Thursday, August 14, 2003

Jeopardy, Part Deux I have landed in the Jeopardy contestant pool for the coming season. Yesterday, I regaled you with the story of my pre-test and moment of local TV fame. Today was the real deal. After a hearty breakfast, we hung out in the hallway outside a meeting room at the Sheraton Brookfield, a couple miles from my house. At precisely 10 AM, the contestant coordinator welcomed us to the test, told us to form a line and pick up our materials and find a seat. Things went pretty much the way things are laid out at the Jeopardy website. For about a half hour, we got settled in and filled out our particulars as we were filled in on what the process was. We also got a taped greeting from Alex Trebek and were loosened up with some taped hints from the Clue Crew. Then the test began. I can't give any details, but I have to say it was really cool--They have a DVD that shows categories and answers just as if it were on the show, each clue/question is read aloud and you have 8 seconds (8 seconds!) to fill in the blank line on your answer sheet. About 2/3rds through the thing, I was certain I was toast. It was definitely hard. After Question 50, we passed in our papers, and they spent 15-20 minutes grading us. While that was happening, they showed us a Clue Crew bio and blooper tape and we were supposed to fill out the Five Interesting Things about ourselves for Alex to ask us at the contestant interview segment (I told them about my book and this blog, among other things). We also compared notes. One woman shouted out: "So who here is confident that they passed?" I can't say that everyone heard her, but nobody raised their hand. There wasn't really any tension in the room when the staff came back. We were told in advance that no one would tell us our score, just whether we passed or not. He (Bob?) announced that 17 people had passed, more than usual (more numbers later). As he read through the names, three (maybe four) startling things happened. (1) I could swear that nearly half of us were named Michael. (2) One of those was my casual friend and union brother "Orange" Mike Lowrey. (3) Three people sitting next to each other in the same row all passed, prompting idle stares, and (4) Right after those three folks were announced, I was too (Bob was looking for the next person in the row, but I was on the other side of the room). The people who didn't pass were excused, and several congratulated us on the way out. We got a Polaroid taken of each of us and filled out a more detailed personal info form. Then it was time for "Jeopardy Boot Camp," a mock game where we got another chance to impress the judges and go from simply "qualified to appear" to actually being a contestant and winning big money and fabulous prizes. As in the "fun" game we played yesterday, we were called up in groups of three, given our buzzers (they had a name for them which I've already forgotten), and we played a few questions "live." A clear, excited voice when answering won praise from Bob. Quick followup in asking for a category and amount ("keeping the action moving") was also a good thing (I did not do this so well, but never got the "keep it moving" warning as others did). After putting us through our paces for a few minutes, we had to introduce ourselves. We all tried to be funny, and I don't think I was half-bad at that (though by this time, I really could have used a trip to the boys' room). But it's a crapshoot as to whether I will ever make my appearance with Alex and the gang. But I have to be really pleased. I was determined not to have any nerves about this, to have some fun and let things fall where they may. I succeeded on all counts. Some numbers they gave us: They gave 1250 pre-tests in Milwaukee yesterday, only about 120 passed to take today's 50-question full test (another group tested in the afternoon). In my group (presumably of around 60--I didn't count), 17 passed. If a similar number passed in the afternoon, we're talking 25-35 passed all day, just 2% of the total. So that's cool; I guess I am smart. But let's toss out some random guesses about the production schedule: Take out the Teen and College Tournaments (and their summer reruns) and you've got at most 40 weeks of shows, that's 200 shows, 600 contestants. Subtract the continuing champ and you're down to 400 people they need in a given year. If they qualify 25-35 people a week between LA and the traveling circuses, that's 1250-1750 qualifiers. So the odds aren't bad, but it's no guarantee.  Wish me luck! 11:54:27 PM    comment []

My Jeopardy Tryout, Part I A mostly fun day today. I made the first cut of the "Jeopardy Challenge" and got my mug on local TV. What could be better? Slept in a little too long this morning, though in several ways not long enough. Poured a can of Diet Coke down my throat, then my wife and I got in the car and headed for Potawatomi Bingo & Casino. Having never been there, we got twisted around several times. Let me explain: This fine Indian gaming institution is located in the Menomonee River Valley, just under the James Groppi Unity Bridge linking North 16th St. with South Cesar Chavez Drive. This is where the Milwaukee Road rail yards used to be (a place where I spent three of the hardest weeks of my working life.). Unfortunately, you cannot get to the casino from the bridge, you have to go down to N. 25th St. and St. Paul Ave., turn south and follow a poorly signed path down to Canal St. and into the Potawatomi parking lot (OK, so I like spelling out the tribe's name). Eventually, we arrived and parked around 8:30 AM. The event was scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM. But there were already about 50 people parked outside the room. While I had come well-armed with reading material (my library copy of Kim Stanley Robinson's Years of Rice and Salt, the latest copy of Linux Journal, the August Astronomy magazine featuring the Mars apposition (sp?) AND the May-June issue of Against the Current), I couldn't concentrate on any of it--some idiot was actually shouting out clues from a Jeopardy Challenge book from 1992! I admired some folks in the queue for being able to tune out this tedious exercise, but most seemed to succumb to the temptation to mutter out answers to the posed questions (or is that the other way around?). Around 10:30 AM, they let us all file into the large conference room where they were set up for the event. But things didn't get going until the appointed time of 11 AM. Then the two members of the Clue Crew who were present (Jimmy and Sofia) go tthings underway in their inevitably cheery style. Soon I was at the table taking the 10-question written pre-test. I didn't sign any non-disclosure agreement, but I can really only remember two questions: one noting the Frances Perkins was the first woman cabinet officer; who appointed her? The other asking about Lyndon Johnson's 1964 running mate. The others were more or less at that level in different categories (funny how I'd remember the political ones, huh?), but I breezed through them all pretty quickly. I confidently handed the staffer my paper and moments later received my letter advising me that I had passed the pre-test, and was invited to take the full 50-question written test at 10 AM tomorrow. Yee-ha! I was also invited to keep the pen and the complementary keychain (with the Jeopardy logo on one side and Wheel of Fortune on the other). Upon finishing the pre-test, we all got to participate in the fun and excitement of a "real" Jeopardy game, run by the Clue Crew stars themselves. Three at a time (of course), we stepped up to the microphones and grabbed our buzzers, where we could choose from the predetermined six categories. This actually was pretty much fun. As part of the station promotion, the resident offbeat/funny guy/feature reporter from "Today's (W)TMJ 4" was in the group in front of me. He played the game (and his alleged stupidity) for all it was worth, and like the rest of us was permitted to choose a fabulous prize for coming down. When it was my turn at the mike, Sofia took one look at my oh-so-stylish Guatemalan straw hat and immediately pronounced me "Chapeau Mike." We answered a few questions and got a lesson in buzzer management (don't click in too early on the real show or you'll get locked out!) and could pick our prize from the table. I selected the dapper Jeopardy t-shirt, even though I suspect the baseball cap might fit me for a longer time than the simple XL that could shrink quickly. They also had flying discs, "Today's TMJ4" shirts, Thermos cups and probably a few other items I can't remember. And then we were done! Some of this is described at the show's site, including what I can expect tomorrow. If I pass the written test (where they probably do some serious winnowing), I'll get to do a mock game so they can see whether they really want me displaying my skills and potbelly to a nationwide audience. Odds are long, but probably better than winning Powerball. After feasting at the Potawatomi lunch buffet (there I go again!) and dropping an obligatory $20 in the slots, we went home--and turned on Jeopardy. This was followed by two hours of local news (sandwiched around Tom Brokaw--or was it Brian Williams tonight). During this block, they ran varying lengths of footage of the tryouts three times. Counting the teasers, you could see me and/or my chapeau in the frame no less than a half-dozen times (including a full-body shot of me at the microphone!). Alas, no speaking lines. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of this story, same time tomorrow (or is it today? Anyway, it's Thursday.)!   12:15:10 AM    comment []