Netflix Unveils Senior Dating Show After ABC’s ‘Golden Bachelor’

Netflix logo/Credit: YouTube

ABC’s Bachelor dating franchise monopolized the genre for over a decade. But then Netflix launched its own versions with different twists. Love Is Blind and Too Hot To Handle are among the most successful of Netflix’s dating shows. But now Netflix is taking a chance on the older generation with a senior dating show similar to ABC’s Golden Bachelor spinoffs.

Are Netflix Dating Shows More Successful Than ABC’s?

The first season of The Bachelor debuted on ABC in 2002. The premise of the show is one man dates 20-30 women at once to hopefully find his wife. While the show is a hit in ratings, it rarely produces a long-term couple. The last two Bachelor stars, Zach Shallcross (Season 27) and Joey Graziadei (Season 28,) are both still with their final rose winners. Season 29 debuts in January.

'Golden Bachelor' logo/Credit: YouTube
‘Golden Bachelor’ logo/Credit: YouTube

The network followed up the show’s success with a Bachelorette version in 2003. Season 1 Bachelorette Trista is still married to her final rose winner Ryan Sutter after over twenty years, though they went through hard times earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Netflix launched Love Is Blind in 2020 and multiple couples are still together. Interestingly, Too Hot To Handle alum Giannina Gibelli is dating Bachelor Nation’s Blake Horstmann.

Netflix Unveils Senior Dating Show

In 2020, ABC teased plans for a Bachelor spinoff featuring contestants in their 50s and 60s. The Golden Bachelor debuted in 2023 with Gerry Turner as the lead. He found love with Theresa Nist but it was short-lived. They divorced three months after their televised wedding.

Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner/Credit: YouTube
Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner/Credit: YouTube

The first season of The Golden Bachelorette came to a conclusion last week with Chock Chapple proposing to Joan Vassos. Time will tell if they have better luck than Gerry and Theresa.

After ABC’s success with The Golden Bachelor spinoffs, Netflix unveiled their own senior dating show. The Later Daters follows six seniors as they navigate dating in their older years. The show differs from ABC’s because the Netflix contestants have a relationship expert helping them throughout their journey.

Credit: YouTube
Credit: YouTube

Also unlike the Bachelor franchise, Netflix doesn’t seclude the seniors in a mansion. Their children are heavily involved in their dating lives and they continue on with their everyday lives throughout the series.

Bachelor Nation fans took to Reddit to share their excitement about the Netflix show. One Bachelor viewer wrote, “I can see already the show has some real-looking women, with personality and curves, not surgery queens. How refreshing. I’ve never had Netflix but may get it for this.”

Another added, “Whatever ABC can do Netflix can do better.”

The Later Daters premieres on Netflix on Friday, November 29, 2024. Does it look like something you’ll watch?

Jennifer Havener
Follow me

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *