Slashdot Gameshow Experiences?

Rev Wally asks: "Next Tuesday, I hope to achieve one of my life long goals, as I've been selected to try out for Jeopardy! in Boston. I am looking for any words of wisdom from any one else who has appeared on/tried out for any game shows. Also, from any one at all, I am looking for you to throw random trivia questions my way, to try to sharpen my skills. Any help will be much appreciated, And I will try to keep any updates in my journal."

Comments

I'm on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in a week

[robolemon]

This post couldn't be more timely! I went through the tryout process for Millionaire over the summer and was just selected to tape down in NYC on October 19th.

A few observations: it helps incredibly to give a good interview. Sure, you can get the good trivia questions answered, but what will interest viewers at home? Think hobbies, quirky facts, personality traits...

Also, I have some friends who have tried out for Jeopardy!, and they tell me you can expect to play a mock game if you make it far enough, and that it's hard for middle-aged white males to make it on (they get a ton of those, if you can imagine).

And, sadly, I must tell you that there are a lot of people that make it to the tryouts and very few that make it onto the show! You really have to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

If Jeopardy! is anything like Millionaire, you won't be able to tell anyone the results of the show until it airs. For Millionaire, you don't even get paid until 30 days after your air date (mine is January 24th, by the way). So if you get on, get ready to keep a big secret.

Good Luck

[BigT]

When you try out for Jeopardy you first take the written test. It's 50 questions, and you have less than 10 seconds to answer before you get the next one. Most of the questions are of the $1600 double jeopardy level of difficulty. You have to get at least 35 out of 50, but it's tougher than it sounds. Less than 10% typically make it to round two which consists of on-camera interviews and a mock game.
I tried out in Seattle 2 years ago and didn't make it but it was fun. Let us know how you do.

Re:Here's one...

[tverbeek]

Moderator: That's not +1, Funny; it's -1, Sad. This poor slob hasn't read one of the most nerd-friendly series of fictional books in the galaxy (or heard the radio series or watched the TV series, both of which covered this point, as I recall).

Although Adams insisted it was coincidence, the answer to "What is six times nine?" is 42... in Base 13.