Game shows and you

[Kevin Prather]

[quote name=\'DoorNumberFour\' post=\'192178\' date=\'Jul 26 2008, 05:35 PM\']
I've also had a phone conversation with Herbert Stempel.
[/quote]
Are you one of those guys who calls him whenever Quiz Show airs, asking him what movie won the Oscar in 1955?

[ClockGameJohn]

I was a contestant on Price and became friends with several of those who are/were responsible for the production following my taping.  Learned a lot from a certain Goodson era producer who I respect greatly.

Sat next to Wink Martindale at a Broadway production of "Tom Sawyer" around 1987.

Went to Double Dare in Philly around 1988.

Had VIP seats for Wheel in Philly around 1992.

I have had lunch or dinner with a good number of members here, including a marathon with Chris C.

Today I just spend my time babysitting message boards and spewing random information and rumors I know nothing about so I can have fun defending it to people who challenge me.  

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'ClockGameJohn\' post=\'192188\' date=\'Jul 26 2008, 08:23 PM\']
I was a contestant on Price and became friends with several of those who are/were responsible for the production following my taping.  Learned a lot from a certain Goodson era producer who I respect greatly.
[/quote]
But enough about Ira Skutch.

/Oh.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'bscripps\' post=\'192175\' date=\'Jul 26 2008, 07:24 PM\']
When I was eight years old, on the family vacation to California, we did the NBC tour, where I saw the "Blockbusters" board in the prop storage area.  Later that day, we saw a taping of "Battlestars".  Fuzzy memories, indeed.
[/quote]
I did that too (didn't occur to me until after seeing your post).  Took the death tour in March 1980, but saw the huge tic-tac-toe board of HSq (and a huge picture of Jim Perry holding some playing cards).

Couldn't even see Johnny Carson's car even though the TONIGHT SHOW was preparing to tape (some guy named Letterman was filling in for him--didn't really know who Dave was or would be at that point).

25 years later, I took a morning tour and even though games were no longer being shot in beatuiful midtown Burbank, I got to enter Studio 3 (where a lot of games taped) and 1 (where a lot of games taped until Carson took over principal usage--then it was only used for games on occasion).  Even though I missed the Congreff pilgrimage to TPiR that year to do the tour (and did slightly regret it), standing on the "X" where Carson did his nightly monologue gave me a thrill I wouldn't trade for almost anything.

[TheLastResort]

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'192184\' date=\'Jul 26 2008, 08:52 PM\']Was a contestant on a game show (Weakest Link). Proposed marriage on said game show. Lost the game, won the girl[/quote]

Not a bad parting gift!

I attended a taping of the last TPIR Million Dollar Spectacular with Barker.  Directed, co-produced, and edited a local high school quiz show.  Also built a lot of cheesy game show props when I was younger:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/ABC9...s/FeudFront.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/ABC9...ps/FeudRear.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/ABC9...yramidFront.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/ABC9...PyramidRear.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/ABC9...perPassword.jpg

Sadly, all are gone except the last one.

[chad1m]

[quote name=\'TheLastResort\' post=\'192191\' date=\'Jul 26 2008, 10:19 PM\']Also built a lot of cheesy game show props when I was younger:[/quote]I built a small replica of the Twenty-One set in 2000 with paper and a black marker at the age of nine. I was proud of it... then my two-year old sister ripped it up. -_-

[Jimmy Owen]

I was a recurring panelist on a local game show in Michigan. In my work in radio and television met Polly Bergen who was guesting on a local talk show where I worked camera. Soupy Sales I got to meet at two different radio stations five years apart.  Also met Ray Combs when he appeared at a department store in Toledo.

Appeared as a contestant on both the Ron Greenberg and Larry Anderson versions of "Anyone Can Play..but Don't Call Us We'll Call You." on Shokus Radio.

Bought a batch of old TV Guides from Matt Ottinger when he was selling them on Ebay.  Also, am available to fill in as host of "Quizbusters" if Matt ever takes a vacation.

[J.R.]

I dubbed a DVD of 1 vs 100 for someone who was on the show last year (Mob Member who won around $2800) and personally know someone who was on WOF five years ago (Won around $5600). Would those count?

Oh, and I had a brief phone conversation with Randy West too. :-)

[Robert Hutchinson]

Won a computer playing Paranoia at home.

Took the online Jeopardy! test a few years back, qualified for an in-person tryout, but couldn't make it.

That's about it, really.

[calliaume]

Tapings:  What's My Line in 1970, The Money Maze in 1975, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 1999.

Local-Access College Cable:  Match Game (wrote questions, single appearance as a celeb), The Roommate Game (wrote questions, single contestant appearance), Password, hosted and produced, all at American University, 1983.

Met in Person:  Bob Eubanks and Jenny McCarthy, both at American Booksellers Association, 2004.  Signed books by same.

Signed Book:  Backstage at The Hollywood Squares, both by Peter Marshall and Adrienne Armstrong (personalized by the latter).

E-Mail Correspondance:  Jim Peck, Art James, Geoff Edwards, Merv Griffin, Jim MacKrell, Ralph Andrews, Lin Bolen.

Phone Conversation:  Jim MacKrell

Missed His Call, But He Talked to Karen:  Nick Clooney

Contestant Tryouts:  Jeopardy, The Weakest Link

[Card Shark]

I attended a taping of WOF 7/17/89 and got reprimanded by Vanna prior to the taping for wearing a TPIR shirt in the studio (My dad bought me a shirt at the gift shop before we went in and I put it on and wore it in). While Vanna was chatting with the audience, she walked up to me and said, "Wrong show, mister!" I attended the M-W shows of tournament of champions on J! (aired 2/15-2/17/99) and a TPIR ep that aired 2/18/99. I sat next the to old green "The" chair and out of all the audience members who wanted to ask Bob a question during a commerical stopdown, he answered mine. Other connections...my father tried out for Pyramid in 1978 and did not make it past the first round. My grandmother and uncle (residents in Toronto) appeared at diffent times on Definition. The same uncle was later a contestant on Bumper Stumpers. And finally, the brother of one of my aunts dated Erin Perry. Apparently, Jim was not a fan of his.

Oh, I almost forgot, I was an intern at It's Academic when it taped at WJZ in Baltimore. I basically helped keep score and brought Mac Magerry (sp?) coffee---he's a really cool guy!

[mxc0427]

Well for me, I was on the GSN version of "Chain Reaction" with my two friends last year. I also attend tapings of "Millionaire" each year since 2005 and tapings of "Power of 10."

My best game show connection is with "Power of 10." I was a rehearsal contestant on the day before the first taping. I played the game and met Drew Carey himself! He is, hands down, one of the nicest people I've met in my life. Before we began play, he got a call on his iPhone, and on the other end was Bob Barker! Drew was just casually talking to him, thanking him for being selected, and even invited Bob out to dinner one night! After the call ended, I asked Drew how it feels to be named the new host, and to talk to Bob Barker himself. Drew replied "It's absolutely amazing. Bob is a wonderful person."

Now that was awesome!

[mbclev]

Met in person:  original J! host Art Fleming at Cleveland's I-X Center in the '90s, I think.  (I asked him what happened if all three players finished with zero or less after Double Jeopardy, and he said that such players would be forced off the show [just like they would now], but the show's staff didn't know how to fill the time normally occupied by Final Jeopardy.)

E-mailed:  Wink Martindale (mainly about Wink's Gambit card dealer, Elaine Stewart).

In the audience for:  It's Academic in Washington on November 11, 2000 (where I met host Mac McGarry and the now-deceased show creator, Sophie Altman [may God rest her soul]);  sister show Academic Challenge in Cleveland twice in the 2003-04 season, the '04-'05 Cleveland championship game (where with 12 1/2 seconds left in the Grab Bag round, the show's director cut to a shot of me smiling, because basically at that point, I knew the high school I was rooting for, Solon High School, was going to win the season championship), and Solon High's '06-'07 appearance, plus some High School Whiz Quiz championship games on WERE radio in Cleveland in the '80s.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Kevin Prather\' post=\'192187\' date=\'Jul 26 2008, 09:13 PM\']
Are you one of those guys who calls him whenever Quiz Show airs, asking him what movie won the Oscar in 1955?
[/quote]
I'm not, but I did call him one Sunday night in 2000 after Twenty One.
I was as shocked as could be that I was able to get the number from Forest Hills, New York information.
He was very polite and didn't ask me once if I was drunk. But he had to know I was.
Went to many tapings during the 1980s (the first was The $50,000 Pyramid), but the 21st century journeys have just been for tapings of The Price Is Right, most recently with the Congrefs gang in 2006.
Bob Barker congratulated me and my bride on one week of happy marriage adding, "..and they said it wouldn't last".

[Timsterino]

Like you, I have been a fan since I was a small child. I grew up watching shows like Sale of the Century, The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, etc.

I have attended several Game Show Congresses and met some great people from this board.

I always wanted to be a contestant on a game show and I got my first shot when I auditioned and appeared on Who Wants to be a Millionaire in 2001. Growing up, I always loved Wheel and I got my shot as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune in 2006. That same year I was a mob member on 1 vs. 100.

Besides the shows I eventually appeared on, I have tried out for a bunch more. I was a finalist (in the contestant pool) for GSN's Wintuition and ABC's Duel. I have also tried out for Hollywood Squares, Jeopardy!, The Weakest Link, Pyramid, Don't Forget the Lyrics, Deal or No Deal and the ill fated Show me the Money.

No game show resume would be complete without a pilgrimage to The Price is Right. I have been to Price on seven seperate occasions (beginning in 1992) , the most recent back in March of this year to see a Drew Carey taping. I have never been selected however for Price.

I have also seen my share of tapings including syndi Millionaire, Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, National Bingo Night,  Pyramid.

I was a finalist at the GSN Get Schooled event in Miami. I missed going to L.A. by one question. Also, both my wife and I made it on stage during a Price is Right LIVE show. I made it onstage in Atlantic City and played Hole in One (won a trip to Vegas) and she made it onstage in Las Vegas and played Race Game.

Finally, some of you know I am a sweeper by hobby and I was once selected to be a "at home contestant" on Hollywood Squares during their Secret Square Sweepstakes where my in studio contestant and Joey McIntyre won myself over $17,000 in prizes.

I love game shows.