Love Connection where singles tried to find the best date and/or to have something in common with each other. The show debuted in syndication on September 19, 1983 and ended on July 1, 1994, after more than 2,000 shows. Reruns continued to air until September 8, 1995. It was hosted by Chuck Woolery.
The show returned in 1998 hosted by Pat Bullard. Love Connection was produced by Eric Lieber Productions in association with and distributed by Telepictures (1983-1986), Lorimar-Telepictures (1986-1989), Lorimar Television (1989-1990), and Warner Bros. Television (1990-1994).
The show was a variant of The Dating Game in which a bachelor or bachelorette would select from three potential dates of the opposite sex. A large majority of the contestants were in their 20s and looking for Mr. or Miss Right for the first time; however, there were older contestants who were single (officially listed as "never been married"), widowed or divorced (multiple times, in some cases). Daters were given $75 for the date (mentioned on a 1985 episode re-aired on GSN) during the show's initial run. This amount was increased to $100 for the 1998-1999 revival.
Following a short interview, the audience was shown video excerpts of the three potential dates (of which the contestant had screened in their entirety). The audience is then asked to vote on which date they believe was the right match for the bachelor(ette).
The contestant, who had already gone on the blind date, would introduce his/her choice. Since contestants were not permitted to see each other or make contact between the time they went on their date and when they appeared on the show, this was their first meeting since going out. The date is introduced, then appears on-screen via backstage hookup. Chuck then proceeds to interview both about what happened on their date. Sometimes, the couple really hit it off and couldn't wait to see each other again, prompting Woolery to reunite the couple onstage. Other times, the dates went poorly and in extreme cases, were disastrous. Regardless of the outcome, Woolery then revealed the audience's vote. If the contestant's and the audience's (majority) choices agreed, Woolery would congratulate the couple for making a "love connection" and pay for their next date if they hit it off. If the audience vote favored another contestant, or if the date went badly, Woolery would offer to pay up to $75 for a date with the audience's choice; the contestant could choose the second date or elect to remain on his/her own. No matter how obvious a connection, Woolery always asked both parties if they wanted to see each other again. To the casual observer, it seemed to be a needless formality. But in rare instances, a couple appeared to have a good time on their first date, but for one reason or another one or both parties decided not to pursue a second date. Throughout the show's run, many bachelors or bachelorettes came back to share the story about their second date (for the date, the audience had already chose for him/her), after their falling attempt of their first date.
Usually, two or three segments aired per show. On Friday shows, a bachelor or bachelorette would have the audience determine their date, and he/she would report back several weeks later. If the couple hit it off, they were entitled to a second date at the show's expense. If not, the contestant could choose between the other two matches as before or stay on their own.
Of the roughly 22,000 couples who met on the show, twenty nine were eventually married and eight became engaged.
Unlike The Dating Game, where contestants only needed to be at least 18 years old, participants on Love Connection initially had to be at least 23; this was later lowered to 21.
Woolery asks questions about what happened on their date. Sometimes, the two really hit it off ,and the two could not wait to see each other again. Woolery would invite the date onstage to reunite with the bachelor(ette). Other times, they simply had no chemistry or the date came straight from Hell thanks to personality clashes or one or both of the daters acting like jerks; in other words, the two were not right for each other.
Regardless of how well the date went, Woolery then revealed the audience's choice as determined by a majority vote. If the contestant and the audience's choices agreed, the show paid all expenses for the date even if the date was a bona fide disaster. More often than not, the choices disagreed, but that didn't matter to couples who were a perfect match. Otherwise, the bachelor(ette) could decide to date the audience's choice at the show's expense, select the third potential date though a seldom-used option, or remain searching on their own.
Three or four such segments aired per show. On occasion, the bachelor(ette) would have the audience decide whom they would go out with, and the contestant would report back on a future episode.
On this favorite courtship show, a contestant would go on three dates, the details of which would be revealed on national TV. The audience would then vote for their favorite suitor—if it matched the contestant’s pick it was a “love connection,” and the host would offer to pay for a second date if both people were interested.
Think of him as a love general armed with a perpetually sunny smile and a shiny gold Rolex. For the last decade, Chuck Woolery, 51, has been host of Love Connection, the syndicated tell-all dating show (and Studs forerunner) whose contestants choose a potentially significant other from video clips. Woolery leads his loyal troops into thousands of romantic matchups, assessing the damage on dating battlefields and reveling in bull's-eyes hit by Cupid's arrow. So who better to dish with on Valentine's Day?
You remember your first date? Absolutely. Her name was Bertie Dumpfield.
No way. Yes. She was beautiful. She caught the bus by my house every night. She was 18 and I was 7 — and I was in love with her. She used to invite me over for cookies.
How far did it go? One night there was some big hairy guy sitting on her couch and she wouldn't invite me in. The next day she came by and I turned my back on her, like Marlon Brando sticking his nose in the air in Sayonara. I ignored her thereafter.
Should your show be 'Love Connection' or 'Lust Connection'? I think a lot of people get confused with love. Most people attach lust with love, though love is a much deeper relationship. I think most of the love that's involved on the show is more of a superficial love.
Would you ever have gay couples on 'Love Connection'? No. You think it would work if a guy sat down and I said, 'Well, so where did you meet and so and so?' then I get to the end of the date and say, 'Did you kiss?' Give me a break. Do you think America by and large is gonna identify with that? I don't think that works at all.
Have you ever thought about doing a celebrity 'Love Connection'? It doesn't work. We tried it, like, three times, but the celebs were so protective of their images you couldn't get a real reading on what happened. Everything was good, fine , and terrific, so we dropped it instantly.
What are the show's love stats? There have been 29 marriages, 8 engagements, and 15 children. When you think that it's someone in our office putting people together through questionnaires and tapes, it's incredible that one couple got married, much less 29.
You're married now; have you been married before? Yes. More than once? Yes. More than twice? Twice. Both of them lasted nine years and they were unsuccessful from the start. But this marriage to Teri (daughter of TV's David Nelson and granddaughter of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson) has been eight wonderful years — the best experience I've ever had in my life and I deserve it.
I had to see his face to recall his name – it's the Love Connection guy! I may be showing my age but I totally remember Chuck Woolery's game show antics from when I was a kid. But I digress from the news – he's soon hosting The Meow Mix Game Show!
The half-hour program will have kitties and their people competing for the chance to win $1 million and earn $100,000 for their local feline-related charity. The show won't premiere until November 15 on the Game Show Network, so check out two audition reels below 'til then.
Host, Wayne Brady (photo from a previous season) will be reading from a revised song board this season (not pictured).
Last season “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” featured celebrity singers for the first time. The karaoke-style game show recently wrapped its third season. Show ratings have proven to pull-in enough of an audience to book more name celebrity guests and contestants.
That’s right, MORE celebrities will be singing when the new season airs on FOX. The two show dates I attended, featured Rick Springfield, Mark McGrath, Gary Dell’Abate (a.k.a. BaBa Booey), En Vogue, Survivor, game show host, Chuck Woolery, and lead singer of Men At Work, Colin Hay.
Audiences also served as the background to a “People Magazine” photo shoot of producer, Mike Darnell. Wayne Brady announced his new debut R&B album, “A Long Time Coming” that consists of Brady singing a variety of cover songs.
The show had a change of pace, and put two strangers on a blind date with each other on-stage. Their back-up included: ex-girlfriend, ex-husband, and of course, Chuck Woolery. They managed to help each other win a lot of money!
Survivor sang, “Eye of the Tiger”, Rick Springfield sang “Jessie’s Girl” and his new single coming-out soon called, “What’s Victoria’s Secret”. En Vogue gave incredible performances of three songs. So incredible, that I forgot that I was on a game show set. More incredible, I’m not even an En Vogue fan, but I think I may be now.
One contestant was given a second chance. He had gotten to the $25,000 mark on the show. But, gave what was thought to be an incorrect lyric to “The Brady Bunch” theme song. The lyric was: “That’s the way WE all became the Brady Bunch”. Instead, he gave the same lyrics, but instead of “we” he sang it as “THEY”. After the executive producer did some research that night after the show taping, the next morning, it was confirmed that during the first season of “The Brady Bunch” the theme song was not sung by the children of the show. Therefore, the lyric during the first season was indeed “they”. The show brought back the contestant and allowed him to play-out the rest of his game. Did his second wind benefit him with more money? Catch the new season when it airs.
