Grindr Gets Into Scripted TV with Bridesman

Jimmy Fowley will Star in Bridesman

Dating app Grindr has announced it is starting production this month on a new scripted series entitled Bridesman.

According to Deadline, the short form comedy series stars Jimmy Fowley (Two Broke Girls, The Other Two) as a gay bridesman attempting to undermine his best friend’s wedding. The company plans on creating several 6 to 10-minute episodes, which will be available to stream on YouTube as well as the Grindr app.

The series is co-written by Frank Spiro, directed by Julian Buchan, and produced by Katie White (Best Summer Ever, Still Wylde) and Jeremy Truong (Cicada, Dirty) of rubbertape, according to Screen Rant.

Grindr’s new show follows in the footsteps of dating app Tinder. The Match Group company created the popular in-app interactive series Swipe Night, its first foray into scripted content, and plans on launching a second season. The adventure took users through a series of events on the night of a looming apocalypse and gave them choices to drive the story forward. (For example, there’s a choice to help a stranger on the street or run away as quickly as possible, which led to different storylines and ultimately different endings). The choices Tinder users made while watching the series populated their profiles, which drove a lot of engagement and conversations. 

Original content has become a huge draw for younger Gen Z daters, who are looking for creative ways to interact with people they meet on dating apps. The Bridesman series will also add to the queer content landscape, making it more compelling specifically to younger LGBTQ+ daters.

While this is Grindr’s first attempt at a scripted show, according to Screen Rant, they did launch two other projects to engage their users during the pandemic. Last summer, they launched Pride Preserves, a 30-day online event in honor of Pride Month, where in-person parades and gatherings were cancelled in the wake of lockdowns around the globe. 

The gay dating platform offered more than 25 daily events in June of 2020, including DJ sets, live speed dating with famous drag queens, performances and talks - all free and accessible to Grindr users globally. Much of the programming centered around issues of police brutality and racism in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, in particular black trans awareness. 

Grindr also partnered with Club Quarantine to launch Fright Now Fest this past Halloween, an online-only late-night party with special performances. These events were popular with users of the app and increased engagement, according to Screen Rant.

Bridesman is expected to premiere in the fall of 2021.