Photo Flash: Sneak Peek - First Group Date on ABC's THE BACHELOR, Airing Tonight

On the January 9th episode of ABC's THE BACHELOR, the 18 remaining bachelorettes travel to the lush vineyards of Ben's hometown of Sonoma, California. Two lucky women - Kacie B. and Courtney - will get romantic one-on-one dates, but will it further their chances of being Ben's dream woman, or will they be sent home? The group date will give 12 bachelorettes an unusual opportunity to show Ben another side of their personalities as they audition and perform roles for a community theater production - written entirely by children. However, it doesn't take long for the women to get under each other's skin and ramp up the drama, ending in uncontrollable tears for some of the bachelorettes, on "The Bachelor," MONDAY, JANUARY 9 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Ben selects Kacie B. for his first individual date of the season and whisks the adorable bachelorette off to the center of Sonoma to show her the sights and recount memories of his childhood. Over an emotional dinner, Ben talks of his father's passing and the role it played in making him the man he is now. Later, at the famed Sebastiani Theater, Ben surprises his stunning date by taking a cinematic trip down memory lane. Highlights of their respective home movies are screened especially for them. Although it is bittersweet for Ben to watch his father on screen, the experience brings Kacie and Ben closer together. But will this mean a rose for her, or will the date end in heartbreak?

The next day, 12 bachelorettes meet Ben at a local park for the first group date of the season. Ben reveals that the women will audition for and perform in a community play. But this dramatic showcase was written by children. The women are called upon individually to perform a series of embarrassing impersonations for Ben and the children. After casting the women in roles ranging from a princess to a weasel, Ben drops another bombshell: the performance will take place that night in front of a live audience. One anxious bachelorette flubs her lines, but recovers nicely and steals the show and a kiss from Ben. When the 12 ladies join Ben at a posh poolside after party at a hotel, Blakeley lures him into a steamy make out session, much to the horror of the other women. Samantha is so disturbed at this shameless ploy for Ben's attention that she escapes to the bathroom in tears. Will Ben figure out the behind-the-scenes drama among the women before he needs to hand out the roses?

Then Ben takes a picnic basket for two and his beloved dog, Scotch, to pick up Courtney, his final date of the week. The Bachelor and this sexy siren share a romantic lunch among the redwoods and bond over their similarities. They meet later at a local winery for a moonlit tractor ride and an intimate dinner under the stars. But is this woman too good to be true?

Finally, the claws come out at a tense cocktail party. One emboldened woman immediately steals Ben from another, a distraught bachelorette dissolves in tears when her alone time with Ben goes awry, and one girl completely breaks down when she feels ganged up on by the other women. Ben does his best to play peacemaker, but will the women recover from their emotional tailspins before the rose ceremony? At the end of the night, only 16 women will remain in the chase for Ben's heart.

The 18 women are:
Blakeley, 34, VIP cocktail waitress, Charlotte, NC
Brittney, 26, medical sales rep, Denver, CO
Casey S., 26, trading clerk, Leawood, KS
Courtney, 28, model, Santa Monica, CA
Elyse, 24, personal trainer, Chicago, IL
Emily, 27, PhD student, Chapel Hill, NC
Erika, 23, law student, Chicago, IL
Jaclyn, 27, advertising account manager, Newton, MA
Jamie, 25, registered nurse, Dryden, NY
Jenna, 27, blogger, New York City, NY
Jennifer, 28, accountant, Oklahoma City, OK
Kacie B., 24, administrative assistant, Clarksville, TN
Lindzi C., 27, business development manager, Seattle, WA
Monica, 33, dental consultant, Salt Lake City, UT
Nicki, 26, dental hygienist, Hurst, TX
Rachel, 27, fashion sales rep., New York City, NY
Samantha, 26, advertising account manager, Los Angeles, CA
Shawn, 28, financial advisor, Phoenix, AZ

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

This episode of "The Bachelor" will be available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online. For more information on "The Bachelor" visit ABC.com.

Photo Credit: Ron Koeberer/ABC

 

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