Remote Controlled: 'Millionaire' features 2 Sabino High alums
By Gerald M. Gay
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.18.2008
When you have a nationally televised game show like "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" with players pouring in from across the country, the chances of getting two contestants from the same high school within a week of each other might seem like, well, one in a million.
Leave it to Tucson to beat those odds.
Last week, Sabino High School grad and Tempe resident Meghan Herbert pulled a two-day stint on the show, earning herself a cool $16,000.
This Thursday, Jason Adler, a 1995 Sabino graduate, is giving it a shot.
Adler, an administrator with the University of Arizona, taped his episode of "Millionaire" last October. It airs at 4:30 p.m. Thursday on ABC.
He shared his story with the Star last week.
How did you get on "Millionaire"? "I came across the announcement on their Web site by accident. I was playing their online game. They announced that they were doing road auditions across the country for the summer. I waited to see if they were coming anywhere near Tucson and they ended up in Phoenix. My brother lives in Chandler, so I met him up there."
Was the audition process difficult? "There were two written tests. One covered general knowledge and the other covered movie trivia. They were 30 questions each. I think they gave us 10 minutes for each test, but they don't tell you what score you need to pass. They just collect your Scantron, come out a few minutes later and announce the names of the people who did pass. After that, you wait around and do a five-minute interview with producers. You are supposed to hear within a few weeks. They usually send a postcard saying you are in the contestant pool. In my case, they just sent me a tape date."
Were you nervous? "I wasn't really that nervous until later. How it works is, once you get into the studio, they put you in contestant isolation. The producers come and talk to you about what to expect for the day and go over all the legal requirements. I was in shock that I was there, but not really nervous until they brought me onstage. I had to tell myself to calm down and concentrate."
What was the most surprising thing about being on the show? "The studio was a lot smaller than I expected. It looks so big on TV. I think it only holds about 300 people. And I was kind of surprised that on TV the music and sound effects seem so loud and distracting. But live, the crowd cheering was the loudest part. I thought the music and lights would really throw me off my game, but it wasn't too bad."
What goes on after you leave the hot seat? "You pretty much are done. They hold you aside for some debriefing stuff. They have forms they have you sign. As soon as you are done with that, they escort you out. I don't even know if I could have stuck around if I wanted to."
● Contact reporter Gerald M. Gay at 573-4137 or ggay@azstarnet.com.
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