late husband, who died after 32 years together.
"Obviously, they are the most important people in the world to me and I hope the same is true for the people I end up meeting," Joan told CNN, adding that family needs to be a "crucial part" of the family. The lives of potential partners.
