Being in southern California to watch the Huskers at the Rose Bowl is the goal. But what to do in the meantime? Go to a TV show! A game show! The Price is Right!
First of all, tickets are easy to get. You sign up online and you get a ticket. That's it. They were taping multiple shows on Thursday. We arrived at 10am after a harrowing ride thru LA traffic (my brother drives like a psycho because in LA you have to or you get killed). Parking is easy. You show them your ticket, and they check you in, give you a number to put on your shirt. Then you go and sit in folding chairs in rows with your number before they call you up, row by row, to fill out the standard forms saying you wont sue if some lunatic mows you over coming on down. And trust me there are loony birds galore sitting with you in their custom t shirts and crazy clothing just about ready to explode.
Off you go to the "studio" which is nothing more than a Korean church leased to the Price is Right. They check you ID, then take your picture without glasses I assume to do facial rec to keep the violent crazies out. You sit in a conference room watching the current taping and participating in the people trying really hard to get on the show by acting up and yelling at the screen like they are there. Some lady in pink made us do the wave which we did. At some point you and your row are taken into a room where producer Jason will interview and that's when the lunacy starts. People screeching and answering his questions with vigor and insanity. I simply told Jason I did as little as possible for a living and since he was wearing a NY Yankees I sent the rest of my time hating the Yankees. The loonies laughed and he said he had no idea what his Yankees hat meant, he just liked New York. Ok then. my chances were blown (as if I had a chance anyway).
Eventually you make a long walk outside, in numerical order, to the studio, where they take your phone, your watch and your dignity. You are seated by a stagehand, I assume to put the unwashed in places they cannot be seen. That's us. Or so I thought. The studio is pretty big, bigger than I thought. You sit there as a gaggle of stagehand get you all hyped up constantly, Yeah, I got into it to amazement of the family. Whooping and screaming. Look there was no chance I got picked. Zero. Zilch. But ther5es always a chance they want a 69-year-old fat guy with crazy hair and a Letterman beard to come on down. I had a routine in my head. It involved a fake cartwheel and a crazy haired reaction. Alas.
The show began. Drew Carey came out to thunderous applause and bantered with the crowd. The announcer (I have no idea what his name is cuz I don't watch) got everybody piped up ,the stagehands threw their arms in the air and the show begam with 4 come on downs. Not us. The blonde gals, from Texas and the most Texas looking blonde gals ever, had one picked, some older black dude, a black gal with a tiara and someone else I can't remember. They bid on something, and the black gal won. Dancing onstage playing the role expertly. She won her prize and they sat her down in a row two up from us. where they forced her to sign her life away, I think. Meanwhile the audience screams and stands and tries to get noticed. Hey folks, they've known since two hours prior who they were picking.
The rest of the show was nuts. They picked a fat 30 something guy so I was out. I fatty per show. They picked a lady two rows in front of us, a woman behind us. They picked a guy literally right in front of us me. They picked a flight attendant we had spoken with earlier. Hey, I felt like we knew them and rooted for them sincerely.
During commercial breaks Drew would banter with the crowd, mostly the front row. How long ya been married, where ya from that sort of thing. He seemed like a very nice man. There were Husker fans there but because of the timing don't mention you were there for a football game on November 8.
They fucked up. They reshot. They had technical glitches. But it's such a polished product it was great to see the imperfections.
Once the show part, the bids and the contest to win further prizes like higher and lower and guess the price were finished. They did the spin the wheel twice. The first three spun and the fat guy won. He seemed like a very nice guy so I'll call him the big guy. Then the next three spun and Andy, the guy right in front of me won. I'm right behind his wife so look for the other fat guy, err big guy behind him.
They set up the showcases and here we go. Big guy passed his to Andy. Andy made a bid way too low in my opinion, Then the big dude bid, way too low in my opinion (two cars and he went with $35K). Andy my bud was $7 something thousand low. I thought he won. Then the big was $7 thousand short also but less than Andy. The big dude won to much celebrating. Andy's wife was crushed because part of his showcase was a boat, which they have apparently.
They asked us to stay because the next taping wasn't full. I was exhausted physically and especially mentally. My energy to act like a nutcase was done for. I am not like that at all, but I was there. Everybody had a blast. they do give you your phones, watches and self-esteem back and you go bye bye.
Notes:
The studio is right next to the Let's Make a Deal studio where the certifiably insane dressed like the Statue of Liberty go.
The studio is cold.
The tickets are easy to get, Just go there and they'd probably let you in.
Often when the 3 doors are used the prizes are shown behind you for trips to Seoul and Cape Cod so you have to turn around to see the models.
Yes, the announcer said hi to his mommy and revealed he door dashed her breakfast everyday.
The contestants who do not get onstage each receive $300.
After the show they do one more come on down for a random number from the start who gets $100. They chose 78, we were 69 70 71 and 72, Oh Kevin was so close.
It's a fun time I must admit. We were so glad we went. We got tickets literally the day before taping so go for it.
Our show airs 3/23/26. Whaaaaaaaaaat?
No comments:
Post a Comment