Cable network buys rights to ABC dating show

The network that's home to "Flavor of Love" and "Rock of Love" is now the rerun home of the series that set the template for all the romance shows that came after it.

The cable channel has acquired the rights to all existing cycles of "The Bachelor" and will celebrate by running the first seven seasons of the show in daily marathons starting Monday, June 1. So those of you aching to see the likes of Alex Michel and Bob Guiney and Jesse Palmer fall for one of 25 women but not continue a relationship with her, here's your chance.

"'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," VH1's Ben Zurier says. He also posits that "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. ... 'The Bachelor' and VH1 certainly feels like a good match."

VH1's rights include the 12 cycles of "The Bachelor" to date, as well any other seasons of it "The Bachelorette" produced through the end of this year.

"The Bachelor" premiered in 2002 and drew big audiences for its first several cycles. Though its pop-culture cachet has faded somewhat, it still draws a fairly reliable core audience for ABC -- even though its track record at creating lasting relationships is rather poor.