'Rod the bod' plays dating show Student visits television's 'Blind Date,' '5th Wheel' by Kevin King The Ranger Reporter

Rodney Littau, an Amarillo College speech communication major, has gone on two dates recently that weren't your usual dates.

Meeting his date for the first time on a blind date wasn't the scary part.

"That's not such a big deal, but there were also about half a million people watching around the world," Littau said.

He was on the hit show Blind Date, which is filmed in Studio City, Calif.

"It was definitely not your typical date," he said.

Littau had joined the military and was stationed in California. In his spare time, he auditioned for a couple of shows.

He went in an office and filled out an eight-page application form.

Television producers checked out his application and tried to set him up with the complete opposite to try to cause some drama, Littau said.

"It was all about creating a character for the show," he said.

Littau, who said he is a confident crazy guy, was set up with a laidback girl from Minnesota trying to make her big break as an actress in California.

On the show, he referred to himself as "Rod the Bod."

Littau said cameras followed the couple around on their date and the producers told them a few things not to say. The producers positioned them in certain ways for the camera, and the rest of the date was theirs. "It was a different experience," Littau said.

There wasn't much talking between the couple while the camera was off. It was all getting ready for the next shot.

"They kept the cameras pretty well hidden, but you still knew they were there," Littau said.

The date consisted of bowling, a self-defense class, eating at a restaurant called Passion and wrapping up the evening at a bar named Lush.

Littau took the girl back to her apartment, said goodbye and was taken home in a cab.

His goal on the show was to keep the audience interested and his character unique. He must have succeeded, because a few months later he was called to do an episode of another dating TV hit, The Fifth Wheel.

On the show, two girls and two guys all meet together on a bus. After they get acquainted, the fifth wheel, a guy or girl, comes on board to cause a slight twist.

The fifth wheel on the show was none other than "Rod the Bod."

When Littau walked through the door to greet the party, he was wearing nothing but sunglasses, a bow-tie and a smile. "It was just a lot of fun," he said.

They ate at a restaurant in Pasadena. After the show was over, Littau said it was a nice working with the girls.

Blind Date was aired in October, and The Fifth Wheel will be aired in January or February on WGN.