[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'137119\' date=\'Nov 6 2006, 09:06 AM\']That's what I was afraid of. That has to be just about the biggest suck in the history of suckdom. I mean, everybody signs those things but no wide-eyed, eager contestant thinks for a minute that their show isn't actually going to air. Imagine for a minute winning hundreds of thousands of dollars, life-changing amounts of money, and then learning weeks later that you weren't going to get it after all.[/quote]That's one of the risks of trying out for a new unproven game show, isn't it? I wonder how many people who won a few grand on Jeopardy! in 1984 thought the same thing. Now, as long as the show rolls along, everyone gets paid, and all is right with the world.
[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'137120\' date=\'Nov 6 2006, 09:28 AM\']There's probably a lawsuit in here. A losing one, probably, but a lawsuit nonetheless.[/quote]Not even a losing lawsuit, because there are probably two sentences buried in the pages of documents you sign before appearing. 1) By appearing on The Show, you waive your right to sue, and 2) If your episode of The Show doesn't air, we owe you nothing.
I got rid of the book months ago, but I bet you could find it on Amazon.com or eBay, or something. Anyway, David Wagner got on a handful of game shows in the 1980s, and thought he could parlay his "expertise" into a book, and in one chapter he went over a possible scenario that's very similar to what happened here: you get on episode 13 of "Whistle or Lose it!" and win the grand prize! Yay, good on ya and start packing for Hawaii!
Or not. The show is cancelled after two weeks because the whistling is upsetting large numbers of dogs. No trip for you, Chief, and there's Not One Thing you can do about it.
Any case brought before a judge would be tossed on summary judgment. I hope that FOX at least gave their contestants a little help with travel costs and lodging because it's the right thing to do. After all, if a contestant on show seven goes to the AP and says "I didn't get paid when I went on a cancelled game show!" the reporter is going to laugh derisively and push the 'erase' button on their voice mail recorder.