SOAPNET'S NEW ORIGINAL DOCUSOAP, "SOUTHERN BELLES: LOUISVILLE," PREMIERES THURSDAY, MAY 21 AT 10:00 PM ET/PT

"Bless Their Hearts" � The New Series Unveils the Challenging Journey of Self-Discovery Among Five Modern, Single Southern Women in the Heart of Louisville, Kentucky

SOAPnet is adding more original series to its slate and will premiere "Southern Belles: Louisville" on Thursday, May 21, 2009. A total of 10 one-hour docudrama episodes will air on Thursdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The series, produced by Endemol USA in association with ABC Media Productions (formerly Buena Vista Productions), follows the lives of five single, modern Southern women in their 20s and 30s in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky, offering an intimate look at the professional and romantic lives of this circle of friends.

"Southern Belles: Louisville" is a real-life "Sex and the City" that takes place in the South, but not the South that stereotypes are made of. The backdrop is the progressive, art-centric and warm community of Louisville, Kentucky. The series will showcase the intense friendships and family values that are part of the Southern way of life. These five contemporary and independent women are all at critical crossroads in their lives: Some are confronting their biological clocks, some are still looking for Mr. Right and are trying to find their career paths, and one is preparing for her wedding.

Our "Southern Belles: Louisville" include:

Kellie Frey, 32: Kellie is a woman who's always substituted money for true love. She's a divorcee twice over and, for the first time, is going to try to stand on her own without the security of a man. Ironically she's decided to start a matchmaking service. Because of her two divorces, Kellie thinks she'll be a natural, since she knows what doesn't work in relationships. Plus, she's the one everyone goes to for advice because she tells it like it is.

Emily Gimmel, 24: Emily is the prodigal daughter who turns her back on the riches of her family's business to pursue a career as a TV reporter. When she's offered her dream job, she must make the decision on whether or not to leave her friends and family behind in Kentucky.

Hadley Hartz, 26: Hadley is the girl next door who is beautiful, bubbly and fun to be around. Although she has a ton of potential, she has a history of dating the wrong kind of guys and making poor career choices. But now she's decided it's time to grow up! Now she's taking risks in both career and love.

Shea Johnson, 28: Shea is Daddy's little rich girl. On the outside, it seems she has it all; she acts confident, cocky and snobbish sometimes. Behind the fa�ade, she's actually just a regular girl with her own family issues. Shea has finally met someone who can give her something she's never had -- stability. She's determined to make the wedding happen, despite the fact that she doesn't have a ring on her finger.

Julie Smith, 34: Julie has built up walls to prevent herself from getting hurt� both romantically and professionally. It's time for her to stop living on the sidelines and take some risks. Will a significant birthday be the catalyst to a whole new lease on life?

"Southern Belles: Louisville" is produced by Endemol, USA in association with ABC Media Productions. David Goldberg is chairman of Endemol North America. Joe Livecchi and Donald Bull serve as executive producers. Endemol USA is a leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted genres for network and cable television. The company produces the break-out hits "Deal or No Deal," "Wipeout," "Fear Factor," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Big Brother." Endemol USA is a division of Endemol Group, a world leading content developer, producer and distributor of television and online programming. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, has subsidiaries and joint ventures in 25 countries, including the major European markets, the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Australia

"Southern Belles: Louisville" joins the recently announced series of original programs "Greg Behrendt's Wake-Up Call," currently airing at 10:00 p.m. on Thursdays, and "Being Erica," premiering Thursday, February 19 at 10:00 p.m. on SOAPnet.

From daytime and primetime dramas to reality shows and movies, SOAPnet owns the world of character-driven soapy drama. The network features same-day episodes of popular daytime dramas including "All My Children," "Days of our Lives," "One Life to Live," "General Hospital" and "The Young and the Restless"; favorite primetime series "The O.C.," "One Tree Hill" and "Beverly Hills, 90210"; and original programs including "Greg Behrendt's Wake Up Call," "Being Erica," "MVP" and "General Hospital: Night Shift." Wrapped in a 24-hour environment, SOAPnet is the one destination for stories focused on real emotions and revealing truths about intriguing, yet flawed characters.