morbeedo wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:29 pm
Well, the thing I was afraid would happen just happened: I got The Call!
But since I just taped Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the Jeopardy! door is closed
Leave me alone now so I can cry it out
I'll drink to that and share some with you. This happened to me in 2009. About eight months after my WWTBAM show aired (two before my J! eligibility ran out), my wife picks up the phone and calls down to me, "It's someone from Jeopardy!" My exact response (aimed at the game show gods, not to the guy on the line): "You've got to be sh*tting me!" Since then, crickets on auditions, let alone The Call.
Oh no! That seems unfair. Especially since they give a month’s notice and then your episode airs 2-3 months later, so you should have been ok
morbeedo wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:29 pm
Well, the thing I was afraid would happen just happened: I got The Call!
But since I just taped Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the Jeopardy! door is closed
Leave me alone now so I can cry it out
I'll drink to that and share some with you. This happened to me in 2009. About eight months after my WWTBAM show aired (two before my J! eligibility ran out), my wife picks up the phone and calls down to me, "It's someone from Jeopardy!" My exact response (aimed at the game show gods, not to the guy on the line): "You've got to be sh*tting me!" Since then, crickets on auditions, let alone The Call.
Oh no! That seems unfair. Especially since they give a month’s notice and then your episode airs 2-3 months later, so you should have been ok
What did they say on the phone?
IIRC he verified it was me and then he went into his canned spiel about congratulations and when and where and how and that I'm responsible for getting out there and so on. When he finally stopped, I told him about my Millionaire appearance. I knew that made me ineligible to tape for another four months, which he verified. I asked if there was a chance of being called back after the four months, but my official swim time in the contestant pool was over about two months from The Call so the answer was no.
It's the time between the first show airing and the J! taping that's relevant. Had to be at least a year. I assume that's still the rule.
morbeedo wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:33 am
What is a contestant referral and has this ever helped anyone get on the show?! My friend told me he has a friend who’s been on the show and who could refer me. I said huh? I don’t even know what that means. Then said friend asked if I’ve ever taken an online test and I said just stop
I was a contestant referral! Basically my friend's co-worker thought I "had what it takes" to be on the show after meeting me a couple times at pub trivia. He told me I had to take the online test and if I thought I did well enough (>40) that he would give me the email. I got 41 and emailed the producers using the referral he gave me. OVER a year later I got the email with the audition invite. I have to think that the referral had something to do with it.
As for getting past the in-person audition, I have no idea if it helped or not. Maybe a little bit, but there's no way to know for sure.
morbeedo wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:33 am
What is a contestant referral and has this ever helped anyone get on the show?! My friend told me he has a friend who’s been on the show and who could refer me. I said huh? I don’t even know what that means. Then said friend asked if I’ve ever taken an online test and I said just stop
I was a contestant referral! Basically my friend's co-worker thought I "had what it takes" to be on the show after meeting me a couple times at pub trivia. He told me I had to take the online test and if I thought I did well enough (>40) that he would give me the email. I got 41 and emailed the producers using the referral he gave me. OVER a year later I got the email with the audition invite. I have to think that the referral had something to do with it.
As for getting past the in-person audition, I have no idea if it helped or not. Maybe a little bit, but there's no way to know for sure.
was there another online test, and did you take it, between when you sent in the referral and when you got your audition? In what city did you audition?
after 10 passes without an audition, I think I could use a few referrals
rufiowong wrote: ↑Wed Oct 10, 2018 2:26 pm
I was a contestant referral! Basically my friend's co-worker thought I "had what it takes" to be on the show after meeting me a couple times at pub trivia. He told me I had to take the online test and if I thought I did well enough (>40) that he would give me the email. I got 41 and emailed the producers using the referral he gave me. OVER a year later I got the email with the audition invite. I have to think that the referral had something to do with it.
As for getting past the in-person audition, I have no idea if it helped or not. Maybe a little bit, but there's no way to know for sure.
was there another online test, and did you take it, between when you sent in the referral and when you got your audition? In what city did you audition?
after 10 passes without an audition, I think I could use a few referrals
Yes there was another online test in between when I took it and my audition, and no I didn't take it (we were in the process of moving and I'd sort of given up that I would get contacted). I auditioned in DC, which is where I live and is where I put down when I took the online test.
rufiowong wrote: ↑Wed Oct 10, 2018 2:26 pm
I was a contestant referral! Basically my friend's co-worker thought I "had what it takes" to be on the show after meeting me a couple times at pub trivia. He told me I had to take the online test and if I thought I did well enough (>40) that he would give me the email. I got 41 and emailed the producers using the referral he gave me. OVER a year later I got the email with the audition invite. I have to think that the referral had something to do with it.
As for getting past the in-person audition, I have no idea if it helped or not. Maybe a little bit, but there's no way to know for sure.
was there another online test, and did you take it, between when you sent in the referral and when you got your audition? In what city did you audition?
after 10 passes without an audition, I think I could use a few referrals
Yes there was another online test in between when I took it and my audition, and no I didn't take it (we were in the process of moving and I'd sort of given up that I would get contacted). I auditioned in DC, which is where I live and is where I put down when I took the online test.
Interesting...unless I'm missing something, this tells me there are two possibilities:
1. Pass a test and your name stays on the list for a minimum of one more cycle to be randomly selected for an audition (I really doubt this one)
2. Get a referral, and they will use it to slot you in at the next possible audition in your chosen city (this makes much more sense)
I am hereby volunteering to take a burdensome referral off of someone as I know how hard it must be to have them weighing you down...because I care so much about you
triviawayne wrote: ↑Thu Oct 11, 2018 7:39 am
Interesting...unless I'm missing something, this tells me there are two possibilities:
1. Pass a test and your name stays on the list for a minimum of one more cycle to be randomly selected for an audition (I really doubt this one)
I remember it being mentioned at my last audition that the auditioners were selected from people who had passed either of the previous two online tests.
Andy Saunders
J! Archive Founding Archivist
Publisher - The Jeopardy! Fan
triviawayne wrote: ↑Thu Oct 11, 2018 7:39 am
Interesting...unless I'm missing something, this tells me there are two possibilities:
1. Pass a test and your name stays on the list for a minimum of one more cycle to be randomly selected for an audition (I really doubt this one)
I remember it being mentioned at my last audition that the auditioners were selected from people who had passed either of the previous two online tests.
That's really scary because of all the cities I've chosen over the years--means I've had several entries around the country, and not just the 10 for the 10 times passing the test...and still no audition.
triviawayne wrote: ↑Thu Oct 11, 2018 7:39 am
Interesting...unless I'm missing something, this tells me there are two possibilities:
1. Pass a test and your name stays on the list for a minimum of one more cycle to be randomly selected for an audition (I really doubt this one)
I remember it being mentioned at my last audition that the auditioners selected from people who had passed either of the previous two online tests.
That's really scary because of all the cities I've chosen over the years--means I've had several entries around the country, and not just the 10 for the 10 times passing the test...and still no audition.