Fans of the ABC franchise Bachelorette are in for something 'drastically different' in the forthcoming season. The passing out of roses and the clinking of champagne glasses may still feature prominently, but the eligible woman with the difficult job of getting wooed by 25 hunks isn't your run-of-the-mill good time girl.
She's
single mom Emily Maynard, the 26-year-old who was engaged to Nascar driver Ricky Hendrick when he died in an airplane crash in 2004, before Emily gave birth to their daughter, Ricki.
Needless to say, the entire vibe of the show is different, as it caters to its leading lady. For starters, the show is being shot in Charlotte (where Maynard lives) as opposed to the usual L.A. Bachelor pad so as to keep 6-year-old Ricki's life as normal as possible.
"Throughout the show, it was always that underlying issue of, she's a mom and is this guy ready for that?" says host Chris Harrison. "It's not about just hopefully finding love and a husband, it's about finding a father figure to Ricki."
For viewers, this is probably a welcome change. Gone is what Harrison himself calls "the superficial drama you've seen in seasons past."
It remains to be seen whether the proverbial hot tub scenes and overnight dates will take place. Harrison insists that this season's Bachelorette is "not the crazy, bungee-jmping, sky-diving type of woman. She's a Southern gem who likes to wear high heels and dresses."
Season 8 kicked off on Monday night. Will you watch to see whether Maynard finds Mr. Right?