SEASON PREMIERE

BRAD WOMACK -- DUBBED BY MEDIA "THE SEXIEST BACHELOR EVER" -- AND A SUCCESSFUL SELF-MADE MAN CHALLENGES HIMSELF TO FIND TRUE LOVE, WHEN "THE BACHELOR" PREMIERES, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 ON ABC

The 11th Edition of ABC's Popular Romance Reality Series Begins With 25 Gorgeous Bachelorettes Pulling Out All the Stops to Impress The Handsome Bachelor

Brad Womack, 34, a self-made successful entrepreneur from Austin, Texas, will take all the heart, determination and commitment that have made him such a success in the business world and focus it on the one thing that is missing from his life -- a soul mate and the family life he has so long desired. Brad begins his exciting search for true love when the 11th edition of ABC's popular romance reality series, "The Bachelor," premieres with a 90-minute special, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 (9:30-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Editors' note: The program's regular run time is 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET, which will begin on Monday, October 1.

Brad, whose sexy good looks wowed the 25 bachelorettes, co-owns four lucrative bars with his two brothers, Chad and Wesley, both of whom are married. With the explosive success of these establishments, they are now looking to expand into other ventures and are in the early stages of developing a hotel.

Womack had an early plan to make his mark on the world and, at 19, left Texas State University (known then as Southwest Texas State) after one year of college to work in oil fields across the country to save up money. His eight-year odyssey took him all over Texas and then to Louisiana, North Dakota and California. After working diligently in the oil fields, he got into bartending with his twin brother, Chad. After some eight months tending bar, he had enough money saved to finance the purchase of his first drinking establishment with his brothers in 2001, when he was just 28.

Growing up in a single-parent home, Brad's challenging days as a youngster helped to instill in him a good work ethic, the importance of a stable family and the ability to be a good provider. These strong values, coupled with great looks and undeniable sex appeal, make him the perfect catch.

In this premiere, "Episode 1101," Brad happily moves to his Malibu bachelor pad and prepares to search for the woman of his dreams, as the 25 beautiful bachelorettes exercise, primp and polish at their hotel in readiness for the big night. Traveling to their mansion via limousine, the ladies get their first good look at their competition. And then, the party begins. The women are knocked off their feet by the handsome Bachelor, who quickly makes clear that his intentions are to find a wife.

One woman shares a special bonding moment with Brad when she reveals she had a difficult childhood. In another unforgettable conversation, two women decide to tell Brad about how one broke her face and the other, her nose.

But then the competition for the Bachelor's attentions goes full tilt: Two bachelorettes attempt to interview Brad "anchor woman"-style; another, who is an acupuncturist, does a tongue diagnosis on him; and one woman tries the dramatic route, telling Brad the story of how she almost passed away after catching a deadly virus. The cocktail party comes to a halt when the "first impression" rose is brought into the room, as the women wait to see who'll be safe for the remainder of the evening.

However the bachelorettes will stop at nothing to impress Brad: One twists herself into a pretzel, while another woman shows him her "webbed" toes. Finally, one statuesque blond strips down to her bikini and jumps in the pool.

The pressure mounts as the evening goes on and sparks fly between the bachelorettes. Brad finally hands out the "first impression" rose. Then he must eliminate ten of the 25 women the first night, leaving 15 to compete for his affections and, in the end, his heart.

A list of the bachelorettes will be released shortly.

In returning to the traditional "Bachelor" mode, this season will bring romantic dates with one bachelorette being whisked away on a helicopter for a rooftop tryst, one leaving on a private jet for a glamorous rendezvous in San Francisco, and still another being adorned with Chopard diamonds that she gets to keep. Brad's equally handsome twin brother, Chad, shows up to put the bachelorettes � who have no idea that Chad exists -- to a test, and some of the women visit a sexy celebrity beach house for a day of fun. But there are dramatic moments as well, as Brad tries to figure out which of the bachelorettes are there for the right reason. One unlucky woman falls down the stairs and is rushed to a hospital, and one rejected bachelorette breaks down in tears and makes the most emotional exit in "Bachelor" history. Other adventurous dates will test the ladies' perseverance in pursuing their romantic objective, along with fun, exciting and exotic dates that will elicit real and raw passions.

As in the past, women will continue to be eliminated each week, but if at any point along the way a woman should decide that she's no longer interested in the Bachelor, she can reject his invitation to continue dating. Some lucky women will meet his family, and he will visit their hometowns for a slice of their life in an effort to determine the woman with whom he is most compatible.

At the end of the journey, the Bachelor may quite possibly have found true love. But the big question is: After all of this, will he pop the question, and will she say yes?

Hosted by Chris Harrison, "The Bachelor" is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Lisa Levenson are the executive producers. David Bohnert and Martin Hilton are the co-executive producers.

"The Bachelor" is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.