The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: PYLdude on May 29, 2021, 10:23:13 PM
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Okay. So many of us have gone through the process of trying to get on a game show. Some have gotten through, others haven’t, but it’s always a story to tell (if you’re so inclined).
I’m curious to see if you guys have any interesting stories about your experiences, ergo this topic.
I’ll start with one that really isn’t too much of a tryout story as it is an odd break.
Don’t know if I’ve told this one before, but I have a little more detail to go into if I did. Back in 07, I lost my uncle in the fall. To take my mind off of everything going on for a little bit I decided to fill out the Merv Griffin’s Crosswords contestant application just for a lark. I did this around lunchtime, East Coast.
A few hours later I’m on a bus heading to the mall so I can get some sort of outfit to wear to uncle’s funeral. I’m back in mourning mode at this point and sort of out of sorts, when my phone starts to ring. I look at the caller ID and it’s a 213 area code. I said “no way, really?”
So I answered, and wouldn’t ya know it was the contestant coordinator at Crosswords following up with me. “That was fast,” I remarked to the woman who laughed when I said that.
Unfortunately (or maybe not) I couldn’t take her up on her offer of a spot on the show because I couldn’t rearrange my schedule due to the turnover being lightning fast (plus I hadn’t overcome my fear of flying yet). Still, I’ve never seen that happen before. Usually the process takes more time. I just got a chuckle out of it. Considering where I was then, it helped.
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Outside of several J! online exams, I tried out for Millionaire at one of the Trivia Nationals conferences in Vegas in summer '18. I never got past the written exam. :P
The Wheelmobile made its way to the hotel behind Hampton's campus in fall 2001. I can't remember why I didn't go. I think it was raining and I had no ride...it might've also been a football game on campus.
/Maybe Fallon's Password will be my ticket
//So long as no one from the Forum works on the crew
///You know who you are?
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Nothing will compare with the tryout I did with Ben for Million Dollar Money Drop where 14 of us were standing in the lobby of a production office simultaneously shouting over each other to answer the one question they had us simulate.
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I went into my J! audition in Chicago knowing that the last question they ask during the interview is "What would you do with the money if you won big?" (BTW, pro tip: they'll tell you that in the room, but they'll also tell you to answer anything but "pay bills". That didn't stop at least three people in our group from answering "Oh, I've got some bills I need to pay...". Wanna get on a show? Show you can handle taking simple direction...)
Growing up, my grandparents had a pinball machine in the basement of their condo to give all the grandkids something to do while the adults sat upstairs and enjoyed various beverages. One day, Grandpa called and told me they were moving to a new place, didn't have room for the pinball machine, and wondered if I'd like it in my house. It took every last ounce of restraint I had to not say to him "I'm sorry, did you just call a 14 year old boy and ask him if he'd like his very own pinball machine? Because yes, please!" So the machine (Bally "Mata Hari" if you're scoring at home) was in my basement for several years after that, and I always told myself if I ever bought a house, I'd put a pinball machine in the basement. Flash forward 30 years: I own my own home with a large finished basement perfect for a pinball machine. So there's my answer for the audition.
Glenn Kagan was doing the interviews in my group, and I was the very first person in the room to be called upon. He asks me the "usual" questions, then hits me with the "What would you do" line. I immediately say "That's easy, I'm buyin' a pinball machine!". I tell the story, get a good laugh at the "yes, please" line, Glenn asks what machine I'd buy, and then drops an absolute non-sequitur of a question: "Have you ever been to Las Vegas?"
I have no idea why he's asked this question, but I say yes, I've been there a few times. Glenn says "Well they have this place--" and my brain finally makes the connection. I interrupt him and say "Oh--the Pinball Hall of Fame!". Turns out Glenn is something of an aficionado; we talk pinball for a minute before it's time for him to move on to the next person.
After the audition, we chat for a few minutes about pinball--favorite tables, phone apps for playing virtually, etc. And coincidentally, after the audition I'm heading down to Brookfield where the Galloping Ghost arcade has just opened a new dedicated pinball facility. But having made that connection made me feel awfully damned confident about my chances. (He was in the green room when I went back to change clothes after taping my first episode; I mentioned to him that I could now buy a pinball machine, then had to remind him how I knew he liked pinball. I guess when you interview 2,500 people every year, not every conversation sticks...:) )
And for the record, I still haven't bought the pinball machine; still holding out for "Twilight Zone", but that runs into five figures...
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I went into my J! audition in Chicago knowing that the last question they ask during the interview is "What would you do with the money if you won big?" (BTW, pro tip: they'll tell you that in the room, but they'll also tell you to answer anything but "pay bills". That didn't stop at least three people in our group from answering "Oh, I've got some bills I need to pay...". Wanna get on a show? Show you can handle taking simple direction...)
Thank you for this tidbit. At my Millionaire audition, I mentioned that I would "pay off the student loan bad guys", which got crickets. I'll just assume that answer also hurt my chances. :P
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In 2003(!) I auditioned for Donnymid when they were doing a multi-city traveling tour that had a stop in Minneapolis. I wrote a very lengthy blog post at the time detailing the audition process and a special surprise of getting to play Pyramid in front of a crowd of a few hundred.
Linky: http://blog.knagl.com/archives/2003_09_28_knagl_archive.html
The postscript to the story in the blog is that I never did get a phone call, and the show was cancelled soon after my audition experience.
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In 2008, I tried out for MTV’s adaptation of the Japanese “Silent Library” segment of Gaki no Tsukai, a long-running comedy series.
https://youtu.be/hFS0vWJFGws
The “audition” consisted of a complete play-through of the game, punishments and all, with cameras rolling, in one of Viacom’s large conference rooms at their Times Square offices. The guy seated to my right had to eat an entire can of incredibly spicy sardines. I think I had to drink a small cup of clam juice. I got called back to be an alternate, but never made it further than that.
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Around Easter 2015 in Chicago, I tried out for the final season of GSN's version of The Chase. Four people, including two contestant coordinators, commented "Has anybody ever told you that you look like The Beast?" (Yes and for the record, I was 6 foot 3 and only 320 pounds. Beastie had 3 inches and about 50 lbs. on me.) After making it through everything at the audition, I'm feeling really good about my chances, specifically at the possibility of a Beast vs. Mini-Beast episode.
I head back home, a good 6 hour drive, thinking they'd contact me in the following week, once they got back to LA. At 10 PM, just outside of Toledo, 2 1/2 hours from home, they call me and want me to do part 2 in Chicago the next day, Easter Sunday. I had been on the road for close to 10 hours at this point and I had just the clothes on my back with me since I thought this was a one-day process. I ask the person on the other end if we can do the next step over Skype at their convenience. "No problem." I heard nothing from them for 3 weeks. I made a phone call to check on the status of the contestant process. The person on the other end says they just finished recording for the season.
I was in the pool for the last season of Millionaire as well. No call, but the sweetest octogenarian from my group (of three!) made it and won $100,000.
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In 2017, I auditioned for J! when they came up to Toronto. These auditions took place during the week when Alex was made an officer of the Order of Canada (https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/awards-honors/alex-trebek-receives-order-canada) in Ottawa. He flew in to Toronto and surprised the auditionees before going to receive the honour a couple days later. Toronto traffic being what it is, however, the 17½ mile drive from Pearson to the Fairmont Royal York downtown took much, much longer than expected. As such, mine was the only group of the 4 that auditioned across those two days to miss him.
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- Jeopardy, 1996-ish: New York City. At the time, they were still bringing in potential contestants to the exams by drawing postcards out of a hat. My wife and I sent in postcards, and hers got picked. Fortunately, I was on this group's predecessor, and when I noted that and asked for advice on her behalf, both a five-time champion and a TOC winner told me to go with her to the test... because inevitably not everybody shows up (it was held during a workday), and they want to fill all the seats. So I went, and that's exactly what happened. 50-question test with fifty different categories, all $600-$1000 (at the time) Double Jeopardy-level questions. You had to get 35 right to move on. I think I missed by one or two; my wife was a little farther off. (Both of us have deep dives in certain subjects and nothing in others, which does not make for a good contestant.)
- The Weakest Link, 2001 or so: cattle call at a casino in Joliet, IL. I'm pretty sure I wasn't what they were looking for; mentioning I knew Laura Chambers (the show's contestant coordinator) almost certainly did not help.
- Let's Make a Deal, 2018-ish. cattle call at a casino in Aurora, IL. Came in dressed in a Chicago Cubs uniform. Two-question interview, and goodbye.
Back in 1990, when I was traveling to Los Angeles on business, I called both Classic Concentration and Jackpot to see if I could fit those into my schedule. CC wasn't taping, and the guy at Jackpot seemed pretty certain the show was done (and he was right).
I suspect at this point I'm not going to be a contestant any time soon (unless some show has a Senior Week).
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When I auditioned for J! Kids Week in 2005, one of the producers had told all the parents to applaud when we came out at the end. Before the written exam started, one kid asked if he could go to the bathroom and when he left the room he got a nice round of applause.
One big fail on my part was at a Pyramid audition in 2017 (where, incidentally, I met Chad Mosher) when I gave the clue "your mother's back" for THINGS YOU CRACK.
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I have probably have gone to over a half-dozen auditions (not including TPIR) with no success. My first one was during spring break in college -- auditioned for "Wordplay". I don't remember how or where I applied for the appointment, butbI do remember it being held in an office at a no-name building off of Ventura Blvd.
The one interesting thing I remember from the auditions.is that they literally had dozens of used plastic definition slides (that the celebs would place in front of their desks) hanging all over the office. Probably could have taken one back home if I had asked.
The worst was the Wheel of Fortune cattle call around 1996 in Columbus at a car dealership. 2 mile backups off the nearby freeway, the "audition" mainly consisted of a sheet of 'fill in the missing letters' to words or phrases associated with the local TV affiliate. Good luck finding a box or person where you put your completed 'test' and even more good luck on being called (if you stuck around).
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The first J! audition I ever attended was in NYC for the College Tournament. I won't reveal the year, but let's just say I got the news of the invite via snail mail on Merv Griffin Enterprises stationary.
I sat down in the hotel lobby with some other auditioners, talking about what schools we attended, what we're studying, etc. Just then, an older student came up to us.
"This is my eighth audition," he bellowed. "I've been to four Teen and four College auditions. And they've never picked me. They've always found a way to keep me out of the running."
Most of us ignored him. One auditioner did have the courage to ask him how he's been "kept out".
"You know how they give you 50 clues to answer? Well last year, the category clues were in alphabetical order. I mean, how do you prepare for that?"
I looked up and noticed a woman standing a few feet behind our orator. Could be his girlfriend, maybe his sister. Regardless, she was shaking her head in frustration, as if saying "Dear Pete, he's telling that stupid alphabetical story again."
He's about to tell another story when we're called in to the auditorium for the opening meeting. A J! contestant coordinator welcomes us and asks if we had any questions. Guess who raised their hand?
"Yes, could you tell me if the clues are in alphabetical order again this year?"
The contestant coordinator looked at him like he had 14 heads. "No, sir, the only order for the clues is Question 1 to Question 50."
The 50-question test comes and goes. I don't reach the next round and head out the door. But I had to wonder what became of "Alphabet Man".
Walking out the door, I spot him complaining to his lady friend.
"How could I have passed if they put all the pop culture questions first? How can you prepare for that?"
I then recall that the first clue had to do with bears. Not Bear Bryant or Winnie the Pooh, but something to do with a national park known for a certain type of bear. And going through the clues in my head, I realized that, just like good quizbowl, the categories were properly spread out.
I'm not sure if "Alphabet Man" ever got on the show, or any game show for that matter. But having a rotten, defeatist attitude off the bat isn't going to win you any favors with the contestant coordinators.
JD
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One more story, also J! related.
It was 2008, and the audition was in Savannah, GA. I remember where because my wife and I left the house at the same time that morning -- she was going to work at an elementary school just south of Atlanta's airport, about a 30-minute drive on a good day. I was driving four hours to Savannah. When all was said and done, I beat her home by 30 minutes :)
But that's not the story. It has to do with an actor whose name I'll redact because I can't vouch the veracity of the story, only what I heard.
There were about 25 of us in the audition room. One was a rather large man who said he wrote for "Hollywood fan magazines" for a living. He's interviewed all the superstars, he claims.
Following the initial 50-question test, we engage in small talk with Maggie Speak and Cheryl from the Clue Crew. Maggie talks about Celebrity Jeopardy, and asks the audience what celebs they'd like to see play the game. "Fan Magazine Man" raises his hand.
"You should really get (name redacted) to play. (Actor) is such a nice person and easy to deal with. Definitely will bring fans to the show."
Maggie frowned. "I don't know. We did speak to (name redacted) about playing a few months ago. Seemed very disinterested, bored and upset that we pitched the idea to them."
Fan Man quickly responded: "Well, maybe if you weren't such a (rhymes with witch) to (name redacted), you'd have a booking for the show."
And with that, Fan Man was removed from the audition, screaming that this person was incredibly nice and not difficult. After the audition ended, I saw the guy sitting on a bench outside the hotel, bawling his eyes out. Also leaving the hotel were two hotel security guards who read him the riot act and escorted him off the property.
Also, the actor in question did eventually appear on J!, albeit as a guest clue reader, not a contestant.
JD
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I’ve auditioned for several game shows. Most went nowhere (Deal or No Deal, Match Game); one went extremely far and I was a never-chosen alternate (Child Support); and two I made (25 Words or Less and The Hustler). The Hustler just filmed, so my NDA prevents me from saying anything except that I will be on The Hustler lol but, I wrote about my experience with 25 Words or Less here (https://www.zonkspinblank.com/articles/my-experience-as-a-contestant-on-25-words-or-less).
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I have no idea why he's asked this question, but I say yes, I've been there a few times. Glenn says "Well they have this place--" and my brain finally makes the connection. I interrupt him and say "Oh--the Pinball Hall of Fame!". Turns out Glenn is something of an aficionado; we talk pinball for a minute before it's time for him to move on to the next person.
I've made it to the "audition" stage of J! tryouts 7 times in the past 20-ish years... but only a couple of times since I started playing in a pinball league (and finding a way to mention that in every interview), and Glenn didn't conduct any of those auditions. No wonder I haven't made it on the show yet!
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About 10 or so years ago the Wheelmobile made a stop to my town. My card ended up getting picked and I got called up on stage to play a speed round. Normally I'm super introverted, but adrenaline took over and I was downright charming in my interview on stage. I ended up solving the puzzle in the round we played, and I got an email a few weeks later inviting me to the second round of auditions. The night before I got a call saying the audition was postponed due to weather in Chicago. The audition was in Green Bay, but the contestant coordinators would be flying through Chicago. A few months later I got a new email with a new scheduled date. The night before the date the exact same thing happened, phone call saying it was postponed due to weather in Chicago. I never heard back. Months later I saw a story on the local news about in person Wheel auditions in Green Bay so either they dropped me off the list or the email got lost.
More recently I got an audition to be an at-home contestant for the social distanced LMAD episodes. Again, I thought I was really outgoing and both people I auditioned with seemed to really like my answers but I never heard back for that one either.
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I tried out for Wheel in April of 2012 when they came to the casino outside Charleston, WV. I almost made it on the show. I was in the final batch before they picked the contestants for the show. Nothing exciting happened for me except for some of the goofy things the other people who were picked out of the drum said during their audition.
There was the one woman who said on stage she collected dead people. She then explained that her group would find abandoned graveyards in the forest.
There was the one woman who wrote and sang a song about wanting to get on the show. Unfortunately that show was "Family Feud".
And finally there was the man who said he had 2 or 3 children. After the host said in shock "or?", the man said yeah but I still don't believe the paternity test they gave me on "Sally". There was a low murmur laughter for about 3 minutes after that interlude.
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Some of the above stories are hard to top, but I'll try.
In 1978, I tried out for Pyramid. I'd seen the show tape often enough. One thing they told us was not to hit the celebrity we were with. I guess Lawford and Shatner's reputation on the show preceded them by that time. I was one of three people who got into Edythe Chan's office. I looked at her for her reaction a couple of times. I think that was my downfall.
When I went to CA in 1978, they were advertising for Card Sharks contestants. I went to the G-T offices. I wasn't picked. I overheard someone telling a potential contestant that Match Game had a two-year waiting list.
Around '90 or '91 Jeopardy had auditions in NYC. 50 questions in 50 different categories. While we waited for the results, Alex Trebek surprised us by coming out, talking to us and answering questions. A nice surprise, and I was not picked.
Around '93 the WOF Wheelmobile was in Atlantic City. My friend and I tried out. Basically filling in blank spaces to complete the puzzle. There were a LOT of applicants. IIRC, we had to go catch our bus back to NYC. We never heard back from them.
During the '98-'99 season, Bergeron's HS came to NYC. Testing was at the South Street Seaport. They went over what and what not to do. General question quiz, didn't get selected.
In 2001, The Weakest Link tested at the NBC Studios at 30 Rock. I remember one older lady telling the guy reading the questions to slow down. I thought imagine if she said that to Anne Robinson on the show. I did not advance to the next round. Neither did the lady who told the question reader to slow down.
A few times I tested for Millionaire. Never made it.
As Walter Cronkite used to say, "And that's the way it is."
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To me, the only two interesting ones were when I tried out for The Chase in 2013 and Sports Jeopardy! in (I think) 2015:
For The Chase, after I had gotten to the second day of tryouts (they make you play a simulated cash builder, throw some back-and-forth with a coordinator playing The Beast, and play a Final Chase with two other people), I was waiting in a lounge area with others who were trying out. While most people were like me (a bit nervous and excited), one guy (the only one who came dressed in a suit) spent most of his time with us lecturing on how he had studied the British version so intently that he knew the optimal strategy to maximize his winnings and what The Beast's weak areas of trivia were. I thought the guy was a bit of a douche, but others were paying enough attention to him where I could effectively zone out and not be noticed. I never caught the guy's name until Loogaroo made a blog post a few years ago, and my first thought was, YES! THAT'S THAT PRICK I MET AT MY TRYOUT! As a side note, I remember actually being in the contestant waiting area for the show and getting to geek out with fellow game show geeks about Sale of the Century coming back to GSN and thinking, "How often am I going to meet people in real life excited about Sale reruns?" :)
For Sports Jeopardy!, I didn't make it past the written test, but I distinctly remember one question on our exam (it was 30 questions, not 50) basically asking who the US Men's World Cup coach was in 2014. I heard almost everyone in the room breathe a sigh of relief and excitedly scribble down an answer as the tournament had *just happened* and the coach was on the news every single week, while I sat there dumbfounded as I don't follow soccer. I may have gotten a women's golf question right that no one else around me did, but I just looked around and thought, "Wow...there's no friggin' way I'm getting on this show now after missing a softball like that." I was right, by the way. ;)
Anthony
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One big fail on my part was at a Pyramid audition in 2017 (where, incidentally, I met Chad Mosher) when I gave the clue "your mother's back" for THINGS YOU CRACK.
Ha! I was there as well. Didn't go as well for me, but the one takeaway is to listen to the casting coordinator's instructions. It sounds so simple, but when there is so much to focus on in the process, it can get away from you.
After the first round of clues, the coordinator advised me to think of a second angle when giving clues. Yes, thank you, I've watched enough Pyramid to know that. Didn't occur to me until my feet were back on West 66th Street that she was testing my ability to pivot in cluegiving. I mean, I did do that for a few of them, but obviously I should have done that for all of them. When I couldn't get "children" with "another word for your kids," I got flustered, because of course that is such a simple answer. Of course, I needed to go to "BLANK of the Corn" or something like that.
While she recommended I submit a video online as well, we didn't even tryout any Winner's Circle material.
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I tried out for TPIR on three occasions in the '90s: once in 1990, twice on the same day in 1995, and once in 1996. Just before I tried out in 1996, someone in ATGS indicated that, if the interviewer--at the time, usually Phil Rossi for both Monday and Tuesday tapings and the first Wednesday taping and The Dob for the second Wednesday taping--asked you three questions instead of two, it meant you were much more likely to get chosen as a contestant.
Phil interviewed me at each taping, and I'm not sure if my being first in line for the first 1995 taping and the one 1996 taping really had any bearing on this, but in 1996, after he asked me, "Where's home?" and "What do you do?" he asked me, "Brian, you look very familiar. Where have I seen you before?" Remembering what was said on ATGS, my adrenaline really went into high gear. I wasn't sure if I should have compared my looks to a celebrity's (folks back then said I bore resemblance to Pee Wee Herman :-[ ) or just play it straight. I chose the latter and sheepishly but truthfully replied, "Well, I tried out on Memorial Day last weekend." Phil grinned, turned to his assistant (a lady with long black hair) and said, "Oh, you remember that day, don't you?" While she scribbled fervently on her clipboard, she replied, "Of course!" The other 9 tryouts in line all chuckled. I had a really good feeling about this.
It turns out I was the first contestant called down that day and the second one to go up onstage. 8)
My only other game show tryout was for WoF in 2000 in Washington, DC. I got a callback the day after I attended the Wheelmobile to take the test. However, I was traveling on business the day of the test but they allowed me to take the test in Baltimore the day before. I remember how difficult the test seemed, so much that I didn't even answer all 50 puzzles in the allotted time. Needless to say, I wasn't chosen to move to the next step.
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A PS from my post above.
I attended tapings of TPIR in '75, '78 and '95. So in effect, I tried out to be a contestant on that. IIRC, Jay Wolpert picked the contestants in the '70s. In '78 I stood on line next to some guy determined to get on the show, who acted like he had 10 cups of coffee. "Look at me Jay, I'm all excited about coming on down." Jay basically said "Good for you." When Jay asked how I was, I half jokingly responded "Partially deaf." He smiled and moved on.
I basically went to see the show, so I was not disappointed in not getting picked. I saw two tapings on each of my visits. In '78, they played It's Optional and Finish Line. In October of '95, they did the Christmas shows week. I saw them play Split Decision, which was the new game at the time. I never saw Drew Carey host in person. But I saw TPIR with Barker, Rod Roddy and the legendary Johnny O. That's good enough for me.
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I wish I had written down more details of my tryouts. I have done a few, but a lot of the details escape me.
- I remember going to Philadelphia to try out for Twenty-One, before the show filmed any episodes. I was 18 or 19 at the time and was the youngest person in the room. I passed the test and played a mock game. The format that they used for the mock game was not the same as they used when the show went to series. I didn't hear from them after.
- I did a tryout for syndicated Weakest Link, but I do not remember the location. It may have been NYC. I was a sophomore at Penn State and wore a Penn State sweatshirt. After I auditioned, I was notified that I would be a contestant, that they would be flying me out to LA to be a contestant on a "College Week" of shows, and to keep my schedule open for certain dates. A couple weeks later, my mom took a call from them; they no longer needed me as a contestant, so I never did play the game. Funny thing is, syndicated Weakest Link didn't air in my TV market at the time.
- I went to group auditions for Donny Pyramid and Hollywood Showdown. One of these was at the Tysons Corner Mall in Virginia, I'm pretty sure it was Pyramid. I recall there was at least one Pyramid contestant selected from the Tysons Corner audition group.
- I've been to at least two Jeopardy and Millionaire auditions. I never passed the J! test...I did pass the Millionaire tests, but never heard from them after.
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- I went to group auditions for Donny Pyramid and Hollywood Showdown. One of these was at the Tysons Corner Mall in Virginia, I'm pretty sure it was Pyramid. I recall there was at least one Pyramid contestant selected from the Tysons Corner audition group.
I believe it was Donnymid as well. That’s about 2.5 hours from Hampton and I vaguely recall thinking about driving up to the audition, but again couldn’t get access to a car.
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Some (admittedly very hazy) memories of trying out for first season of syndicated J! in 1984...
Tryouts were held at Metromedia Square in Hollywood, which was where it taped at that time. There were between 25 and 30 of us trying out that day, all seated at classroom-style chairs in a large room. As we were waiting to get going, the fellow next to me leaned over and asked, "So is Art Fleming still hosting?" (This will not end well, I remember thinking.) Of course, the first question the production assistant asked was, "So who hasn't seen our show yet?" About three people — including the guy next to me — raised their hands. They were immediately excused and told to go home, watch the show and come back after they'd done so.
The first part of the process was a paper-and-pencil test of about 30 general knowledge-type questions, of which you had to get a particular percentage (around 80%) correct to make it to the contestant interviews. I thought the questions were fairly easy, aligning with their "trivia with a twist" tagline of the first season. I remember being stumped by a question about the building that's on the back of the $10 bill but managed to get enough right to go on to the contestant interview. Six of us made it through that part of the testing process.
The interviews were pretty low-key; typical questions about your work, hobbies, etc., to get a feel for your personality. There were two people interviewing; I think one of them may have been Dick Schneider, the director. Then we ran through some sample questions to see how quickly and how well we could respond to the game board. If I recall correctly, this was pretty low-tech; I think they were just typical J! categories on a board; they read the answers and we raised our hands to buzz in. We definitely didn't run through a complete game.
Three of us made it through that part of the process and were told we would go in the contestant pool for a future taping. I was called over to the interviewers' desk and reminded that, since I lived in Seattle, I would have to pay my own way back to be on the show. Was I willing to do that? Knowing that they wanted out-of-town contestants, I responded that I would. They told me that if I did come back, they'd guarantee me a contestant spot on taping day. (I'm sure I wasn't the only one they made that offer to; a guy who was on the episode before mine came down to LA from British Columbia, so I assume they were giving priority to nonlocals.)
All in all, the procedure took a couple of hours, and a confirmation letter came a few days later.
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Besides my 4 times at TPIR, where I knew there was no way I'd be a contestant, I auditioned for the Baldwin MG in spring 2019. I answered all questions except 1 correct, but needed a few questions repeated. That and the fact that I probably looked like a zombie due to being crazily overworked in the days leading up to it is likely why I wasn't chosen.
Then a few weeks before Thanksgiving, I filled out the very lengthy questionnaire for PYL. The casting folks and I had a good conversational flow and they liked the way I played the game with enthusiasm, excitement, etc. with a phony red buzzer on a table and all. I never keep my hopes up in these situations. That's a good thing, because again I wasn't chosen.
Card Sharks sent me an application a few weeks after and I filled it out, but the casting folks were the same as PYL. So, this time I didn't even get a phone call.
So, who knows the magic way to "pass the audition tests" are. As much as I would've loved to be on PYL or any of those shows, if the worst that happens to me in life is that I don't get chosen for game shows, I'd say I'm doing ok. Meanwhile, my brother was on the Memorial Day episode of Beat Shazam in 2019 and he had way better luck then me.
My question for those in the know--if the contestant coordinators for these shows don't pick you on the first try, do they ever consider you for a future season?
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Millionaire daily: Took a day off work (and missed the office's annual summer pool party) and got up at the crack of dawn to take a bus into downtown Seattle. The test was at the plaza that is home to Seattle's ABC affiliate as well as an AM and FM radio station. Did not pass the test but the gentleman in front of me happened to be one of the contestants on the lost episode of Winning Lines. We discussed game shows (shock!) and the bribe episode of Mole 2, so that probably pegs the window of when it was. No joy, no problem.
Wheel of Fortune: Wheelmobile event in anticipation of the show's return to the Pacific Northwest, the event was at the Fourth of Jul-ivars festival. My name was not drawn from the bucket but I remember that the hopeful behind me constantly had spittle forming at the corners of her mouth, so I faced forward as much as I could.
Millionaire daily: 2016. With the show in Las Vegas and me at TCONA I finally tried out again. For the written test I sat at the forward left corner with Dan Melia and Lorin Burte behind and to my right. Dan was pleased I remembered him, less so that I remembered him from my senior year of high school. The PAs set the bar way too low and just about everyone from our group passed the test (including our Brian Henegar!). I noticed that Roger Craig was in the group. I wanted to say hello and thank him for recommending the Anki program that I had used during my night school studies.
In all the hubbub I notice that after I am done with an all too brief interview with the PA that Mr. Craig is nowhere to be seen and his number was not called. Sads.
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Great shares, all.
I remember when I went to try out for the current Pyramid series. Was in the same ABC commissary that used to house Millionaire tryouts. It was an open call, and they really didn’t make too much of an effort to let people know outside. You’d think having gone there four times prior I’d know where the door was, but I didn’t. But I still batted 1.000 in one thing I always did..tripped getting out of the metal detector. (Every time.)
One of the staff members called us over four at a time, got to talk to us, and then tried to gauge our prowess. Two things that stuck out for me was this one woman who was quite a looker but didn’t understand the core concept of the game (don’t say the word/category). The other was one of the clues someone gave for “things that happen monthly” (a woman’s period) that caught everyone off guard for a second and caused us all to burst out laughing. (It might’ve been the staff member, I think.)
Another thing was that someone had brought along some cards from a Pyramid home game and left them there for people to practice with; I thought that was a nice gesture.
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Price - Tried in June 2000, then a few more times in April and June 2001. Stopped trying when I was able to get backstage.
Millionaire - Did the written test after a taping in 2004. Did not pass
Million dollar password - I knew this one was a long shot, since these prime time shows have a certain type they look for, but I figured, what the hell. Went with a friend. Most people were practicing until they split us up into random pairs. Of course, I was paired with a young Russian girl who had no idea how to play the game. Why the hell was she even there? I tried, but it was like pulling teeth.
Newlywed game - circa 2009/2010. Auditioned in New York near Madison Square Garden. Got to the building and noticed lots of couples looking like Ken and Barbie which was a little off putting. Filled out a form and was then brought in for an interview to discuss the answers we wrote. I thought it went pretty well, but alas no call back.
Lingo - circa 2006. Drove with 2 friends for four hours to Boston. Shandi Finnessey was there. Took written test. Apparently, none of us passed.
Chain reaction (Lane 1st version) - I don’t recall any written test, but I do recall all 3 of us having to do a sample chain. Not sure if it was taped or not. We tried high fiving each other and I remember we failed miserably. We were doing OK until it was my turn
Part of sample chain...
Soup
N
I didn’t get it and the first thing I thought, I may have even said it out loud was “What the hell is a Soup Nazi”? It was game over at that point. Sorry folks, I never watched Seinfeld.
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Back in 1998, before Ben Ziek and I moved to CA, we visited and made it a "game show vacation"... tickets for Match Game, Whose Line Is It Anyway? (the Game Show Hosts hoedown was our suggestion :))) & Price Is Right. We also scheduled a tryout for Hollywood Squares. We both took the test and only I passed to the next part which was a mock game with Brian Conn hosting. Never got a call.
Once in CA starting in 1999, I tried out for Rock & Roll Jeopardy! and failed miserably. Got to sit in the Jeopardy! audience and take the test while the answers flashed on the screen... and hilariously my brain locked up. Didn't get the minimum number correct and didn't expect a call. At all.
Tried out for, I think, Beat The Geeks and had a brain fart during the mock game and didn't get a call back.
Ben and I tried out for Lingo and I think most of you know how that ended.
Ben and I then tried out for the NBC version of 1 vs 100 and we both won a few dollars on that one, but Kelsey Grammar knocked me out of the game. The question involved something about 'Wings', Emmy awards and Frasier Crane.
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Great post:
2000: Twenty One - passed the test and played a mock game. When I declared "5 points " for a category....the producers stopped and asked me what my stategy was. When I answered - I figured I was a lock for the show since I knew the format of the game = unlike most of the crowd.
I didn't get picked.
2001: Weakest Link - passed, picked, sent to LA, played.
2002: Pyramid : Didn't pass
2006: Deal or No Deal - no deal, Matt. They lined us up in groups of 5 and asked us one question : "two cases left - $20000, and a million. Offer is $400000. Deal or no deal?" Anyone who took the $400K was out. I took the 400K.
That was it . then I went behind the scenes and started working on shows. Much better odds of getting paid :) Price, LMAD, MDPassword, a whole lot of pilots and runthrus, even announcing.
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2006: Deal or No Deal - no deal, Matt. They lined us up in groups of 5 and asked us one question : "two cases left - $20000, and a million. Offer is $400000. Deal or no deal?" Anyone who took the $400K was out. I took the 400K.
Thank you for posting this. This scenario came up last week while talking to students about The Monty Hall Problem. I thought it was $1 vs. $1M, with an offer of $500K. At least I got the part about those who took the deal were sent packing.
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Two experiences stand out for me:
1) I auditioned for the second season of Strahan Pyramid in 2017. IIRC, this was the only season (so far) where they made a big tour around the country to find contestants. I planned to fly down to Atlanta for the day to audition.
The morning of the audition, I woke up and could barely speak.
I had laryngitis.
Determined to try anyways, I flew down and made it to the hotel where the auditions were taking place. After a few hours’ wait, my name was called, and I got the chance to play the main game with four other hopefuls.
Despite my haggard condition, I made it through the initial audition, as did one other person from my group (who ended up making it on the show). The CC had us do some further gameplay, and everything seemed to be going well, despite the initial stumble.
I felt very good about my chances, as I knew the game very well, and I had a good rapport with the CC with whom I interviewed.
I ended up getting very, very far in the audition process (I think I ended up doing 4-5 Skype calls with the CCs), but ultimately was not chosen.
I sent in a video for the next season, didn’t hear back, and haven’t tried again. I figure I used all my luck up the first time. :)
2) After a long, bizarre, and ultimately unsuccessful experience in 2017, I went to a taping of Millionaire in Vegas in August 2018, hoping to get into the contestant pool once again.
It was already a very good day - it was the first day of a week-long vacation, TCONA was two days away, and that morning, I had received the offer for my current job. I was feeling REALLY good.
A friend and I took the test while we were waiting in the holding pen. I must have been visibly showing my enthusiasm for the day, for as we were waiting to be loaded into the audience, a staffer chose me to be a potential Thousandaire contestant.
As I was filling out my paperwork, one of the CCs walked out. I had interviewed with her on Skype a few months prior, but had never heard back. I said hi to her, and told her that she had interviewed me earlier that year (I think she may have recognized me, but I’m not sure). She asked if I had gotten to play yet, and I said no.
That chance meeting led to me getting on the show, as I ended up taping a few days later. I am convinced that if I hadn’t been standing at that table and said hi to her, I never would’ve made it. The setup for the last few years of Millionaire was extremely frustrating for potential contestants (ask me how I know), so you really had to work hard to get on.
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Two that go way, way back. The Joker's Wild did some tryouts in Grand Rapids. Passed the question exam. Rich Kline was overseeing the process. Wasn't sure if corresponding with B&E and sending formats would be a disqualifier. Dan said go ahead and participate, but figure on someone else getting picked. After the question period, I got to stick around and watch the on-camera tests and the mock games that narrowed things down to the single contestant. The one tryout in Grand Rapids that I hoped would have panned out was for Paranoia. Did well in the play testing. Don't think anyone from the GR demo was chosen, but managed to make it to the end of the testing day.
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My first of many futile J! auditions, this is the old style contestant search with the 600-person cattle call. 10 questions, after which they would select those who got at least 7 for the 50-question test the next day:
Person next to me: "Why are there cameras here? I don't want to be on camera."
Me: "You...are trying...to get on Jeopardy. That's the whole point."
...after the test, names are being read for those to come back tomorrow...
Same person: "It's all rigged they cheated. All from the same area. Nobody from over here."
Contestant Wrangler: "mmb5"
Me: "Guess they didn't all cheat. See ya!"
On other tryouts I have gotten to spar with Jane Lynch on a 1-vs-100 tryout (they were trying out hosts and contestants at the same time), and got a perfect score on my Donnymid tryout. However, no luck for me.
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Jeopardy Teen Tournament - 1996 - got selected for the audition, flew to New Orleans, took the test in a big lecture hall at Loyola University. My memory is that I was in the room for some of the mock game but I didn't actually participate before being dismissed.
GSN Chase - Don't remember the year, but I'm pretty sure that it was the second season. They heavily promoted themselves at my regular trivia night and I had seen it before so I figured I would have a leg up. In a hotel conference room, passed the written test and did well at the questions in the mock game. I didn't get the call back for the third round the next day, but I wasn't very surprised since I was not the only overweight white neckbeard in the room and I was particularly low in energy that day due to a flareup of a chronic medical condition.
TPIR - 2015 - Stan asked me one question before moving on to the next person in line, who he was clearly more interested in. She ended up getting called in the first four but didn't make it on stage.
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Jackpot - I tried twice in the mid'80s. The first time, one of the coordinators was someone I went to college with for Radio & TV! The first part was a 20-question trivia test where you had to get 16 right to pass. The people that passed went onto part 2 where you met in person with a contestant coordinator. I think each time I ended up with about 14 or 15 right.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - I tried several times when they had the phone game around 2000, but could never get beyond the second level
Deal or No Deal - I submitted all the paperwork and pictures, etc. when they were doing contestant search in my area around 2003. Never heard anything back
Price is Right - my one trip to see the show in 2006 I was with a bunch of you on this forum (has it really been 15 years!) I had a great time but didn't get picked
The one thing I did get picked for wasn't really a game show, but the experience was very similar. It was Dancing With the Stars at Sea on the Holland-America cruise line in 2015 (my wife and I have been learning ballroom for a while - it's great exercise and a lot of fun!) After taking part in the three one-hour dance lessons during the week, I was one of just six people (three guys and three girls) to get selected to dance with a ship's professional on the final night of the cruise, in front of a live audience of 350 people. There was a prize on the line and we had to sign waiver forms and everything. The ship was recording it for their own purposes. I didn't win but I remembered all the steps in the 90-second routine and loved the experience. Not quite a game show but a very similar experience.
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On other tryouts I have gotten to spar with Jane Lynch on a 1-vs-100 tryout
I'm curious - was Jane on the short list of hosts for the 2006 version or were they kicking around a potential reboot?
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I’ve got two.
1. Strahan Pyramid- they came to Chicago for open auditions, and I tried out. They’d bring a bunch of us into a room, and then take 7-10 into a curtained off portion of the room, so you could still hear the tryouts even if it wasn’t your turn. There were a surprising number of people who were playing Password instead of Pyramid, and they got the boot. I was the only person from my group asked to stay, and the coordinator asked me what my relationship status and sexual preference was, which I thought was a little weird. I got on the show.
2. Hanson Millionaire in Vegas- I took the test at Trivia Nationals, and out of the blue two weeks later, got a call asking if I wanted to be on the show. The problem was that they would need me for five days, they weren’t covering any costs sans a discounted room rate at Caesars, and oh yeah- there was no guarantee that I’d even get on. Was not prepared to shell out last minute travel costs for me and my plus one lifeline, and as it turns out, some of the people that accepted the offer never got on the show.
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Only stories I've got are Price is Right line stories, and the only interesting one of those was in late 2012. I was the only person in my group of 12 to get so much as a second question, and I thought it was going fairly well...until Stan said he recognized me and asked if he'd seen me before. I kind of froze before admitting yes, I had been there...because the last time I was there was the 2008 Million-Dollar Spectaculars, nearly five years earlier, and I had no idea how Stan could have possibly remembered.
I did not get picked.
I was probably wearing the same shirt with "Look Ma, I "Drew" A Bad Pun!" written on it, but I have no idea if that's what he remembered, or if he was just making it up, or if he knew I was a moderator at Golden-Road, or if my name had somehow been put on some sort of black list after those MDS tapings, or what, but after my now-wife and I were seated next to the curtains on the turntable side, I had decided that if I wasn't picked that day, there isn't much of a chance that I'll ever get picked, so I haven't been back since.
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On other tryouts I have gotten to spar with Jane Lynch on a 1-vs-100 tryout
I'm curious - was Jane on the short list of hosts for the 2006 version or were they kicking around a potential reboot?
2006. Mark DeCarlo was trying out as host as well.
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While I have been to see TPIR numerous times since 2017 (around 12-13 times), the closest I definitively got was the first time I went. I had won their online contestant search Tweet For A Seat that they were doing as apart of their Socially Awesome Week. Like the Announcer for A Day contest before it, the idea was to submit a clip online of how you'd come on down if called. I was one of two people selected (from this entry) and they flew us both out to stay at the Farmer's Daughter with the guarantee that one of us would get called down. Up until this season, that probably as definitive as you could get in terms of knowing you'd be on the show. Once we got in line, we were both given special numbers (100 and 150) that would indicate to Stan who we were once our respective groups got called up. We weren't in the same interview group but I could see her interview from where I was in line. We both got an extensive interview with Stan. Don't know exactly what did it for her, but she ended up being called down instead of me (and went on to win her showcase). I was a little disappointed, but I was still elated at finally being able to go see the show, stay at the famed Farmer's Daughter, and meet up with a fellow game show fan (who has become my best friend). I was also treated to an impromptu tour backstage and meal at the commissary since there were a few hours of downtime between the end of the taping and my flight home. Wouldn't trade the experience for the world.
Since then, I've tried out for Pyramid and Match Game. Getting a couple of Skype interviews each time, but not making it further. I know I can attribute some of that to blanking (no pun intended) on my part.
When I was on vacation in Vegas in 2019, I flew out LA to see a taping of LMAD and Feud with a friend. The friend had gotten a 25WoL audition and was able to allow me to tag along. We headed straight there after LMAD and it was interesting. Held at the offices of the FOX affiliate, KTTV, I made it one step farther than my friend, past the "Tell Us About Yourself in 25 words or less" part. Only to get stiffed in actually playing the game with a crappy partner and sent packing not too soon after.
And then there's Wheel. I remember regretting not going to a Wheelmobile in my area one time, so when it came back around in 2019, I decided not to pass it up. It was June, it was hot, and it was held in the "Cow Palace" of my state's fairgrounds. Luckily though, it wasn't too crowded. I figure I'd soak in the experience, put my card in and at least hope for a response even if I didn't get called. I got called. Didn't get to do much, it was too early in the puzzle for me to solve with the letter I picked and another person down the line solved quickly after that, but I knew my chances were good for getting an audition. I actually had a scare that I didn't get one because I was told of someone else who had been to that same Wheelmobile already getting an invite. It turned out that they gotten an invite to a closer city than the one they had traveled to for the Wheelmobile.
My eyes peeled, I finally saw the email. I was a little nervous waiting for things to began, but they went smoothly for me. A quick intro and then the test. I was surprised to find out that they still used some puzzles on the test from at least 15 years prior. I was also surprised to find out that they still show an audition intro video that's at least 22 years old. I got asked to stay after my test was graded and my interview portion went pretty great. I worked at a candy store at the time and a person in my group was a dentist, so that was great to play off of. I thought it was an overall good experience when I went home.
I was pretty wiped out when I got home, so I basically fell out and took a long nap. When I woke up, I was greeted by a voicemail and texts from one of the coordinators, Jackie. All that was left was an instruction to get back to her. Was curious about what that was about and wondered if I had accidentally left something at the hotel. I tried that evening, but got no response. When I tried again the following day, I got in touch and was shocked that it was to tell me that I had made it as a contestant and that they had a spot on a taping day two weeks from that point. Knowing that the process usually goes that you'll get a letter two weeks from your audition and then an email about an opening tape date, I was a little flustered to suddenly have all those steps happen all at once and a day later (it would've been hours later had I been awake to answer my phone). It was an amazing, whirlwind experience.
I was probably wearing the same shirt with "Look Ma, I "Drew" A Bad Pun!" written on it, but I have no idea if that's what he remembered, or if he was just making it up, or if he knew I was a moderator at Golden-Road, or if my name had somehow been put on some sort of black list after those MDS tapings, or what, but after my now-wife and I were seated next to the curtains on the turntable side, I had decided that if I wasn't picked that day, there isn't much of a chance that I'll ever get picked, so I haven't been back since.
I'd still say go if you ever plan to go back out west and have free time. The show is still a blast to see and it's been wonderful seeing some of my favorite games in person. My friend that I go with all the time lives in San Diego and has gone often enough that Stan recognizes him and basically recognizes me as well whenever I'm out there with him. I figure that he'll eventually reward persistence, which he has in the past.
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I've only had two attempts at tryouts and that was back in March 2007 when I went to see Price is Right for a couple of tapings before Bob Barker retired (and went with Mr. Armadillo - was a blast meeting him).
I think it was the first taping where Stan seemed like he was very impressed with the personality I was showing and if I recall he made the same "secretive hand gesture" to a lady who was jotting contestant numbers down that he did after interviewing someone else who actually got called to come on down which made me wonder if I was very close to making it to the final 9 to be called (perhaps I made the initial list of people to be seriously considered but just didn't make the final 9).
One regret I have from I believe the 2nd taping was when he asked me about my then-location of Talking Rock, GA. He asked if the rocks talked and I stuttered and stumbled into an epic failure (gave a simple answer....think it was an I don't know). I may have done better by telling a story (which was told to me after I had gotten back home and shared my experiences with family) about an indian tribe who settled in the area (don't remember which) and started making their calls only for their calls to be heard right back. They thought the rocks were talking back to them and that's where the name Talking Rock came from (I believe the term today would be "echo" but of course this was the early 1800s if I recall). I wonder to this day if that may have turned things in my favor.... *shrugs shoulders*
I did try an online Jeopardy test but knew I wasn't going to make it to the next step unless all of the questions I made reasonable guesses on were actually correct. Probably have a better chance of getting on Card Sharks. :P
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I mentioned "Jeopardy!" above, but I've also tried out for a fair number of other shows in the couple of decades I've been living in L.A. One that comes to mind in particular is the GSN version of "The Chase" -- I didn't get on the show, but I did get called in to be a run-through contestant on their tech rehearsal day. I got one day's pay as a production assistant, which is obviously more than some actual contestants got. (I also got to see The Beast wearing sweats and flip-flops.)
I've also tried out for at least one show that ended up not going into production (an American version of "Pointless").
I did have a successful tryout for "MasterMinds" and was set to tape in February 2020, but discovered a few days before my tape date that I knew a member of the research staff, and the producers judged that the relationship was too close for me to appear.
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I'd still say go if you ever plan to go back out west and have free time. The show is still a blast to see and it's been wonderful seeing some of my favorite games in person. My friend that I go with all the time lives in San Diego and has gone often enough that Stan recognizes him and basically recognizes me as well whenever I'm out there with him. I figure that he'll eventually reward persistence, which he has in the past.
At the time, I had no reason to go out west, so I wasn't too worried about it. Nowadays, my mother lives not too far from there, but I haven't been able to make it out there for a few years for reasons.