ABC ANNOUNCES PREMIERE DATES FOR HIT REALITY SERIES "THE BACHELORETTE," ALONG WITH SEXY NEW DRAMA "MISTRESSES"

Both Shows Will Air Mondays on ABC Beginning in May

New Bachelorette Will Be Announced Live During "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose"

The hit reality romance series "The Bachelorette" will return to the ABC schedule, along with "Mistresses," a sexy new scripted drama, on Monday nights beginning in May.

"The Bachelorette," now in its ninth season, will premiere MONDAY, MAY 20 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network, before moving to its regular time slot of 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET the following week. The identity of the latest Bachelorette will be revealed during "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose," airing LIVE on MONDAY, MARCH 11 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET).

"Mistresses," starring Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim, Rochelle Aytes and Jes Macallan, will premiere MONDAY, MAY 27 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. Based on the acclaimed UK series, "Mistresses" is a provocative new drama about the scandalous lives of a sexy and sassy group of four girlfriends, each on her own path to self-discovery

Additional summer scheduling information will be announced at a later date.

"THE BACHELORETTE"

This season the hit romance reality series will feature its ninth edition with the lucky new Bachelorette getting to know 25 fortunate men via a series of social gatherings and exotic, romantic dates - some in groups, some individually. She will introduce some of the men to her family and will visit their hometowns for a slice of their lives in an effort to determine the man with whom she is most compatible. At the end of the journey, filled with drama and surprises against the backdrop of spectacular international settings and featuring innovative twists and special guest stars, the Bachelorette may quite possibly have found true love. But the big question is: After all of this, will she hand out her final rose? And if she does, will the final bachelor accept it and propose?

Hosted by Chris Harrison, "The Bachelorette" is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton are the executive producers.

"MISTRESSES"

Based on the hit UK television series of the same name, "Mistresses" is a provocative and thrilling drama about the scandalous lives of a sexy and sassy group of four girlfriends, each on her own path to self-discovery: Savannah ("Savi"), a successful career woman working toward the next phase in her life, both professionally and personally; Savi's free-spirited and capricious baby sister, Josslyn; their friends April, a recent widow and mother of a ten-year-old daughter, and Karen, a therapist with her own thriving practice. These four friends find support and guidance with each other as they brave their turbulent journeys and life's storms of excitement, secrecy and betrayal, all the while bound by the complex relationships they've created.

"Mistresses" stars Alyssa Milano as Savannah ("Savi") Davis, Yunjin Kim as Karen Kim, Rochelle Aytes as April Malloy, Jes Macallan as Josslyn Carver, Brett Tucker as Harry Davis, Jason George as Dominic Taylor and Erik Stocklin as Sam Grey.

The series is executive-produced by Rina Mimoun ("Privileged," "Gilmore Girls"), K.J. Steinberg ("Gossip Girl"), Robert Sertner ("Revenge," "No Ordinary Family") and Douglas Rae ("Wuthering Heights," "Camelot," "Mistresses," "Raw," "Meadowlands"). The series is from ABC Studios.