The Dating Game/The Dating Game In Popular Culture

A pre-America's Funniest Home Videos Bob Saget appeared on The Dating Game for the 1st time.

Before he took over the hosting duties from would-be 2016 Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump Sr. on The New Celebrity Apprentice, Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared as a bachelor on The Dating Game.

Herb Alpert, who composed the instrumental themes "Spanish Flea" and "Whipped Cream" on The Dating Game, co-founded A&M Records in 1962 with his partner Jerry Moss. in 2000, A&M evolved into Interscope Records, which, in turn, is part of Universal Music Group.

On ABC's That Girl (1966-1971), Ann Marie (Margaret "Marlo" Thomas) appeared on the set of "The Mating Game."

Prior to this, in 2001, a Diet Dr Pepper commercial also called "The Mating Game" was a parody of the show as well. The commercial starts with a Jim Lange-type host asking the generic male contestant "So are you ready to meet your date?" as the male contestant responded back "Sure, he looks like a real stud to me!" following by a camera showing a half-smiling farmer along with his black cow as it then shows a shot of the set along with the logo while the announcer says that "not everything can be as good as the original, but Diet Dr. Pepper is. It taste more like regular Dr. Pepper!" while the husband on the left side of the bed says: "I'm so happy for them!" as his wife on the right side of the bed looks disgusted by her husband's remark, drinks a Diet Dr. Pepper.

Phil Hartman, following his appearance on The Dating Game, designed an album cover for the 1979 Poco LP Legend.

After appearing on The Dating Game in 1972, Ron Howard made his mark in the director's chair with 1977's Grand Theft Auto (not to be confused with the popular video game franchise of the same name).

The Dating Game was spoofed on the popular YouTube internet series The Annoying Orange. Appropriately, the episode was titled "The Dating Game". It was for Valentine's Day. The gameplay was similar as well as the name but the host was a lollipop, Art Sweetheart. Passion Fruit was the contestant and had to decide between three bachelorettes, a nerdy apple, a French Onion, and Orange. Passion eventually chooses Orange as her date.

The Dating Game was also parodied on The Carol Burnett Show where it was titled "The Rat Race". The similar gameplay was in effect but also the couple could go to Tahiti. Carol Burnett plays a nervous nerdy girl named "Annie" having a terrible experience with dating. After looking at the bachelorettes, she chooses #3.

Another Carol Burnett parody, called The Dater's Game, featured Lyle Wagoner as the host and Tim Conway as a newly-hired but very clumsy stage manager. Burnett, Vicki Lawrence and Kaye Ballard were the bachlorettes. Mere moments before the show goes on the air Conway accidentally causes a wardrobe malfunction on Lawrence's dress, causing her to run offstage screaming. Just as the opening theme plays, Conway, seeing no other alternative, covers himself with Lawrence's dress and sits in the Bachelor #3 chair. The swinging bachelor, played by Harvey Korman, unwittingly selects Bachelorette #3 (Conway) much to the disgust of Burnett and Ballard.

The show was also parodied on the hit NBC sitcom Punky Brewster. Here it was called Dream Date. This was where Betty Johnson appeared as a contestant trying to win the date with one Chuck McKinley (Johnny Brown from Good Times). The actor who played the host was future Supermarket Sweep host David Ruprecht.

Sesame Street also spoofed Dating Game, but it was named "The Eating Game" where the contestant would have to pick the right food for him/her. A plate is the contestant on the show. Instead of picking one food, she chooses them all since they look so delicious.

Sesame Street also had a variation on the premise and concept of Dating Game, only the contestant would have to choose a pet animal. This game show sketch was called "Pick Your Pet" and was the first game show spoofing skit on Sesame Street.

A 1996 episode of the short-lived sketch comedy series called Muppets Tonight has a parody of The Dating Game called Muppet Match-Up hosted by Kermit the Frog in 1975, featuring the guest host for the episode, Michelle Pfeiffer as "Michelle Pfeiffer Manowitz" choosing between three bachelors: Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker and Animal. In true Dating Game style, Pfeiffer says she loves a man with a good sense of humor and proceeds to ask each bachelor in turn for their idea of a fun date. Bunsen suggest a scientific date at his lab, Beaker meeps something unintelligible in which michelle thinks is sick and not funny. However, When Animal is asked for his idea of a fun date, he gets to his feet and runs towards Pfeiffer yelling "MICHELLE, MICHELLE!" causing her to flee screaming. After showing the clip, Pfeiffer explains to Clifford that she ended up dating Animal, but hasn't seen him in years and wonders if he's changed. But of course he hasn't where at that moment, Animal appears on stage and chases Pfeiffer off while screaming her name.

Even Saturday Night Live parodied The Dating Game twice. Originally in 1980 as The Dating Zone in which combined The Dating Game and The Twilight Zone hosted by Jim Lange (played by Bill Murray) with Don Johnson (played by Bob Newhart) as a clueless, unwilling contestant that was pulled off the street and was forced to choose between three perverse women. Another sketch from 1992 was entitled "The Bensonhurst Dating Game" where Joe Pesci, the host of that evening’s episode, played host Andy Perotta.

Another SNL parody from 1980 featured Bill Murray as host, and Bob Newhart as a clueless, unwilling contestant pulled off the street and forced to choose between three perverse women; the skit was called The Dating Zone, which combined Dating Game with The Twilight Zone.

A 1992 episode of In Living Color parodied The Dating Game. The sketch featured Wanda (Played by Jamie Foxx) and the host (played by Jim Carrey).

Another sketch-comedy show MADtv has also had a share of a few parodies of The Dating Game.

In a 1980 episode of Laverne & Shirley, Lenny & Squiggy both appeared as contestants on the same episode of the Dating Game (featuring a very accurate re-creation of the 60s-era set and Jim Lange portraying himself as host). Unwilling to act like model contestants, Squiggy reveals Laverne and Shirley's names and phone numbers on the air, much to the girls' shock. After the bacherlorette sees her choice of date, namely Squiggy, she refuses to go out with him, at which point Squiggy asks Lange to let Lenny be his date.

In 1990, The season 2 Saved by the Bell episode "Blind Dates" has a dream sequence where Zack Morris hosts a take on The Dating Game called The Blind Date Game and the bachelors are Teddy Kruger, Mason Voorhies, and Donald Chump (the three bachelor's names in general are spoofs of Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhies and Donald Trump).

Also in 1990, Tiny Toon Adventures also spoofed the show in the episode "Dream Date Game". Here it was also called Dream Date but with a longer title The Dream Date Game. It was the third & final short from a show devoted to dating. Buster Bunny was the host of the show and the three bachelors were Hamton J. Pig, Plucky Duck, and Montana Max (Monty for short) much to his chagrin. The picking bachelorette was Elmyra Duff even though she wanted to date Buster. But in the end, Elmyra chose Monty who by that point was dressed as a rabbit against his will.

In 1995, A season 4 episode of California Dreams did a take on The Dating Game called St. Margaret's Charity Dating Game in an episode titled "The Dateless Game". Sly, Mark, and "Seashell" are the "Eager Guys" representing the "Bachelors" on the show, with Terri hosting. Terri predicts that the "Dream Man" is Eager Guy #3, "Seashell".

In the 1998 drama film Digging to China when Gwen Frankovitz (played by Mary Stuart Masterson) changes the channel, a brief clip of The Dating Game can be seen on TV.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: a clip of its brother show  The Newlywed Game can also be seen on TV.

A 2000 episode of Family Guy called "There's Something About Paulie" Peter Griffin calls a cutaway gag to a past appearance he made as bachelor #3. However, his answer to the bachelorette's question was significantly underwhelming compared to the other bachelors. A 2017 episode was also titled as "The Dating Game" but it has nothing to do with spoofing the show at all.