Anybody been on a Quiz Show?

[stepford]

The I.Q. thread (currently running) made me wonder if any of our esteemed cohort have gotten onto any of the quiz shows on TV, and if so how long ago. This relates to a concern many of us have with the decline of our memories as we age.

When I was younger I had an unusually good memory - never forgot a phone number, always won at Trivial Pursuit, that sort of thing. While still in my late 30s and still in the possession of all my faculties I briefly parlayed this into meager fame and fortune by getting on an old show called Win Ben Stein's Money and winning a few $K. Emboldened, I went down to NBC Studios and took the qualifying test for Jeopardy, and passed (Yay!). The next step was playing a mock game under the watchful eyes of the producers, who decided (probably correctly) that I was insufficiently telegenic for network TV. And that was the end of my quest for Quiz Show glory.

A few years later, like a lot of us, I started noticing that I couldn't think of a word or a name that used to just pop into my head. Nothing serious, just the usual age related decline, but it has progressed steadily. By my late 40s I realized I really wasn't quiz show material anymore, and now nearing 60 I'd be a laughingstock.

So I wonder who else has played for the big bucks on TV, and whether you feel you'd still be able to contend today.

 

[GravitySucks]

Not me, but I do hit the tavern on Thursdays for trivia night.
Yes, at 60 I often blank out on names of people or books or movies that I can remember every other thing about. It's frustrating.
Also find I'm clueless on pop culture questions these days.
Probably MVP of my team, but on a middling team.
DD2 says I should try out for Jeopardy, but at this age Who Wants to be a Millionaire would be a better fit as the answer is there and I don't blank out on the names.
Shame it's not on radio, I have the perfect face for radio.

 

[Nemo2]

Trivial Pursuit

Never competed, TV, or otherwise, but ('Six degrees of separation' an' all that), there was a fellow on our Saudi project who apparently knew the creators and had invested (read 'lost') money on their previous endeavors....he declined to subsidize further attempts....and...oops.

Kinda like the "Can you make zillions in the stock market" thread.

 

[Aerides]

I tried out for Millionaire back in the early days (when Regis was hosting, late 90's). Didn't make the cut, but it was a fun day.

I heard an interview with Ken Jennings a few years ago (the former Jeopardy super champion who went for months in the early aughts), and he said he would not have anywhere near the same results 10 years later. That was going from late 20's to about 40 at the time. The ability to quickly recall knowledge goes much faster than the actual smarts.

 

[braumeister]

I usually passed the online test for Jeopardy, and got to do the in-person screening a couple of times. Most interesting, and although I didn't get the call to go to Hollywood I still have several good pens and a plastic cup that all say Jeopardy on them.

 

[SheitlQueen]

Never tried out, but loved Win Ben Stein's Money. Best game show ever.

 

[MichaelB]

No quiz show TV appearances for me. There were times at Megacorp, however, when I felt like I was the contestant in a surreal episode of a show composed of Jeopardy, Lets Make a Deal, and Family Feud all mashed together.

 

[timbervest]

Was on Jeopardy 20 years ago before they started giving out big money. Came in second. Won bedroom furniture. Declined it when I learned what the taxes would be.

 

[gerntz]

Yes. Local TV station had a high schools' quiz show back in the day for several years with 4 kids on each of 3 teams. Modeled on the old College Bowl quiz show. We got wiped out by the college prep HS but at least didn't finish last - by a hair.

 

[Walt34]

I was never on a game show but I was on the Pick Temple show in the mid-1950's.

 

[Fireup2020]

Does high school Academic Decathalon Super-Quiz (locally televised) count?? No money, just our dinky school beating out the bigger schools - ON TV!!

 

[MichaelB]

Does high school Academic Decathalon Super-Quiz (locally televised) count?? No money, just our dinky school beating out the bigger schools - ON TV!!

Yes it counts, and congratulations!

 

[braumeister]

My cousin was once in the Peanut Gallery on the Howdy Doody show on TV. He answered correctly when asked his name, so I guess that counts as a quiz.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

About 40 years ago or so, my 4 siblings and I tried out for Family Feud. They asked us sample questions.

One was: name a famous male dancer. One sister answered "Shirley McClaine".

Another was: name a famous mountain range. A different sister responded "the Santa Monica mountains"

We were showed the door.

I was on Love Connection.

 

[robnplunder]

I pretend often to be in Jeopardy by following along. Out of the 3 contestants and me, I am very consistent in finishing 3rd or 4th. Even for finishing 3rd, a few categories have to be something I used to know inside out (IT, specific sport, ...).



I heard number of Jeopardy contestants saying that it is mostly about how quickly you pressed the button. It is all about brain reflex at their level.

 

[braumeister]

II heard number of Jeopardy contestants saying that it is mostly about how quickly you pressed the button. It is all about brain reflex at their level.

That's true in most cases. When I did the in-person tryouts, the staff were very open and forthright about that, and they let us practice with the actual buzzers. It's harder than it looks. You can't press it until Alex finishes talking (if you do, the button goes inactive for a period), so split-second timing is critical.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Never entered my mind! My only claim to fame was a three page article about my Ex-Wife and I in a major NY Newspaper.

 

[Crabby Mike]

Was on Jeopardy, in 1993, when I was a mere child of 40 and still had both the memory and the reflexes to do it. Like timbervest, I came in second, which in my case meant dining room furniture and china, along with the usual consolation prizes (and a copy of the video game version - yay!). Figured I about broke even after taxes.

I used to remember just about everything, the more useless the better. Nowadays my moments of semi- brilliance are notable mostly for their rarity.

 

[ckelly78z]

Online cell phone searches have diminished the collective memory knowledge of most young people who don't need to recall details, it's all on their phone within seconds.

I have never tried for a game show, and am usually amazed at the History/Arts/Literature/Politics/Pop Culture/ recall ability of those who do participate.

 

[easysurfer]

You mean to say this board is not a quiz show?

Nope, I've never been on one but would love the chance just once in my lifetime to spin the wheel on "The Price is Right" .

 

[urn2bfree]

I regularly watch Jeopardy and play along. I used to regularly k ow almost all the answers and gave them well before the contestants. Lately I have noticed a slip in my abilities. Any category about recent music and I am sunk, but even in stuff I should know or used to know, I notice, I am slowing down.

 

[mystang52]

1974, maybe 1975 my DW won about $1500 on "Jackpot!" We bought a grandfather clock with the winnings. She was also on Pyramd around that time. Her celebrity partner was a drunk (literally) Peter Lawford. She didn't win any money, but we did get a year's supply of Rice a Roni.
I was on Millionaire several years back. Of course, in my case it was on a cruise ship. I won an official Norwegian Cruise Line coffee mug. I didn't report my winnings to the IRS.

 

[imoldernu]

It was 1948... 6th Grade, Mrs. Sherman's class. Spelling Bee... On a regular basis, the contest came down to Merle Taylor and me. Usually ended up in a tie. Merle sat behind me in class, and it was puppy love. (at least on my part)
She was very pretty.

 

[scrabbler1]

I was once a contestant on a "Name That Tune" show on the radio for a few minutes (one song). I lost but was given two cassette tapes of albums which were popular at the time (1990). One was for some trashy rap music which I quickly gave away. The other was a then-current Elton John album which I kept and played on my car radio for many years.

 

[Quacker]

“My cousin was once in the Peanut Gallery on the Howdy Doody show on TV. He answered correctly when asked his name, so I guess that counts as a quiz.”

Your cousin is my hero...lol lol lol