Colton Underwood's Netflix series 'Coming Out Colton' debuts this week. Here are details

Colton Underwood is returning to a reality-television program near you.

The former Washington Community High School football player's fourth reality series is to debut Friday.

"Coming Out Colton," a six-part Netflix effort, chronicles Underwood's journey toward public life as a gay man. In April, on ABC's "Good Morning America," the 29-year-old Underwood first declared his sexuality publicly.

Each 30-minute episode of "Coming Out Colton" features sit-down interviews with Underwood, who before his announcement might have been one of TV's most prominent heterosexuals.

In 2018 and '19, Underwood was a contestant and/or star of three ABC reality programs — "The Bachelorette," "Bachelor in Paradise" and "The Bachelor," in which he was the leading man.

He's the leading man again now. But from early reports and trailers, the tone of "Coming Out Colton" is less lighthearted than Underwood's previous efforts.

During the series, Underwood admitted he abused tranquilizers as he struggled with his sexuality, according to a report by Page Six.

“I didn’t want to be gay, and the main voices in my head were just telling me, ‘You’ll get through this, you’ll get through this,'” Underwood said in the show's preview trailer, which has been posted on YouTube.

“Never thought I was going to come out. I thought I was going to die with this secret. The reason I’m coming out is because I’m ashamed and I’m sort of mortified of what got me into this position in the first place.”

Netflix series features footage of Washington

The trailer also reveals the "Coming Out Colton" crews came to Washington to film at least part of the series.

Underwood is shown at what appears to be a Washington football practice at Babcook Field. As a senior, Underwood was the 2009 Journal Star Large-School Player of the Year. He went on to play at Illinois State University and, briefly, in the NFL.

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Before his "GMA" appearance last spring, Underwood visited with Washington coach Darrell Crouch to tell him what was to become a national story.

"When we talked, I gave him a hug and told him I loved him," Crouch said then. "And that his sexuality made no difference to me, and that he would always have my love and support."

Underwood's status as a virgin might was among the most noteworthy aspect of his "Bachelor" days. He ended his 2019 season by pledging his allegiance to Cassie Randolph, the final contestant standing.

But in May 2020, the two broke up acrimoniously. Randolph obtained a restraining order against Underwood, who was accused of stalking her and placing a tracking device on her vehicle.

The Randolph situation resulted in a 35,000-signature online petition drive, an attempt to persuade Netflix to abandon its plans for an Underwood series. In the series trailer, Underwood admits he didn't handle things well.

Dad acknowledges Colton is an 'entertainer'

Also in the trailer, Underwood comes out to his father, fellow Washington graduate Scott Underwood. The younger Underwood attempts to reconcile his religious and his football lives to his new, public one.

That life reportedly includes a boyfriend. Underwood has been linked to Jordan C. Brown, a political strategist nine years his senior. Brown has met Underwood's family, according to Us Weekly, and the ex-football player says he's in love.

“I’ve lived my life so publicly straight, and I ran from a community I’ve belonged to my entire life," Underwood told The New York Times. "I knew there was going to be a lot of people who didn’t understand.

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"Maybe at the end of these six episodes, people still don’t understand. But at least I’ve tried to undo the wrongs.”

In that same Times piece, Underwood's father suggested the medium might not have been the perfect place for that message. Especially considering Underwood delivered his sexual-orientation news on camera while he and his dad were fishing.

"I'm not saying I'm upset about it, but I would have preferred it had been done differently," said Scott Underwood, who also said his son is "an entertainer, let's face it. That's what he's chosen to do for his career."