WWTBAM Bored

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got a call from a 212 area code and my heart skipped a beat. Yes, it was WWTBAM and they gave me a taping date! It is Friday, July 25th. Expected air week of Sept. 22.

So now I need some Phone-A-Friends ASAP - people on the bored have mentioned they might be available so I'm asking if anyone wants to be my friend.

It appears that there are some differences this year - one of them is that there are only 3 PAFs, and that I need to provide within 5 business days a photo and a release form for each of my PAF.

So if you:
- Don't mind potentially having you photo plastered over the airwaves
- Are able to get a photo of yourself before the end of next week
- Are willing to sign a release by the end of next week
- Have a lot of time free on Friday, July 25th with the possiblity of free time on Monday, the 28th
- A willingness to spend some time doing practice PAF trials
- A land-line phone, fast computer/internet connection, smart, good googling/wiki skills, and the desire to help me out...

Then please let me know ASAP.

I've been keeping my personal info pretty close to the vest since I didn't know if TPTB monitor the bored and if so if they feel being active on the bored is a plus or a minus, but now that I got the call, I feel free to give some more details about myself:

I currently live in Austin, Tx (for nearly 12 years now) - prior to that I lived 8 years in Switzerland. I was born and grew up in the Catskill Mountain region of NY State - and the original Woodstock festival took place litterally around-the-block from where I lived in 1969 (I was 11 at the time).

I have 10 wonderful children and a fantastic wife.

I've participated for a few years in the International O'Henry Pun-Off competition held in Austin every spring - I mention this because both interviewrs asked about it during my audition - so for those trying out - listing anything in which you have experience 'performinng' in front of a crowd/audience might give you a leg up.

I'm another 1958er (which I noticed just came up in another thread about a significant number of us who were born that year are on the bored) and had my 50th birthday this past February.

So, thanks so far for all the great advice I've recieved to date from this bored - and seriously, if you can be a PAF, please let me know ASAP.

---Jay

Congrats! Hope you win a bunch!

There are many here who are smarter and much better googlers than I, so I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding a PAF or three.

Now, if they had a Rock-n-Roll week, I'd be your guy.

I don't do this often, but what the hell......

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding PAF volunteers around here. I won't be lining up, but you'll find some willing souls....

lb13

Congrats!!!

I have class that night (the one Friday I actually have one) so I can only be at my land line until about 4:45 pm. If it's the same as when I taped, you ideally need people available until 5:30 or 6.

However, I am definitely willing if you can't find others, or if you find that the time works out.

As for having my picture plastered, since I was on the show, I guess I'm okay with that.

Are they making you choose the same set of PAF's for the 25th AND the 28th?? That's a huge commitment. All but one of my original 5 backed out for the second go around. That is going to hurt a lot of people, if you don't get to choose a second list.

PAFs need photos now? Are TPTB trying to find more talk show guests to sit in the Hot Seat or something?

Somebody tell Skip the Intern they need to update the rules on the Syndie Bam website. It still says

Phone-A-Friend - Contestants may call one (1) of up to five (5) pre-arranged friends. Phone-a-friends may not use cellular phones. Individuals participating as phone-a-friends may do so only two (2) times in each broadcast season (to be determined in Game Sponsor's sole discretion.) The Contestant must provide the five (5) friends' names and phone numbers in advance. The Contestant has thirty (30) seconds to read the question, provide the answer choices and attempt to get an answer from their phone-a-friend. After completion of the call, the Contestant then has the choice of selecting an answer, quitting the Game or using another lifeline, if available.

The rules were last updated 6/26/07.

Tap, Tap, Tap...

sunflower wrote:Congrats!!!

... text snipped ...

Are they making you choose the same set of PAF's for the 25th AND the 28th?? That's a huge commitment. All but one of my original 5 backed out for the second go around. That is going to hurt a lot of people, if you don't get to choose a second list.

Good question, I just got the email but haven't had time to read everything yet - and there is a packet supposedly coming in the mail as well. If I don't see anything regarding different PAFs for the backup date I will ask my contact person.

Congratulations, fellow 1958 baby! I'm afraid I'm too depressed at the moment to volunteer for PAF duty, but you'll have other volunteers, I'm sure.

frogman042 wrote:It appears that there are some differences this year - one of them is that there are only 3 PAFs, and that I need to provide within 5 business days a photo and a release form for each of my PAF.

Hmmm. Cutting the number of PAFs from 5 to 3 is a major change, after all these years. I wonder why? Just to save the APs some inconvenience during the set-up calls?

And what if the PAF photos aren't TV-worthy? Will PAFs have to be auditioned by the APs next? (I'm tempted to volunteer, just so that I could submit the photo of my frowning visage, holding up my t-shirt that says "I CAME TO MILLIONAIRE'S WALK IN AND WIN AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS T-SHIRT!")

Yeah, last season we got to have 2 different groups...but we also got to submit them on our tape date, not in advance. That's definitely an important question!!

Well make sure you breathe and try to enjoy the excitement a little. Take it from me, running to the store and buying 80 trivia books and almanacs and world maps will only stress you out more!!!

frogman042 wrote:

sunflower wrote:Congrats!!!

... text snipped ...

Are they making you choose the same set of PAF's for the 25th AND the 28th?? That's a huge commitment. All but one of my original 5 backed out for the second go around. That is going to hurt a lot of people, if you don't get to choose a second list.

Good question, I just got the email but haven't had time to read everything yet - and there is a packet supposedly coming in the mail as well. If I don't see anything regarding different PAFs for the backup date I will ask my contact person.

I just found this bit of info in the email - so I can have a different group of PAFs for the following Monday if need be:

HOLDOVER INFORMATION:
If you are in the middle of game play when time runs out or have not yet had the opportunity to play the game, you will have to return to the studio to continue your game play on July 28, 2008. If some of your Phone-A-Friends are not be available for the holdover day, you may make replacements. In preparing for this, you should travel to the studio on July 25, 2008 with photos of the potential replacements as well as signed releases for each and deliver the changes to us at the end of your tape day.

WTG!!!!!!!!!
Love,

frogman042 wrote:

frogman042 wrote:

sunflower wrote:Congrats!!!

... text snipped ...

Are they making you choose the same set of PAF's for the 25th AND the 28th?? That's a huge commitment. All but one of my original 5 backed out for the second go around. That is going to hurt a lot of people, if you don't get to choose a second list.

Good question, I just got the email but haven't had time to read everything yet - and there is a packet supposedly coming in the mail as well. If I don't see anything regarding different PAFs for the backup date I will ask my contact person.

I just found this bit of info in the email - so I can have a different group of PAFs for the following Monday if need be:

HOLDOVER INFORMATION:
If you are in the middle of game play when time runs out or have not yet had the opportunity to play the game, you will have to return to the studio to continue your game play on July 28, 2008. If some of your Phone-A-Friends are not be available for the holdover day, you may make replacements. In preparing for this, you should travel to the studio on July 25, 2008 with photos of the potential replacements as well as signed releases for each and deliver the changes to us at the end of your tape day.

Wow...I wonder why they changed that??? I thought the old process worked just fine!

And they're taping on Firdays and Mondays now?? The whole thing has changed!!!

sunflower wrote:Yeah, last season we got to have 2 different groups...but we also got to submit them on our tape date, not in advance. That's definitely an important question!!

They must have had thousands of PAFs whose voices have been used on-air by now and they've never required anything more from us than oral consent over the phone. After all this time, what's changed to make them require a written release form?

Wow, congratulations. You are in for an amazing ride. It's interesting that they want pics of the PaF's now. I'd guess they plan to flash them on the screen durng the call? Anyway - best of luck, remember to BREATHE, take your time, you'll get plenty of advice, and the usual suspects will be, I'm sure, volunteering to help out. There's a lot to be said for experienced PaF's


t.

MarleysGh0st wrote:

sunflower wrote:Yeah, last season we got to have 2 different groups...but we also got to submit them on our tape date, not in advance. That's definitely an important question!!

They must have had thousands of PAFs whose voices have been used on-air by now and they've never required anything more from us than oral consent over the phone. After all this time, what's changed to make them require a written release form?

Maybe to ensure more confidentiality? I always said that the audience and the PAF didn't have to sign anything, so if it leaked how I did, I hoped they didn't blame me!! Other than that I would have no guess why a release is needed, unless they want to show pictures and a release is needed for that?

MarleysGh0st wrote:They must have had thousands of PAFs whose voices have been used on-air by now and they've never required anything more from us than oral consent over the phone. After all this time, what's changed to make them require a written release form?

I suppose they need one to show you picture on TV. In the past, PaFs were usually anonymous, unless the constestant said the PaF's full name.

Congratulations, frogman!

A point that should be raised here: If you are a PAF and your picture now appears on the show if you get the PAF call, does that constitute an "appearance" on a game show which could jeopardize your appearance as an actual contestant on another game show for a period of time?

Best of luck! I certainly hope you're preparing some appropriate puns for your on-air banter.

I'll volunteerr. I've sent a PM.

You might do yourself a favor and try to identify the areas of potential questions in which you think you are weakest and seek volunteer PAFs on that basis. You might get lots of volunteers from the birth class of 1958 (me too!), but a lot of us have a similar set of experiences and knowledge base.

On the release thing, maybe TPTB are sensitized to all of the union negotiations on residual payments for appearances (including voices). Who knows? Good luck.

Marley says:

And what if the PAF photos aren't TV-worthy? Will PAFs have to be auditioned by the APs next?

That's something I unfortunately would really worry about. Maybe they will just use the photo info in what to them would be a positive way, in that they won't discredit people they don't like the looks of from talking on the phone, but would actively recruit those they think look good enough to be actual contestants.

However, not if:

as slam says:

A point that should be raised here: If you are a PAF and your picture now appears on the show if you get the PAF call, does that constitute an "appearance" on a game show which could jeopardize your appearance as an actual contestant on another game show for a period of time?

iiiieeeeeee!

When I 1st saw the show, I really really really thought they sent a team to each PAF's house to make sure PAFs didn't do things disallowed by the contract the contestant signed, like Google or use a speakerphone to address a PAF crowd. I was quickly disabused of this notion. For one thing, even the prime time show didn't have that big a budget.

I really would like to hear if this new PAF release form disallows Googling, speakerphones, etc. Since many Googlers lately heard on air have not exactly been adepts, I guess they're not too worried about that anymore. Meredith's even made "I hear typing" jokes. We'll see.

I wish I could help, but I'll be on the road to Memphis that day for the very beginning of our vacation. Have fun, and win a bundle!

ghostjmf wrote:When I 1st saw the show, I really really really thought they sent a team to each PAF's house to make sure PAFs didn't do things disallowed by the contract the contestant signed, like Google or use a speakerphone to address a PAF crowd. I was quickly disabused of this notion. For one thing, even the prime time show didn't have that big a budget.

I really would like to hear if this new PAF release form disallows Googling, speakerphones, etc. Since many Googlers lately heard on air have not exactly been adepts, I guess they're not too worried about that anymore. Meredith's even made "I hear typing" jokes. We'll see.

They know the PAFs Google. At least as of the end of last season, they said during our briefings that they know it happens and they just ask you not to say "Please google..." or "Can you look up..." They also don't like the cheesy lead ins, like "x is so smart, he knows everything off the top of his head" when you then hear "umm...[type type type] umm I'm not sure [type type type] c final answer 100% sure" They said they know it happens, dispense of the cheesiness and just use the life line for what it's worth.

ghostjmf wrote:When I 1st saw the show, I really really really thought they sent a team to each PAF's house to make sure PAFs didn't do things disallowed by the contract the contestant signed, like Google or use a speakerphone to address a PAF crowd.

That's probably why they're cutting back to just three PAFs. It will make the roving goon squads more cost effective. It will also free up more budget dollars for sophisticated drug testing.