Going to The Price is Right

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

On our way to Comic-Con, my husband and I wanted to take a little mini-vacation. Nothing fancy, but something to perhaps give us a driving break or something from hauling all the way to San Diego in a single swoop. After some discussion about our various options, we decided that we really wanted to attend some tapings in LA. Well, it's not the season to go see the cool sitcoms being taped, but game shows and the late-night talk shows are still cranking away, so we arranged for tickets to both The Price is Right and The Tonight Show. I wouldn't generally recommend trying to do both of these, but you can make your own call after reading about the experiences. Today I'm going to cover the excitement of The Price is Right, and next week I'll do a post about The Tonight Show.

Our tickets said that we needed to be in line no later than 8:30am. I found out later that the taping would actually begin at noon and go about 90 minutes, longer if they needed re-takes and stuff. I also read online that The Price is Right oversells their audience by quite a few, and some people get in line at 5am to make sure that they get on the show! We weren't that hardcore about it, as our back-up plan would be to see the sights (it was my husband's first time to LA) and then just make sure we got to The Tonight Show in plenty of time. So, while we planned to get in line about 7:30am, we wound up waltzing up close to 7:50am, thanks to some slow check-out at the hotel, a semi-truck blocking the road, and navigating which way to go after we left the parking structure at The Grove.

We almost joined the wrong line at first, not thinking that people would be in line for the 4:30pm taping so early. I did some counting as we neared the end of our line, and by my math, combined with the numbered cards we had already seen people walking away with, I figured we were perfectly safe and would get in. Of course, that was based on another internet nugget - that 300 definitely get in. Two guys continued giving out numbers to all of the "priority" ticket holders, then they talked with some groups before telling us to "wait" and going to the 4:30pm line. I wasn't concerned until I saw some of the people from that line receive numbers and walk through the gates that those in OUR LINE were entering! The guy behind me wasn't sure we were going to get in, but I remained positive. Sure enough, the two guys soon returned and continued giving out numbers - we were #229 and #230. We turned in our tickets, took our numbers, and headed inside the gates.

The first step was paperwork. Just in case you win, they need to have your information. And, to make sure you're even eligible to compete, you have to answer some questions (do you have family members working at CBS? have you won before? etc.) and provide your SSN. Luckily, we were in the shade, though we were far enough back in the winding line that we were standing against a wall rather than on benches. We could see all of the steps that we'd be getting to, and my excitement began to build. (Though, let's not lie... I barely slept the night before! I was running high on adrenaline!) There was a small coffeeshop area but we didn't get anything. Instead, we waited until we turned in our paperwork, then received The Price is Right nametags, then got a chance to go through the giftshop. I was obsessed with making sure the font on mine was the traditional one - they fell behind and a second person did some of them, but they didn't look right at all! I was also a little disappointed in the giftshop... I was expecting to see more The Price is Right-specific stuff, when they were really promoting a lot of CBS shows. We didn't buy anything. The next stop was in front of a green screen, where you (and your group) pose like normal, then like you've won big!

After that, you finally turn the corner and see the next couple of steps. this was a real waiting game, and I read through a magazine while Jonathan spent some time on his Kindle. See, we didn't have our phones because we knew we wouldn't be allowed to have them inside the studio, and we needed to jet out of there as quick as possible to go to The Tonight Show, so we didn't want to have to worry about dealing with claim tags. The order we were in was repeatedly checked as we kept scooting up. Our picture was shown to us and we decided to buy it - $20 for an 8x10 isn't something we do often, but we both took a good picture (rare), the background was cool (the wheel!), and it would be the only photo we had of this occasion. We actually paid and got a receipt, which we'd use to pick-up the photo after the taping. Then, we put in our lunch order, even though it was only about 10:45am. Many people around us declined, but we knew we wouldn't have time to eat otherwise until after The Tonight Show wrapped up. We paid $11 for the Angus half-pound cheeseburger (the only other option was to save a buck and go without cheese, by the way) and fries, and our # was put on a list. We kept scooting down until, eventually, it was time to interview!

The interviews are done in groups, and you stand along a rail while you talk to the actual guy who picks the contestants. I had read online what some common questions were, so we were prepped. I was the first one in our group of twelve, and I think the guy initially liked me. He spent more time chatting with me than the next few people, anyway. He even joked with me later down the line when another interviewee said he was writing a screenplay. But, he definitely liked the life story of another girl in our group better, as she actually got called down and wound up winning a trip! She probably needed it more than I did, plus she was from a group of people, so no hard feelings. ;) 

Then we rounded another corner to go through security, which was just a metal detector and someone rifling through your bag. Jonathan's Kindle actually became an issue, and although the model can't take photos or transmit information, they still took it and issued a claim check, despite my stating what the rules posted were. After that we were pretty upset, as there were HUNDREDS of items in the bins that would need to be claimed and we would be in a hurry later. But, we were led to another area of benches where a television was rolling the very end of an episode. We had hoped that they'd start another, but all we got was a gag reel of contestants who acted inappropriately in the past. No big deal, as our lunch was soon delivered and we greatly enjoyed that. The fries were fantastic, though I would have loved some honey mustard for them. It worked out great, honestly, and filled us up for the next few hours! We also learned that there were actually not enough people in line for the second taping of the day, so anyone who didn't become a contestant could go to a certain area after ours let out to get a new number and re-enter the queue.

Finally, about 11:50am, it was time to be let into the studio. By this point we had seen many of our fellow audience members a dozen times and we were starting to guess who might get chosen. The process to get inside the studio was slow, partly because there were a couple of staircases and partly because they weren't filling the studio front-to-back or anything. We did pass a sign that said our episode would air January 11th, 2013, and we were definitely shocked to see such a far-off date! [Update: our episode has been pushed back twice and is now set to air June 15, 2013. I really feel bad for the winners, as they have to wait until the episode airs to receive their actual prizes!] We ended up with great seats, third or fourth row, behind where "contestant #4" would eventually stand in Contestant Row. As we sat there and they finished filing everyone in, we looked around - the place is much smaller than I would have expected! The colors are also much more garish in real life than they are on television. You can kinda see both the color and the size of the studio in the below pic.

cbs.com

It was only minutes later that everything got rolling and we were being instructed on when to cheer and, should we make it on-stage, to stay with Drew Carey unless directed otherwise. Drew came on out and made a few jokes and the next thing I knew, we were taping! I actually found it stressful to be an audience member, but maybe I was trying too hard. It was difficult to hear the names being called and the descriptions of what everyone was bidding on, but it was actually trickier to figure out when to stand, when to stay seated, and when to be louder. Of course, all the while, I'm trying to help the contestants by screaming out my own suggestions, LoL. I found it interesting that we did pause for commercial breaks (and the people at Contestants Row get to sit) so that the sets could be changed and different prizes brought out. I loved how funny Drew Carey was! He talked to us during every break, sometimes just telling jokes and other times selecting people in the audience to chat with.

Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS ©2011
CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I won't give away what happens on the actual show, but I will say that it's one worth watching... quite a few things take place that aren't seen every episode! Plus, one of my favorite games was played (which you might be able to guess if you read another one of my The Price is Right posts!). While I wasn't keen on many of the Contestants Row prizes (or the Showcase Showdown ones for that matter), there were a few for the games that I would have LOVED to win! When everything was finished we sat for a few minutes while someone looked over the taping, and we ended up re-doing a couple of parts, which was a lot of fun. I can't wait to watch the episode and see if I can pick them out! Then, the people who "got called down" but didn't win anything were awarded their consolation prizes, and George Gray (pictured below if you can't think of any announcers other than Rod Roddy!) called out one more audience member to win a special prize. This was completely unexpected, but we still didn't win.

Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS ©2011
CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Then, it was time to head out of there, and it was fairly organized as we exited the way we came in. My husband went to claim his Kindle while I went to the photo pick-up area, passing the next round of audience members as I went. I did see the woman who mentioned there would be extra spots, but they had been given out by the time I saw her. Not that we were going to stay when we had other plans, but I asked anyway, LoL. My husband got lucky and didn't have to wait long in the claim line, so he met me just after I got our photo (which took a surprisingly long time... I guess they didn't put them in any kind of order?) and we trotted off to the car.

Here, I'll let you in on a small secret. The parking at The Grove is $24 because of how long you'll be there to tape the show. You can make it $18 by getting a two-hour validation at a participating store. I suggest Barnes & Noble, where we picked up a RedBull for a couple of bucks. We were in and out pretty quickly, and while I wasn't crashing from the excitement quite yet, it was coming. Now, if you're in a hurry, this won't work. In fact, I almost decided that it wouldn't be worth the five minutes to save the $3-4, as we were on our way to another taping across town. For that story, you'll have to hang in there... it's coming! [Update: it's here.]

News Roundup: lots of cancellations, a few renewals, a bunch of orders

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Renewals, Cancellations, & Scheduling:
Big Brother got renewed for Summer 2012.

ABCFamily's The Nine Lives of Chloe King and State of Georgia were canceled. [we hardly paid any attention to the former, so not upset there. The latter only had a few truly "good" episodes, and was just straying too far from the premise to work.]

ABCFamily did renew Make It or Break It. And, The Lying Game received an order for the back 12 episodes of the first season.

Momster of the Bride premiered this past Sunday on Style. It looks at mothers who try to control their daughters' weddings. Look for this half-hour show Sundays at 10pm.

Style also renewed Tia & Tamera for a second season.

USA renewed Covert Affairs, Royal Pains, and Necessary Roughness, each for 16 more episodes.

Bones had another four episodes ordered... which will either run over the summer or be part of an eighth season should one happen. It's really a tiny mini-season. I can't recall something like this ever happening before...

Hung returns to HBO on October 2nd. This third season will have ten episodes.

Cast & Plot Updates:
Frances Bay, the actress who played Aunt Ginny on The Middle, has passed away. She was 92 and had appeared in more than 100 film and television roles. You may remember her as the grandmother on Happy Gilmore or as the Marble Rye Lady on Seinfeld.

Charlie's Angels, which hasn't even premiered yet, has changed the order in which the second and third episodes will run. Interesting idea, and many are skeptical of possible continuity issues and publicity stunts.

The Price is Right is celebrating 40 years on the air. Episode 7500 will air on the 28th. A special celebrity week will start January 2nd, 2012, and will feature Neil Patrick Harris, Snoop Dog, and Jenny McCarthy. I know I'm looking forward to that!

Shows in Development & Other Fun Stuff:
CBS is developing a Sherlock Holmes series. I know one of TheTalkingBox's writers will be thrilled to hear that!

ABCFamily is developing several new shows, including Intercept, which will be a drama about college students fighting crime, and Strut, about a Vegas Showgirl who marries a Texan and moves to a small town. Other shows coming up for them include Village People, Baby Daddy, and Bunheads (which might be the same as Strut, from what I can tell).

Downton Abbey, in addition to winning a ton of Emmys this week, has also been awarded a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records under "highest critical review ratings for a TV show."

FX ordered an animated comedy to be called Unsupervised, about two teenage friends with no parental supervision. So... Rugrats with older kids?

Would you watch an all-Simpsons channel? That's the hot question on the internet lately, as apparently it's a possibility...

MTV has ordered six new shows - and only two are going to be scripted. But neither of those two are really standing out yet - one is about a guy fresh out of HS, the other is about a group of friends a year out of college.

Nicholas Sparks has sold a drama to ABC.

Looking forward to Holiday Specials already? FOX is! On November 24th, they will air Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas and Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown. I know I'm in for both!

Casting News; Comic-Con Tips; Cancellations and Renewals

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

- Farrah from Teen Mom may be the next Charlie's Angel.

- Mike Vogel is taking on a lead role in PanAm.

- Kal Penn, who notably left his role on House to pursue a non-entertainment career for the Obama administration, is returning to television on How I Met Your Mother. I am not thrilled. It's also looking like Season 8 (2012-2013) will be the finale for the show. I'm okay with that.

- on a related note, Neil Patrick Harris is going to be a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance.

- Speaking of House, Cuddy's been out, but Chase has re-signed. Thirteen is still up in the air.

- Tons of giveaways happen at Comic-Con, one of which are these bags from the WB. Um, and they're giving away a car.

- And, if you can't be at the Con, watch what you can on G4!

- If I wasn't going to the Con, I might've been heading to the San Francisco casting call for The Price is Right contestants! (it's way out in the middle of nowhere and not in the city though!) Other cities follow.

- Netflix won't be streaming any more episodes from NBC.

- Aubrey from 16 and Pregnant was caught shoplifting some makeup.

- Wall $t. Wives is seeking cast members.

- TNT canceled Men of a Certain Age.

- Teen Wolf was renewed. So was Single Ladies.

- The Gosselins went to Mount Rushmore... maybe that'll be seen on a future episode of Kate Plus Eight.

- Season 4 of Merlin will be on SyFy in 2012.

-FX picked up American Horror Story, to premiere in October with 13 episodes.

- Charlie Sheen will be in a show called Anger Management, based on the 2003 film. No network is attached yet.

- And, as a reminder, Doug will be returning to television. I'm excited.

No Resurrection for Firefly; Updates for Next Season; Comic Book Store Show?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

There have been a few interesting occurrences on The Price is Right lately. The first of which being that the winners of the showcase showdowns both spun $1.00 (one did it twice!), but guessed horribly off on the actual showcases. Being off by more than $20,000 and still winning? Craziness. A few days later, a woman won two cars. I feel like this used to happen somewhat regularly, but it made some news this week!

Though Netflix realizes how much Firefly is streamed, it will not be helping to resurrect the show, since the cast has aged and the sets have been destroyed.

Josh Lucas is joining The Firm on NBC. This will be his first major tv gig.

Season 4 of Jersey Shore will premiere in early August, and season 5 has been confirmed.

Extreme Couponing has been renewed for a second season, premiering in September. 

The new 90210 has ditched Teddy's character, writing him off early next season.

Kevin Smith is working on a reality show about a comic book store for AMC.

In case you missed it, Sarah Palin gave some bad American history last week, about Paul Revere. People tried to change Wikipedia to match her story, and Stephen Colbert acted it out according to her version.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey was renewed for a fourth season.

Various critics are starting to put out some first thoughts on the new shows for next season. You can see some snap judgments for ABC and FOX. And, similarly, there's now a longer preview out for Terra Nova.

Although it's been off the air for about five years now, Fear Factor is returning to television.

Katie Couric will indeed have a syndicated talk show on ABC.

Michael Cera lends his voice for an episode of The Simpsons next season.

NBC will get to air the Olympics until at least 2020, despite the fact that they won't necessarily air the events live.

NBC's The Marriage Ref will return to the air on Sunday, June 26th.

Come On Down!!!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

My earliest memories of The Price is Right stem from kindergarten. In my area, we were on the half-day system, and I was a "morning" kid. So, I got home from school shortly before noon.  I was able to watch the second set of the Showcase Showdown, as well as the Showcase itself. Being five years old, I had no idea how to guess the prices for the Showcase, but boy did I get excited to watch the contestants try to spin for $1.00! I was a bit ahead in math, so I was able to follow along with how much a person needed to spin on their second try, etc. I probably began watching full episodes of The Price is Right a year or so later, during the summer and sick days and things like that. I was in love with certain games, and would cheer whenever Plinko, Punch a Bunch, Path Finder, Now... or Then, Cliff Hangers (the one where the guy climbs up the mountain!), or Spelling Bee would come on!

Brief history: The show began in 1956, though there was a serious revamp in 1972, which is when Bob Barker began hosting the daytime game show (and in 2007, Drew Carey began hosting). Bill Cullen was the host before that, 1956-1965 (both primetime and daytime versions). The Price is Right has been successful throughout its run, and versions have been adapted for Australia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and other international arenas. The show originated on NBC before the move to ABC. The original game was pretty much just four contestants trying to bid closest to the value of a given item (much like the "first round" of the game we now know). However, you had to increase your bid so that it was higher than the one given before you, or "freeze" your previous one. This process was repeated over and over, with the person who accumulated the highest value of prizes being able to return and play again next episode.

The game: The game that many of us know today, which has been in place since 1972, starts off with four contestants being called down to "Contestants' Row," where they play the opening game, bidding on a single item, trying to be the closest to the actual retail price (as I mentioned the original game was earlier). If someone gets it right on the nose, they not only win the prize (winner keeps the prize) but they also get $500 (originally $100 from 1977-1998). The winner also moves on, then competing in a Pricing Game. There are more than 50 pricing games that are still in rotation (some say more than 70!), so I won't get into specifics here. If you win your pricing game, you win the prizes associated with it. Regardless of whether you win, you move on to the Showcase Showdown, which took place twice per show. But, before that, another contestant was pulled from the audience, another "Contestants' Row" game took place, then another pricing game... this system repeats multiple times as needed.  Once the first three contestants from Contestants' Row play pricing games, it's time for the Showcase Showdown is a giant wheel that each of the three spins individually. The wheel has 20 spaces, each representing an amount between 5 cents and $1.00. You spin based on how much you've won so far, loser goes first. You can stay on your first spin, hoping nobody can top it, or spin twice, but you're out if you go over $1.00. If you land on the $1.00 space on your first spin, or your total equals exactly $1.00, you win $1,000 and get a bonus spin. If you land on the 5-cent or the 15-cent (adjacent to the $1.00), you win $5,000; landing on $1.00 netted you $10,000. Tied contestants spin again, until one gets a higher spin than the other. The winner holds off until this entire section is repeated, resulting in a second Showcase Showdown winner. These two square off in The Showcase, where a series of prizes are described, and the person who won more to that point gets to choose whether to bid on that set, or pass. If he passes, the other guy makes a bid and a second set of prizes is described, for the first person to bid on. If he had bid on the first set, the second set would be for the other guy. Whoever came closest to their actual prize value without going over wins. And, if you come within $250 of the price, you win both showcases! You can see whole episodes as well as clips on CBS.

Notable changes to the way the game is played: In addition to the changes I've already mentioned, there are a few more differences. The bonuses when you spin $1.00 changed. In 2008, the 5-cent and 15-cent went to $10,000 and the $1.00 went to $25,000. Also, from 1974-1998, you had to be within $100 in order to win both showcases in the end. Since Drew Carey began hosting few years ago, there have been leather products on the show, which Barker was adamantly against. They're also showing more foreign cars now - Barker was big on patriotism so many of the cars were from here in the USA. Oh, and not really a change to how it's played - but any episodes with fur coats can't be aired ore released, since they partly go against Barker's animal-rights stance. Another thing that is gone is the at-home sweepstakes opportunity that used to be there. A prize package was announced on-air (with one item being handmade), and viewers at home sent in postcards, guessing the value. The closest person without going over won. This took place in 1972, 1978, 1980-1987, and 1990. Just recently, it returned, re-vamped with ten prizes shown over the course of a week, and viewers logged onto The Price is Right website to guess. But, the most notable change of all comes from the old primetime version... they used to try and guess the prices of such outlandish things as fully furnished homes, Ferris Wheels, an island, a submarine, and even small business franchises!

Special contestants: Someone actually won $147,000 worth of prizes in a single daytime episode, including three cars! There is at least one episode per year that focuses on those in the armed services. There's also been couple teams for Valentine's Day, mother-child teams for Mother's Day, and college-themed episodes.

Favorite Rounds: I like the pricing games the best at this point. The wheel was my favorite for a long time when I was a child, but clearly I am not more interested in the actual games and winning prizes and whatnot. However, the same games that I enjoyed as a child (Plinko, Cliff Hangers, etc.) are still the ones I most enjoy seeing! I have to add Hi-Lo now, too, though.

My take: Heck yeah! If they called my name, I'd be cheering and racing down! However, there are certain areas of the show where I would falter. For instance, I know nothing about boats. I'm not that good with the prices of cars. Furniture is also not my forte. So, the final showcase would be very difficult for me, so would a handful of the pricing games. I've got the grocery prices down, tho!! I might also be able to pull off Contestants' Row okay, and I have as much luck as anyone with the Showcase Showdown. And, while I'd much rather have been on the show when Bob Barker was hosting, it's a fun show, and I think it would be fun to be on! Of course, it's not actually random... they do group interviews, so I'm not sure that they'd ever pick me to be one of nine contestants to see the stage out of 325 possibilities! What about you? Would you give it a shot? What would be your strengths/weaknesses? Would you have preferred to be on during the Bob Barker era, or do you like Drew Carey as a host?

My Top Ten Game Shows

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

A couple days ago I read an article giving logical ideas on how to win various games within The Price is Right. I thought it was a clever thing to talk about, and even as a six-year-old, I would yell at players making dumb decisions. Even now, there are times when I look at the players like they're idiots on Wheel of Fortune when I've known the answer for 2-3 turns and they're still buying vowels. This whole thing got me thinking about my favorite game shows, which have changed somewhat over the years. The Price is Right would have been in the top 5 if Bob Barker was still hosting. Drew Carey isn't a bad host, but I just can't stand him, so it's been knocked from the Top Ten.

10. Classic Concentration. My brother and I were into memory games when we were kids. In fact, we had like a mega-memory game and the generic one that all six-year-olds seem to own, that came in the plastic container with slots for each card. Our mega set had over 50 cards to it, since we had a hard time even laying all of them out. So, I had a good time watching other people try to remember where cards were. BUT, what made this a great game show was the rebus puzzle behind the cards. This was the first rebus I had ever seen, and I still love them. I think that I have a slight advantage over other people in reading them because of this show, LoL.

9. Wipeout. I love a good physical challenge show. And while this one may be incredibly goofy sometimes, I think it's awesome. When we lived in California I downloaded the application to apply to be on it, knowing full well that it would be more of an experience for me than a win, since I'm not that strong of a swimmer (and that's important in the final round), and I'm kinda paranoid about knocking out teeth and things like that. I think it's interesting that some of the rounds change from time to time, but I really enjoy the creativity in some of those gags! It's not like you could ever try it at home, LoL.

8. Lingo. This isn't one of the most popular games, and it's strictly words and a little luck (regarding what numbers you pull to get points and then win prizes). Basically, you stand around guessing 5-letter words. In the first two rounds, two teams of two are pitted against eachother, and they only ever get a letter to start with. They find out which letters are in the right positions and which are correct but in the wrong places, and get 5 chances to guess the word. In the final round, the better team tries to do ten of these in two minutes (you still get the first letter, but now also get a random second letter). They rarely get all ten, but that usually doesn't matter, they still win something. I'm not that good at the game, but I do get excited watching it.

7. I'm Telling! If there was one game on this list that I'd bet you hadn't heard of, it's this one. It ran on cable only, and only a season or two were made. It was a children's game show, specifically geared for brother-sister pairs. The set-up is like the NewlyWed Game, in that the brothers answer questions about the sisters and vice versa, and you get points when you're right. The losing two teams all got 10-speed bikes. The two winners took turns running through a "prize arcade." See, before the show, each kid had written down the six prizes they thought their sibling would want (out of ten). When you chose six in the final round, you were choosing the six that you wanted. If it matched, you won it. You'd always win two prizes because of the overlap in the math on that, and if you matched 10/12, you'd win all of the prizes. The only real catch? There were "boys' prizes" and "girls' prizes" so it was very sexist. My brother and I played along ALL THE TIME.

6. Supermarket Sweep. In case you haven't seen a pattern yet, my brother and I played along with this one, too. The game was pretty easy... some general questions to bring up your points, and each of the three teams rotated the players' turns. The real excitement was in the end, when you ran around the supermarket throwing foods in your cart to ring up the highest bill. There were also certain items that were announced that could get you extra stuff. Depending on how much time you had banked in the beginning, you could get extra time in the aisles. In theory, it shouldn't have been hard to rack up the bill, but you'd always see people throwing crap in their carts.

5. Wheel of Fortune. This one's a classic, and I don't think you can really argue with that. I love Vanna, mostly for her clothing. The contestants aren't always that exciting, but I generally like the puzzles, although there are certain categories that I like much more than others. Plus, it's still on, so I can catch it five times a week if I'm really bored, LoL.

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? So when I list this one, I'm only referring to the Regis Philbin-hosted version. This is because I believe that, arguably, most people agree he's the only true host of that show. I rank it so high for several reasons. First, the gimmick of only having it on for a couple weeks and then taking it away again was interesting. Plus, the lights and the concept and the ten possible contestants in the beginning were neat. Lastly, it came on when my now-husband and I were first starting to date, so we'd often watch the show at our respective parents' houses and talk about it on the phone.

3. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? This show was supercool, especially from the seven-year-old's point-of-view. There was the mysterious storyline going on, plus some neat facts to learn, and lastly the running around putting the sirens on different countries/states. I always wanted to be on that show, and would have done really well since I knew my US map like the back of my hand by the time I was eight-years-old. PLUS, the prize was a trip to anyplace in the continental US! How neat!

2. Jeopardy! I love a good quiz show. I particularly love this one for several reasons, but the main ones at this point in my life are that the clues are always shown on the screen so I can read them while at the gym on the treadmill, and I have a wide berth of knowledge so this is a game I always have an excellent and a sucky category in. And I think this tends to be true for many of the contestants on the show. It's always good to watch when you're bored or on vacation and have no cable, or when you're with strangers and need an icebreaker on television, LoL.

1. Legends of the Hidden Temple. OF COURSE this is my #1 game show. It was THE COOLEST gameshow EVER. I may be too old to go on it now (in the event they bring it back), but it's still super mega awesome. There were six teams (of two) to start out with, and it always began with a physical challenge - crossing a moat. The first four teams to make it moved on. Then, on to some knowledge and listening comprehension, then some more physical stuff. But the end level was made up of running through a fun house of sorts (there were like seven different set-ups too, so it's not like you could memorize it beforehand... although there are websites out there with maps of each... I'm serious), collecting the artifact of the day by completing a task to open most of the doors, and avoiding the temple guard. Sometimes they'd also have to find part of their Pendant of Life, too. Both team members got to go in, and it just looked like so much fun! The only qualm I have about the game is that it always seemed the teams struggled with putting together the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, LoL. Oh, and it was another one that my brother and I would always talk about how we'd do each challenge if we were on a team, LoL.