Questions for Jeopardy! auditionees

[Tony Peters]

Rather than ask this in the college test thread, I thought I would make a new thread.

About a month ago, I (about 3 weeks after having been informed by e-mail that I had passed the online test and had been invited to audition) went to Savannah, GA to participate in said audition (Saturday morning the 6th).  For those of you who have auditioned for Jeopardy! before, were you given any notice as to whether or not you made the contestant pool?  The other possibility (in my mind) is that it will be similar to the online test in that one will not know until 3 weeks before the invitation to attend a taping.

As an aside, someone at my audition comes up with the words used on Million Dollar Password.  Did he go tto the audition to potentially identify contestants for his show, or (as is the meme) is FremantleMedia really so cheap that they won't pay a decent wage for their employees, so he tried to get on Jeopardy! to earn more?

(The previous paragraph was written in a somewhat facetious manner, since such isn't readily apparent in plain text, and I doubt there's an appropriate emoticon.)

[mmb5]

If you're not asked for the show, it's radio silence.  They only tell the people who make the show.

[Tony Peters]

[quote name=\'mmb5\' post=\'198712\' date=\'Oct 2 2008, 11:39 AM\']
If you're not asked for the show, it's radio silence.  They only tell the people who make the show.
[/quote]
Presuming you're correct, I'd have to wait up to 18 months for contact and only hear from them as per my OP:

one will not know until 3 weeks before the invitation to attend a taping.

[trainman]

[quote name=\'Tony Peters\' post=\'198708\' date=\'Oct 2 2008, 09:25 AM\']For those of you who have auditioned for Jeopardy! before, were you given any notice as to whether or not you made the contestant pool?  The other possibility (in my mind) is that it will be similar to the online test in that one will not know until 3 weeks before the invitation to attend a taping.[/quote]

To clarify this a little bit...

Straight from the contestant coordinators' mouths at my most recent audition (the only one I've done under the "online test" system), everyone who goes through the in-person audition process gets put into the contestant pool -- although that probably doesn't account for someone tanking the written test at the audition, or being obviously ineligible based on what they write on their data sheet at the audition.  But you'll have no idea what their impression of you is; they could be noting on your sheet that they want to call you to be a contestant ASAP, or they could have immediately decided that you'll only be on the show if none of the other 2,000 people in the pool can make it to a taping session.

At any rate, you're right that you won't find out if you've been selected out of the contestant pool to actually appear on the show until a few weeks before the date they want you to be in Culver City for a taping.

If you're not asked for the show, it's radio silence.

Well, they may get your hopes up by calling you at work "to verify your information," and then break your heart by never calling you again.  Not that I'm bitter...considering I've tried out twice more since that one phone call.

[Timsterino]

[quote name=\'Tony Peters\' post=\'198746\' date=\'Oct 2 2008, 05:43 PM\']
[quote name=\'mmb5\' post=\'198712\' date=\'Oct 2 2008, 11:39 AM\']
If you're not asked for the show, it's radio silence.  They only tell the people who make the show.
[/quote]
Presuming you're correct, I'd have to wait up to 18 months for contact and only hear from them as per my OP:

one will not know until 3 weeks before the invitation to attend a taping.

[/quote]

He is indeed correct. You have no idea until you get that call 3 weeks before you are on. You are basically on the clock waiting for 18 months with no idea if you are in the contestant pool or not.

[davemackey]

Having been in the pool for another, similar show on two different occasions, all I can tell you is LIVE YOUR LIFE IN THE MEANTIME. Sure, it's in the back of your mind that "Jeopardy!" has your name in its active file, but you can't let it rule your life. Once the show calls you, then start anticipating.

[Tony Peters]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'199013\' date=\'Oct 6 2008, 05:03 PM\']
Having been in the pool for another, similar show on two different occasions, all I can tell you is LIVE YOUR LIFE IN THE MEANTIME. Sure, it's in the back of your mind that "Jeopardy!" has your name in its active file, but you can't let it rule your life. Once the show calls you, then start anticipating.
[/quote]
Other than the Feb. 2006 Deal or No Deal cattle call (what was I thinking?), this is the first time I've formally tried out for a game show.  I was planning on going on with my life anyway; I just wanted to know from others who have done it before.  (Besides, I already got a taste of the answer between my taking the test and the audition invite).

Thanks everyone.  Any further updates coming if & when they happen.  Now back to your regularly scheduled message board.