Zooey Deschanel & Michael Bolton To Host Celebrity Reboot Of ‘The Dating Game’ At ABC

Peter White
·1 min read
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ABC is bringing back The Dating Game.

The network has partnered with Sony Pictures to bring back the classic dating format and is putting a celebrity spin on the show.

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New Girl star Zooey Deschanel and musician Michael Bolton, known for soft rock hits such as “Georgia on My Mind” and “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You,” will host the eight-part series.

The Celebrity Dating Game will offer a wry wink at modern dating with a roster of celebrity singles in their pursuit to find love. Offering a spin on the classic dating show, the celebrity guests will remain a mystery as one lucky suitor is chosen from a hidden panel of three bachelors and/or bachelorettes based on their answers to the celebrity’s questions. Suitors will have the opportunity to guess the secret identity based on clues, questions and special parody performances by host Bolton, who went viral following his SNL parody Captain Jack Sparrow with The Lonely Island.

The Dating Game originally aired on ABC between 1965 and 1973 before moving into syndication. It was created by Chuck Barris, whose autobiography was turned into George Clooney feature film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

The format, owned by Sony, has been adapted internationally in a slew of countries including in the UK as Blind Date, most successfully with Cilla Black and more recently on ViacomCBS’ Channel 5 with Paul O’Grady.

The series is set to be filmed in Los Angeles with Bolton, Charles Wachter (Holey Moley), Christina Kline (Michael Bolton’s Big Sexy Valentine’s Day Special) and Wendi Wan (Jersey Shore).

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