Hi. I'm 15qa and I'll be your Ask the Expert...

[15QuestionsAway]

...for the first three shows of this week (December 1-3). Millionaire let me know at the end of last week - I was a bit surprised I'm on this early in the season.

Don't read anything into the fact I'm only on for three days or that it's week 13. That's what TPTB gave me, and that's where they put me. I had a lot of fun doing it, and you'll see more of me later in the season.

[TheConfessor]

I hope you did well and proved that former contestants are generally better in this role than media personalities. I'm still hoping that you will post statistics on the Expert performances when you get a chance. I think it would be very interesting to see and discuss.

[cindy.wellman]

Oh this is great news! I can't wait to see your shows.

[peacock2121]

I will get to watch it live today!

Looking forward to seeing you.

[Bob Juch]

I hope you did better this time.

[15QuestionsAway]

I hope you did well and proved that former contestants are generally better in this role than media personalities. I'm still hoping that you will post statistics on the Expert performances when you get a chance. I think it would be very interesting to see and discuss.

I'm stuck on developing a methodology to measure this. It's not a problem if the Expert is clearly helpful or unhelpful, but what if it's more grey? Two examples:

1. The expert gives the right answer, but doesn't convince the contestant to take it.
2. The expert rules out 1 or 2 wrong answers, but doesn't know the right answer.

There's no foreshadowing here - I've thought about this problem long before I was selected for Ask the Expert.

One of us should probably start a topic about this and use the wisdom of the Bored to come up with an answer. The same problem also exists trying to measure the success rate of phone-a-friend.

[15QuestionsAway]

I hope you did better this time.

Being on Skype, shall we say, limits one's research options should one become stuck. I didn't ask the official policy, but I clearly knew if I wasn't talking to the camera, it would make bad television.

Plus, as much as I want to help the contestant, my role is different as an expert than as a phone-a-friend. I found it much less pressure, as I'm responsible to Millionaire more so than the contestant.

Darn Neil Young anyway. If I only had 35-40 seconds...

[MarleysGh0st]

Plus, as much as I want to help the contestant, my role is different as an expert than as a phone-a-friend. I found it much less pressure, as I'm responsible to Millionaire more so than the contestant.

Would you care to elaborate on that? Yes, you were selected by TPTB instead of by the contestant, and TPTB expects "entertainment", but you're still one of the contestant's lifelines and a lot of money hangs on your advice, just as if you were a PAF.

[TheConfessor]

I'm in the middle of watching today's episode, and...

Spoiler

... you're off to a great start, but I'm sure you'd agree that it must have been the easiest $25K question in recent years. I hope you'll do just as well on your more challenging questions.

[15QuestionsAway]

Plus, as much as I want to help the contestant, my role is different as an expert than as a phone-a-friend. I found it much less pressure, as I'm responsible to Millionaire more so than the contestant.

Would you care to elaborate on that? Yes, you were selected by TPTB instead of by the contestant, and TPTB expects "entertainment", but you're still one of the contestant's lifelines and a lot of money hangs on your advice, just as if you were a PAF.

I just mean that it was expected by Millionaire that I had to rely solely on my own knowledge and not do side research on the air. It wouldn't have looked good on television and it would have reflected poorly on me as an expert. Of course I did everything I could to help the contestants subject to that limitation, and did my best to say responsible things to the contestant.

I also think it's less pressure to be in a specific role knowing that you'll get to help several contestants, rather than be focused on helping one that you have a personal connection to. Knowing I was working for the show made me feel more relaxed. That's just my experience - I understand how it may be different for other people.

And most importantly, there's no formal time limit on ask the expert. That difference alone makes ask the expert much less pressure than phone-a-friend.

[Bob Juch]

I hope you did better this time.

Being on Skype, shall we say, limits one's research options should one become stuck. I didn't ask the official policy, but I clearly knew if I wasn't talking to the camera, it would make bad television.

Plus, as much as I want to help the contestant, my role is different as an expert than as a phone-a-friend. I found it much less pressure, as I'm responsible to Millionaire more so than the contestant.

Darn Neil Young anyway. If I only had 35-40 seconds...

It was good to finally see you.

[peacock2121]

I hated that you asked her what she was thinking.


hated




it

[Bob Juch]

I hated that you asked her what she was thinking.


hated




it

He took Ogi lessons.

[peacock2121]

I hated that you asked her what she was thinking.


hated




it

He took Ogi lessons.

Hate that too.

[MarleysGh0st]

I hated that you asked her what she was thinking.


hated




it

He took Ogi lessons.

Hate that too.

Compare what Ogi does with what the experts who aren't WWTBAM veterans do. I'd take Ogi any day over them!

Ogi lessons should be mandatory!

[15QuestionsAway]

I hated that you asked her what she was thinking.


hated




it

You'll be pleased to know that that's the only time I remember doing that unnecessarily. First time jitters.

The shows airing this week were taped on September 17, so I only saw Ogi Ogas and Bill Nye as Experts on TV beforehand. Those two set the Expert standard quite high.

[madamemeisha]

I taped September 16th, so you must have been the expert for some of my green room buddies who carried over. I might have had you instead if only I'd taped the day after!

[clem21]

I taped September 16th, so you must have been the expert for some of my green room buddies who carried over. I might have had you instead if only I'd taped the day after!

Aw Crap meisha you're right! Dammit if he'd been your expert you might have done well!

[madamemeisha]

I taped September 16th, so you must have been the expert for some of my green room buddies who carried over. I might have had you instead if only I'd taped the day after!

Aw Crap meisha you're right! Dammit if he'd been your expert you might have done well!

I know. I've been crying into my pillow every night since, ruing the day I was born.

[15QuestionsAway]

I taped September 16th, so you must have been the expert for some of my green room buddies who carried over. I might have had you instead if only I'd taped the day after!

Aw Crap meisha you're right! Dammit if he'd been your expert you might have done well!

I know. I've been crying into my pillow every night since, ruing the day I was born.

If it makes you feel any better, I only knew slightly more about your question 14 than René Syler. I could have told you there's a McLean, VA. You don't have that reckless a disregard for money to have gone for it based solely on that piece of information, do you?

By the way, you did an outstanding job in the hot seat. Hopefully, by now they require a signature when your check is delivered - mine was left in front of where I was living, sticking out under the doormat.

[madamemeisha]

Aw Crap meisha you're right! Dammit if he'd been your expert you might have done well!

I know. I've been crying into my pillow every night since, ruing the day I was born.

If it makes you feel any better, I only knew slightly more about your question 14 than René Syler. I could have told you there's a McLean, VA. You don't have that reckless a disregard for money to have gone for it based solely on that piece of information, do you?

By the way, you did an outstanding job in the hot seat. Hopefully, by now they require a signature when your check is delivered - mine was left in front of where I was living, sticking out under the doormat.

Thanks, and good job today! I don't know what I would have done with that information, but I doubt I would have risked it. I've been wondering if they'll require a signature. I live in an apartment complex off campus, and I generally trust my neighbors, but I would hate for someone to take or misplace my check. I guess I'll find out in about 12 days or so!

[littlebeast13]

Aw Crap meisha you're right! Dammit if he'd been your expert you might have done well!

I know. I've been crying into my pillow every night since, ruing the day I was born.

If it makes you feel any better, I only knew slightly more about your question 14 than René Syler. I could have told you there's a McLean, VA. You don't have that reckless a disregard for money to have gone for it based solely on that piece of information, do you?

By the way, you did an outstanding job in the hot seat. Hopefully, by now they require a signature when your check is delivered - mine was left in front of where I was living, sticking out under the doormat.

I seem to recall someone (Daniel?) from the primetime show mentioning their check was also left lying on their doorstep....

lb13

[secondchance]

Great job on today's show, 15Q.

Bad news, tho, for your airings this week in L.A. The show will be pre empted on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday for basketball games on KCAL. They usually still keep them in chronological order, so your second show should air Thursday, and your third will hopefully be made up over the weekend, probably on Sunday.

[Bob Juch]

I know. I've been crying into my pillow every night since, ruing the day I was born.

If it makes you feel any better, I only knew slightly more about your question 14 than René Syler. I could have told you there's a McLean, VA. You don't have that reckless a disregard for money to have gone for it based solely on that piece of information, do you?

By the way, you did an outstanding job in the hot seat. Hopefully, by now they require a signature when your check is delivered - mine was left in front of where I was living, sticking out under the doormat.

I seem to recall someone (Daniel?) from the primetime show mentioning their check was also left lying on their doorstep....

lb13

Mine too, even though I was home.

[15QuestionsAway]

Great job on today's show, 15Q.

Bad news, tho, for your airings this week in L.A. The show will be pre empted on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday for basketball games on KCAL. They usually still keep them in chronological order, so your second show should air Thursday, and your third will hopefully be made up over the weekend, probably on Sunday.

Thanks for the heads up. I had a look at TitanTV for the changes:

Tue show: Thu 6:30 pm
Wed show: Sat 3:00 am
Thu show: Sun 1:00 pm
Fri show: Sun 1:30 pm

The last two won't be me. I know it's going to be a $100k winner - quite possibly Tom Spencer again.