9-1-1 Showrunner Reveals Why the ABC Series Is Crossing Over With The Bachelor

Fans of 9-1-1 were surprised last month when a set photo showed the iconic 118 ambulance parked outside a very familiar mansion — the mansion where ABC's wildly popular reality series The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and The Golden Bachelor are all filmed. While there was no context to the photo at the time, the photo seemed to tease a crossover between the two shows and now, 9-1-1 co-creator and showrunner Tim Minear is opening up about how the unexpected event came to be. As it turns out it all comes down to love, or rather, 9-1-1 star Jennifer Love Hewitt.

"The whole crossover episode came about because Jennifer Love Hewitt called me after she went to one of the finales of The Bachelor," Minear told Entertainment Weekly. "She's a huge fan of The Bachelor and she said, 'Wouldn't it be great if the 118 responded to a call at the Bachelor mansion?'"

Minear went on to explain that things started rolling from there and a crossover was born. Fans will get to see it for themselves in this week's episode, "Buck Bothered and Bewildered" wiring on April 4th. The episode will feature the most recent Bachelor, Joey Graziadei.

"I reached out to ABC and they reached out to The Bachelor people and we got onto a Zoom," Minear said. "We just started talking about what the possibilities were. The Bachelor people were unbelievably supportive and helpful. They volunteered to show us the ropes about how they make the show, and then when we shot it. We actually brought in the Bachelor crew to shoot the first part of that case, so that it really was The Bachelor. And then we go into 9-1-1 world when they have to call 9-1-1. So, that's how it came about. It just seemed like a great idea."

9-1-1 star Oliver Stark had previously described the episode as a crossover like event and teased that it would be a 'really fun emergency".

"It's not a direct crossover, but there's a feel of it,' Stark said. "There's a really fun emergency, and it's not necessarily the biggest in terms of spectacle, but in the fifth episode of the season, there's on that kind of touches base with another ABC show. I'm really excited for that just because I think it will be a good watch."

What is 9-1-1 About?

9-1-1 made the leap to ABC for Season 7 with ABC having picked up the series after it was cancelled by Fox. here's how the Season 7 premiere, which aired on Thursday, March 14th, was described by the network: "Athena and Bobby set off on their honeymoon cruise, but when duty calls, their vacation is put on hold. Meanwhile, a fighter jet traps a civilian, and an unusual incident leaves a couple stuck together." 

Who Stars in 9-1-1?

In addition to Bassett and Krause, 9-1-1 stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Oliver Stark, Kenneth Choi, Aisha Hinds, Ryan Guzman, and Gavin McHugh. The series was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear. Bassett, Krause, Alexis Martin Woodall, John J. Gray, Kristen Reidel, and Juan Carlos Coto serve as executive producers.

Are you excited for the 9-1-1/The Bachelor crossover? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!