Key Points
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Chris Harrison is addressing The Bachelor producers sending a cease-and-desist letter to his new dating series, The Vow.
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“Sounds like somebody misses somebody really bad,” he said.
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The letter was sent after a teaser trailer for The Vow featured rose petals and the words “The Bachelor” onscreen.
Chris Harrison knows that every rose has its thorn.
The 55-year-old former Bachelor host reacted to the franchise’s producers, Warner Bros. Television, sending a cease-and-desist letter to Fox News Media and Lionsgate over his new show The Vow in a recent Entertainment Tonight interview.
“Sounds like somebody misses somebody really bad,” Harrison quipped. “Jealousy is a tough thing. Green’s not a great color on anybody, is it?”
Chris Harrison in Inglewood, Calif., on Nov. 30, 2018
Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty
On Sept. 16, Harrison starred in a teaser for The Vow that appeared to make several nods toward his Bachelor tenure, from the words “The Bachelor” appearing onscreen, falling rose petals, and the host nearly stepping on the flower.
When asked if he believed the video was what caught the franchise’s eye, Harrison told the outlet, “Did I mean to get people talking about my new show The Vow? No, we would never do that!”
Still, he noted that it felt very personal to be slapped with legal action by The Bachelor after hosting the program for 19 years.
“As far as I can recollect, I don’t know any other reality dating shows they’ve gone after,” Harrison said. “So, you know, is it coincidence that they just happened to be coming after [me]? I take it as a sign of respect.”
Two days after the teaser’s release, Warner Bros. Television sent Fox a cease-and-desist letter, which was obtained by Entertainment Weekly. In it, the production company claims that The Vow “improperly capitalizes on WB’s intellectual property” and asks Fox to remove “infringing elements” — like the falling rose petals — and refrain from using them moving forward.
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However, in a response sent on Sept. 24, also obtained by EW, Fox called Warner Bros.’ letter an effort to “restrict Fox Nation and Chris Harrison from promoting a competing dating show.” It continued, “You wrongly assume that Warner Bros. holds any rights whatsoever in a falling roses motif or in the words ‘The Bachelor,’ when used colloquially to describe a single man.”
Fox also noted that the letter “focuses myopically” on certain aspects showcased in the teaser, emphasizing that the show “offers a different approach” to other reality dating programs.
Harrison offered a similar stance while speaking with Entertainment Tonight, urging those who are critical of the show to “watch and then judge” for themselves. He also noted that the faith-based dating series doesn’t feature elimination ceremonies like The Bachelor or The Bachelorette.
“Not having that thing at the end of the night like, ‘All right! 9 o’clock, it’s time to kick somebody off the show!’ And they’re like, ‘Well, wait, I haven’t even talked to her yet,'” he said. “Instead, we thought, ‘What if we were just authentically diving into this and had conversations that are raw, real… Talking about faith, talking about family, what do you want out of love and life?'”
The program will follow 30-year-old Jace Cates on his quest to find true love with 10 different suitors. “The lengths we went to cast this show, the people that are on it, and what we’re going for, I think, will be very different,” Harrison noted.
In general, Harrison added that he has “no ill will” toward the Bachelor franchise since being ousted from the series in 2021. “I look back on my time… The Bachelor changed my life,” he said. “My kids grew up on the show. I still have friends over there right now — I won’t out them — but that called me and were so excited that I’m coming back.”
Chris Harrison’s The Vow premieres on Nov. 11 on Fox Nation.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
