Everything to know about the true story of the 'Dating Game Killer' who inspired Netflix's new movie 'Woman of the Hour'

• Netflix's caller movie "Woman of nan Hour" is based connected a existent communicative astir serial slayer Rodney Alcala.
• In existent life, Alcala competed connected "The Dating Game" and won a day pinch bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw.
• Bradshaw declined to spell connected nan day because she thought Alcala was creepy.

The chilling, existent communicative of serial killer Rodney Alcala competing connected (and winning) an section of nan reality show "The Dating Game" is nan ground of Netflix's caller movie "Woman of nan Hour."

"Woman of nan Hour," starring Anna Kendrick arsenic Sheryl and Daniel Zovatto arsenic Rodney, is simply a fictional retelling of Cheryl Bradshaw's brushwood pinch Alcala connected an section of nan aforementioned ABC making love show.

The movie is nan latest to provender into nan public's appetite for true crime and Netflix's estimation arsenic a hub for documentaries and dramas inspired by existent crimes. Most recently, nan streamer recovered occurrence pinch Ryan Murphy's "Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story," which topped Luminate's play ranking of streaming original viewership pinch 2.7 cardinal minutes watched during its first afloat week connected Netflix.

"Woman of nan Hour," which is besides Kendrick's directorial debut, changes immoderate specifications of nan communicative but nan premise is mostly akin to nan existent encounter.

Here's what happened to nan existent Bradshaw and really she narrowly escaped being 1 of Alcala's victims.

Alcala met Bradshaw connected 'The Dating Game' aft he had already been imprisoned doubly and was connected nan FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list

On September 13, 1978, Bradshaw and Alcala some appeared connected "The Dating Game," a show successful which 1 bachelorette asks 3 eligible bachelors a bid of questions earlier choosing 1 to spell connected a day with. As portion of nan game, a partition divides nan female from nan contestants until aft a victor has been picked, truthful she can't guidelines her determination connected looks.

At nan clip of his quality connected nan show, Alcala had already murdered 5 women, attempted to execution an 8-year-old woman named Tali Shapiro, and was connected nan FBI's apical 10 astir wanted fugitives list. He had besides served 34 months for nan kid molestation of Shapiro and past spent 2 and a half years successful situation for giving narcotics to a 13-year-old girl.

But "The Dating Game" didn't do a inheritance check, and Alcala made it onto nationalist television. He later sewage nan nickname "The Dating Game Killer."

During an question and reply pinch ABC News for an section of "20/20," Michael Metzger, an executive shaper of "The Dating Game," said that he wasn't successful favour of Alcala being connected nan show.

"I noticed that he had a very unusual personality," Metzger said.

But Ellen Metzger, nan show's contestant coordinator and woman of Metzger, recovered Alcala charismatic and thought women would emotion him.

Alcala turned retired to beryllium a deed pinch nan audience. He appeared arsenic Bachelor No. 1 and was described arsenic a "successful photographer" who enjoyed skydiving and motorcycling successful his spare time.

Bradshaw, a play teacher, asked nan men open-ended questions that could elicit raunchy answers — and Alcala passed pinch flying colors.

At 1 point, Bradshaw asked, "What's your champion time?"

"The champion clip is astatine night," Alcala responded, adding that nighttime is "When it really gets good."

Bradshaw later asked, "I americium serving you for dinner. What are you called and what do you look like?"

In response, Alcala smoothly said, "I'm called 'The banana' and I look really good."

When Bradshaw asked him to beryllium much descriptive, he said, "Peel me."

In retrospect, Alcala's answers were moreover much eerie considering nan crimes he committed.

Bradshaw ne'er went connected a day pinch Alcala, which ended up redeeming her life

When it came clip to take a winner, Bradshaw picked Alcala. The brace were expected to get tennis lessons arsenic portion of their date, followed by a travel to Magic Mountain, nan Six Flags amusement parkland successful California.

But Bradshaw had an intuition astir Alcala and backed retired of nan date.

"I started to consciousness ill. He was acting really creepy," Bradshaw told The Sunday Telegraph successful 2012. "I turned down his offer. I didn't want to spot him again."

Contestant coordinator Ellen Metzger told "20/20" that nan time aft appearing connected "The Dating Game," Bradshaw called nan agency and told her, "I can't spell retired pinch this guy. There's weird vibes that are coming disconnected of him. He's very strange. I'm not comfortable. Is that going to beryllium a problem?"

"And, of course, I said no," Ellen said.

Bradshaw wasn't nan only 1 who thought that Alcala was creepy. Jed Mills, who competed arsenic Bachelor No. 2, said that he quickly clocked Alcala's weirdness.

"In nan greenish room, he jumps successful and he says, 'I ever get my girl,'" Mills said, adding that he "immediately did not for illustration this guy."

Bradshaw's inkling astir Alcala saved her from being his adjacent target. After appearing connected "The Dating Game," Bradshaw kept a debased profile.

A title paper astatine nan extremity of "Woman of nan Hour" says that Bradshaw "left California to unrecorded a backstage life and raise a family."

In a caller question and reply pinch "Today," Kendrick said that Bradshaw died. The "Pitch Perfect star" said that she didn't get a chance to speak pinch Bradshaw astir her experience, but location were "so galore things" she would person asked.

"I would inquire her what it felt for illustration for her to spot herself," Kendrick said.

Alcala died of earthy causes connected July 24, 2021

Two years aft his quality connected "The Dating Game," Alcala was convicted and sentenced to death for nan execution of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe.

He was put connected decease statement successful San Quentin State Prison, but nan verdict was overturned by nan California Supreme Court. In nan 1986 retrial, Alcala was again recovered blameworthy and sentenced to death. But nan ruling was overturned successful 2001.

During his 3rd proceedings successful 2010, Alcala represented himself. He was convicted of nan murders of Samsoe, Jill Barcomb, Georgia Wixted, Charlotte Lamb, and Jill Parenteau. Alcala was sentenced to decease and was later convicted of 2 further murders that took spot successful New York.

California placed a moratorium connected nan decease punishment successful 2019, and Alcala stayed astatine Corcoran State Prison until his decease of earthy causes successful July 2021. Alcala was 77. According to nan Associated Press, authorities estimated that Alcala mightiness person killed 130 group crossed nan US, but nan existent number is unknown.