“The Golden Bachelorette” premiered on Wednesday night, and a whopping 24 men tried to impress Joan Vassos, the star of this spin-off of “The Golden Bachelor,” which is also about older singles looking for romance.

As is typical for shows in the “The Bachelor” franchise, the season of “The Golden Bachelorette” began with the potential suitors getting out of their cars and introducing themselves to the star of the show. Among the men who tried to get Vassos’ attention at Wednesday’s premiere was William “Bill” Hernandez, a retired videographer from Portland.

Viewers didn’t get to see much of that first meeting, except for a brief moment when Hernandez asked Vassos how her daughter was doing. A question that Vassos apparently appreciated, as she left The Golden Bachelor early to go home to her daughter, who was suffering from postpartum depression.

After that, Hernandez didn’t appear on camera much, which is never a good sign. When it was time for the first rose ceremony, Vassos had to decide who she wanted to get to know better and who to send home.

“I just knew there wouldn’t be enough roses,” Vassos said, referring to how difficult it was for her to make that first decision. “If you leave, you’ve already won,” she told the men. “You’re here and you’ve shown the world that you have heart and you have a sense of adventure and you’re looking for love, and you’re doing that in your golden years. And you’re a great example for everyone.”

After Vassos had handed out most of her roses, host Jesse Palmer came in with the usual “This is the last rose for tonight” announcement, and the tension built as the men who had not yet received roses stood and waited to find out if they would stay in the villa or take a flight home.

Suddenly, Hernandez got some time on camera and said in a confessional, “If I get a rose tonight, it means the world to me that Joan felt the same connection that I did. It just takes a long time, you know, she’s scanning the room. You hope your name is called. Man, I tell you, it’s nerve-racking.”

Unfortunately, Hernandez’s name was not called because Vassos gave her final rose to Jack, a caterer from Chicago who wore a pink sport jacket, sang when he first met Vassos, and talked a lot throughout the episode.

As Palmer told the men who didn’t receive roses to say goodbye, viewers got a quick glimpse of Hernandez hugging Vassos and telling her to take care of herself and that it had been a great experience getting to know her.

Here are the 18 men who survived Vassos’ first rose ceremony:

Bob, 66, a chiropractor from Marina Del Ray, California.

Charles K., 62, a portfolio manager from Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Charles L., 66, a retired data analyst from Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Chock, 60, an insurance executive from Wichita, Kansas.

Christopher, 64, contractor from West Babylon, NY

Dan, 64, a private investor from Naples, Florida.

Gary, 65, a retired financial executive from Palm Desert, California.

Gil, 60, an educator from Mission Viejo, California.

Gregg, 64, a retired university vice president from Longboat Key, Florida.

Guy, 66, an emergency room physician from Reno, Nevada.

Jack, 68, a caterer from Chicago, Illinois.

Jonathan, 61, a shipping consultant from Oakland, Iowa

Jordan, 61, a sales executive from Chicago, Illinois.

Keith, 62, father of a girl from San Jose, California.

Kim, 69, a retired Navy captain from Seattle, Washington.

Mark, 57, an Army veteran from Leesville, Louisiana.

Michael, 65, a retired bank CEO from Charlotte, NC

Pascal, 69, salon owner from Chicago, Illinois.

“The Golden Bachelorette” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. No cable or antenna? You can Stream “The Golden Bachelorette” via Fubo, which offers a free trial; or Stream episodes the day after they air on Hulu.