''The Dating Game'' is an American television

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...

that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by

Chuck Barris Charles Hirsch Barris (June 3, 1929 – March 21, 2017) was an American game show creator, producer, and host. Barris was known for hosting '' The Gong Show'' and creating '' The Dating Game'' and '' The Newlywed Game''. He was also a songwr ...

from the

1960s File:1960s montage.png, Clockwise from top left: U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War; the Beatles led the British Invasion of the U.S. music market; a half-a-million people participate in the 1969 Woodstock Festival; Neil Armstrong and Buzz ...

through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it continued in syndication for another year (1973–1974) as ''The New Dating Game''. The program was revived three additional times in syndication afterward, with the first from 1978 to 1980 as ''The All-New Dating Game'', the second from 1986 to 1989, and the third from 1996 to 1999. Jim Lange hosted ''The Dating Game'' for its entire ABC network run and for the 1973 and 1978 syndicated editions. The 1986 revival was hosted by Elaine Joyce for its first season and Jeff MacGregor for its remaining two seasons. When the show was revived with a different format in 1996, Brad Sherwood was named as its host. Chuck Woolery took over for the two final seasons, with the original format reinstated, in 1997 after he had left '' The Home and Family Show.'' Beginning in 1966, ''The Dating Game'' was often paired with '' The Newlywed Game''. This was especially true when the two shows entered syndication, and in 1996, the revivals of ''The Dating Game'' and ''The Newlywed Game'' were sold together as a package called "The Dating-Newlywed Hour". The program was originally broadcast in black-and-white, but when a prime-time version began in October 1966, both versions were broadcast in color, making the daytime version the first ABC daytime series to be regularly broadcast in color. In February 2021, it was reported that ABC and current distributor Sony Pictures Television would revive the show as ''The Celebrity Dating Game'', with actress Zooey Deschanel and singer

Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin
, The Jewish Historical Society of New Haven, 1998. (born February 26, 1953), known professio ...

as hosts, which premiered on June 14, 2021. It ran for eight episodes until August 16, 2021, and was canceled in April 2022.

Format

Typically, a

bachelorette ''Bachelorette'' (/ˌbætʃələˈrɛt/) is a term used in American English for a single, unmarried woman. The term is derived from the word '' bachelor'', and is often used by journalists, editors of popular magazines, and some individuals ...

would question three

bachelor A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...

s, who were hidden from her view; at the end of the questioning period, she would choose one to accompany her on a date, with expenses paid by the show. Occasionally, the roles would be reversed with a man questioning three ladies; other times, celebrities would question three players for dates for themselves, co-workers or relatives. Before becoming famous,

Farrah Fawcett Farrah Leni Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she played ...

, Suzanne Somers, Yvonne Craig, Lindsay Wagner, Leif Garrett,

Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations ...

and Lee Majors appeared as contestants on the show in the 1960s and early 1970s. Other contestants who appeared before becoming famous included the Carpenters,

Jackson Bostwick Jackson Leonard Bostwick Jr. (born October 23, 1943) is an American actor, theatre director and film producer. He is best known for portraying Captain Marvel in the first season and beginning of the second season of the '' Shazam!'' television s ...

Michael Richards Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor, writer, television producer, and comedian best known for playing Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom ''Seinfeld''. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, first enterin ...

Joanna Cameron Patricia Kara Cameron (September 20, 1948 – October 15, 2021), sometimes credited as JoAnna Cameron, was an American actress and model, perhaps best known for her portrayal of the title role on ''Isis'', a 1970s children's television series, wh ...

, Andy Kaufman (who went under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

Baji Kimran),

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

, John Ritter, Phil Hartman, Jennifer Granholm (governor of Michigan from 2003 to 2010),

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

and Alex Kozinski. Serial killer

Rodney Alcala Rodney James Alcala (born Rodrigo Jacques Alcala Buquor; August 23, 1943 – July 24, 2021), dubbed the Dating Game Killer, was an American serial killer and sex offender who died of natural causes while on death row in California. He was se ...

's episodes were shown during his murder spree and after he had been convicted of assault in California. Some contestants appeared even after they were fairly well known, including a young

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

Burton Cummings Burton Lorne Cummings (born December 31, 1947) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for leading The Guess Who during that band's most successful period from 1965 to 1975, and for a lengthy solo career. Cummings has ...

, Dusty Springfield,

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...

, Maureen McCormick, Barry Williams,

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Fe ...

, Richard Dawson, Jay North and

Paul Lynde Paul Edward Lynde (; June 13, 1926January 10, 1982) was an American comedian, actor and game show panelist. A character actor with a distinctively campy and snarky persona that often poked fun at his barely closeted homosexuality, Lynde was we ...

. A trademark of the show was that at the end of each episode, the host and winning contestants would blow a kiss to the viewers.

Gameplay

Original version

Generally, the bachelorette would ask questions, written in advance on cards, to each of the three hidden bachelors. The same question could be asked to multiple bachelors. This continued until time ran out. The bachelorette would make her choice based solely on the answers to her questions. Occasionally, the contestant was a bachelor who would ask questions to three bachelorettes. Certain kinds of questions were "off-limits", such as name, age, occupation and income.

1996 revival

For the first season of the 1996 revival, a different format was used. A notable change was that the prospective bachelor/bachelorette knew the first names of the three contestants at all times. Instead of asking questions of the contestants, the bachelor/bachelorette was presented with two pun-laden statements, each pertaining to one of the contestants. When chosen, a new statement replaced the old one and the potential date explained the reason why that fact pertained to him or her. Play continued until time expired, and then the bachelor/bachelorette would announce his or her choice. In several weeks of episodes that aired at various times throughout the season, another format was used. This format had the players choose a potential date based on appearance and another based on personality. To decide the "looks" portion, the bachelor/bachelorette would observe each contestant (another change not seen on any ''Dating Game'' series beforehand) for several seconds, with the contestants wearing noise-canceling headphones to prevent them from hearing the bachelor/bachelorette talking about them. The statement round was used to determine the "personality" portion. After the game ended, the bachelor/bachelorette would select one contestant based on appearance and one based on personality, then would be prompted to choose between the two. If the bachelor/bachelorette was to select the same contestant for both looks and personality, the contestant would win a $500 cash prize. The remaining two seasons reverted back to the original format, but there was more of a variety between bachelors and bachelorettes.

Episode status

Various episodes from the ABC daytime run have aired on

Game Show Network Game Show Network (GSN) is an American basic cable channel owned by Sony Pictures Television. The channel's programming is primarily dedicated to game shows, including reruns of acquired game shows, along with new, first-run original and revive ...

. The remaining ABC versions of the show, which were made for primetime and for syndication, are assumed to exist in their entirety. After the syndicated finale in 1980, repeats of the 1978–1980 version were seen on KHJ-TV (now

KCAL-TV KCAL-TV (channel 9) is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is owned by the CBS News and Stations group alongside CBS West Coast flagship KCBS-TV (channel 2). Both stations share studios at the CBS ...

) in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

from September 26, 1983, to September 12, 1986 (when The All-New Dating Game with Elaine Joyce premiered on September 15, 1986), as well as in some other cities. In another variation of the final year in reruns, some episodes from ABC daytime, ABC primetime and weekly syndication were shown.

Guests

Some of the celebrities that appeared on ''The Dating Game'' appeared as a bachelor or bachelorette before becoming famous, or as a special guest star, include: * Willie Aames (1978) *

, subsequently dubbed "The Dating Game Killer" (1978) * Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1967) * Famous Amos (1978) * Judd Apatow (1980s) *

Desi Arnaz Jr. Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV (born January 19, 1953), known professionally as Desi Arnaz Jr., is an American actor and musician. He is the son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Early life Arnaz was born on January 19, 1953, at Cedars-Sinai Medical ...

(1967) *Mary Arnold of Kenny Rogers and the First Edition (1972) * Candice Bergen (1973) * Jacqueline Bisset (1973) *

Bill Bixby Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III (January 22, 1934 – November 21, 1993) professionally known as Bill Bixby, was an American actor, director, producer, and frequent game-show panellist. Bixby's career spanned more than three decades, includi ...

(1968) * Karen Black (1973) * Danny Bonaduce (1972) *

(1968) *

Julie Budd Julie Budd (born May 7, 1954) is an American recording artist and actress. Early life and education Budd was born Edith Erdman in Brooklyn, New York, the second of three daughters of Joan and Saul Erdman, a bottling company executive. She att ...

(1973) *

(Late 1960s) * Bryan Cranston (1979) * Perry Caravello (1996) * Karen and Richard Carpenter (1970) *

Angela Cartwright Angela Margaret Cartwright (born September 9, 1952) is a British actress primarily known for her roles in movies and television. On television, she played Linda Williams, the stepdaughter of Danny Williams (played by Danny Thomas) in the long- ...

(1970) * David Cassidy (1970) *

Barrie Chase Barrie Chase (born October 20, 1933) is an American actress and dancer. Early life Born in Kings Point, New York, Chase began formal dance lessons at age three, studying with the New York City Opera's ballet mistress. She studied ballet, first ...

(1966) *

Candy Clark Candace June Clark is an American actress and model. She is well known for her roles as Debbie Dunham in the 1973 film ''American Graffiti'', for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Mary Lou i ...

(1973) *

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting '' American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 19 ...

(1973) *

Jeremy Clyde Michael Jeremy Thomas Clyde (born 22 March 1941) is an English actor and musician. During the 1960s, he was one-half of the folk duo Chad & Jeremy (with Chad Stuart), who had little success in the UK, but were an object of interest to American ...

(1966) * Ronald K.L. Collins (1967) * Michael Cole (1972) *

Teri Copley Teri Copley (born May 10, 1961) is an American actress and model. She is known for her role on the American NBC/ syndicated television series ''We Got It Made'', which premiered in 1983, co-starred on the 1985 CBS television series '' I Had Thre ...

(1979) * Yvonne Craig (1967) * Brandon Cruz (1972) * Joey D'Auria as himself, instead of as Chicago's Bozo the Clown (1980) * Cesare Danova (1969) *

Ann B. Davis Ann Bradford Davis (May 3, 1926 – June 1, 2014) was an American actress. She achieved prominence for her role in the NBC situation comedy ''The Bob Cummings Show'' (1955–1959), for which she twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...

(1970 and 1971) * Richard Dawson (1968) * Peter Duel (1968) *

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Originally formed as ...

(1968) * Samantha Eggar (1973) *

Cass Elliot Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. She was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the Papas. After the group brok ...

(1973 or 1974) *

(1969) *

(1966) *

Fannie Flagg Fannie Flagg (born Patricia Neal; September 21, 1944) is an American actress, comedian and author. She is best known as a semi-regular panelist on the 1973–1982 versions of the game show ''Match Game'' and for the 1987 novel '' Fried Green Tom ...

(1973) * Jackie Fox (1980) * Leif Garrett (1972) * Kathy Garver (1966, 1970 and 1971) * Maurice Gibb (1968) *

Robin Gibb Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He gained worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees pop group with elder brother Barry and fraternal twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had his o ...

(1968) *

Anita Gillette Anita Gillette ( Luebben; born August 16, 1936) is an American actress. She had numerous roles on Broadway, American television, and in feature films. She also made many appearances as a celebrity guest on television game shows. Early life Gil ...

(1972) * Cuba Gooding Jr. (1986) *

Barry Gordon Barry Gordon (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and political talk show host. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995. He is perhaps best known as the original voice of Donatello ...

(1966) * Jennifer Granholm, former

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the s ...

(1978) *

Luke Halpin Luke Austin Halpin (born April 4, 1947) is a former American actor, stuntman, marine coordinator, diver and pilot. He became a child actor at the age of eight and is widely known for his role as Sandy Ricks in the feature films '' Flipper'' and ...

(1968) * Phil Hartman (1979) * Cheryl Hines (1997) * T. J. Hoban (1996) *

Eddie Hodges Samuel "Eddie" Hodges (born March 5, 1947) is an American former child actor and recording artist (his 1961 cover of the Isley Brothers’ “I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door” reached #12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100), who left show business as ...

(1966) *

(1972) * Iron Butterfly (1969) *

(1972) *

Sam J. Jones Samuel Gerald Jones (born August 12, 1954), known professionally as Sam J. Jones, is an American actor and former football player. He is known for playing the title character in the 1980 film ''Flash Gordon'' and for starring in the short-lived ...

, "

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established '' Buck Rogers'' adv ...

" (1978) * Casey Kasem (1967) * Andy Kaufman (1978) * Gladys Knight (1972) * Murray Langston, as

The Unknown Comic Murray Langston (born June 27, 1944), who frequently performed using the stage name "The Unknown Comic", is a Canadian actor and stand-up comedian best known for his performances on ''The Gong Show'', during which he usually appeared with a paper ...

(1978) * Peter Lawford (1971) * Vicki Lawrence (1971) * Peggy Lipton (1973) * Donna Loren (1967) *

(1968 and 1972) *

Dave Madden David Joseph Madden (December 17, 1931 – January 16, 2014) was a Canadian-born American actor. His most famous role came on the 1970s sitcom ''The Partridge Family'', in which he played the group's manager, Reuben Kincaid, opposite Shirley J ...

(1970) * Lee Majors (1966) *

(1968 and 1970) *

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

, as a prank on his daughter

Melinda Melinda is a feminine given name. Etymology The modern name ''Melinda'' is a combination of "Mel" with the suffix "-inda". "Mel" can be derived from names such as Melanie meaning "dark, black" in Greek, or from Melissa (μέλισσα) meaning ...

, who was Bachelorette #1 (1967) * Meredith MacRae (1968) *

Jerry Mathers Gerald Patrick Mathers (born June 2, 1948) is an American actor best known for his role in the television sitcom '' Leave It to Beaver'', originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963, in which he played the protagonist Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, the y ...

(1966) * Maureen McCormick (1971 and 1973) *Jed Mills (1978) * Kathryn Minner, " The Little Old Lady from Pasadena" (1966) * Agnes Moorehead (1970) *

Jaye P. Morgan Jaye P. Morgan (born Mary Margaret Morgan) is a retired American popular music singer, actress, and game show panelist. Early life Morgan was born in Mancos in Montezuma County in far southwestern Colorado. Her family moved to California by ...

(1980) * Louisa Moritz (1973) * Bill Mumy (1968) *

Tom Netherton Thomas Harold Netherton Jr. (January 11, 1947 – January 7, 2018), was an American singer. He was known for his tenure on ''The Lawrence Welk Show''. Early life Netherton was born on January 11, 1947, in Munich, Germany while his father, a Un ...

(1978) * Jay North (1969) *

Charlie O'Donnell Charles John O'Donnell (August 12, 1932 – November 1, 2010) was an American radio and television announcer, primarily known for his work on game shows. Among them, he was best known for '' Wheel of Fortune'', where he worked from 1975 to 1980, ...

(1987) * Butch Patrick (1972) * Freda Payne (1971) * Paul Petersen (1966) *

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

(1972) * H.R. Pufnstuf (1972) * Paul Reubens as Pee Wee Herman (1979) * Emitt Rhodes, as part of his band The Merry-Go-Round (1967) *

(1967) * John Ritter (1967) * Nipsey Russell (year unknown; happened before 1971) *

Bobby Rydell Robert Louis Ridarelli (April 26, 1942 – April 5, 2022), known by the stage name Bobby Rydell, was an American singer and actor who mainly performed rock and roll and traditional pop music. In the early 1960s he was considered a teen idol. Hi ...

(1966) * Bob Saget (1979 and 1980) *

(1973) *

(1965 and 1967) * Rhonda Shear (1986) * Suzanne Somers (1973) * Dusty Springfield (1968) *

The Standells The Standells are an American garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as a "punk band of the 1960s", and said to have inspired such groups as the Sex Pistols and Ramones. They are best kno ...

(1968) * Kaye Stevens (1973) * McLean Stevenson (1968) * Strawberry Alarm Clock (1968) * Elaine Stritch (1971) *

Rip Taylor Charles Elmer "Rip" Taylor Jr. (January 13, 1931 – October 6, 2019) was an American actor and comedian, known for his exuberance and flamboyant personality, including his wild moustache, toupee, and his habit of showering himself (and others ...

(1973 and 1978) * Robert Vaughn (1966) * Jimmie Walker (1978) * Lindsay Wagner (1968) *

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles ch ...

(1969) * Adam West (1966) * Johnnie Whittaker (1969) * Barry Williams (1972) *Terry Williams of Kenny Rogers and the First Edition (1972) * Jo Anne Worley (1967)

Theme music and cues

The show used many contemporary songs, ranging from those of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass from the 1960s to pop music used for celebrity guest and band appearances. For the first few episodes at the beginning of the ABC run, live music was provided by the Regents (unrelated to the doo-wop band of the same name who were famous for their song " Barbara Ann"), a house band from Jack Martin's A.M-P.M. on La Cienega Boulevard Starting in 1966, the show used recorded music, with the main theme provided by the Mariachi Brass, featuring trumpeter

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

. The show used

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...

songs made by Skip Battin & the Group (1967, Aurora 159) and the Challengers (196?, Triumph 64). The series used several songs by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass as cues for the show, including: * " Spanish Flea" (when introducing the bachelor) * "

Whipped Cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, an ...

" (when introducing the bachelorette)Cooper, Kim; Smay, David (2005).
Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed
'.

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...

. Retrieved February 15, 2020. * " Lollipops and Roses" (when the dates meet) Other songs were used after the interview portion, when guests were choosing a date, including: * "Ladyfingers" (Herb Alpert) * " Lemon Tree" (Herb Alpert) Music used during celebrity guest appearances included: * "Live" ( The Merry-Go-Round) * "Close to You" ( Carpenters) * "Midnight Confessions" ( The Grass Roots) * "I Want To Be Where You Are" (

) * "I Want You Back" ( The Jackson Five), during the prize description * "Cheyenne" ( The Brady Bunch) * "Goin' Out of My Head" (

Little Anthony Little Anthony and the Imperials is an American rhythm and blues/soul vocal group from New York City founded by Clarence Collins in the 1950s and named in part for its lead singer, Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine, who was noted for his h ...

) * "What's It Gonna Be" ( Dusty Springfield) Other music cues used on the show included: * "

Fantail Fantails are small insectivorous songbirds of the genus ''Rhipidura'' in the family Rhipiduridae, native to Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Most of the species are about long, specialist aerial feeders, and named a ...

" by Count Basie (when host Jim Lange would introduce the three potential dates to the audience) * "

Love Sickness Lovesickness refers to an affliction that can produce negative feelings when deeply in love, during the absence of a loved one or when love is unrequited. The term "lovesickness" is rarely used in modern medicine and psychology, though new rese ...

" by the Trumpets Ole (a brief cue used when the time limit for the interview portion is reached) * "Boston Bust-Out" by

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, United States, McGriff started playing pi ...

(before the date is introduced to his or her prize) In 1972, ''The Dating Game'' added a Dixieland-style closing theme called "Little Rosie" to its ABC daytime version; the tune was used also on the first two syndicated versions, through 1980. The song, along with some of the show's other cues, was featured on the 1973 album ''Themes from TV Game Shows'', produced by Chuck Barris. The show continued to use the 1966 opening theme until 1974; during the 1978-80 version, the show used a rearranged version of it. The 1978 opening theme is found on the Barris album's first track and is credited to Barris and David Mook. The 1980s reboot of the show used music composed by Milton DeLugg, while later editions featured a re-recording of the original theme by Steve Kaplan. The music for ''The Celebrity Dating Game'' was composed by Cheche Alara.

International versions

These versions are no longer airing.

Legacy

In his first autobiography, ''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'' (1988), Chuck Barris claimed that ''The Dating Game'' was a cover for his

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

activities, and was promoted by the CIA. However, his second memoir, ''The Game Show King: A Confession'' (1993), mentions neither the CIA nor his previous book. A CIA spokesman has categorically denied that Barris ever worked for the agency in any capacity. The show's popularity in the 1960s inspired a Baskin-Robbins ice cream flavor called ''Dating Game''. It was pink ice cream with diced dates and butter-toasted pecans. In a 1980 '' Laverne and Shirley'' episode, Lenny and Squiggy appear as bachelors on ''The Dating Game''. ''The Dating Game'' was parodied by

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; ...

during a 1983

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...

pre-launch event. The three "contestants" were

Mitch Kapor Mitchell David Kapor ( ; born November 1, 1950) is an American entrepreneur best known for his work as an application developer in the early days of the personal computer software industry, later founding Lotus, where he was instrumental in deve ...

Lotus Software Lotus Software (called Lotus Development Corporation before its acquisition by IBM) was an American software company based in Massachusetts; it was "offloaded" to India's HCL Technologies in 2018. Lotus is most commonly known for the Lotus 1- ...

, Fred Gibbons of Software Publishing Corporation and

Bill Gates William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions ...

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washi ...

. A recurring parody featured in the current version of ''

Let's Make a Deal ''Let's Make a Deal'' (also known as ''LMAD'') is an American television musical comedy variety-game show that originated in the United States in 1963 and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The program was created an ...

'' called ''The Dealing Game'' features Wayne Brady and Jonathan Mangum (both as different characters in each appearance), but instead of a date, each represents a curtain and tries to convince the contestant to pick his curtain. Model

Tiffany Coyne Tiffany Adams Coyne (born May 6, 1982) is an American model and dancer best known for her role of model and hostess on the CBS game show ''Let's Make a Deal''. Early life and career Tiffany Lynn Adams was born in Layton, Utah on May 6, 1982. She ...

plays the role of the "hostess".

Licensed merchandise

Hasbro released three home games based on the original 1965 version of ''The Dating Game'' from 1967 to 1968, while Pressman Toy Corporation released a home game based on the late 1980s version in 1987. In 1968, a 33⅓ rpm party record called ''The Dating Game Party Pak'', narrated by Jim Lange, was released; it included postcard invitations, name tags and scorecards for six people to play. In the late 1990s, Sony's website released an online version of ''The Dating Game''. A video slot machine based on the original 1965 version with an animated Jim Lange was released by IGT in 2004 in both nickel and quarter versions. In March 2011, a new virtual version of ''The Dating Game'' was launched on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

and other social media network sites. The game was developed by 3G Studios, under license from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

References

External links

Format

Gameplay

Original version

1996 revival

Episode status

Guests

Theme music and cues

International versions

Legacy

Licensed merchandise

See also

References

External links