17 years ago today... I was on Wheel
May 1, 2014 21:53:34 GMT -5
Prizes, MarioGS, and 5 more like this
Post by luggature on May 1, 2014 21:53:34 GMT -5
Hey there BAV members, wanted to drop in on this special occasion for me to say hello officially. My name is Ryan, and I go by the handle of “luggature”. It was seventeen (17!?!?!) years ago today that I started my run on Wheel of Fortune.
My adventure started in the fall of 1996. The local station was advertising Wheel of Fortune auditions five hours away in Toronto. I sent in 10 postcards. My mom thought that was silly. A month later, en route to the tryouts, I think she changed her mind!
My tryout contained about 120 people. We had to stand up, on at a time, and call some letters. Then it was the puzzle quiz. Apparently I did well because I was one of about a dozen retained for the second round. We then played in groups of three like the show and I solved the puzzle “BLACKBERRY AND TRAFFIC JAM”. We were told if we got a letter in two weeks that we’d be in the contestant pool.
The letter came on the same day. My mom had it and didn’t tell me for the entire school day! (I was 18 and still in high school when I tried out – my province used to have a five year high school system).
Months passed… I practiced almost every day. I got interviewed by a top 40 station (whose DJ also made the cut) and the local affiliate of CBC Radio (kinda like NPR). You try not to think about it too much but everyone always asks you OMG WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE ON? (BTW, I have those interviews on cd if anyone can tell me how to upload them).
It was March break, 1997, when Dad called. “Ryan, I just got off the phone with Los Angeles…” Then there was lots of screaming! We arranged everything and two weeks later I was jetting off to Hollywood for the taping!
I took my mom to the taping with me which was really cool because it was her birthday. Amongst the taping day we managed visits to Marina Del Ray, the Farmer’s Market (Price was taping but Mom didn’t want to go!), Universal Studios Hollywood and a tour of LA/Hollywood.
The tape day then! We stayed at the beautiful (and contestant discounted) Red Lion Hotel. There was no contestant corral van so Mom and I took a taxi to the studio. She left me for the day and we made agreements to rendez-vous at the end of the tape day.
We got to meet everyone and settled in. The morning was filled with Q&A sessions in the contestant green room, getting made up, checking to see if wardrobe was ok, getting used to the set and the wheel and of course paperwork. We were given $10 each to spend at the studio commissary; I had grilled cheese and fries because comfort food is good.
The afternoon was the taping session. DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR COMPANIONS we were told, so I didn’t. We were put in groups of three – I was with Angila from Florida and Johnathan, whom I think I intimidated by my word solving prowess from California. (In retrospect he was the only one there that truly was going to be disappointed if he didn’t win.
We ended up going fourth, the Thursday show. This was perfect. It was the Friday Finals format that year and we weren’t isolated like we were in a Jeopardy tournament and thus I knew the score to beat was $17,750. Doable I figured. Then we drew for slots (this is pre-toss-up mind you). I wanted yellow. Once again fortune favoured me.
You can prepare your whole life to be on a show like Wheel but when it happens it is truly awe-inspiring. I remember Pat and Vanna walking out and thinking “It’s Showtime!” and I truly went into game mode!
We always talk about luck. You can go into youtube and look up “Mr. V on Wheel” and everything from my time on the show is there. But luck truly truly shined on me that day. Angila in red hit Lose a Turn on the first spin, then I controlled the game for the next two rounds. At the break I had more than paid for my trip down (which really was the only thing I truly wanted to do). Johnathan was annoyed at me and told me as such in the break! The hits kept on coming – Johnathan bankrupting with close to $20k, Angila missing a $18K jackpot, and then me spinning top dollar for $7K. When I ended up in bonusland with $22K+ I realized that I got to play again. No bonus win – still get chided about it to this day. Most disappointing thing about that was my mom was on set but didn’t get on the show because I missed it.
Talk with Pat and Vanna in the credits, run out, change, hello Friday!
The great thing about the Friday finals is that it’s all gravy. Ardis won a Saab and and was in first at $62K. Sherry didn’t even win the bonus but with a trip to Cayman and a $25K speedup she was in second at $42K. My $22K seemed paltry by comparison!
Friday’s show was much calmer. I got one puzzle for just short of $6K. I could have spun more, but with real money like that (and a $1.40 US dollar in Canada!) I wasn’t going anywhere. Ardis won the day but I couldn’t have been happier.
Sherry and her husband and my mom and I went out to dinner later at the hotel. It was really surreal because it starts to set in what’s happened. On the show it’s score money but later you realize it’ real. We saw John later – a product of happy hour. More positive was telling the Air Canada crew about the haul that the Canadian kid was going to bring home!
I lived in a town of 1400 people growing up, and there were only about 200 people in my high school. This was a big deal. I had 20 friends and family over for the airing, and boy were they surprised! My gran then came over for birthday dinner the next day and watched the second show with us. We must have watched the Thursday ep every period the next day at school.
Wheel happened when I was 19 and paid a massive, massive chunk of my university education. I was able to pay $16,000 Canadian towards my education. My family always jokes that I got the “Merv Griffin scholarship”. And still to this day, it’s a talking point. I’m also proud to be one of the last contestants to play on multiple shows.
And although Wheel was the start, it’s far been the end. I’ve been lucky enough to rack up six different game show appearances which span four countries and two different languages, each with its own wonderful experiences (not to mention lovely parting gifts!). I also host a national high school quiz program here in Canada which I absolutely love.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the story – please let me know if you have any questions regarding anything, the process, the taping, the airing, the aftermath, whatever you’d like to know!
Cheers,
Ryan
My adventure started in the fall of 1996. The local station was advertising Wheel of Fortune auditions five hours away in Toronto. I sent in 10 postcards. My mom thought that was silly. A month later, en route to the tryouts, I think she changed her mind!
My tryout contained about 120 people. We had to stand up, on at a time, and call some letters. Then it was the puzzle quiz. Apparently I did well because I was one of about a dozen retained for the second round. We then played in groups of three like the show and I solved the puzzle “BLACKBERRY AND TRAFFIC JAM”. We were told if we got a letter in two weeks that we’d be in the contestant pool.
The letter came on the same day. My mom had it and didn’t tell me for the entire school day! (I was 18 and still in high school when I tried out – my province used to have a five year high school system).
Months passed… I practiced almost every day. I got interviewed by a top 40 station (whose DJ also made the cut) and the local affiliate of CBC Radio (kinda like NPR). You try not to think about it too much but everyone always asks you OMG WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE ON? (BTW, I have those interviews on cd if anyone can tell me how to upload them).
It was March break, 1997, when Dad called. “Ryan, I just got off the phone with Los Angeles…” Then there was lots of screaming! We arranged everything and two weeks later I was jetting off to Hollywood for the taping!
I took my mom to the taping with me which was really cool because it was her birthday. Amongst the taping day we managed visits to Marina Del Ray, the Farmer’s Market (Price was taping but Mom didn’t want to go!), Universal Studios Hollywood and a tour of LA/Hollywood.
The tape day then! We stayed at the beautiful (and contestant discounted) Red Lion Hotel. There was no contestant corral van so Mom and I took a taxi to the studio. She left me for the day and we made agreements to rendez-vous at the end of the tape day.
We got to meet everyone and settled in. The morning was filled with Q&A sessions in the contestant green room, getting made up, checking to see if wardrobe was ok, getting used to the set and the wheel and of course paperwork. We were given $10 each to spend at the studio commissary; I had grilled cheese and fries because comfort food is good.
The afternoon was the taping session. DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR COMPANIONS we were told, so I didn’t. We were put in groups of three – I was with Angila from Florida and Johnathan, whom I think I intimidated by my word solving prowess from California. (In retrospect he was the only one there that truly was going to be disappointed if he didn’t win.
We ended up going fourth, the Thursday show. This was perfect. It was the Friday Finals format that year and we weren’t isolated like we were in a Jeopardy tournament and thus I knew the score to beat was $17,750. Doable I figured. Then we drew for slots (this is pre-toss-up mind you). I wanted yellow. Once again fortune favoured me.
You can prepare your whole life to be on a show like Wheel but when it happens it is truly awe-inspiring. I remember Pat and Vanna walking out and thinking “It’s Showtime!” and I truly went into game mode!
We always talk about luck. You can go into youtube and look up “Mr. V on Wheel” and everything from my time on the show is there. But luck truly truly shined on me that day. Angila in red hit Lose a Turn on the first spin, then I controlled the game for the next two rounds. At the break I had more than paid for my trip down (which really was the only thing I truly wanted to do). Johnathan was annoyed at me and told me as such in the break! The hits kept on coming – Johnathan bankrupting with close to $20k, Angila missing a $18K jackpot, and then me spinning top dollar for $7K. When I ended up in bonusland with $22K+ I realized that I got to play again. No bonus win – still get chided about it to this day. Most disappointing thing about that was my mom was on set but didn’t get on the show because I missed it.
Talk with Pat and Vanna in the credits, run out, change, hello Friday!
The great thing about the Friday finals is that it’s all gravy. Ardis won a Saab and and was in first at $62K. Sherry didn’t even win the bonus but with a trip to Cayman and a $25K speedup she was in second at $42K. My $22K seemed paltry by comparison!
Friday’s show was much calmer. I got one puzzle for just short of $6K. I could have spun more, but with real money like that (and a $1.40 US dollar in Canada!) I wasn’t going anywhere. Ardis won the day but I couldn’t have been happier.
Sherry and her husband and my mom and I went out to dinner later at the hotel. It was really surreal because it starts to set in what’s happened. On the show it’s score money but later you realize it’ real. We saw John later – a product of happy hour. More positive was telling the Air Canada crew about the haul that the Canadian kid was going to bring home!
I lived in a town of 1400 people growing up, and there were only about 200 people in my high school. This was a big deal. I had 20 friends and family over for the airing, and boy were they surprised! My gran then came over for birthday dinner the next day and watched the second show with us. We must have watched the Thursday ep every period the next day at school.
Wheel happened when I was 19 and paid a massive, massive chunk of my university education. I was able to pay $16,000 Canadian towards my education. My family always jokes that I got the “Merv Griffin scholarship”. And still to this day, it’s a talking point. I’m also proud to be one of the last contestants to play on multiple shows.
And although Wheel was the start, it’s far been the end. I’ve been lucky enough to rack up six different game show appearances which span four countries and two different languages, each with its own wonderful experiences (not to mention lovely parting gifts!). I also host a national high school quiz program here in Canada which I absolutely love.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the story – please let me know if you have any questions regarding anything, the process, the taping, the airing, the aftermath, whatever you’d like to know!
Cheers,
Ryan
It's interesting to see what practices were different back then, like the commissary meals. Now, they just bring pizza and sandwiches to the green room.
That's really cool! I didn't think they let non-UK residents on back then. They don't anymore. Good luck with any future game show ventures and enjoy Buy a Vowel Boards! 
