who wants to be a millionaire

Hi guys,
I have been searching high and low for information on how to be on WWTBAM. I realize this may not be the appropriate forum, but I can't even find a current group like Millionaire like this one for Jeopardy. Does anybody have any clue on how these people are getting on WWTBAM these days? Hope you guys don't mind me asking. I know some of you posters are former contestants on WWTBAM and thought you might know about this. Thanks in advance for any info or insight.
Susan

Auditions for daytime BAM began in early July last year but may start earlier this year since they know they're on the schedule.

This is a discussion board:

http://boards.go.com/cgi/KABC/reques...oom=kabc_bored

and this is the official website:

http://www.millionairetv.com/

Right now it's not that much help because they've finished taping for this season.

Good luck.

Thank you so much! I'll check out the discussion board when I have more time. I've been familiar with the offical website, but as you know there's not much information there. I'll keep checking it out and hopefully they'll post info about the new auditions at some point. Thanks again.

I had the good fortune to be on Millionaire this season. Auditions were conducted via a multicity bus tour.They were the standard format for a game show: a written test, which if you passed, you were interviewed, if they liked the interview, you recieved a post card after a few weeks indicating you were in the consestant pool.
I can't find a phone # for them, but heres their address.
Valleycrest Productions Ltd.
c/o ABC Studios
30 West 67th st
New York, NY 10023
Best of luck to you, hope you get on.
I must say, it was a great experience everyone on their staff was wonderful. And hey, unlike Jeopardy, they even pay for all your travel expenses.

Thanks for replying about your experience. My husband was on WWTBAM in 2000 (posted about this previously)and I would love to be on (friendly spousal competition)! Obviously the format is different now on the show. We've been curious if everyone that is invited to be on the show actually makes it on the hotseat. He had to do the fastest finger and several contestants went home each time. How does that process work now? Just being curious! Hopefully you did well on the show. I got to go along with him and it was an amazing experience just being there even if he had never made it to the hotseat.
Susan

carbaddict, I was also on WW2BAM in 2000 (December, to be precise). As I understand the process for the syndicated version of the show, everyone who gets flown to NYC to be on the show gets into the Hot Seat.

Hi carbaddict! As the show is now, there is no FF round, and the order of contestants is determined by an 'outside consulting agency' or something weird like that. Basically 8 or so people are called to tape on a given day, they're placed in sort of random order, and everybody goes straight to the hotseat. Sometimes people don't get to tape on their assigned day and have to stay over to the next day, and I think a very few have had to go home and fly back to NYC at a later date to finish taping.
I was on BAM and also didn't get to the Hotseat in the summer of 2000. Still trying to get back, or get to Jeopardy, if either of them will have me! http://boards.station.sony.com/ubb/jeopardy/smile.gif

[Schvatal]

In case anyone hasn’t heard about the contestant auditions … an excerpt from Steve Beverly’s website:
_____________________________

Auditions for Millionaire’s second season will all be scheduled in New York at the ABC building. Tryouts are scheduled Mondays and Tuesdays from 5–8 p.m. and Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12 noon to 3 p.m. (all times EDT) at 30 W. 67th St. in New York City.

BVT is expected to offer more details later today. Auditions begin Monday and continue through August 28. Registration forms are available at millionairetv.com.

Contestant hopefuls may go to the website, register, select a date and appear at the tryout site at the times listed.

A BVT spokesperson told TVgameshows.net people in the audience for the second season shows will also be given an opportunity to audition for Millionaire while in New York.
_____________________________

[GrandChamp65]

So, anyway, like, are the test questions formatted as they might appear on the show?

[Ritterskoop]

Originally posted by GrandChamp65
So, anyway, like, are the test questions formatted as they might appear on the show?

Yup. They are in fact drawn from the first season of syndie BAM. Range 1K-64K. 30 questions, 11 minutes.

[EugeneF]

In fact, the auditions for the summer are now closed except for the college tournaments.

Although you could register for the audition, there was no guarantee that you would be accepted to try out. Alas, I speak from personal experience. I guess that no one wants a middle-aged me, except my wife.

By the way, Millionaire no longer pays the airfare and hotel for contestants. It has become as cheap as Jeopardy. Furthermore, contestants who win $500,000 or more now will be paid in yearly installments: no more lump sums. A $500.000 winner will receive a first payment of $125,000 and then $37,500 over the next 10 years. A $1,000,000 will receive the first payment of $125,000 and then $43,750 over the next 20 years! Let's hope that the annuities don't go bankrupt first.

EugeneF

[Schvatal]

EugeneF,

If one were to assume an annual inflation rate of 3.1% — the historical average over the period 1926–2001 in the U.S. — then the present-value winnings for someone who wins nominal prizes of $500,000 and $1,000,000 would be only $443,256 and $769,912, respectively.

Schvatal

[EugeneF]

Originally posted by Schvatal
EugeneF,

If one were to assume an annual inflation rate of 3.1% — the historical average over the period 1926–2001 in the U.S. — then the present-value winnings for someone who wins nominal prizes of $500,000 and $1,000,000 would be only $443,256 and $769,912, respectively.

Schvatal

Dear Schvatal,

Once again, I am impressed and in your debt.

Alas, I only wish that this was a personal concern of mine. It seems that I am just as likely to be named in a paternity suit by Catherine Zeta-Jones. To paraphrase the one line about bridesmaids and brides, "I'm always a phone-a-friend, never a contestant."

EugeneF

[Dukeage]

Yippeee!! I just received an e-mail confirming my audition in NYC on Monday, 8/25.

I don't even watch the show anymore and just threw my name in the e-bucket on a whim.

Any recommendations for prep? I was prepping for the J! call two years ago after passing the test, but never got "The Call". I think the two shows maybe have about 60% overlap of material, but would appreciate any insight on the remaining 40%.

Thanks,

Dave

[Schvatal]

Dukeage,

Congratulations, and best of luck!

Perhaps EugeneF will volunteer to offer his Phone-A-Friend services for free, as a penance for making certain Board members peeved.

Schvatal

[MarkBarrett]

John Carpenter and a PH.D. Rod Evans wrote a book "Matching Wits with the Million-Dollar Mind" - "The World's Hardest Trivia Quizzes from America's First Quiz Show Millionaire"

The book has 25 quizzes 100 - 1 Mil level written by John Carpenter, 25 written by Evans where you compare your score against how Carpenter did, and 50 more all toughies where 5 of 15 is a good score.

It's great for looking at WWTBAM type material and I would also suggest the 365 day box calendar for the show.

**********

For the test itself: Is it still 12 minutes 30 questions? Scantron?

[EugeneF]

Originally posted by Schvatal
Dukeage,

Congratulations, and best of luck!

Perhaps EugeneF will volunteer to offer his Phone-A-Friend services for free, as a penance for making certain Board members peeved.

Schvatal

To: Dukeage

Good luck. Were you just notified, with only a week's warning? How rude! You should soak them for a Million just for that.

To Schvatal:

I intend to use my Phone-A-Friend tithe to establish the Hutton Gibson history scholarship at Brandeis Unversity

EugeneF

[zalman]

I have it on good authority (someone who just passed the test after 8 tries) that they recycle past millionaire questions for the test. Watching any tapes you have or finding the site that has detailed question for question recaps could help a great deal. Perusing the latest People Magazine Almanac would also help- movie summaries, recent albums etc. Good luck, tell us how you do.
Zalman

[Dukeage]

Were you just notified, with only a week's warning? How rude! You should soak them for a Million just for that.

Yes, the e-mail was sent on the 18th for an audition on the 25th. I thought 1 week notice was rather harsh myself. When I didn't receive confirmation of the audition at the one month point, I had resigned myself to not going and had actually made other plans. On the other hand, I have the opportunity to qualify for a mil, so I can't complain too hard, although I really was looking forward to cleaning the gutters and working on the deck.

I hope to soak 'em for the mil, that'll show 'em. In the next couple of days I need to create clever/TV worthy responses to the audition interview sheet.

What would Meredith Viera find most interesting about me? Hmmm, I give good massages? (Would this be scary, untoward, or cute ?)

What would I do with a million? Open a business with my wife - We would have divorce papers delivered with homemade cheesecakes to make sure the recipient would open the door.
"I was served a cheesecake by the sheriff today. I can't believe it after all these years."

Finish the sentence - You’d never believe it but …..

Still coming up with stuff, don't wanna be too racy or inapropos, but still fun. Used to have a mohawk; saved some lives - a man overboard in the Navy and a few more as a lifeguard; crawled around on my hands and knees all day with raw liver hanging out of my mouth; I'm a self taught lactation consultant.

Still working - I don't want to scare them off.

[EugeneF]

Originally posted by Dukeage
Yes, the e-mail was sent on the 18th for an audition on the 25th. I thought 1 week notice was rather harsh myself. When I didn't receive confirmation of the audition at the one month point, I had resigned myself to not going and had actually made other plans. On the other hand, I have the opportunity to qualify for a mil, so I can't complain too hard, although I really was looking forward to cleaning the gutters and working on the deck.

I hope to soak 'em for the mil, that'll show 'em. In the next couple of days I need to create clever/TV worthy responses to the audition interview sheet.

What would Meredith Viera find most interesting about me? Hmmm, I give good massages? (Would this be scary, untoward, or cute ?)

What would I do with a million? Open a business with my wife - We would have divorce papers delivered with homemade cheesecakes to make sure the recipient would open the door.
"I was served a cheesecake by the sheriff today. I can't believe it after all these years."

Finish the sentence - You’d never believe it but …..

Still coming up with stuff, don't wanna be too racy or inapropos, but still fun. Used to have a mohawk; saved some lives - a man overboard in the Navy and a few more as a lifeguard; crawled around on my hands and knees all day with raw liver hanging out of my mouth; I'm a self taught lactation consultant.

Still working - I don't want to scare them off.

I hope that you live near New York. At least, you would be spared the aggravation of trying to get a decent price for airline tickets and hotel accommodations.

Although the show is not on cable, Meredith doesn't seem to mind an element of bawdiness. Why don't you offer to play "Strip-Millionaire" with her?

Good Luck.

EugeneF