I can finally break the silence on a big secret I’ve had for a while – I went on The 1% Club! It’s the most fun game show on TV right now, running through snappily paced brainteasers until only a handful of players remain for a shot at $100,000!
I previously wrote about The 1% Club, and about how much I wanted to be on it. Well, wonder upon wonders, after an extensive application process, it happened, and I drove to/from Atlanta in the middle of a snowstorm to participate!
For now, I can’t say anything about how it went, other than that it was ridiculously fun – almost otherworldly. Touring the big studios, getting hair and makeup done, and seeing the nuts and bolts behind a major production – I’ve never done anything like it, and it was a once in a lifetime experience (though I’d love to do it again!).
I can’t spoil too much, but a few little nuggets I’m sure the network wont mind me sharing.
Joel is even funnier in person
The players get much more time with Joel than what is shown on TV, and he’s a delight. He’s got a great reaction for every moment, and he plays off the contestants’ stories well.
I’ve also watched him host Crime Scene Kitchen, but I didn’t realize until now how special his spontaneous humor is, as well as his energy level to keep it going for ~6 hours of filming per day.
Rumor has it that Joel also hangs out in the on-site hotel lobby and chats with guests all night. I can’t confirm since I stayed off-site, but it wouldn’t surprise me, and I regret not getting that chance!
The set is super cool
Would you believe that the whole set is suspended 10-15 feet off the ground? I had no clue, but I suppose it makes sense – anything breaks during filming, even a light underneath Joel’s foot, production needs Nascar pit stop style access to keep the program running.
Climbing the steps into the game show arena was like entering another world, especially given the contrast with how warehouse-like many other areas of the film studio are.
It’s a big day
All in all, filming one episode took about ten hours. My group was there from 6:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Only about 3-4 hours of that was on set; prior to that, there’s a huge list to get through, as the producers need to get 100 contestants moving in the right direction.
The team has the operation running as a well-oiled machine. 6-7 hours of production prep never felt boring, and you better believe that a room of 100 people who want to play The 1% Club is a pretty fun group to hang around with for a while.
I’ll leave it here until after the show, but tune in Mondays at 7 to watch, and maybe even download the app to play along at home!
Leave a Reply