The Dating Game

This article is about the television show. For the video game genre, see Dating sim.

The Dating Game
Also known asThe New Dating Game
The All-New Dating Game
The Celebrity Dating Game
GenreDating game show
Created byChuck Barris
Directed by
  • John Dorsey
  • Linda Howard
  • Clay Jacobsen
  • Paul Casey
  • Ken Fuchs
Presented by
Narrated by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons
  • 1 (1973–1974)
  • 2 (1978–1980)
  • 3 (1986–1989)
  • 3 (1996–1999)
  • 1 (2021)
No. of episodes
  • 8 (ABC; 2021)
Production
Executive producers
  • Chuck Barris (1965–1974; 1978–1980; 1986–1987)
  • Jeff Wald (1987–1988)
  • Scott Sternberg (1988–1989)
  • Michael Canter (1996–1999)
  • Charles Wachter (2021)
  • Michael Bolton (2021)
  • Christina Kline (2021)
  • Wendi Wan (2021)
Running time
  • 30 minutes with commercials (1965–1999)
  • 42 minutes (2021)
Production companies
Original release
Network
  • ABC (1965–1973, 2021)
  • Syndicated (1973–1974; 1978–1980; 1986–1989; 1996–1999)
ReleaseDecember 20, 1965 (1965-12-20) –
August 16, 2021 (2021-08-16)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Dating Game is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s 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 as hosts, which premiered on June 14, 2021.[1][2] It ran for eight episodes until August 16, 2021, and was canceled in April 2022.[3]

  1. ^ White, Peter (February 18, 2021). "Zooey Deschanel & Michael Bolton To Host Celebrity Reboot Of 'The Dating Game' At ABC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  2. ^ White, Peter (April 7, 2021). "'The Chase' & 'The Hustler' Renewed At ABC As Network Unveils Summer Unscripted Schedule With Shows Including 'Bachelor In Paradise'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Michael Schneider (April 1, 2022). "Alec Baldwin's Match Game Canceled at ABC, Along With Card Sharks and More as Network Firms Up Summer Plans (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 1, 2022.