When logging onto AOL today, this article popped up and caught my eye:
"TOP 5 WAYS TO GET ON A GAMESHOW"
By Kelli B. Grant
Reporter, SmartMoney.com
1. Know Your Strengths
Picking the best game show for your skills goes a long way toward getting you onstage, says Steve Beverly, founder of specialty news site TVGameShows.net. If you can't solve word puzzles, for example, your chances of landing on 'Wheel of Fortune' are slim. "But if you gulp when prices go up, then maybe 'The Price is Right' is right for you," he says. "Producers try to keep contestants from embarrassing themselves, and make the show entertaining."
Be sure to consider every angle. Even trivia buffs won't find game shows one-size-fits-all. "It would be absolutely disastrous for someone without immediate recall of facts to go on 'Jeopardy!,' where speed is the premium," Beverly says. "'Millionaire' would probably be a better choice because there you have unlimited time." (In 2000, contestant Katie Knudsen famously took 53 minutes debating whether Tonga or Palau was the most recent country to join the United Nations, a $500,000 question. Unfortunately, she was wrong.)
If your skills don't match up with a specific show, look for one that's more about risk-taking and luck, such as 'Deal or No Deal' or 'National Bingo Night.' "You don't have to know a thing -- except when to quit," says Beverly.
2. Be Your (Super-Excited) Self
On their 2002 'Family Feud' appearance, Saretta Holler's family went wild. "We have tons of energy," says the 31-year-old Irvine, Calif., native. "We were so excited; they didn't need to tell us to jump up and down." The family made it to the 'Fast Money' round, where Holler and her sister, a former Miss California, blitzed through to win $20,000. "Later, I got a call from 'Family Feud,' asking if I knew any other fun and crazy families like mine to have on the show," she says.
Casting agents look for contestants who the audience will either support or vilify, explains producer Scott Sternberg, who has worked on 'That's the Question,' 'Hollywood Squares,' 'The Newlywed Game,' and 'Wheel 2000' (the kid's version of 'Wheel of Fortune'). "We want you to want them to win or to lose," he says.
Standing out is also key. Consider the details that single you out as an interesting contestant, whether it's special talents, quirky family members, an interesting occupation or life circumstances that would be aided by that prize money. "Whatever little edge you have that you think you can use," says Sternberg.
It's likely you'll have only a minute or two with a casting agent during your initial audition so turn on the charm as if you were already sitting onstage. "You've only got one shot," Sternberg says. Smile, be animated and energetic. They'll be asking you about yourself, so have a few of those interesting life details ready to go.
3. Playing the Numbers
Even assuming you're the ideal candidate for any given show, your odds of getting on vary depending on how often the show airs, its popularity and the number of contestants that appear on each show, says Jason Block, who recaps studio game shows for news site Game Show News Net [http://www.gameshownewsnet.com] "Some shows just have a lot more slots to fill than others," he says. "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" needs just one contestant per show for its weekly broadcast, while "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" both call in more than 10 at a time to handle a weeks' worth of shows in a single taping session.
You'll greatly increase your chances for success by applying for several shows that fit your talents. Getting on one show precludes you from appearing on another for a period of time, but most shows will still keep you in the pool. Block should know -- he won $125,000 on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" in 2000, and then netted another $36,701 the following year as a four-day champion on "Jeopardy!"
4. Review, Don't Cram
Before his 2003 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' appearance, Scott Tennant watched other contestants in the pool frantically studying trivia books. Tennant was content to read newspapers and keep his cool. "I tend to think that, of the universe of questions that could come up, what are the odds that it'll be something you recently studied?" says the Cleveland native, now 37. "I don't see the point in killing yourself by cramming." He went on to win $32,000.
Whether you're preparing for a contestant test, or getting ready to go on the show, brushing up on current events rather than memorizing niche trivia is a much more efficient strategy. If you feel compelled to soak up more knowledge, says Tennant, go for the almanac rather than the encyclopedia. The format is easier to digest, and the statistic snippets (like the number of feet in a mile) are common in quiz-format game shows.
5. Practice Makes Perfect
Knowing how the game is played, and the lingo that's used, helps you develop a strategy that can pique producers' interest. "The last thing we would want as producers is someone who doesn't know the game," says industry veteran Sternberg. "Then it's not evenly matched. We love to watch it come down to the very last minute, where anyone can win."
Religiously watching the show is a start, but you'll also need practice time away from the tube. "Treat it as a training regimen," suggests Block. Angling for 'The Price is Right'? "Go shopping," he suggests. Figure out wager strategies for 'Jeopardy!' and banker vs. player's odds for 'Deal or No Deal.' Most shows offer an online version of the game, and often a board game as well. Use both, and encourage family and friends to critique your performance.
