“Unmasking the Grin: The Chilling Secrets Behind the Smiling Contestant of America’s Favorite Dating Game Show”
In a world where reality TV often blurs the lines between entertainment and real life, Netflix’s latest thriller, *Woman of the Hour*, uncovers a spine-chilling tale from the 1970s that could make your skin crawl faster than a bad haircut at a family reunion. Imagine tuning in to a matchmaking show like *The Dating Game*, filled with bright smiles and cheesy one-liners, only to later find out that the man you picked for a romantic date was, oh I don’t know, an actual SERIAL KILLER! Yeah, that’s what happened to Cheryl Bradshaw when she unknowingly chose Rodney Alcala, who, unbeknownst to her and the audience, was already deep into a crime spree that would leave a trail of horror behind him. It’s a stark reminder that even if someone looks good in front of the camera, you really have no idea what lurks behind that charming facade. Buckle up for a wild ride that dives into the dark side of love and dating in the age of innocence. Curious to know more? LEARN MORE.
Netflix’s latest thriller tells the true story behind a chilling photo of a man who won a dating gameshow in the 70s.
Back in 1978, Cheryl Bradshaw turned to matchmaking series The Dating Game in her search for love, and it seemed like she’d found just that when she selected ‘bachelor number one’ from a list of eligible men.
However, she would soon come to realise she’d made a grave mistake.
Cheryl Bradshaw met Rodney Alcala on The Dating Game in 1978 (American Broadcasting Company)
You see, the man she’d selected for a date was serial killer Rodney Alcala, who has since been dubbed as ‘The Dating Game Killer’.
Alcala was part-way through a crime spree when he appeared on the show, having raped and assaulted multiple people, including an eight-year-old girl, and committed several murders.
Then, in 1978, he appeared on The Dating Game, where he was introduced as a photographer, and ended up winning a date with Bradshaw.
After his TV appearance, Alcala would go on to commit at least three other murders, before being arrested on 24 July, 1979 and being sentenced to death.
The killer died of natural causes in 2021, 42 years to the day he was arrested. He has since been linked to around 130 other cold cases.
Netflix’s latest true crime thriller Woman of the Hour, which was released on the streaming platform today (18 October), tells the story of Alcala’s victims and the lives he brutally ended.
Directed by Anna Kendrick, who also stars as Cheryl Bradshaw, the film’s synopsis on IMDB reads: “Cheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV show, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that, behind the man’s gentle facade, he hides a deadly secret.”
In a trailer released last month, we can see Bradshaw on a date with Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) following their TV appearance and things aren’t going well.
When Rodney asks for another round of drinks, she shakes her head at the bar while he’s looking away.
Later on outside the bar, he asks for her number which she says she’s already given him, but when he asks her to say it out loud, it’s clear the number was fake.
“I started to feel ill,” Bradshaw would later tell the Sydney Telegraph in 2012 of her meeting with Alcala. “He was acting really creepy. I turned down his offer. I didn’t want to see him again.”
You can watch Woman of the Hour on Netflix now.
