[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

One night I did a bunch of research into what's involved in getting on the show, etc., and basically, here's out it goes (if you're interested):

1. Take a written test (for you, in Washington, I suppose), where they ask 25 (?) difficult ($800-$1000 level) questions in various categories. You need to get 20 right to hang around.

From what I remember of the test, it's more like 50 questions. You get something like 8 seconds per question. I've taken the test twice, and passed once.

2. Later that day, if you got enough right, you go into a TV practice game, with a fake set and everything. They'll have you write down five interesting things about yourself, and after a practice Single Jeopardy, Alex or more likely some standin will ask you about one of those things you wrote down. You won't know which one he's going to choose, and you won't know exactly how he'll ask his question. You make a little pseudo-conversation with him, just like on the real show. Then you finish off the game, etc. What the producers are looking for here are people who can handle the TV aspect. From what I can tell, you sound like a perfect fit for them, but who knows.

Well, they might do this in Culver City, but not on the searches. You do write down the interesing things, but you do so before the test and hang onto it. If you pass the written portion of the test, you hand this in. They will call three contestents up at a time, give them buzzers and you'll play for a few questions. The questions were presented via projector hooked up to a computer running some crude software. A question will be read, and then a yellow border will light up around the projected question to indicate that you can signal in. Timing here is pretty tricky. You also tell a little about yourself like you would on the show. I'm not sure what kind of analysis they do here.

3. I _think_ they tell you if you "pass" the TV test, and they say they may or may not call you in a month or two. From what I could tell, it was totally random whether or not they actually call you after that one-to-two month period - how well you performed on the tests had no bearing.

4. If you get that call in a month or two, you are DEFINITELY on the show (presuming you make the time and money committments) - you fly yourself out to California on whatever date they tell you, and pay for your own hotel, and then they'll film 5 shows per day. Sometimes it works out that you have to stay an extra day because of carryover champions. But as long as you get that phone call, they guarantee you'll be on the show.

Regarding 3), I don't remember them really telling me anything as to if there was any "passing" of the fake game. You go into the pool of contestants, where I think maybe 1 of 10 people is actually called for the show. There was a good number of months where they could call, basically the entire filming season. You would be notified a month in advance if you are chosen to appear, and then you are responsible for a) getting to California and b) making and paying for accomodations.

There was much discussion about this when Subby's wife appeared on the show, if someone can dig the link up somewhere.