The Bachelorette is back – but the latest season has already stirred up some serious controversy among viewers, particularly those living on the East Coast.
Viewers watching in an EST time zone are railing against the popular series after its air time was pushed back by a full hour, with the premiere two-hour episode hitting screens at 9PM EST on Monday evening instead of 8PM as it has done in previous years.
During the premiere, The Bachelorette star Charity Lawson met the 25 men she’d be dating, sent some home and even gave out her first impression rose.
However, many disgruntled viewers couldn’t get past their frustration over the new start time and took to Twitter to vent about it.
East coast viewers complained that 27-year-old Charity Lawson’s season of The Bachelorette is starting too late after it was pushed back from 8PM EST to 9PM EST
Charity gave her first impression rose to 24-year-old travel nurse Brayden who has already emerged as a controversial figure.
One fan directly inquired about the ABC exec team and why they made such a decision.
‘What ABC executive decided it was okay to move this show to 9PM?’ They asked.
Another jokingly threatened, ‘Whoever approved this 9pm start time better watch their back.’
Meanwhile, one viewer expressed that they were already exhausted just as the show was starting.
‘Why on earth did they move #TheBachelorette to 9pm?! I’m yawning already and we’re only in the preview,’ they wrote.
Other viewers commented about how they believe the new start time will negatively impact the show’s viewership.
‘Seriously #TheBachelorette 9pm? I can’t. Are they trying to tank their ratings? I’m not starting this at 9,’ one user wondered.
Early exits: despite it being the premiere, Charity already started handing out roses and sending men home
Crowd pleaser: 27-year-old biomedical scientist Xavier has already emerged as a fan favorite as he taught Charity how to knit
Another stated, ‘Watch viewership of #TheBachelorette drop off the second hour because they decided to move it to 9pm and we all have a bedtime.’
One viewer even declared that they made the decision not to watch the series anymore based on its later start time.
‘For the first time in a very long time I’m not tuning into #TheBachelorette. I say it every year but the 9pm start time was my 13th reason,’ they tweeted.
Others slammed the decision because the higher end of the demographic, women in their mid 20s to 40s, do not feel like staying up until 9PM let alone 11Pm when the show ends.
‘Bad bad bad, for putting #TheBachelorette on at 9pm. Know your audience! We’re in our 30s and 40s and we’re TIRED. We gotta stay up til 11 on a weekday now?!’ One user exclaimed.
They also pitched, ‘If anything they should have moved it up an hour to 7pm.’
Viewers are outraged about the later start time and believe that it will lead to a decrease in the ABC show’s ratings
Another jokingly accused ABC of ‘ageism’ and threatened to sue the show’s parent company.
‘I WILL be suing ABC and #TheBachelorette for AGEISM, a 9PM start time is unacceptable for geriatric viewers such as myself (age 34) and I won’t stand for it!! LAWYER UP, ABC!!’ They jokingly threatend.
Since so many people are unhappy, viewers are wondering why they even chose to change the time in the first place.
It turns out that the second season of ABC’s reality show Claim to Fame – hosted by Kevin and Frankie Jonas – snagged the 8PM EST slot.
The network seems to be promoting these shows together, hoping that viewers interested in The Bachelorette will tune in earlier for Claim to Fame or visa versa.
Charity even did a promo with the two lesser-famed Jonas Brothers to promote the two shows’ back-to-back premieres, which was posted on Bachelor in Paradise’s official Twitter account.
Other viewers joked that the new time change is ageist since many women in their 30s and 40s are unhappy about staying up past 11PM on a Monday night
Charity first appeared on the show on Zach Shallcross’ season of The Bachelor.
She ended up making it pretty far into the season. She landed in the final four and taking Zach on the infamous hometown date to meet her family.
Unfortunately, immediately after that, she was dumped.
The 27-year-old child and family therapist now has the chance to give out the roses and choose which contestant she gets engaged to at the end of the season.
Or, she may choose to walk away alone.
Some men are already emerging as fan favorites including 27-year-old construction manager Warwick and 27-year-old biomedical scientist Xavier.
Others, on the other hand, are already asserting themselves as the season’s villains including 32-year-old medical sales director Spencer.
Plus, she gave her first impression rose to 24-year-old travel nurse Brayden who has already emerged as a controversial figure.
