• reality shows
  • reality TV reviews
  • about
  • contact
  • reality TV schedule
  • best reality TV
  • send tips or feedback
  • support
  • subscribe
The Bachelor 1 VH1

VH1 buys every season of The Bachelor, insists it’s “America’s Most Romantic Reality Show”

by Andy Dehnart 16 May. 2008 | 7:18 am

After spending more than two years mocking and sending up The Bachelor with its Flavor of Love franchise and spin-offs, VH1 has now acquired the rights to every season of the show.

That includes all 12 seasons of the regular show and four The Bachelorettes, plus “all cycles through at least 2008,” according to VH1. The cable network will reintroduce us to the franchise by airing the first seven seasons over seven days, starting on Sunday, June 1.

The weird part about this news is that VH1 is playing the acquisition straight, insisting that their shows and ABC’s show are basically the same thing. The press release even calls the Chris Harrison-hosted ABC series “America’s Most Romantic Reality Show,” which is completely ridiculous, considering the show’s nearly unbroken record of utter, embarrassing failure to create a lasting relationship. The press release also absurdly insists that “Will you accept this rose?” is a “popular catchphrase.” Try “universally mocked nonsense.” Even VH1’s own Best Week Ever mocks The Bachelor.

In his press release quote, VH1 EVP Ben Zurier continues the charade, saying, “‘The Bachelor’ is the granddaddy of the dating reality format. It’s been a water cooler staple from the moment it premiered in 2002, and it’s still on top of its game. As we’ve seen with our own record-breaking ‘Rock of Love with Bret Michaels’ and ‘Flavor of Love’ series, dating reality has become the drama for the current generation of young adults, with an engaging mix of intrigue, romance, and surprises. ‘The Bachelor’ and VH1 certainly feels like a good match.”

Well, it did until you all decided to lose your edge. Doug Benson, Best Week Ever’s Pop Culture Bachelor, needs to take his roses, walk down the hall, and smack someone in the head with them.

VH1 Acquires Full Library of America’s Most Romantic Reality Show ‘The Bachelor’ [VH1]

discuss this story

more great reality blurred stories

  • Recommended reality TV: Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and America to Me
  • The best reality TV shows of 2018
  • The Survivor rule book and Survivor cast contract
  • Go behind-the-scenes at the Big Brother house
  • Behind the scenes of The Last Alaskans
  • Interviews with reality TV producers and cast members

most-popular stories on reality blurred

Jeff Probst, Survivor David vs. Goliath episode 10

Survivor Edge of Extinction: What we know so far about Survivor season 38

Survivor season 38 will feature returning players and a huge twist that could effect how the game is played and who wins.

Survivor Edge of Extinction marooning

Survivor’s marooning: 34 boats, 714 people, 9 hours, one great 10,000-word story

The opening minutes of Survivor Edge of Extinction took days to plan and involved "34 different boats carrying 714 bodies over a total of 1,500 miles."

Life Below Zero season 11, Sue Aikens

When Life Below Zero will return for season 11, and who it will follow

Exclusive: Life Below Zero is returning to National Geographic for season 11 this fall, with a cast that includes one new person.

Are You The One season 5 cast

MTV’s Are You the One season 8 casting sexually fluid, non-binary people

AYTO's producers want the "usual hot singles" but also "sexually fluid individuals," and twins.

Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik, Method Man, Drop the Mic

How Drop the Mic’s celebrity rap battles are written

The new TBS series Drop the Mic features rap battles between celebrities, and one of its writers detailed how those are scripted by the show's writers.

The Lewis family, Last Alaskans

Why the Lewis family is no longer on The Last Alaskans, and where they are now

A definitive answer about why the Lewis Family—Ray and Cindy, and their daughters Sarah, Molly, and Emma—have been missing from The Last Alaskans.

Ryan Ulrich, Devon Pinto, Patrick Bolton, Survivor 35

Why you should never judge a Survivor for their clothes

All about Survivor contestants' clothes and the rules for them: Who buys and pays for the clothes, why Survivors don't wear swimsuits the whole season, and other details.

Siesta Key, MTV

How Siesta Key was filmed and how it differs from Laguna Beach

An interview with the co-creator of Laguna Beach, whose new MTV show Siesta Key uses that format but avoids the fiction that befell its spinoff The Hills.

Winter 2019 reality TV show debut schedule and guide

Winter 2019 reality TV schedule and guide

This winter reality show 2019 schedule is a frequently updated list of premieres for broadcast, cable, and streaming reality TV shows, documentary series, game shows, and other prime-time nonfiction TV.

Donathan Hurley, Survivor Ghost Island, torch stuffed by Jeff Probst

Survivor casting for seasons 39 and 40, and the casting team has advice

Survivor seasons 39 and 40 are now casting—without casting director Lynne Spiegel Spillman, who was fired earlier this summer.

behind the scenes of reality TV

The Bachelor mansion, season 22

Bachelor mansion: behind the scenes

The secrets of Villa De La Vina, the candle wax-scented mansion where The Bachelor and Bachelorette are filmed.

Survivor

Survivor: how challenges are created, how Samoa impacted the crew, why twists are fair

I talked to the people responsible for Survivor challenges including challenge producer John Kirhoffer and executive producer and host Jeff Probst.

Playboy The Curse of Reality TV by Andy Dehnart

Behind the scenes of Hoarders and inside Survivor Coach’s house and life

I visited Ben “Coach” Wade at his home and visited the set of Hoarders, reporting on both in a Playboy feature story.

older

NBC casts Celebrity Circus with has-been reality stars; VH1’s Celebracadabra! cast is similarly lame

newer >

VH1 casting for Scream Queens competition; winner gets horror movie role

more stories about The Bachelor 1, VH1

reality TV news and reviews, in your inbox

One hand-crafted message sent every Friday. Free. Subscribe now:

about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

stay connected with reality TV

Get advice about what to watch and keep up with the latest in reality television with reality blurred's e-mail newsletter. Just enter your e-mail address:

about reality blurred

reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

explore

  • recent news
  • reviews of reality TV shows
  • behind the scenes reports
  • interviews with producers and reality stars
  • archives
  • send tips
  • search
  • advertise on reality blurred
  • about reality blurred
  • newsletter
  • RSS and social media
  • contact reality blurred
  • send tips & contribute
  • privacy policy
  • terms of service
Copyright © 2000 to 2019 Andy Dehnart and individual contributors.