File-This Jan. 16, 1986. file photo shows host Jim Lange, left, congratulating Connie and Steve Rutenbar of Mission Viejo, Calif., after they won $1 million on the TV show " The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime". Lange, the first host of the popular game show "The Dating Game," has died at his home in Mill Valley, Calif. He was 81. He died Tuesday morning after suffering a heart attack, his wife Nancy told The Associated Press Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014. (AP Photo/File)
February 26, 2014 - 9:48 PM
SAN FRANCISCO - Jim Lange, the first of the popular game show "The Dating Game," has died at his home in Mill Valley, Calif. He was 81.
He died Tuesday morning after suffering a heart attack, his wife Nancy told The Associated Press Wednesday.
Though he had a successful career in radio — which was his first love — Lange is best known for his role on "The Dating Game," which debuted in the mid-1960s and on which he appeared for more than a decade.
He played host to many celebrity guests including Michael Jackson, Steve Martin and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The show's format: a young man or woman questions three members of the opposite sex, hidden from her view, to determine which one would be the best date.
Lange is survived by a sister, five children, two stepchildren and four grandchildren.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014