I've been a game show fan since birth, but The Price is Right has had my heart since I first began watching the show regularly in 2001.
I wore out dozens of VHS tapes (and later, several DVRs) recording the show every day for years. I would conservatively estimate that I've seen at least 4000 episodes, if not many more. To say that I was a Superfan (more about that shortly) would probably be an estimation.
And yet, until just over a year ago, I had never been to a taping.
When the perfect bid happened, and LFATs were somewhat actively discouraged from being contestants, I lost interest in going. I was definitely awkward as a younger adult (I've grown out of it a little bit, thankfully), and I think I would've had a hard time getting called as a contestant on my own merits. I didn't think I'd have a good time if I didn't have a chance to get called, and so I never made the effort to go to see the show. The one time I was in LA with time to spare, the show wasn't taping that week.
Fast forward to the start of Season 51. As I believe most of you know, TonySCV was invited to the Superfan episode, and he was kind enough to include me as a guest. At the time, I was holding out to be on another game show, so unlike my previous stance, not be considered to be a contestant was fine with me. I could relax and enjoy a taping, and I did end up having a blast (and understandably so). The bar was set *really* high for any future tapings.
A few months later, Tony was invited back to a second taping, and I came with him again. This time, the guests got formally interviewed, too, and we had heard that in other tapings, guests had been called in place of the person invited to the studio. Even though I figured this wouldn't happen with a Superfan (and I really, really hoped that it wouldn't happen to Tony), I had a very good interview, which gave me the confidence that maybe, just maybe, I could get called on my own if I came back for a third time.
The other game show ended up falling through, and once we knew that Season 52 would have a full audience again, I knew that I wanted to go back and try to get on. I was probably setting myself up for disappointment, but I knew that there was potential, especially if the audience wasn't full and they needed seat fillers.
You can look in the thread for the 1/15 episode (once it airs) for more information on that taping. Needless to say, I didn't get called, and I was disheartened (to put it lightly), even though the audience for that taping had been full *and* the contestants who had been called had all been good. Even with the second chance the next day, I was skeptical.
The funny thing about this day (and this taping) was that there were *so many* signs that it was meant to be my day, even discounting that it was Bob's birthday. The horoscope for my sign in the USA Today that morning. I was #054; if you recall, the production number for the Superfan episode was #54SP. Having Bullseye on my shirt, and then having it played that day (and them presumably intending for me to play it, though that didn't happen). The episode we watched in the holding room taped on Bob's birthday six years ago (and JJ was in the audience on that episode, too!). Having a very short interview (my only one of the four with Haleigh), presumably because they already knew that I was a strong candidate to be called. Being moved from one seating area to another (which is usually a very good sign that one of your group will be called), and then being told that if one of us were called, to not hop over the back of the chairs (something that they hadn't told us for the January 15th episode, despite us also sitting in a back row for that taping).
And yet, I still thought "there's no way, it's not happening". Another member of our group, Kevin, had had a very good interview that day, and I thought he had a chance. I was just very, very down on myself, and I thought that the short interview meant that they did *not* plan on calling me.
Not being called in the First Four kind of sealed the deal for me, and after seeing the first two games being lost when we had them won easily, I thought we were in for a very disappointing episode, and I had spent a lot of money to come to California for nothing.
"Derek Daily, come on down!"
Ok, never mind.
They cut out a *lot* of my Come on Down. I hugged a woman near Contestant's Row (short hair and glasses) - you can see her quite a bit throughout the episode. She was a very sweet lady whom I struck up a conversation with in the holding room, as her number had been X'd out. Unfortunately, it was NOT because she had been a contestant - she had left her driver's license at home! She was so nice, and I really hope that she went back to another taping (she was local).
There wasn't much I could do on the computer - it was cheap for having 16 GB. I was disappointed that I had missed Plinko by just a hair, but Rachelle was someone that I had been rooting for the entire day. I could tell very quickly in the holding area that she was absolutely going to get called, and I was so happy that she did. She looked right at me for every SP, and I was thrilled that she earned them all, and then managed to crack five figures.
I was excited because I realized soon after Rachelle went on stage that I was going to bid last the next time around. I had never thought to research winter-themed prizes, which was too bad - that bike had appeared several times last winter, and it was the same price as it had been last season. Thankfully, it didn't matter, and courtesy of some less-than-stellar bids from the other three contestants, I was up on stage pretty quickly.
I was not at all nervous, not even when I had been called down. I *thought* I was focused, but apparently, I never noticed Manuela walking to the back of the studio, and it took me awhile to figure out where the action was taking place. I also don't think I listened to a second of George's description - partially because I was suddenly a bit overwhelmed, and partially because I was *really* hoping it was a fee game and that I wasn't going to need to know any of it. I can't recall it being mentioned here by any other contestants, but they did have someone holding up a cue card with all of the trip "options" for at least part of the segment (I can't recall if it was the entire game or not).
As Drew mentioned, I was chanting "Bullseye, Bullseye" at first, and then when George didn't announce the price, "Coming or Going, Coming or Going", which Drew commented on (but never went into more detail about, of course).
It was edited out, I'm sure, but the Turntable took a good long while to turn - maybe 20-30 seconds. While we were waiting, Drew stunned me by starting up a quick game of Rock/Paper/Scissors - and I won!
Finally, Push Over comes around, and I was not happy - I mean, would you be happy if you got Push Over instead of Bullseye or Coming or Going? However, I could tell almost immediately that it *should* be a layup, and if it wasn't, I had nothing to be upset about, because there was no way I would ever guess anything other than $6150. Thankfully, it was indeed a layup, and I was a pricing game winner!
They also edited out another LFAT moment - I commented that the blocks would go to China.
I was just kind of in shock at this point. Manuela was either walking away or had already left the stage, so I was just kind of stuck on the Turntable. Drew and I chatted a bit more after the show went to commercial, though I don't remember much of what we said, other than I'd see him again at the Wheel.
Once I sat down, the staff brought me the initial wave of prize paperwork, and a bit later, a small bottle of water, which I desperately needed at that point. I struck up a conversation with everyone around me, who probably universally thought I was a babbling fanatic (and even more so once the show started again and I started trying to help the last two onstage contestants). I was on Cloud Nine, though.
Line was so, so frustrating. We had been sitting right behind Sergio before the show started, and you can see the rest of the group throughout Line. I was grateful that Sergio took our advice, but it wasn't mean to be. I was really disappointed that the setup was that evil.
Interestingly enough, when he sat next to me after Line ended, Sergio said he was planning on selling the car, so he wasn't too disappointed. I wonder what he's going to end up doing with the one he ended up winning later...
Bullseye was almost more frustrating than Line was, as Kellie kept looking right in my direction for assistance (and really had to bend around the Turntable frame to do so), and then never took my advice of "two jerky". Fortunately for her, she ended up winning anyways.
I do remember being very surprised that I was the largest winner of the half. Not much interesting insight to say for this part of the show, other than that the Superfan Curse continued on. Oh, and I got to say hi to Dr. Emily Senay. Hi, Dr. Senay!
I was disappointed that I wasn't making it to the Showcases, but I was happy for Sergio and hoped that he'd get a bit of redemption for the awful Line setup he got stuck with.
I walked backstage for even more paperwork, and sadly, I only got to watch SC2 on the monitor. By the time I was done, the show was over, and both of the Showcase contestants were beginning their piles of paperwork backstage.
I walked back into the studio, rejoined the group, and got to wave hi to Amber and Russell, who was visiting that day. Amber was probably wondering "Who the f**k are these people and how do they know my child?" (Instagram, Amber, Instagram)
The whole experience, from top to bottom, was amazing. Having a 20+ year dream come true was quite the thrill, to put it mildly. I'm so, so lucky that it happened, and as well as it did. Many, many thanks to the wonderful staff at Price who made one of the best days of my life possible.
I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with the bike, but I am planning on taking the Sun Valley trip (aiming for right after the new year).
So glad to have been able to share this moment with you all! Can't wait to get my star.
