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 touch of celebrity on the show.
New girl star Zooey Deschanel and musician Michael Bolton, known for soft rock hits like “Georgia on My Mind” and “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You,” will present the eight-part series.
The Celebrity Dating Game will offer an ironic wink at modern dating with a list of single celebrities in their quest to find love. Offering a version of the classic dating program, famous guests will remain a mystery as long as a lucky suitor is chosen from a hidden panel of three singles and / or singles based on their answers to celebrity questions. Applicants will have the opportunity to guess the secret identity based on clues, questions and special parody performances from presenter Bolton, who went viral after his SNL Captain Jack Sparrow’s parody with The Lonely Island.
The Dating Game originally aired on ABC between 1965 and 1973 before moving on to distribution. It was created by Chuck Barris, whose autobiography became George Clooney’s feature film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.
The format, owned by Sony, has been adapted internationally in a number of countries, including the UK as Blind date, most successfully with Cilla Black and most recently on ViacomCBS Channel 5 with Paul O’Grady.
The series will be filmed in Los Angeles with Bolton, Charles Wachter (Holey Moley), Christina Kline (Michael Bolton’s big and sexy Valentine’s Day special) and Wendi Wan (Jersey Shore)