WWTBAM Bored

I haven't read "no FF; a fact" anywhere.

OK, so we know they're auditioning contestants for PTBAM as well as for syndi. This sucked the wind big time out of a lot of us. Or out of our sails, anyway.

But wait! Hark! I got on to PT via an audition, remember. I certainly didn't ace my 1 round #2. And all my fellow-auditioners playing PTBAM had to go through a FF round. Which is why only 2 of the 10 actually got to play.

There have been people who not only passed auditions for PTBAM, complete with FF, which they didn't win, they subsequently passed the "free pass" audition that is syndi, too. silvercamaro is one such. And a few others who are or used to be on various incarnations of this board.

But none of my group-of-10 have passed a syndi audition, & I've been checking for the others.


There have also been those who "failed", whatever that meant, PTBAM auditions who have subsequently passed syndi auditions. (Just for the record, I failed my 1st PTBAM audition.)
Nope, not gonna name them.

At any rate, the APs picking passers for the original PTBAM auditions wanted people with whatever hooks they were looking for, to be sure, but also people who would do well in a FF.

The APs picking passers for syndi by this time do not know what someone who could do well in a FF even is, I say.

So:

Are the passers they pick going to be subjected to FFs?

If they asked "do you want to be in the pool for PTBAM, complete with FF, which means the chance is good you will never get to play", I of course would say "yes!" because that's all I ever wanted. I wonder how many of the current auditioners for syndi would even go for those odds. I'd like to say "of course they all would" but I just don't think so.

ghostjmf wrote:At any rate, the APs picking passers for the original PTBAM auditions wanted people with whatever hooks they were looking for, to be sure, but also people who would do well in a FF.

Why?

Somebody is going to win an FF. As long as they've got ten contestants who meet their requirements for personality and stories and demographics, what do TPTB care about their FF skills?

MarleysGh0st wrote:

ghostjmf wrote:At any rate, the APs picking passers for the original PTBAM auditions wanted people with whatever hooks they were looking for, to be sure, but also people who would do well in a FF.

Why?

Somebody is going to win an FF. As long as they've got ten contestants who meet their requirements for personality and stories and demographics, what do TPTB care about their FF skills?

You left out "needing the money." (although perhaps that was subsumed under your more general "stories")

hbomb1947 wrote:You left out "needing the money." (although perhaps that was subsumed under your more general "stories")

Yes, of course!

Marley says:

Somebody is going to win an FF. As long as they've got ten contestants who meet their requirements for personality and stories and demographics, what do TPTB care about their FF skills?

There have been reported instances where nobody won an FF. Both from phone-game round 2 winner shows & auditioner shows, I believe. So they did it over again until somebody did win. It adds to the time taken to tape the show, though. All that gearing up to do the FF with nobody winning takes its emotional toll on everybody, including the contestants.

ghostjmf wrote:
There have been people who not only passed auditions for PTBAM, complete with FF, which they didn't win, they subsequently passed the "free pass" audition that is syndi, too. silvercamaro is one such. And a few others who are or used to be on various incarnations of this board.

What is a "free pass" audition? Do you mean an audition that leads directly to the hot seat, without need for a fast finger round?

ghostjmf wrote:Marley says:

Somebody is going to win an FF. As long as they've got ten contestants who meet their requirements for personality and stories and demographics, what do TPTB care about their FF skills?

There have been reported instances where nobody won an FF. Both from phone-game round 2 winner shows & auditioner shows, I believe. So they did it over again until somebody did win. It adds to the time taken to tape the show, though. All that gearing up to do the FF with nobody winning takes its emotional toll on everybody, including the contestants.

Yes, they can edit it out and ask another FF if that happens. The added time and "emotional toll" isn't enough to make the APs care about FF skill in the first place.

silvercam says:

What is a "free pass" audition? Do you mean an audition that leads directly to the hot seat, without need for a fast finger round?

Yes, that is what I meant. Except of course that it didn't lead directly to the hot seat for a lot of people who did get a happy-card, but then never got called to the show.

You passed 'em both! Consider yourself the 2X winner!

(There are probably people out there who are 3X winners; they not only got through all 5 Qs of a dreaded-but-much-desired round #2, they got through them fast enough to be part of the group that got drawn from the pool of smartie fasties to get THE CALL. Then they didn't win the FF. So they tried out for PTBAM via auditions, got on, but still didn't win the FF. Then they tried out for syndi, got the happy card, & got called, & got to play. I can't immediately think of any from the board, though.)

ghostjmf wrote:silvercam says:

What is a "free pass" audition? Do you mean an audition that leads directly to the hot seat, without need for a fast finger round?

Yes, that is what I meant.

Thanks, ghost. I just wanted to be sure I understood what you were saying.

silvercam says:

Thanks, ghost. I just wanted to be sure I understood what you were saying.

Nobody gets a free pass to the answers. Except maybe that guy in England with the strategically coughing friend, but that didn't work out so well for him in the long run. I wonder what they do about that nowadays, with stuff you used to have to be a spy to have on sale in SkyMall. "These are just my earings!"

Nobody answered the first FF question on jarnon's and my show. It was edited out. All together the experience probably added about 8-10 minutes to the production time.

So TPTB want to do auditions for the 10th anniversary of PTBAM? I think this is a VERY BAD IDEA.

Here's why:

1. 99% of the country doesn't live in NYC/Jersey/CT. After seeing all those WE/WE contestants, it's gonna look way too much like SyndiBAM, where we see WE/WE contestants at least once a week. Who wants to watch a bunch of WE's?

2. The Original Phone Game was what made PTBAM unique among game shows-past and present. Imagine being able to dial a number, answer some questions, and a few days later being in NYC on nationwide TV for a chance at life-changing money.

3. They had a phone game for SuperBAM back in 2004.

I have to believe they're gonna have a Phone Game-or an online test. That would really be great.

Kazoo65 wrote:So TPTB want to do auditions for the 10th anniversary of PTBAM? I think this is a VERY BAD IDEA.

Here's why:

1. 99% of the country doesn't live in NYC/Jersey/CT. After seeing all those WE/WE contestants, it's gonna look way too much like SyndiBAM, where we see WE/WE contestants at least once a week. Who wants to watch a bunch of WE's?

2. The Original Phone Game was what made PTBAM unique among game shows-past and present. Imagine being able to dial a number, answer some questions, and a few days later being in NYC on nationwide TV for a chance at life-changing money.

3. They had a phone game for SuperBAM back in 2004.

I have to believe they're gonna have a Phone Game-or an online test. That would really be great.

Damn, I'm from NYC, I'm a WE AND I was on SyndiBam.

I should start watching out for the firing squad around here...

clem21 wrote:Damn, I'm from NYC, I'm a WE AND I was on SyndiBam.

I should start watching out for the firing squad around here...

Nobody warned you about that before now?

Kazoo65 wrote:I have to believe they're gonna have a Phone Game-or an online test. That would really be great.

I wish they'd do that, too, Kazoo. But, based on all the evidence and my understanding of TPTB's motivations, I don't believe it.

Kazoo65 wrote:1. 99% of the country doesn't live in NYC/Jersey/CT. After seeing all those WE/WE contestants, it's gonna look way too much like SyndiBAM, where we see WE/WE contestants at least once a week. Who wants to watch a bunch of WE's?

While I agree with points 2 and 3, TPTB has stated plans for road auditions. There's plenty of time before August to find suitable contestants for the new PTBAM from many places other than the WABC viewing area. After all, the original PTBAM arranged travel, lodging and the entire show literally overnight for players. They'll have much more time than that this time around.

Kazoo65 wrote:So TPTB want to do auditions for the 10th anniversary of PTBAM? I think this is a VERY BAD IDEA.

Here's why:

1. 99% of the country doesn't live in NYC/Jersey/CT.

Actually, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, a mere 89.6% of the country lives outside those three states.

hbomb1947 wrote:

Kazoo65 wrote:So TPTB want to do auditions for the 10th anniversary of PTBAM? I think this is a VERY BAD IDEA.

Here's why:

1. 99% of the country doesn't live in NYC/Jersey/CT.

Actually, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, a mere 89.6% of the country lives outside those three states.

But not all of those states are Where Else!

The New York DMA is only 6.553% of the US.

I will not hold my breath until they have an audition in Northwest Arkansas.

I will not watch the show unless I have a stake in it, and I will not have a stake in it unless they have a phone game qualification.

I know what decade A Flock of Seagulls were on the charts now.

TPTB have no idea what made the show popular 10 years ago. And if they do not reinstate the phone game, it will flop bigtime. And I hope it does.

flockofseagulls104 wrote:I will not hold my breath until they have an audition in Northwest Arkansas.

I can't see the APs going to Northwest Arkansas.

Would you settle for Branson, Missouri?

flockofseagulls104 wrote:I will not hold my breath until they have an audition in Northwest Arkansas.

I will not watch the show unless I have a stake in it, and I will not have a stake in it unless they have a phone game qualification.

I know what decade A Flock of Seagulls were on the charts now.

TPTB have no idea what made the show popular 10 years ago. And if they do not reinstate the phone game, it will flop bigtime. And I hope it does.

Okay, Holding up umbrella to block flying objects and...

1) Does this mean you'll only watch the show if and when you get on? Why would the phone game make any difference?

2)I'm honestly sick and tired of this "Phone Game is what made the show" crap. It's just not true. I've no doubt that the phone game was a part of it, but if you choose to completely ignore the fact that it was part of a trivia fad/craze you're fooling yourself. The phone game may have "made the show" for you, but don't presume to think you are talking for America.

3) I don't think the show will "flop bigtime." And why do you hope it does? I don't get the wishing ill on other people thing. Do you want the show to fail simply because they aren't catering to what YOU want? And I'm not trying to antagonize you, honestly, I'm just trying to better figure out your point of view.

Ugh! One of these shows most memorable contestants was a fiddler from West Virginia! What audition will he drive to?

clem21 wrote:Okay, Holding up umbrella to block flying objects and...

I can offer a generic reply on behalf of boring MAWGs in blue shirts, but I'll give flock some more time to post a personal reply, first.

MarleysGh0st wrote:

clem21 wrote:Okay, Holding up umbrella to block flying objects and...

I can offer a generic reply on behalf of boring MAWGs in blue shirts, but I'll give flock some more time to post a personal reply, first.

One add-on:

Don't think I don't realize that no phone game hurts your chances of getting on the show. And that sucks, I get that. And I'm pissed on your behalf Marley. But to imply that the show is only relevant because people can get on? It's my belief that over 80% of people watching wouldn't even think to audition anyway. You are the exception and not the rule in this case...

clem21 wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:

clem21 wrote:Okay, Holding up umbrella to block flying objects and...

I can offer a generic reply on behalf of boring MAWGs in blue shirts, but I'll give flock some more time to post a personal reply, first.

One add-on:

Don't think I don't realize that no phone game hurts your chances of getting on the show. And that sucks, I get that. And I'm pissed on your behalf Marley. But to imply that the show is only relevant because people can get on? It's my belief that over 80% of people watching wouldn't even think to audition anyway. You are the exception and not the rule in this case...

Clem's right. I was back east getting my hair cut at my sis-in-law's favorite haircut establishment, and the television was on, and out of about five people watching Syndibam, with great enjoyment, I might add, I was the only one with the slightest interest in getting on the show. And the only one trying to answer the questions, but that seemed to make it more fun for the other clients.