More questions for anyone who has taped a show

[Winnamill]

Hopefully, the overflowing fountain of questions will finally run out, but here are a few more that have occurred to me and perhaps others will be interested as well:

- What happens once I have taped my segment? Do I just leave (after any legal matters, etc.), or are we allowed to sit in the audience (assuming it has not already been a 10+ hour day)?

- Does the taping seem to go to the bitter end (i.e. 7:30 p.m. ET), or is that pretty much the latest one can expect? One of my lifelines is supposed to head to a second job about 4:10 PT so it will help her to know.

- I'm figuring PAFs get some kind of thank you gift whether or not they were called. That is my plan anyway, assuming I don't completely llama. Then it's back to the Christmas store at South Seaport for another round of "Yes, I want to be a Millionaire" ornaments for all. If any of you have given thank you gifts to PAFs, what seems like a fair way to go for having spent an entire day waiting by a phone? I'm also assuming this depends on $$ amount won and previous financial resources. I'm hoping to avoid feelings on their behalf of the sort found on the "she went to NYC and all I got was this stupid t-shirt."

Thanks!

[sunflower]

The caveat to all my answers is...assuming it's the same as last season...

Hopefully, the overflowing fountain of questions will finally run out, but here are a few more that have occurred to me and perhaps others will be interested as well:

- What happens once I have taped my segment? Do I just leave (after any legal matters, etc.), or are we allowed to sit in the audience (assuming it has not already been a 10+ hour day)?

You leave, you are not allowed to stay. If you finish mid-show, you will sit under the stage until the show itself ends. Your on-air companion will be removed from the audience at this time and will be with you. You don't have a monitor and can't see the stage. The accountant comes to talk to you, you are escorted to the locker room to get your stuff and you leave the building.

- Does the taping seem to go to the bitter end (i.e. 7:30 p.m. ET), or is that pretty much the latest one can expect? One of my lifelines is supposed to head to a second job about 4:10 PT so it will help her to know.

Now this is probably different than last season because of the clock. But it is very dependent on how taping goes. If there are issues, it will obviously take longer. If they zip through 5 shows, it will be shorter. The day I went to sit in the audience, we were out around 5. My first day of taping, it was sometime between 5:30 and 6. The day I ultimately taped I can't tell you because I was out of the building before 4, when I finished.

- I'm figuring PAFs get some kind of thank you gift whether or not they were called. That is my plan anyway, assuming I don't completely llama. Then it's back to the Christmas store at South Seaport for another round of "Yes, I want to be a Millionaire" ornaments for all. If any of you have given thank you gifts to PAFs, what seems like a fair way to go for having spent an entire day waiting by a phone? I'm also assuming this depends on $$ amount won and previous financial resources. I'm hoping to avoid feelings on their behalf of the sort found on the "she went to NYC and all I got was this stupid t-shirt."

I took everyone out to eat BEFORE the show to butter them up to do a good job! Then thank you cards after the show. The PAF who helped me win was sent a bouquet of flowers and we took her and her boyfriend out to a very nice dinner. I also gave them all some of the millionaire swag we got from the very nice PR staff.

[Peter5858]

As to acknowledging, PAFs, I would say:

1. Thank you notes are mandatory, and the absolute minimum you could do.
2. Some kind of gift is appropriate, but I don't think it should depend on how well you do. These folks were seriously -albeit willingly - inconvenienced for your benefit. I mailed gift cards to Borders or Barnes and Noble (can't remember which). The nature of the gift and its value seems entirely a matter of your discretion.

[frogman042]

You might want to see if you friend wants to take the test, that is a possibility if she gets there sometime around 9 - 9:30 am - just make sure that she lets TPTB that she is your guest, several of my guests took the test in the morning. The best that can happen is she passes and gets a shot in the hot seat and the worse is that she doesn't pass and then she is even more impressed that you got on the show.

If she does take the test and your guest wants to leave when you leave, if this happens before they announce the results, they can probably find out if she passed or not, or she can ask to stay in the audience until they announce the results. I never tried to ask if I could stay on in the audience, but the sentiment is that you can't - but you can ask TPTB, if they say no, then so be it, but it doesn't hurt to find out from them and not from us.

---Jay

[ulysses5019]

As to acknowledging, PAFs, I would say:

1. Thank you notes are mandatory, and the absolute minimum you could do.
2. Some kind of gift is appropriate, but I don't think it should depend on how well you do. These folks were seriously -albeit willingly - inconvenienced for your benefit. I mailed gift cards to Borders or Barnes and Noble (can't remember which). The nature of the gift and its value seems entirely a matter of your discretion.

I agree. I did do a little something extra for the PAF I used but everyone got something. The bbs who showed up for my taping were treated to a nice dinner. At least I thought it was nice. Well, after a bottle of champagne.

[dimmzy]

I did do a little something extra for the PAF I used but everyone got something.

I had 82 people, so that was impossible! (I had two parties of folks)

I had a big "thank you" party and invited everyone and had my own Millionaire trivia game based on my show ("What was Meredith wearing? What was answer B to the $500 question?) with prizes.