{alltv} 'Bachelor' Brad returns

In a highly dramatic series first, one of the Most Shocking Bachelor Moments Ever occurred during the off-season last year, when producers of the ABC matchmaking series chose Brad Womack to be its next hunk.

Again?!

Womack, 38, didn't exactly go over well with the ladies the first time. In Season 11, the Austin bar owner became the first Bachelor in history to reject every last one of his bachelorettes -- including heartbroken finalists DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft.

On Monday night, Womack will get another chance with 30 new women when Season 15 of The Bachelor premieres on Citytv and ABC. And man, are fans' heads ever spinning!

Will Womack reject them all again? Will he propose? Will he be rejected? More importantly, will anyone care?

Recycling past Bachelors is one thing ABC has never attempted -- and for good reason. After learning all of Womack's tricks during Season 11, do we really want to see him possibly repeat them all on different women (who, let's face it, are only going to be a slight variation on the exact same assortment of bombshells, brainiacs and eccentrics they hire every year) just four seasons later?

The Man dug the 15th season a further hole during a recent conference call, admitting it might not be able to one-up the previous 14.

"I don't know if it takes controversies to sell this show, I have no idea, but I'm happy to say ... not too much drama is heard," says Womack. "There are some really, really good women and we all had a great time and so I hope that doesn't make for a boring season."

Us neither, Brad. BTW, controversy is exactly what sells this show, and if there isn't a little bit more of it than there was during the last Bachelor -- dork-turned-jerk Jake Pavelka's widely publicized season -- then what's the point of watching?

I suppose the obvious reason would be to see Womack fall in love. And while he can't reveal any details, the Southern stud says two years of "intensive therapy" and barn-loads of public scrutiny did finally lead him to lasso a lucky (or perhaps cursed?) lady.

"I did find love and I'm very happy to say that," Womack says. "I'm very much in love. I'm a happy guy.

"It was completely different for so many reasons. One, of course I was so much more open to the process and then I just had a great time, though that sounds strange, because I had a good time last time."

The early moments of Episode 1501 could be the exception. Which leads me to my other obvious reason to watch: Womack will get slapped several times on Monday's show. One is an actual shot to the face by the first bachelorette out of the limo, and the others come in the form of surprise guests Pappas and Croft, whom he must apologize to.

Beyond all of that excitement, in the coming weeks we can look forward to a serenade by Seal, an advice session with Dr. Drew, trips to Las Vegas, Costa Rica, Anguilla and South Africa, and a lot of Womack trying to assure the women who fall for him that he's a changed man and isn't going to leave them rose-less and ring-less come finale time. Again.

Reasons to watch aside, I'm not exactly filled with the anticipated suspense that comes with a fresh season The Bachelor. I mean, between The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, ABC has already exhausted countless dramatic hooks, with contestants getting booted for having love interests back home, and hooking up with exes and crew members.

And the show's latest gimmick -- giving a past Bachelor that everyone loathed a chance to redeem himself -- isn't even really a gimmick, but more of a sign the idea well is running dry.

Though I felt the same way at the start of Season 13, for which former The Bachelorette contestant Jason Mesnick was re-hired. His season went on to become the most shocking so far -- especially after he dumped fiancée Melissa for runnerup Molly on After the Final Rose.

But could Brad Womack -- Mr. Indecisive himself -- really prove me wrong and give The Bachelor fans the drama they crave? Not unless he dumps them all. Again.