# Unknown celebrities on The Dating Game **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772 "2009-04-20T20:38:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/1 "2009-04-20T20:38:35Z")
As alluded to in another thread, various celebrities appeared on the Chuck Berris game show The Dating Game. Just from memory, there was Steve Martin, Phil Hartmann, Cheech, Chong, and Andy Kaufman. But to the best of my knowledge, none of these guys were famous at the time. What was the deal with them? And who else was on? ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/2 "2009-04-20T20:47:45Z")
To answer the first question first - I remember John Ritter on it. And now for the second. The young actors were looking to get their faces seen and the producers were looking for outgoing attractive people who were not afraid to speak up and to a certain extent make a fool out of themselves. Who better than young actors add to that it was filmed in Hollywood where young actors are looking for any exposure. (did I mention it paid?) ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/3 "2009-04-20T20:56:25Z")
I saw an interview with Kevin Nealon where they showed when he was on the Dating Game. His answer to some question was to get everyone to stop taking showers and use one giant can of aerosol deodorant. I think it was to conserve water or something. It’s what TV time said, the young actors and comedians were using it as a step in their careers. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/4 "2009-04-20T20:59:07Z")
I saw PeeWee Herman on the Dating Game, before anyone knew who he was. Surreal, to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/5 "2009-04-20T21:19:55Z")
Wasn’t Governor Schwarzenegger on? Or did I completely make that up? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/6 "2009-04-20T21:21:42Z")
I saw one with PeeWee. I had never heard of him at the time. He was Bachelor #2. I remember at times, when they did a group shot, #1 and #2 looking at him like “WTF!” ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/7 "2009-04-20T22:16:56Z")
I remember seeing a clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger on The Dating Game as well, but maybe we both made it up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/8 "2009-04-20T22:35:00Z")
Schwarzenegger on the Dating Game: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCH3w\_LnmHE](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCH3w_LnmHE) ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/9 "2009-04-20T23:40:14Z")
[Tom Selleck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Selleck) appeared on the show twice–in 1965 (first TV appearance) and in 1967. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/10 "2009-04-21T00:29:36Z")
Harlan Ellison claimed to have been on it once. He “accidentally” got a look at the young lady and decided to take a dive: Asked where he would take her on a date, he described an idyllic restaurant dinner, a rare and expensive bottle of wine, and a trip to a back alley with .22 rifles to pick off some rats. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/11 "2009-04-21T00:48:52Z")
Cuba Gooding Jr. was on it. He said something silly b/c I’ve seen the clip on one of those “hilarious bloopers” shows. He looks so young it’s kinda creepy. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/12 "2009-04-21T11:14:09Z")
**Michael Jackson** as a kid was on the show. This was evidently when he was still interested in females and not trying to get into the pants of little…oh never mind. From the clip I saw, he appeared to be about 12 though I’m not very good at estimating other people’s age and he was certainly established at the time though not the mega-star, household name he would later become. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/13 "2009-04-21T14:41:40Z")
In addition to the exposure mentioned above and the fact they shot in Hollywood, where the future star to shlub ratio is higher than in Walla Walla, people with 9 to 5 jobs couldn’t always take a day off to shoot their appearances. But if you’re a struggling actor between jobs you’ve got nothing to do all day but show up on game shows. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-celebrities-on-the-dating-game/493772/14 "2009-04-21T15:18:36Z")
Amanda Holden(actress and judge on Britain’s Got talent) appeared on Blind Date which was the UK version. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RAXEHmAk2FY/hqdefault.jpg "Amanda Holden 1991 Blind Date UK TV (Britain's Got Talent judge) 'Before they were famous'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAXEHmAk2FY)