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VH1 is a little like the bio-dome: an entirely self-sustaining entity.

Rather than create new shows, the network simply dips into its shallow talent pool and reuses the same structures, premises and people. It's perhaps the most environmentally friendly network around, recycling its contestants on reality dating shows to create new reality dating shows.

The latest "new" program to debut is Rock of Love Charm School, which is such a transparent double spin-off -- VH1 simply took two different show titles and combined them. Fourteen of the trashiest girls from Rock of Love, the dating show with rock star Bret Michaels, enter a mansion to be trained in civility by Sharon Osbourne. It's actually a lot more entertaining than it sounds.

Apart from Rock of Love, it is also a pseudo-sequel to Flavor of Love Charm School, where contestants from Flavor Flav's reality dating show were trained to be civil. This show also follows the recent conclusion of I Love Money, in which contestants from Flavor of Love, Rock of Love and I Love New York competed to win cash.

Now you can see the genius behind VH1's reality TV department. Why find new contestants when you can reuse the same ones over and over again for new shows? To examine this premise further, let's study the upcoming reality show Real Chance of Love, in which brothers Real and Chance have a house full of women competing for their affections.

The VH1 blog calls the show a "spin-off of a spin-off of a spin-off of a spin-off of a spin-off." If that sounds like an exaggeration, it's not.

• Real Chance of Love is a spin-off of I Love Money, in which the brothers competed for money, though Real was distracted by his love for Hoopz.
• I Love Money was a spin-off of, among others, I Love New York, the dating show starring Tiffany "New York" Pollard.
• I Love New York was a spin-off of Flavor of Love, as Pollard was originally a contestant on the first two seasons of that show before getting her own dating show.
• Flavor of Love was a spin-off of Strange Love, which chronicled the romance between Flavor Flav and Brigitte Nielsen.
• Strange Love was a spin-off of The Surreal Life, where the two met.

Doing the math, that makes it the fifth spin-off removed, just as VH1 promises. This concept is nothing new, but VH1 is just better at it than others. Contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are frequently used as the stars for future editions. Jason Mesnick, the newest Bachelor, competed on The Bachelorette for DeAnna Pappas, who was previously a contestant on The Bachelor for Brad Womack.

Laguna Beach gave birth to The Hills, which will soon give birth to The City, a spin-off starring Whitney Port. MTV took Domenico Nesci from A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila and created That's Amore. On Bravo, Jo De La Rosa from The Real Housewives of Orange County got her own dating show spin-off with Date My Ex.

Cable reality dating shows are on an endless loop, a Möbius Strip of trashiness. Next up for VH1 is Daisy of Love, a dating show starring Daisy De La Hoya, runner-up on Rock of Love 2. If you want to find true love, apply for any of VH1's dating shows. If at first you don't succeed (and if you're crazy enough), VH1 will let you try, try again.

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