Grindr is getting its own TV show. Yes, really
Jimmy Fowlie (L) and Sydnee Washington (R) will star in Grindr’s upcoming original comedy series Bridesman. (Santiago Felipe/Getty Images/FilmMagic)
LGBT+ dating app Grindr is getting its own original scripted TV show, which is set to air this fall.
Bridesman will be a new scripted comedy series following a gay bridesman as he undermines his best friend’s wedding. Each episode will be around six to 10 minutes and will be available on YouTube as well as the Grindr app.
Deadline reported that the series was created by John Onieal and will star comedians 2 Broke Girls’ Jimmy Fowlie, Sydnee Washington (Comedy Central’s Up Next Showcase) and Shannon Devido (Difficult People, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore).
Liva Pierce, Calvin Seabrooks, Benito Skinner and Kim Petras will all reportedly appear as guests on Bridesman.
Alex Black, director of marketing for Grindr, said in a statement that the show is “tailor-made” for the Grindr community because it’s “smart, queer, campy and features sharp commentary on gay dating”.
“We are so proud to be showcasing some of the finest talent in the queer community as we continue to find new and creative ways to connect our users,” he added.
Director Julian Buchan described Bridesman as a “genre-bending, incredibly dumb, incredibly smart” and “lightning-paced comedy” which he is “excited to bring it to life with a cast and crew that is as singularly funny as it is diverse”.
Fowlie shared on Twitter that being the “lead of a series” that can be seen on a sex app is “unfortunately on-brand for me”. He added: “Picture me downloading Grindr to my dad’s droid so he can watch the pilot.”
being the lead of a series that can only be seen on a sex app is unfortunately on brand for me. Picture me downloading Grindr to my dad’s droid so he can watch the pilot 💀 jk y’all know Im unaware of my dad’s whereabouts https://t.co/Hvp2ntPvRc
— Jimmy Fowlie (@JimmyFowlie) March 3, 2021
Bridesman is Grindr’s first foray into scripted content, but it isn’t unprecedented for dating apps in general.
In 2019, Tinder released a post-apocalyptic mini-series with interactive elements called Swipe Right. The series gave viewers the choice to “help” someone injured in the chaos of the end of the world of “ignore” them.
That same year Scruff, another LGBT+ dating app, debuted Hosting, a live trivia quiz show. The Verge reported that Hosting offered a cash price for each game, and participants could browse who else was playing the game in order to make a connection.
Deadline reported that production on Bridesman is set to begin production this month and will air in fall 2021.
