What Did Cheryl Bradshaw Do AfterThe Dating Game? A Look at Her Real-Life Encounter with Rodney Alcala — and How She Got Away

Mar. 15, 2025

Cheryl Bradshaw on ‘The Dating Game.’ ; Anna Kendrick as Sheryl Bradshaw in ‘Woman of the Hour.'.Photo:The Dating Game Show and Netflix

The Dating Game Show and Netflix

Cheryl Bradshaw almost went on a date withRodney Alcalain 1978 — but she trusted her gut instead.

Netflix’sWoman of the Hourfollows an aspiring actress and serial killer who cross paths when they’re both cast on an episode ofThe Dating Game. After blindly interviewing three contestants to secure a prized date with the winning bachelor, she unknowingly chooses Alcala but quickly grows suspicious of him.

Although parts of the movie are reimagined,Woman of the Hourisbased on the true storyof Alcala, who was convicted of the murders of seven women and girls but is believed to have killed as many as 130, perAssociated Press.

“There’s very little public information about the real person, so our Sheryl’s life beforeThe Dating Gameis basically an imagined version of a woman in the 1970s,” Kendrick said. “And her story became central in teasing out the thematic elements of the pervasive gender issues that were rooted in that era and persist today.”

Who is Cheryl Bradshaw?

Cheryl Bradshaw on ‘The Dating Game.'.ABC

ABC

Cheryl Bradshaw was the lead contestant on a 1978 episode ofThe Dating Game, a television game show from the 1960s in which a bachelorette typically interviewed three male contestants hidden behind a wall, choosing one for an all-expenses-paid date.

Duringher episode, Bradshaw asked three men various questions, including “What are you called and what do you look like?”

Bachelor No. 1, Alcala, replied, “I’m called ‘The banana,’ and I look really good.” When Cheryl asked him to be more descriptive, he added, “Peel me.”

Bradshaw and Alcala engaged in playful banter throughout the taping, leading her to ultimately select him as the winner and granting them the prized date.

Was Cheryl Bradshaw actually an aspiring actress?

In an archived clip from the 1978 episode, the game show host introduced her as a “young lady with a wealth of experience."

“She taught school in Phoenix, Ariz., and now she’s here to educate our three bachelors in the art of amore,” he added.

Did Cheryl Bradshaw go on a date with Rodney Alcala afterThe Dating Game?

Rodney Alcala mugshot; Rodney Alcala on ‘The Dating Game.'.Orange County District Attorney’s Office;ABC

Orange County District Attorney’s Office;ABC

Like in the film, Bradshaw quickly grew suspicious of her winning bachelor following their appearance onThe Dating Game.

According to the press notes forWoman of the Hour, Kendrick and the rest of the crew were made aware that the real Bradshaw and Alcala had a conversation after the game show that made her decide to forgo the prize date that she had won, but they don’t know exactly what went on in that exchange, meaning the film is a reimagined version.

Still, Bradshaw eventually made her feelings known. “I started to feel ill. He was actually really creepy,” she toldThe Sunday Telegraphin 2012 (viaBusiness Insider). “I didn’t want to see him again.”

In a 2021 appearance on20/20,The Dating Gamecontestant coordinator Ellen Metzger highlighted Bradshaw’s excitement toward Alcala turn into a “pretty lukewarm togetherness” following their initial face-to-face meetup.

Metzger recalled that the day after filming, Bradshaw called the show’s office and expressed concerns.

“She said, ‘Ellen, I can’t go out with this guy. There’s weird vibes that are coming off of him. He’s very strange. I am not comfortable. Is that going to be a problem?’ ” the former crew member recalled. “And of course, I said, ‘No.’ ”

What happened to Cheryl Bradshaw afterThe Dating Game?

Cheryl Bradshaw and Rodney Alcala on ‘The Dating Game.'.ABC

Woman of the Hour’s end titles reveal that the real Bradshaw left California to live a private life and raise a family.

In October 2024, Kendrick toldTodaythat Bradshaw had since died and expressed the “many things” she wished she could have asked her before playing her character.

“I would ask her what it felt like for her to trust herself,” Kendrick said.

source: people.com