The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: TheInquisitiveOne on October 10, 2003, 12:51:26 AM
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Hello everyone!
It has been a while since I did this, but I do have a question for all of you.
I read a thread here recently about how contestants were placed in game shows that had concurrent network and syndicated runs (I believe it was a reference to The $25,000/$100,000 Pyramid). How are contestants chosen for shows with a format as unique as this (such as $ale of the Century, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, and Match Game, among others)? That thought has been lingering in my head for a while.
The Inquisitive One
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[quote name=\'TheInquisitiveOne\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 11:51 PM\'] Hello everyone!
It has been a while since I did this, but I do have a question for all of you.
I read a thread here recently about how contestants were placed in game shows that had concurrent network and syndicated runs (I believe it was a reference to The $25,000/$100,000 Pyramid). How are contestants chosen for shows with a format as unique as this (such as $ale of the Century, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, and Match Game, among others)? That thought has been lingering in my head for a while.
The Inquisitive One [/quote]
Seems to me it was whichever version had a contestant spot that was open that the contestant(or family in the case of Feud) got on. They couldn't specify whether they wanted to be on daytime or nighttime versions of a show and be guaranteed a spot on it.
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When I tried out for Sale of the Century there weren't separate tryouts for daytime and syndicated versions. Everybody tried out together and survivors were placed into one or the other at the coordinators' discression, we had no say in the matter at all.
The coordinators strongly suggested to us in the \"syndicated\" group that we were the better and more desirable contestants. That makes a little sense, since they would be more interested in their more lucrative syndicated series doing well. Still, they might very well have been telling the \"daytime\" group the exact same thing.
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 10 2003, 08:45 AM\'] When I tried out for Sale of the Century there weren't separate tryouts for daytime and syndicated versions. Everybody tried out together and survivors were placed into one or the other at the coordinators' discression, we had no say in the matter at all.
The coordinators strongly suggested to us in the "syndicated" group that we were the better and more desirable contestants. That makes a little sense, since they would be more interested in their more lucrative syndicated series doing well. Still, they might very well have been telling the "daytime" group the exact same thing. [/quote]
The part that I put in bold is what I wondered about. I imagine that there would be just enough people who were good enough for syndie but only available on a network taping day so that the network run would still be good. On the other hand, if I ran the network that has the daytime version of your show, I might not like that practice.
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I can only imagine trying out for Wheel Of Fortune in 1989,
passing all the tests and then finding out that instead of getting
on the nighttime version with big dollar spaces, that I'd be stuck
on the el-cheapo daytime program.
Or getting on The $25,000 Pyramid in 1986, making it to the top of
the pyramid in 33 seconds and not qualifying for a $100,000 tournament.
The $5000/$10000 fast money on Family Feud (1988-93) doesn't
seem too fair either.
That's my two cents {five cents on the nighttime version}.
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[quote name=\'TheInquisitiveOne\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 11:51 PM\']I read a thread here recently about how contestants were placed in game shows that had concurrent network and syndicated runs (I believe it was a reference to The $25,000/$100,000 Pyramid). How are contestants chosen for shows with a format as unique as this (such as $ale of the Century, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, and Match Game, among others)? That thought has been lingering in my head for a while.
[/quote]
When I passed the audition for \"Pyramid\" in the summer of 1987, the letter I got said that I could be called for either the 25K or the 100K. Like \"Sale of the Century,\" there weren't separate auditions for each version.
Brendan
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 10 2003, 08:45 AM\'] When I tried out for Sale of the Century there weren't separate tryouts for daytime and syndicated versions. Everybody tried out together and survivors were placed into one or the other at the coordinators' discression, we had no say in the matter at all.
The coordinators strongly suggested to us in the "syndicated" group that we were the better and more desirable contestants. That makes a little sense, since they would be more interested in their more lucrative syndicated series doing well. Still, they might very well have been telling the "daytime" group the exact same thing. [/quote]
More desirable, yes. I can't believe you bought that porch swing! :)