Game Show Report OR My 15 Minutes of Fame

In January I decided to get on a game show. The reference desk at the library led me to a website. There I found an ad for Catch 21 auditions and an email addy. I was to send a photo and my telephone number. About an hour after I sent in the required information, I got a call from the show’s casting director. We set up a date for an audition.

Three weeks later I arrived at Sony TV Studios in Hollywood for my audition. There were about 30 people there, most young males. We talked about ourselves, sang and danced, and played a mock up of the game. At the end of that day, Bev, the casting director, told me that she was going to cast me in the show. It seems that what she wanted most were middle aged folks.

The main requirement was that you have a “big personality” . That means you had to be very animated, with a loud voice, and a high energy level. They told us that TV makes contestants look like a blobs of wet laundry, so one had to be very grand in everything they did. All I knew was that I was expected to act like an idiot.

My taping was scheduled for March. I was told to list 3 “interesting” things about myself. First I told my best trucking story, when I got stuck under a bridge in Chicago. Second I told them that I had been an astrologer for 35 years. Thirdly I told them that I have done a lot of world travel….6 times to Africa…3 times to India.

Last Tuesday I taped the show.

Catch 21 is a relatively new show. It premiered in July of 2008, on the Game Show Network (GSN). It had been picked up for a second season. They were taping 65 new episodes on their new, updated set. It was hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro, who had been on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air show previously.

The show was created by a Merrill Heatter. He had invented other game shows such as Gambit, Top Card, and most famously, Hollywood Squares. Merrill, originally from New York, was now elderly but still active in the game show industry. He certainly did have a talent for inventing entertaining shows. The new Catch 21 shows were now up 118% in popularity.

I was scheduled for the afternoon taping, which began at 2PM. There were eight other contestants. For the first 3 hours, we practiced playing the game. Apparently the earlier tapings had been disappointing in that contestants hadn’t really understood the game, and made stupid mistakes. I was told to bring 3 changes of clothing. Bev choose a dark blue dress shirt and a black sports jacket.

At 5:30 we were sent down for a light dinner, and then it was off to the set. The sound stage they used was just across the alley from the one that had been used to tape most of the “I Love Lucy” shows.

As we walked onto the stage, the audience was already in place. I was afraid I would have a bad case of stage fright, but it did not work out that way. There were two other contestants. Alex was a middle aged red head and part time actress. Larry was a greybeard who was in the entertainment business himself.

We stood behind our podiums and tested the buzzers. I was “miked” up. The stage manager came up and gave us directions on where to stand.

Finally Alfonso arrived and the show began. We would told to say something about ourselves.

I said: “I am from Maryland, and for many years was a cross country truck driver. But now I am a limousine driver in beautiful, sunny Los Angeles.”

Alfonso read the first question. I didn’t have a chance. All the questions were celebrity gossip types.

“Who is Jimmy Kimmel’s latest romantic interest?”
“What color was Madonna’s dress at her second wedding?”
“Angelina Jolie’s father is what famous actor?”
“Garth Brooks is married to what country western singer?”

On most of them Larry could give the answer before Alfonso had even finished reading. I knew to have a chance I had to be fast.

I got one question “George Washington’s plantation in Virginia is…..”

I yelled out “Mount Vernon”…… but there was a sudden stillness on the set. I sensed that something was wrong. Unfortunately I had forgotten to hit the buzzer and allow Alfonso to recognize me. So I hit the buzzer, Alfonso said my name, and I repeated the answer.



The game is a combination of 21 and Trivial Pursuits. When you answer questions you get a card from the deck and either try to hit 21 yourself, or give them to others and “bust them out.”

In round 1, Larry and Alex fought it out. Apparently I was not perceived to be a threat in the celebrity gossip category. Larry busted Alex, and play continued. I got lucky when Larry miscounted his cards and gave himself a 10 when he already had a 13. He busted out. Of course this was my greatest fear, even more than freezing up----to make a bone-head play in front of a national audience. So I won the first round and got 500 points.

During the pause, the make up guy came over to me. Usually guys don’t get any make up, it is only the girls that might get some lip stick. I was sweating because of the hot lights and was wiping off with my handkerchief. The guy was a youngish black dude and told me to keep on using my handkerchief. “Yes, that way” I said “ I will keep that gleam off the globe” He looked at me and smiled. I guess he had never heard that one before.

In round 2 it was Larry and me. Larry quickly got a 20 and froze his hand. I had to get a 21 exactly or lose. I had an 8, and got a 7, which made 15. I needed a 6 to win, and got a 7. Larry went off to the bonus round. They took me over to the front row of the audience where I sat next to Alex. They had strong lights on us, and filmed us as we rooted for Larry.

There is a guy on every show whose job it is to pump up the crowd, and get them making lots of noise. During a pause, he walked over to me and said on the mike “So you’re a truck driver.” .

I spoke into the mike. “Yes,” I said “for many years I drove cross country for Fed Ex.”

“So you really have that white line fever.”

“Yes, I do, I might as well have it tattooed on my forehead it is that important to me.”

While chatting with Alex, I saw this older fellow in a dark green corduroy jacket. He was aimlessly wandering around the set.

I motioned him over. “Are you important?” I asked….”Or are you the coffee guy, because if you are, I sure could use a latte.”

“Well, I guess you could say I’m important” he said “this is my show.” It was Merrill Heatter himself. I asked him if he had really thought this game up all by himself, and he said yes, he had. Then I told him how courteously his casting people had treated us. He thanked me and ambled off.


Finally the show ended and my 15 minutes of fame were over. I went back up to the “green room”, got my things, and was escorted off the lot. I didn’t win any money, didn’t even get a gift. The only souvenir I have for my time is this parking stub from the Sony lot.