Just because Valentine’s Day is over doesn’t mean the romance has to stop. Warner Bros. Television helps viewers experience the warm fuzzies all year round with heartfelt programming. During a recent TCA press conference, talent from three WB shows got together to talk about love on and off-screen. The three shows included were The Bachelor (Mondays on ABC), Bob ❤ Abishola (Mondays on CBS), and Batwoman (Wednesdays on The CW).
Bob ❤ Abishola (Michael Yarish/CBS), The Bachelor (ABC/John Medland), Batwoman (Dean Buscher/The CW)
“Watching it back right now has taught me a ton, good and bad,” Clayton Echard explained about lessons he’s learned from his season of The Bachelor. “I think the biggest thing is to understand that looking at it now from a viewer's perspective to be able to pick up on body cues, pick up on some things that maybe I had missed beforehand because there's so much that you can see outside of just verbal cues. And I think that's really important to build and take into your life as you progress forward in whatever it is you're doing. I learned a lot on the show, but I'm learning almost more about myself and how to be a better person through watching the show back and being able to critique myself and see what I can do better.” Clayton was tight-lipped about who will receive the final red rose, but viewers can get closer to the outcome with the next episode on February 21st at 8/7c on ABC.
“Love is always the secret sauce,” Billy Gardell said about the success of Bob ❤ Abishola, now in its 3rd season. “One of the beautiful things our show does without preaching, it's just an example of love. And once you see that it doesn’t matter – if you married someone from Mars, once you marry into that family, you're going to get a crazy uncle. You're going to get a drunk brother. It’s about the merging of families. And when you get past that difference and look for the similarities, it’s the common thread that we all share. In this world, all anybody wants is someone to love, somewhere to live, and a way to pay for that. If you keep it that simple I think people identify with it.”
“Love is all-encompassing,” Folake Olowofoyeku added, who plays Abishola to Billy Gardell’s Bob. “It’s the one thing that we all strive for. It’s what unifies us, and apart from that, the story was centered on love. And just because of that, I think it was bound to be a success, but also there’s Chuck Lorre and the entire Chuck Lorre universe and the engine that comes with that. This is just like a well-run operation, and everyone is on their A-game, myself included, because we want to live up to that standard… I think we will come to understand later on just how much of an impact the show is having because the global effects that we’re not really accounting for right now. The show is huge in Nigeria, in South Africa, and I think in India as well. So, I think we’ll come to see the wonder that we have.” The next episode of Bob ❤ Abishola airs on February 21st at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.
The two-time GLAAD Award-nominated series Batwoman broke ground in 2018 for featuring two lesbian lead characters. “The responsibility just feels there in general,” explained Javicia Leslie, who plays Ryan Wilder, aka Batwoman. “It’s just like a walking responsibility to make sure that we give our all; to make sure that we represent ourselves on and off-camera in a specific type of way. Because we’re a superhero show, so we’re geared to the imagination, and that includes a lot of kids. So, it's just really important for us. I think we speak about it all the time, making sure we’re constantly showing a positive representation for ourselves and our characters.”
Playing opposite of Javicia is Meagan Tandy, whose character Sophie went from a relationship with Kate, the first Batwoman, recently finding love with Ryan, the current Batwoman. “I think she’s got a little bit of a fetish, but I mean who wouldn’t?”, Meagan joked about her character’s aparrent obsession with the woman behind the cowl. Meagan also elaborated on the general appeal of superheroes. “They are a protector and they have a heart of gold. They want to go out, they want to save, they’re doing bigger work than themselves, and I think that’s usually not something that people want to just gravitate towards. So, they’d rather just watch it, and then by watching it, hopefully, it inspires something within them. But I think there’s something really attractive about that.” Season 3 of Batwoman continues February 23rd at 9/8c on The CW.
Whether you’re in the mood for a reality competition series like The Bachelor, a sitcom like Bob ❤ Abishola, or a superhero drama like Batwoman, Warner Bros. Television is serving up a whole lot of love this season.