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Five years ago, Chris Harrison left the Bachelor franchise behind forever.
It was not on good terms. A number of folks from the reality TV franchise had come forward about his behavior.
Despite — or perhaps, because of — the controversy, Harrison has now landed at a new show at a new network.
The Vow premieres this autumn. And he’s getting some pot shots in, aimed at his old bosses at ABC.
Chris Harrison is BACK with a vengeance and a new reality show
FOX Nation has announced that Chris Harrison’s The Vow will premiere on November 11, 2026.
That’s less than two months away, folks.
The first season will follow a 30-year-old bachelor by the name of Jace Cates.
He will test his compatibility in values, communication, faith, and more with 10 women.
In the trailer, Harrison quips: “Roses fade, true love lasts forever.”
If you are unfamiliar, this is a two-pronged jab at The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and all other aspects of the franchise.
Roses are a key motif of the series, a somewhat hamfisted symbol for affection — and who gets to stay and who must depart.
Reality TV is not, as a general rule, healthy for long-term relationships.
(There are rare exceptions — like how it’s generally understood that starring on RHOC helped Emily Simpson’s marriage a little less dysfunctional.)
So the line about “true love” lasting “forever” appears to be a less-than-subtle shot at how the Bachelor franchise is great at hooking people up, but how these romances tend to fizzle out quickly.
‘Can genuine, lasting love still be found in the modern world?’ (Yes, obviously)
According to Chris Harrison, The Vow asks one primary question.
“Can genuine, lasting love still be found in the modern world?” the show apparently asks. “The stakes couldn’t be higher.”
(The stakes could be higher. If you break up with someone you’ve just gotten with, you process your feelings and move on.)
To be clear, Harrison did not directly mention The Bachelor despite the rose imagery and the clear nods to his former gig.
Instead, he appears to be doing some vice signaling in order to draw in a very specific type of viewer.
(Longtime Harrison-supporter Sean Lowe is set to make an appearance, so there will be more than one familiar face for any crossover viewers.)
“We were inspired by the faith-driven renaissance happening across America,” Harrison said.
“And as a result, I believe we’ve created the most authentic dating show on television today,” he claimed.
Harrison is just vague enough that maybe he’s referring to dating without apps, or maybe he’s referring to the misogynistic domestic servitude fantasy of tradwives. We don’t know what he means, so anyone can project whatever they like — which is likely the whole point.
To be blunt, it sounds like The Vow is going to be for The Bachelor viewers who want a cast of hopefuls who dress modestly, are more white, are more vocally Christian, are less sexually active, are (even) more straight, and who will therefore appeal to the audience that the ABC franchise shed by coming slightly closer to representing real America.
Will the show actually resemble this conservative fantasy? And, if so, will it make good television? Those are both excellent questions.
