Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
196
How to Be a Game Show Contestant
So you've been thinking of taking a chance on fame and fortune the next time
you're in L.A., eh? Well, both are more attainable than you might think—actress
Markie Post's career began with her audition f or a game sho w; and as far as
fortune goes,
somebody
has to win the big money.
If y ou're serious about tr ying t o get on a sho w, be sur e y ou ha ve some
flexibility in y our schedule; although most pr oduction companies go out of
their way to give priority to out-of-town contestants, you should be pr epared
to return to Los Angeles one or mor e times for a final audition and/or taping .
Here are some tips that might help y ou prepare:
The Bubblier, the B etter:
Be friendly , cheer ful, and bright at y our audition
and during taping . Be good-natur ed when y ou lose or make mistakes , and
above all , be exuberant if y ou win the “big money .” When y ou're onstage ,
nothing feels quite real.
Dress for Success:
Contestant coordinators look for players who won't alien-
ate viewers. It's awfully hard for a granny in the heartland to relate to a trendy
big-city t ype. S o dr ess as c onservatively as possible f or y our auditions , and
avoid the fashion no-nos—white, black, stripes, metallics—that would require
lighting and camera adjustments .
Most Unglamorous Advice:
Remember inc ome taxes. Should y ou be luck y
enough to win big , bear in mind that all cash winnings , as w ell as the r etail
value of all y our prizes, will be r eported to the IRS as earnings .
Some Game Shows Currently in P roduction:
Jeopardy!
Trivia quiz not for the fainthearted (the contestant, that is; watch-
ing isn 't nearly as difficult!). C all
&
310/244-5367
or log on t o w ww.sony
pictures.com/tv/shows/jeopardy.
Wheel of F ortune
Less about y our sk ill with the “hangman”-style puzzles
than your luck spinning the carnival wheel . Call
&
213/520-5555
or log on
to www.wheeloffortune.com.
The Price Is R ight
Contestants are chosen fr om the studio audienc e to test
their shopping exper tise. Call
&
323/575-2449
or log on t o w ww.cbs.com/
daytime/price/tickets.
7
Audiences Unlimited, Inc.
(
&
818/753-3470;
www.tvtickets.com) is a good place
to start. It distributes tickets for most of the top sitcoms, including
Two And A Half Men,
America's Funniest Videos,
and mor e. This service is organiz ed and informativ e (as is its
website), and fully sanctioned b y production companies and networks. ABC, for exam-
ple, no longer handles ticket distribution dir ectly, but r efers all inquiries to A udiences
Unlimited, I nc.
TVTIX.COM
(
&
323/653-4105;
www .tvtix.com) also distributes
tickets for numer ous talk and game sho ws, including
The Tonight S how with Conan
O'Brien
and
Jeopardy!
