How To Get On A Game Show
Eric Sherman's Niche Expertise
Table of Contents:
THE EXPERT
In the last 10 years, Eric Sherman has been on four game shows and won tens of thousands of dollars. He’s been obsessed with game shows like Password, $100,000 Pyramid and the Price is Right since he was ten-years-old partly because of its wholesome appeal.
“The entire premise of the game show is just to make regular people happy for no reason. The contestants, the hosts, and the people watching at home are all just having a good time. It’s corny, but it's true!”
Surfing the game show circuit has been one of Eric’s greatest joys in life and where he feels most activated in his personal life. Coincidentally, the strategy and process of getting on a game show employs some of the same techniques that Eric applies to his day job as a high school guidance counselor. He found unexpected similarities between the college admission process and the game show casting process.
✅ The selection process is not random
✅ Both require the most high-energy and genuine version of yourself
✅ Demonstrated interest matters
Curious to learn more, I spoke to Eric about his strategy in the game show application and casting processes, his personal tips for navigating game show film sets and how he prepares for the day his episode airs.
If you’re interested in getting on a game show, what follows is a good starter pack but could never replace the individualized enthusiastic support of a fellow game show nerd like Eric who wants you to win, and Win Big.
Reach out if you want his consult or support!
What’s a Niche Expertise?
It’s your go-to topic of fascination that you could chat about for ages.
It’s the pet project would you hyper-focus on if time and money were no object.
Everyone possesses a unique expertise in something - a kind of experiential Phd1 that represents the wealth of knowledge we accumulate from getting our hands dirty with our obsessions. It's the thing we love learning about that has little to do with our professional commitments.
It could be a fascination with a specific herb, or a passion for Academy Award Acceptance Speeches. Personally, I've conducted my own independent studies in campy film festivals and the art of intimate gatherings.
I'm genuinely eager to learn about your thing.
Learning what your thing is, is one of my things.
In this interview series, I’ll be talking with friends and associates who have a compelling Niche Expertise and sharing their conversation here so that we can all earn a mini PhD for our brain. 🎓
Reach out if you wanna nerd out. Tell me your…
[Shout in the cadence of a game show audience]
PHASE 1: BEFORE YOU APPLY
Pick Your Favorite Game Show
Producers reward loyalty to the game. If you apply to a show you know inside and out, you’re more likely to be chosen and to perform well.
Eric’s Favorite Show: $100,000 Pyramid
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
Eric and his mom would watch the show muted and practice, one person watching the TV for the clues, and the other with their back to the TV. They did this for over a decade before Eric even got on the show.
Know Thyself
Honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t go for a game show that doesn’t cater to your skills!
Exhibit #1: Wheel of Fortune contestants who maaaaaybe should have chosen another show:
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
Eric selects games suited to his strengths, and steers clear of those less suited to him.
Exhibit #2: Louis Virtel (co-host of Keep It! podcast and writer for Jimmy Kimmel) has the perfect skill set for a trivia game, and also created my favorite Jeopardy moment:
Know the Game
Like any job interview, research the game. You will need to show you know the game and the specific challenges in the interview process with producers.
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
You have to show the producers that you are a super fan of the show. Everyone who knows about The Price is Right knows about the game Plinko, so when Eric was in front of the producers, he talked about less obvious games.
Exhibit #3: In this clip from The Price is Right, an entertaining contestant, who watches the show every day, knew exactly what price to bid.
Bob Barker echoes what Eric reiterated throughout our conversation: Game shows reward loyalty.
PHASE 2: THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Look on the website of your favorite show to see if they are accepting applications.
The application will ask questions to figure out what’s unique about you. Producers are trying to figure out if you’re someone who will make good TV.
Potential Questions in the Application
What are you known for with your family and friends?
What are you known for in high school or college?
What is your claim to fame?
Eric’s Tip: Ask your friends and family for anecdotes about yourself. Don’t write something generic producer’s might have heard before.
Eric wrote: “Friends say I’m witty, energetic, fertile”
What’s an interesting fact about you that no one would know by looking at you?
Eric’s Tip: Write something esoteric or maybe embarrassing. What’s the Youtube algorithm you always go down?
Eric wrote: I own three iguanas, named after Amazonian tribes.
What will you do with the money?
Eric’s Tip: Tailor this to your interests. It should be something appropriate to the amount of money. Don’t say student loans, travel, buy a house, or donate to charity! Boring, duh!
Eric wrote: My grandmother is a painter - Japanese watercolors – and I’d love to take her to Japan.
Watch Eric give this answer on TV:
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to make money?
Eric’s Tip: They are looking for people who take risks, are outrageous, and willing to look foolish. 🤡🤡🤡
Eric wrote: I was a standardized patient for doctors in training who would evaluate me for fake illnesses.
What are your go-to Karaoke songs?
Eric’s Tip: Something with a beat, and not a ballad.
Eric wrote: Missy Elliot’s “Werk It”
Other questions:
Are you Risk taker? Say Yes.
Are you Competitive? Say Yes.
If they ask for a Team Name, it should be related to the game and Fun!
In Summary:
Let Your Freak Flag Fly!
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
The thing that you nerd out on, while it may seem mundane to you, is going to be really interesting to the producers.
Be Silly!
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
You have to not take yourself too seriously because games shows are a weird, fantastical, contrived space and you need to play your part in it.
Risk Takers Make Good TV
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
The people that are entertaining on television are the people who are the most honest and sincere, and those are the people that end up having the most fun.
Once you submit – you wait for them to call!
PHASE 3: CASTING
If you see a strange number from Burbank calling, answer it!
Producers will call you for a chat but also to make sure you’re not a bonkers person.
You might be asked to have 2 to 3 video calls where they will get to know you and play the game with you.
What are producers looking for at this stage?
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
You don’t want to seem like an actor looking for screen time.
You are a regular unique person who loves the show!
If you pass those tests, you get booked and flown out!
Woah, Jet Setter!
PHASE 4: THE DAY OF SHOOTING
Here’s a run down of what to expect on a game show set.
Lots of Waiting
You will be in a green room with all other prospective players.
It feels like a holding pen and it is not sexy.
They offer cold sandwiches and will escort you to and from the restroom.
Legal Stuff
You will sign an NDA. Eric signed 50+ pages of documents for 100,000 Pyramid.
Wardrobe
Show your outfit choices to the wardrobe department.
Blocking for the Camera
They take you out on the stage and show you where your body should be while on set in front of the cameras.
Hair & Make-up
You could get to the studio, get into hair and make-up and be next in line to film… but it’s still totally possible you might not actually get on the show.
Filming
Even if it doesn’t seem like a game show is “heavily produced”, something will happen and they will have to stop the cameras and then start again.
Every set he’s been on has had some kind of unexpected hold up or mishap:
Price is Right:
“One of the games malfunctioned, for example, but you could see that the contestant had lost. Once they started back up filming, the contestant had to appear to lose again. The producer had to say “OK, be sad again!”
100,000 Pyramid:
“One of the monitors went out in the middle of game play. Time was going down and the monitor went out. I was so anxious!”
Playing the Game & Interaction with Crew:
After every round or when the camera is not recording, the producers will come over to talk and give you notes.
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
In between rounds of the game, producers told Eric to be more visibly excited and to keep his energy up all the time.
Wrapping Up:
Whether you win or lose, you go to a folding table where a PA has you fill out a tax form and a release form that says they can legally use your image and anything can happen and you have no legal recourse in every universe that is known to man.
Then they kick you to the curb.
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
After it’s over, it’s a crazy contrast. Moments ago, you were just the center of attention, making everybody laugh. Next, you’re lost in the back lot looking for your car.
Eric Tip: Don’t take it personally! They have a million other things going on that day.
PHASE 5: EVERYTHING AFTER
Because you signed the NDA, you are not supposed to disclose the outcome of the show to anyone, or you can compromise your winnings!
There’s a tacit understanding that you can tell trusted friends and family. But you can’t post about the outcome on social media, and you can’t reveal the celebrities you may have played with.
Eric Tip: I didn’t say that I won. I just said that I played well and to watch the show!
Waiting For Your Episode to Air
Go back to your regular life and wait.
It took a year for Eric’s episode of 100,000 Pyramid to air because of the pandemic.
If you’re lucky, you might get contacted about the date when your episode is going to air and they may encourage you to promote it.
Getting Paid
They are legally obligated to give you your money within 120 days of your episode airing.
However, if it doesn’t air…. You Don’t Get Your Winnings!
The Day Your Episode Airs
Expect the unexpected and expect to be embarrassed!
Condensed transcript of the audio below:
Even though he knew the outcome, he was still so anxious when he wasn't doing well, as if there was a chance that he somehow wouldn't win
Tip: Throw yourself a party. Wear the exact same thing you had on the show. Invite your loudest friends!
Here’s the full clip of Eric winning $50,000!
Follow Eric’s advice and you might just end up getting cast on your favorite game show. In fact, this recently happened to a friend whom Eric consulted throughout the casting process.
She went on to win $50k on The $100,000 Pyramid!
Are You Next?
Let Eric help you make it happen!
More Niche Expertise Conversations:
Years ago, a friend in academia explained the function of a PhD with the following idea, also conveniently available online as these illustrations from Matt Might.
Pretend this is the sphere of knowledge available to humans:
The Blue circle is your brain after elementary school, the Green circle is your brain after finishing high school, the Salmon ring with the tiny ball is your Bachelors where you gain a specialty, the Pink protuberant is your Masters where you deepen that specialty, and the Red slash that is headed for the edge of the circle represents all the reading of research papers you have done and the knowledge gained within your specialty.
Here you have hit the boundaries of available human knowledge.
Cut to: years later after you write your dissertation and the resulting expansion in the sphere of human knowledge is your PhD.
