Back in the day, The Dating Game was the first ever dating reality show which opened the path for a number of similar shows that followed. This one, however, served another purpose, too, that of a launchpad for new actors, among which Suzanne Somers, Tom Selleck, Leif Garret, and Karen Valentine.
Before agreeing to be part of the show, Valentine was a former beauty queen who was then given the chance to interview three eligible bachelors hidden behind a dividing wall.
However, as she believed the experience would be a fun one, her ‘pick’ made it terrible.
Karen Valentine, now 77, reflected on her experience on The Dating Game in an interview with Closer Weekly, calling it “awful.” She recalled, “The guy thought this was really going to be a date, right? The Dating Game later got more serious, with people being sent on trips.” She continued, “I only got to go to the Ambassador Hotel to see a show, but the guy assumed we were going to make out in the limo. I was like, ‘You know this is a first date, right?’ It felt so sleazy. You’d go to dinner and then a show—that was the prize I won—but he thought it was something more serious. I just wanted out of the date. I thought, ‘Save the money, who needs this? Let me do another show and get a shot at acting instead.’”
Despite the uncomfortable experience, appearing on the show ultimately helped her career, leading to roles like her breakout part in Room 222, which launched her into stardom.
In 1970, Room 222 cleaned up at the Primetime Emmy Awards, earning titles for Outstanding New Series, while Valentine and Michael Constantine both won supporting roles.
This was everything a young actress like Karen Valentine dreamed of.
It seemed surreal that she earned such a prestigious award at the start of her career.
“It was kind of mind-blowing to have that happen so soon, so quickly,” said Valentine of her first nomination and win. “And to meet Carol Burnett and her saying, ‘Well, congratulations for this.’ It was like, ‘Thank you.’ But that Carol Burnett would know me? Just incredible.
“I remember I was taking singing lessons at the time, and I went to my singing class,” Valentine started. “Also taking lessons was Gregory Peck… When he walked by, I was at the teacher’s piano and he saw me through the window and kind of mimed, ‘You did it!’ I was like, ‘Oh my God. It’s Gregory Peck!’ How was it that I had the fortune to meet these stars and talented people from the get-go?”
The series was a major success, earning high ratings and praise from critics. However, during its fourth season, audience interest began to wane, leading to its cancellation midway through the season.
Recalling the moment the network informed the cast, Valentine admitted, “Why things changed, I have no idea. But they at least had the wherewithal to let us know it was happening, and it was sad… It’s always sad, especially when you believe in the show and feel it’s a good product. But in the end, the network decided to go in a different direction. That’s what they always say, ‘We’ve decided to go in a different direction.’”
Karen Valentine appeared in a number of series and films, with her latest one, Wedding Daze, released in 2004.
Reflecting on her role in Room 222, Karen Valentine has only the fondest memories.
“Working with all those amazing people and having that kind of experience right out of the gate—it brings back the best memories in the world for me,” she shared.
She added, “It also kind of spoiled me because it set the bar really high. So when other opportunities came along, I’d think, ‘What is this?’ It was different. But I was lucky to work on projects that were fun and well done.”
Valentine has been married twice. She and her second and current husband, Gary Lewis Verna, have been together since tying the knot in 1977.
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