"Underground" game show groups

[SamJ93]

Forgive me for piggybacking off of another one of Adam Nedeff's Facebook posts, but this story is so fascinating that I felt it definitely merited discussion here...

As he recently shared, in the '70s there was apparently an unofficial "school" dedicated to training potential Pyramid contestants in how to play the game as well as possible.

It reminded me of some stories I recall reading--back in the last decade or so of the Barker years--about some folks who "taught" "classes" about TPiR at a hotel close to TV City, instructing audience members on how to act in their interview in a way that will give them a good chance of being picked, strategies on various pricing games, etc... Similarly, while I've never heard of a "Jeopardy! Underground" that instructed potential players in all the various subject matter that shows up again and again on the show, I wouldn't be surprised if it exists or once did.

[SuperMatch93]

In the UK, there was a group of trivia experts called "The Organisation" that one could hire as Phone-a-Friends.

[rjaguar3]

Jeopardy! preparation is more mainstream, with published books on what to study dating back to the 1990s. For example Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions by Forrest and Lowenthal and How to Get on Jeopardy! and Win by Dupee.

[Jeremy Nelson]

IIRC, Mark Richards of Starcade fame ran a school for prepping people to get on game shows, taking part of their winnings as a fee. There was a local news piece done on him that was on YouTube at one point.

[Ian Wallis]

IIRC, Mark Richards of Starcade fame ran a school for prepping people to get on game shows, taking part of their winnings as a fee. There was a local news piece done on him that was on YouTube at one point.

He was also on the Phil Donahue show in early 1982 talking about his school and showing some studio audience members how to act.  That show also used some Chuck Barris cues going in and out of commercial breaks.

[clemon79]

IIRC, Mark Richards of Starcade fame ran a school for prepping people to get on game shows, taking part of their winnings as a fee. There was a local news piece done on him that was on YouTube at one point.

I was watching an episode of Leverage: Redemption last night where the bad guy was a professional ward who would get a crooked judge to assign him power of attorney over rich old people. He would then sell their stuff, rob them blind, and stick them in a home.

Dunno why that came to mind just now.

[aaron sica]

IIRC, Mark Richards of Starcade fame ran a school for prepping people to get on game shows, taking part of their winnings as a fee.

"I know you're excited over the Pac-Man machine you just won on Starcade, but I'm going to have to take it as my fee. Here's the Coleco Tabletop version instead. It's pretty much the same thing."

[TLEberle]

Peak “we have Pac-Man at home” mood.

[Mr. Matté]

IIRC, Mark Richards of Starcade fame ran a school for prepping people to get on game shows, taking part of their winnings as a fee. There was a local news piece done on him that was on YouTube at one point.

He was also on the Phil Donahue show in early 1982 talking about his school and showing some studio audience members how to act.  That show also used some Chuck Barris cues going in and out of commercial breaks.

Marky really put his copy of the Chuck Barris "Themes from TV Game Shows" record to use, see http://www.gameshowforum.org/index.php/topic,32535.msg383937.html

[steveleb]

And of course the WWTBAM UK coughing scandal which was documented in the miniseries QUIZ was about such a group .  Excellent series btw