Game shows need people like John Ricci.
There’s actually someone pushing the buttons, making the calls.
Our job never pokes up unless we we make mistakes.
Courtesy of John Ricci
My main job is onThe $100,000 Pyramidthat’s on ABC withMichael Strahan.
This would’ve been our fifth season.
Matter of act, I would have been in New York right now taping season 5.
And then right after that, I was going to overlap intoAmerica Says.
“Naturally, I know the rules and what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable.
And during the show, you sit next to the game computer in a judging box.
It’s different on different shows.
You’re listening for everything.
WithPyramid, there’s a right, a wrong, and a pass, and you just follow along.
Did the right answer come before the illegal clue?
Did they happen to collide together?
I’m the only judge.
But for the most part, it’s me doing it.
“OnAmerica Says, there are typically two judges.
Someone else has to watch that.
But forPyramidit’s mostly listening for those illegal clues.
There are things you’re able to say and things you’re able to’t say.
In that split-second moment you have to decide, is that okay or not?
They’re playing for big money onPyramid.
The last thing you want to do is throw them off.
You’ll never believe how many times the contestant will swallow the answer or stop midway.
You never want to assume.
So it’s a stressful job.
But it’s really a lot of fun.
It’s the most exciting thing you could do, in my opinion, in television.
“I’ve been working on game shows now for a good 15-20 years.
I also create games, produce games, and pitch new shows.
The first show I ever did was calledScrabble Showdown, on the Hub.
It was just a matter of having this unique ability because I’m also a programmer.
I also knew game shows.
Just to work on it was just amazing.
I did a show on GSN calledChain Reaction.
I worked on one for NBC calledMillion Second Quiz.
I did the first season ofJoker’s Wildfor TBS.
That was the other thing, this resurgence of reboots.
To get to work on shows I literally grew up watching?
It just blows your mind.
It’s like a dream come true.
It’s one of those skills [you develop by] being a part of the game itself.
Judging onJeopardyis a whole other level.
Those are the basic rules.
But with something likeJeopardy, all that material is vetted.
In the moment they are also making calls.
You do the job and then you look for the next gig.
But that’s not happening now.
No one is really putting a lot of stuff in development.
We can’t work from home.
There’s nothing to do.
So we’re all just sitting around just wondering what’s going to happen.”
