Viewers are gobbling up The Bachelor like they haven’t in several years, so ABC is adding one final course to its menu this season.
In addition to airing the usual “After the Final Rose” special following the season finale on Monday, March 2, ABC will serve up “After the Final Rose, Part 2” at 10 p.m. ET the following night. The extra hour will feature Bachelor Jason Mesnick appearing with the final two women, along with an “exciting and moving look back” at the season.
Mesnick will spend next week’s episode on overnight dates with the three remaining women — interior designer Jillian, sales rep Melissa or department store buyer Molly — in New Zealand before choosing his final two. “The Women Tell All” episode will air Feb. 23, with the finale coming the following week.
The reason for all this extra Bachelor business is pretty simple: The show is drawing its best ratings in several seasons. It’s averaging 10.4 million viewers a week and a 3.8 rating in the key adults 18-49 demographic, which is nearly a 40 percent improvement over the last cycle. The audience has also grown every week this season.
The improved numbers make another season of The Bachelor all but a lock for 2009-10. ABC will also roll out another edition of The Bachelorette later this year.
Source: Zap2It
