Game shows and you

[Neumms]

Went to TPIR once, on a day when the WGMC said he'd slept badly the night before.

Dutifully sent in a postcard to "Family Feud" when it premiered, volunteering to fill out surveys. Never heard back.

Bought a couple of question cards from Dick deBartolo.

Yeah, that's about it. Frankly, game shows haven't been berry, berry good to me.

[ChuckNet]

Hmmm... I saw:

- WoF in 88, 99, 03, and 07
- TPiR in 97
- HS in 00
- History IQ in 01
- WWtBaM in 04
- Chain Reaction (pilot) in 06
- J! in 06

Met:

- Marc Summers, when the "DD Roadshow" stopped @ my local mall in 89
- Roger Dobkowitz, @ my aforementioned 97 TPiR taping
- Peter Marshall, @ a book signing in 02
- Chuck Barris, @ a book signing in 03
- Todd Newton, @ the GSN Get Schooled Tour in 03 and TPiR Live in 04
- Alex Trebek, @ a book signing in 04
- Daniel Rosen, also @ TPiR Live in 04
- Mark Walberg, same story
- Randy West, same deal
- Ken Jennings, signing copies of his board game @ the Toys R Us in NYC in 05

Tried out for:

- History IQ
- HS
- Weakest Link
- Donnymid
- WWtBaM
- WoF
- DoND
- Ken Jennings vs. the Rest of the World (which never made it to air, so no loss not making it! LOL)
- Power of 10
- MDP

...and participated in a documentary on both prospective and successful GS contestants (The Wheel of Jeopardy). Not bad, huh? :-)

Chuck Donegan (The Semi-Boastful "Chuckie Baby")

[GameShowGuru]

My only exposure has been:

Writing a letter to Dick Clark (and getting an autographed photo back).

Sending a postcard to Your Number's Up hoping to win $1,000 (this was late in its 13 week run, so the results were more or less self-explanatory).

[davidhammett]

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'192813\' date=\'Jul 30 2008, 02:35 PM\']
Once again I forgot all about meeting a legend. I did meet the famous Matt Ottinger at GSC4 in Atlanta 12 years ago.

Even then, folks, he was showing his Chuck Norris-like abilities, channeling the ghost of Bill Cullen in the form of thunderstorms during the playing of "Winning Streak"..His channeling wound up frying David Hammett's dialup modem if I remember correctly...
[/quote]
I always wondered who I should blame...

[davidhammett]

Like Matt O, I've had a lot of fun opportunities.  But there's a subtle twist to my story, so what the heck... here's the highlights:

First tapings I went to... WoF in 1983 (syndie shows #11 and 14), PYL in 1985 (had a nice chat with Rod)

Contestant on WoF in 1986 (and have since driven through swampland in Florida many times)

All those (original) GSC's... lots of fun!

First show I worked on... as contestant coordinator on "That's Atlanta!" in 1996 -- FOX5's incarnation of Brandon Tartikoff's "Know it Alls"

Did phone interviews with Tom Kennedy, Gene Rayburn, Wink Martindale, and Gene Wood in 1996

Shows I worked on... "Greed", "Challenge of the Child Geniuses"

Shows I've consulted for... "Weakest Link", "Russian Roulette", "Friend or Foe", "Whammy", "Lingo", "Show Me the Money", "National Bingo Night/Bingo America", "Duel"

And now for the subtle twist... Next year my school (which I discovered when I moved to California thanks to one of the many friends I made on a.t.g-s back in the day) will be offering a two week winter term where students will take one class all day every day.  So it's a dream of sorts coming true that I'll get to teach an intensive course in the history and production of game shows!

Oh yeah... and I've had lunch with Matt O...

[vtown7]

David - how does one sign up for this course?

Ryan

[davidhammett]

[quote name=\'vtown7\' post=\'193108\' date=\'Aug 2 2008, 12:11 AM\']
David - how does one sign up for this course?
[/quote]
One sophomore has already asked me (on his own, unprompted) what I thought of "Trivia Trap," as well as letting me know how much he despised "Break the Bank" (the Rayburn version).  I hope he'll be signing up.  :-)

I'll let you know if there's any room left for someone to audit...

[beatlefreak84]

And now for the subtle twist... Next year my school (which I discovered when I moved to California thanks to one of the many friends I made on a.t.g-s back in the day) will be offering a two week winter term where students will take one class all day every day. So it's a dream of sorts coming true that I'll get to teach an intensive course in the history and production of game shows!

Wow...first off, that's friggin' awesome!  Once I stop being a "lowly TA," I'm pretty sure I'm going to ask whatever college I teach at if I could do the same thing...though I'd probably put more emphasis on history, mainly because I'm not all that up on production....  But, I'm sure the way you're going to teach it will be a lot better, and hopefully lots of fun!  Just please don't subject them to Set For Life...

Out of curiosity, what text(s) are you thinking of using for this course?

Anthony

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'davidhammett\' post=\'193107\' date=\'Aug 1 2008, 11:56 PM\']Oh yeah... and I've had lunch with Matt O...[/quote]
Wow, I've eaten lunch a lot.

[davidhammett]

[quote name=\'beatlefreak84\' post=\'193137\' date=\'Aug 2 2008, 12:08 PM\']
Wow...first off, that's friggin' awesome!  Once I stop being a "lowly TA," I'm pretty sure I'm going to ask whatever college I teach at if I could do the same thing...though I'd probably put more emphasis on history, mainly because I'm not all that up on production....  But, I'm sure the way you're going to teach it will be a lot better, and hopefully lots of fun!  Just please don't subject them to Set For Life...

Out of curiosity, what text(s) are you thinking of using for this course?
[/quote]
I'm not planning on using a text, although I'll certainly have the EOTVGS's and other books available to the kids as references.  I do plan on having them watch a lot of videos, both of the shows and about the shows.  This is for a high school audience, not a college one, so keeping their interest will be even more important than normal.  We'll also go to one or two tapings, and have some guest speakers come in as well.

[Firefish]

Since my list goes back over 50 years, I'll try to keep it brief:

Attended tapings in NYC (the ones I remember):

SAY WHEN, CONCENTRATION (DOWNS AND CLAYTON), MATCH GAME, CALL MY BLUFF, REACH FOR THE STARS, MUSICAL CHAIRS, HE SAID SHE SAID, PASSWORD, JEOPARDY, THREE ON A MATCH, WWW, PERSONALITY, SALE OF THE CENTURY (JACK KELLY), TTTT (COLLYER, MOORE), WHAT'S MY LINE (BRUNER AND BLYDEN), JACKPOT, BLANKETY BLANKS, MONEY MAZE, BIG SHOWDOWN, $10,000 PYRAMID, $25,000 PYRAMID (Clark and Cullen), MDP

On an NBC tour in NY saw the set for DOUGH RE MI

Attending tapings in LA:
Super Password, Match Game 2008 (pilot)

Tried out for CONCENTRATION, JEOPARDY (Fleming),WWW, JACKPOT, WINNING STREAK, WOF, PYRAMID, MILLIONAIRE, MDP

PLAYED ANYONE CAN PLAY (Anderson) and won the jackpot!

With Weatherman and GSFan, did the development run-throughs for MDP last winter.

Professionals I've met (while trying to pitch games years ago): Howard Felsher, Ira Skutch, Ronnie Greenberg.

But my biggest (and fondest) connection was when I pitched a show to Ronnie G. that he liked and developed, that was picked up as a pilot by NBC as WordGrabbers (1976), and that allowed me to participate in the pre-production and taping and take home a copy with my name on the crawl as creator.

[geno57]

[quote name=\'PaulD\' post=\'192168\' date=\'Jul 26 2008, 06:18 PM\']
How close have you gotten to game shows besides watching them? [/quote]

A few brushes with greatness.  There may have been one or two more, during my 'way too long career in broadcasting, that I've forgotten to mention.

Let's see ... As a kid, I attended a few tapings of Chicago's local "Letter Game", hosted by Jim Hutton, in the mid-1960s.

In the mid-70s, while using the Chicago Transit Authority to get from home to work, I often would have the pleasure of riding with Bruce Vilanch (who, at the time, was a newspaper columnist).  He would keep the entire damn bus laughing out loud, regaling us with his stories and exploits.

Fast forward to more recent years:

During the last several years of his life, Art James and I became email buddies, and we spoke on the phone a few times.  Never got to meet him in person, though.

While working overnights at WGN/Chicago in April, 1989, Steve Allen was a guest on another program.  He autographed my show prep sheet, thusly: "Gene, it sure is late.  Good luck!  Steve Allen".

While working at WSM/Nashville c. 2000 or '01, had a nice long talk with Ed McMahon.  He autographed his "Snap Judgment" pic in my copy of the EoTVGS.

Also in Nashville, year 2000, attended a WOF taping and got front row seats! because an old Chicago TV buddy of mine is close with one of the show's top staffers.  Got to chat with Pat (who, earlier in his career, had worked for the same station) and with Charlie.  Didn't get to meet Vanna, however.

At WHB in Kansas City three years ago, had a good visit with Peter Marshall while he was in town, playing charity golf with his baseball-playing son.  (Pete lives about a half-mile from me.)  I didn't know in advance that he was going to be at the station, but I had my studio door open and heard that familiar voice coming from just a few feet down the hallway.

That would be about it!

[geno57]

[quote name=\'NicholasM79\' post=\'192258\' date=\'Jul 27 2008, 04:57 PM\']
Non-GS audiences I have been in... "The Big Bang Theory", "Two and a Half Men" and "Late Late Show".[/quote]

"Big Bang" is one of my guilty pleasures.  I hope it gets renewed.  The show cracks me up.

[Adam Nedeff]

Announced for two local shows in the Huntington, WV area: "The All-New High Q" and "Take a Chance."

Met: Geoff Edwards, Harry Friedman, Alex Trebek, Charlie O'Donnell, Randall Freer (creator, "Diamond Head Game" and "Dealer's Choice"), Kay Henley (G-T celebrity coordinator), Gary Johnson (former "Hollywood Squares" writer, moved on to "Jeopardy!"), Randy West, Rich Fields, Betty White, Bob Stewart, Betsy Palmer, Fred Wostbrock,  Henry Polic II.

Spoke on the phone with: Tom Kennedy (twice), Merrill Heatter

Worked for: Art Alisi (perennial H-Q staff member) and Dan Fox (NBC daytime executive who strongly wanted to pass on "Wheel of Fortune" when it was pitched).

Currently work for: CBS, which involves spending a few shifts at TPIR and "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

Game show people I've seen in the hallways at CBS but didn't talk to because I don't think I'm supposed to: Patrick Duffy, Henry Winkler, Jeff Foxworthy, The Lovely Rachel, Scott Robinson (none of the pages are allowed to talk to Scott unless he speaks to us first; he's very clear about that).

And like Chuckie Baby, I'm also in the cast of that unfinished documentary about game show fanatics, which is how I met Geoff (who cheerfully came over for one day to film some stuff).

[chris319]

Kay Henley is a wonderful, dear lady.

Fred Wostbrock/Westbrook, not.