The Dating Game

Did You Know?

• Hasbro released three home games based on the original 1965 version from 1967 to 1968.
• A video slot machine based on the original 1965 version with an animated Jim Lange was released by IGT in 2004.
• In March 2011, a virtual version of The Dating Game was launched on Facebook and Twitter.

Format

A hidden bachelorette would question three unseen bachelors, then pick one for a show-funded date. Sometimes a man questioned three women, or celebrities quizzed players for their own dates or for friends and family. Future stars like Farrah Fawcett, Tom Selleck, Steve Martin, and Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared before they were famous. Serial killer Rodney Alcala’s episodes aired while he was still killing and after a California assault conviction. Each episode ended with the host and winning contestants blowing a kiss to the audience.

Theme music and cues

The show used many contemporary songs, including those of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. For the first few ABC episodes, live music was provided by the Regents; from 1966, recorded music was used, with the main theme by the Mariachi Brass featuring Chet Baker. Cover songs by Skip Battin & the Group and the Challengers were also used. Other songs used during the choosing portion included 'Ladyfingers' and 'Lemon Tree'.

Music during celebrity appearances included 'Live' by the Merry-Go-Round, 'Close to You' by the Carpenters, 'Midnight Confessions' by the Grass Roots, 'I Want To Be Where You Are' by Michael Jackson, 'I Want You Back' by the Jackson Five, 'Cheyenne' by the Brady Bunch, 'Goin' Out of My Head' by Little Anthony, and 'What's It Gonna Be' by Dusty Springfield. Other cues included 'Fantail' by Count Basie, 'Love Sickness' by the Trumpets Ole, and 'Boston Bust-Out' by Jimmy McGriff.

In 1972, a Dixieland closing theme called 'Little Rosie' was added and used through 1980. The 1978-80 version used a rearranged opening theme. The 1980s reboot used music by Milton DeLugg; later editions used a re-recording by Steve Kaplan. The Celebrity Dating Game music was composed by Cheche Alara.

Legacy

Chuck Barris claimed in his autobiography Confessions of a Dangerous Mind that The Dating Game was a cover for his CIA activities, but his second memoir does not mention this, and a CIA spokesman denied Barris ever worked for the agency. The show's popularity inspired a Baskin-Robbins ice cream flavor called Dating Game. It was parodied in a 1980 Laverne and Shirley episode and by Steve Jobs during a 1983 Macintosh pre-launch event. A recurring parody on Let's Make a Deal called The Dealing Game features Wayne Brady and Jonathan Mangum. The Dating Game has been cited as a predecessor to the reality series Love is Blind.