Chris Harrison Pushes Back On Cease-and-Desist Claiming New Show ‘The Vow’ Is a ‘Bachelor’ Copycat

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After 25 seasons hosting “The Bachelor,” Chris Harrison is no stranger to Bachelor Nation.

After parting ways with hit reality TV franchise in 2019, Harrison is readying a TV comeback with his new reality dating series for the Fox Nation streaming service, “The Vow.” 

The yet-to-be-aired Fox Nation show generated headlines when a brief teaser began making the rounds.

That teaser, which featured a “Bachelor”-style red rose that Harrison initially intends to stomp before gingerly stepping over it, resulted in the studio behind “The Bachelor,” Warner Bros. Television, sending Harrison a cease-and-desist letter threatening legal action if “The Vow” were to air, citing concerns about copyright infringement.

A Coincidence?

Harrison recently sat down with “Entertainment Tonight,” where he was asked what he made of the cease-and-desist, describing “The Vow” as a “direct copy” of “The Bachelor.”

“Sounds like somebody misses somebody really bad,” he quipped, implying his former employer held some jealousy toward him. “Green’s not a great color on anybody, is it?” he added.

Given that Fox Nation lawyers responded by slamming the legal threat as “malicious and vindictive,” Harrison was asked if he felt he was being targeted personally.

“For sure,” he replied. “As far as I can recollect, I don’t know any other reality dating shows they’ve gone after. So … is it coincidence that they just happen to be coming after moi? I take it as a sign of respect.”

In an earlier interview addressing the cease-and-desist, Harrison similarly insisted he was being specifically targeted because of his previous association with “The Bachelor.”

“I don’t see them going after the 50, 60, 70 other relationship dating shows that have come on in the time that I was there or since I left,” Harrison told USA Today, describing the cease-and-desist as being “personal.”

He added: “There’s been one show that they’ve gone after. Is that a coincidence? You be the judge.”

A More ‘Authentic and Intentional’ Show

Harrison is both host and executive producer of “The Vow,” co-creating the show with his wife, former “Entertainment Tonight” correspondent Lauren Zima.

As Harrison explained, when he and Zima began to develop their new show, their goal was to come up with a more “authentic and intentional” approach to bringing people together than had previously been seen on television.

“The more we saw this kind of reemergence and this renaissance of young people going to church, seeking faith, seeking foundation in their lives, we thought, this is an interesting kind of niche to dive into,” he shared.

Pointing to the cease-and-desists claims of being a copycat, he revealed that “The Vow” didn’t have any elimination ceremonies.

“If and when you see a relationship is not heading in the right direction, or not happening, then you break up and you do it face to face. Like real people do and real people should,” he said. “The lengths we went to cast this show, the people that are on it, and what we’re going for, I think, will be very different.”

At the moment, Warner Bros. Television has yet to launch any formal legal action. In the meantime, “The Vow” is scheduled to make its debut on Fox Nation on Friday, November 11.