It doesn’t quite feel like summer without a new season of Bachelor in Paradise. After a hiatus last year, the series is returning to ABC Monday night under new leadership for Season 10.
Scott Teti has taken the reins on Bachelor in Paradise and was also recently tapped as the showrunner for the upcoming 30th season of The Bachelor as well. Teti joins Bachelor Nation at a transitionary time, hoping to breathe some fresh air into the iconic dating franchise (which has been quite beleaguered in recent years).
“For me, it was an exciting experience to take on something that’s been around forever — it’s one of the most iconic unscripted franchises that there is,” he told Deadline recently. “I don’t think there was nerves. It was more excitement of how to bring a new energy and life into this and at the same time still keep the core intact of what made the show so successful.”
Prior to joining the Bachelor franchise, Teti executive produced ABC’s Claim to Fame and Bravo’s Summer House in addition to various Married at First Sight spinoffs.
In the interview below, he details how his previous roles shaped his perspective as an unscripted showrunner. He also teases some of the changes that audiences can expect from Bachelor in Paradise, which is also set to welcome Golden contestants this year alongside the typically younger cast.
Editors note: This interview took place prior to ABC’s announcement that Teti would also run Season 30 of The Bachelor.
Scott Teti
Courtesy
DEADLINE: This is your first season of Bachelor in Paradise and your first generally with the franchise. What were some of your overarching goals coming into Season 10?
SCOTT TETI: I think, first and foremost, I took a look at what makes this show iconic…what’s the core DNA that the fans love and that the Bachelor universe tunes into and really keeping that intact, but coming in with a fresh view of wanting to update the style and the sexiness and the fun of it all, in a way. Stylistically, with new cameras and new lenses and new ways of shooting and adding dynamics and motion into it, and having the cast arrive in exciting new ways that you haven’t seen before, to adding format beats that are that are different, but I still think fans will appreciate and twists and turns all the way through. So I really approached it with this fresh view at first, like a clean slate — what I would do and what I would love — and then went back and really thought about what the fans love and just wanted to hold that core DNA and elevate everything else around it.
DEADLINE: What were some pieces of that core DNA that you felt were necessary to keep around?
TETI: This is a quest for love. So really figuring out how to build the structure of the show so that these people really are getting a second chance of love, really getting the time to fall in love, really getting format beats that help them find their person and go on the journey with them, and give them plenty of runway to do that. The other things that make Paradise so special is the the edginess, the comedy, the fun that you can have while you’re there. It’s a little bit of escapism, but it’s a lot of fun and edginess compared to the main shows.
DEADLINE: Let’s talk about bringing in the Golden contestants this season. How did that come about? Were you involved in those conversations, or was this something ABC wanted prior to your arrival?
TETI: I was in those conversations. It was pondered many times. How do we do this? I think everybody really thought carefully about how to integrate them, and what that’s going to mean to Paradise. Looking at how it worked out, it’s amazing, because when they come in, they bring such an energy and fun to the show that it’s like…a crazy combination of two generations. The way they got along and the magic that they created down there, I think, is special.
DEADLINE: Can you go a little more into detail about how you figured out a way for it to work?
TETI: Yeah. I mean, look, I think there was a lot of thought in how to bring them in. It’s Paradise. You want to give everybody an equal chance to find love and really build their relationships that they do. So I think a lot of thought was put into how they get integrated into the show. It worked out so that they kind of are in their generational lanes, but they have this camaraderie that is really special. The fun that they had together was great. I think the thought was like, how do we bring them in and introduce them in a way so that is not interruptive. How is this going to work? The runway was built a little bit, and then we introduced them in, and it kind of worked seamlessly. So, without giving away too much of what the format is and how it works, I think what we did was put a lot of thought into how they come in, when they come in, and how they’re perfectly integrated, so that it meshes with the world of the younger cast.
DEADLINE: What are some of the non-negotiables you’ve developed as an unscripted and reality showrunner?
TETI: I like to build a team that’s going to have fun. I think it starts with the team, with the culture, with being collaborative, with listening to everyone there and being open to ideas and really soaking everything in. I think everybody’s opinion is valuable, right? I think having a diverse team and having both male [and] female opinions weighing in, being a part of that environment, just shapes the best show. So I think it starts with the culture that you build and the fun you have with that. I think when it comes to creative, I like to push the envelope. I like to break boundaries. I don’t like to follow rules of, like, you know, ‘Oh, an interview bite has to be in present tense,’ or this has to be this way or that way. I like to push the envelope and explore creatively. I think we did in this show a lot. I think we’re doing some things that you don’t see on many shows, and I haven’t tried before, so I think it’s exciting to do that. I think at this stage in my career, that’s what I want to do. I want to continue to push the envelope, but at the same time, still listen to everyone’s opinion, because I think everybody’s got value. I think the more collaborative you are, the better the show will be.
DEADLINE: There has been so much chatter lately about younger generations’ dating patterns versus older generations’. Is that something we might also see unfold across this season?
TETI: I think you hit on something that’s really key to this season. The younger generation, they live in a social media environment. I think they’re very sensitive to how they curate themselves. All the chatter and outside world weighs in on what they do, and it’s a lot. I think that weighs on how they make decisions. Sometimes it feels very weighted. They had a lot of fun in Paradise, but when the Goldens come in, it’s kind of like they just flipped the script. They’re like, ‘What are you worried about? Get out of your head. Just have fun.’ All of these great lines and pieces of advice that came from them, and that’s what made the show so special, that camaraderie, that POV that the Goldens brought that kind of kicked everything up a notch and broke them out of their shells a little bit. They forgot about that outside world, and they just open up. So it was this magical experience in that regard.
DEADLINE: In terms of casting, what’s your secret sauce to thread the needle with fan favorites, people who are going to make great television, people truly looking for love, etc…?
TETI: You always want to start with people who are great characters [with] great personalities, but also they really have to be looking for love. If they’re not, and they’re not ready for that, I think it kind of defeats the purpose. You’re really going through the list of who’s going to make great television, and at the same time, who’s really looking for the experience to find somebody. And what are they looking for? On the other side of that coin, you’re looking for personalities, all stars, but you’re also looking for people who are at the stage in their career, of their lives, where they’re ready. Also, who potentially could match up with who. So this show is more of a casting puzzle than you would think.
DEADLINE: Is there anyone who surprised you in terms of what their journey was actually like compared to what you thought it would be?
TETI: Kat [Izzo], for example. Just looking at seasons past and kind of how she came in, I think she’s grown a lot. She has come into her own. I think that plays itself out in this season. There was a lot of surprises. There was a lot of surprise matches and coupling up that I didn’t expect. There was a lot of surprise people who broke out of their shell and really took it to another level. I won’t give away too much, but yeah, she was one of them that really stood out to me.
DEADLINE: With this season under your belt, have you begun to think about other ways to shake up the franchise?
TETI: Well, I kind of feel like we’ve got this White Lotus vibe going, where we went to this hotel, and the the staff and everything about it became part of the show. It almost feels like you forget you’re on a TV set there, because it was so open and so free and kind of organic. So I’d love to go to different locations each time, and have it be a different experience. That would be first. But I think continuing to push the creative envelope that we’ve set here, that would probably be the thought in my mind. How do you continue to push this in ways, not huge ways, but just see what works, see what you know didn’t, and push the things that work to the next level. I always like to keep it fresh and mix things up and keep that keep the cast off their toes a little bit too, right? Because as soon as they get comfortable, it doesn’t have the same impact. So I like to keep everybody on the edge a little bit.
DEADLINE: What should we expect from the addition of Hannah Brown this season?
TETI: The thought behind bringing Hannah on was not, not so much like ‘What role is she going to fill?’ It’s what she brings to the table. Having gone through these shows herself, having found a real relationship, it’s bringing in a female perspective to go alongside what Wells [Adams] brings — being a sounding board and someone who can offer advice to the cast that they know and that has gone through the same things they’ve gone through. Her POV was really great. Her, Jesse [Palmer] and Wells, we utilize them a lot all together to form this really fun, organic trio.
DEADLINE: This franchise has had a rocky few years and has been in a somewhat perpetual state of transition for a while. What was your mindset like walking into this new role, given everything the franchise has gone through in recent years?
TETI: I embraced it with an open mind. I came in with a fresh perspective. What would I do, and how would I approach it? For me, it was an exciting experience to take on something that’s been around forever — it’s one of the most iconic unscripted franchises that there is. So that was exciting. I don’t think there was nerves. It was more excitement of how to bring a new energy and life into this and at the same time still keep the core intact of what made the show so successful.
Bachelor in Paradise airs Monday nights on ABC beginning July 7.