Oh, just a whole bunch of people on the board. Here's my story of what to expect, based on my Chicago tryout a year ago (update: I never got called to be on the show. One of the other people who tried out at the same time, Myron M. Meyer, who posts on this board, did and took 'em for a potfull, bless his heart). It's slightly edited but still long, for which I apologize.
CHICAGO - Now entering the ballroom was today's contestant: A copy editor and somewhat-befuddled columnist from Green Bay, Wis., DrBear! Ah, dreams of glory. They're what I was chasing on Tuesday.
My wife and I were in Chicago to try out for \"Jeopardy!\" (And yes, the exclamation point is important - they even addressed the letters to me with DrBear! as the recipient.)
We had signed up at the show's Web site in February after seeing that tryouts would be held in Chicago in April. First, they called my wise wife, who was wise enough not to use it against me. Then, a week later, my call. The letters followed, with directions to the Michigan Avenue hotel and instructions on what to wear (dress as if you were going to be on the show).
So there we were, about 75 of us on the sort of uncomfortable chairs you find in hotel ballrooms. A \"contestant coordinator\" welcomed us, and the multimedia test began.
First, we were handed our tools: A sheet on which to write the answers, another sheet on which to list five interesting things about ourselves (for those interviews Alex Trebek does after the first few questions), and an official \"Jeopardy!\" stick pen.
We then were shown a tape of Trebek and the show's \"Clue Crew\" welcoming us to the tryout, giving us hints (you don't have to answer in the form of a question, you should guess because you might be right, and have fun), and then the test.
That's 50 questions, all hard-level \"Jeopardy!\" ones. The answers flashed on the screen for the eight seconds you get to answer a question on the show, read by announcer Johnny Gilbert. After eight seconds, it was a new category and answer. I can't repeat them here (don't want to give away the answers) but they're typical of the show.
How hard? As we watched more adventures of the \"Clue Crew,\" they graded the tests. Of 75 of us, only eight passed.
My wife, a woman of above-average intelligence (at least in picking husbands), didn't make it. Most didn't.
Somehow, I did. The others included a Methodist minister, a lawyer, and a law student wannabe. (And that's scary. Do I want to be defended by somebody citing \"Webster vs. Potent Potables?\")
Those of us left had our pictures taken, did more paperwork (do you know anybody connected with the show, Sony, your local TV station, or who has ever used a telephone?) and had the fun of playing an actual \"Jeopardy!\" game, complete with board and buzzers.
And it isn't as easy as it looks. Mastering the buzzers alone is a skill. The answer is read, a small light flashes, and only then can you ring in. Of the 20 or so questions in our mini-game, I rang in on three. (At least I got them all right.)
And now? They have my name, and all I can do is wait for the call from Hollywood.
The kicker: They ain't paying for any of it. I paid for our transportation to Chicago; if I'm called, I pay to go to L.A.
Oh, and my guess for the reason I wasn't picked - when they do the mock game, they do it like the TV show: play a few answers, then interview you. I was first and started talking like they were doing the interview first, and I'm sure got marked down as \"doesn't know the show.\" Ah, well.
