As many of you may know, I have blessed with an online friendship with game show contestant turned announcer and warm-up man, Randy West, who I am fond of referring to as "Announcerman." Randy was kind enough to get me into the Monday, July 22, 2002 (that's yesterday!) taping of the syndicated game show Weakest Link, on which he is the warm-up man.

What follows is as detailed a report as I can give (without becoming boring or spoiling any episodes) of my first visit to the set and with Mr. West.

Most people know what Link is by now, but it might help (especially for newbies) to explain the game. A group of contestants, who only meet just before the show starts, are forced to team up and earn as much money as possible by forming "chains" of correct answers to rapid-fire trivia questions. Each player is asked a question. A correct answer advances the chain; an incorrect one breaks the chain and loses all of the money in that chain. A player can protect the money in a chain, by saying "bank" before their question is asked, but that too breaks the chain. If all of the players can answer enough questions in a row to complete the chain (and not chicken out and say "bank" too early), then the team can earn the maximum amount of money in each round. This rarely happens, as usually one or more players almost always messes up "the rotation," by missing a question or panicking and saying, "bank." When the time limit in each round expires, the team members each vote for the player they want to removed from the game. When they are finished, the votes are revealed, the host bags on the contestants, and then says the to the loser-elect one of the most infamous catch-phrases of modern-day television, "You are the Weakest Link. Goodbye." The Weakest Link then leaves the set in the humiliating ceremony known as the "Walk of Shame." Afterward, the Weakest Link pisses and moans about how "I was robbed/I want such-and-such to be voted off next/I though I did a good job, etc." in a post-game interview that takes place in a booth high above the set, called appropriately enough, the "Shame Booth." When only two players are left, they play a head-to-head showdown (a "bitch-slapping contest," Randy called it) for all of the money banked on that show. The winner keeps all the money; the loser gets nothing.

The British series have top prizes of ten and twenty thousand pounds, while the American primetime series had a top prize of $1,000,000. The syndicated series' first season had a top prize of $75,000.

The show's original host, British journalist and broadcaster Anne Robinson set the show's original cold-hearted tone when a contestant on the BBC version tried to run smack on her. Robinson, with her many years experience dealing with politicians, corporate executives and such, wouldn't have it, and the British audience ate her on-screen attitude up (they still do; the actually quite friendly and likable Robinson still hosts the BBC versions of the series). The original series was so popular that BBC started to export it to other countries.

Eventually, NBC brought the series here to America and even hired Robinson to host their version. However, after drawing huge ratings early on, the shortsighted NBC executives inflicted a series of celebrity shows and a HORRIBLE Sunday night timeslot on the series. The regular primetime network series has been cancelled (although Robinson is still such a unique and interesting figure that NBC is sure to bring out a series of specials with the Evil Nice Lady this next season).

Thankfully, however, NBC was smart enough to start a new daily American series with an American host. It is this show that I was lucky enough to attend a taping of.

The syndicated show's host is American stand-up comedian George Gray. Hardcore game-show fans recognize Gray from his turn as the obnoxious host of the infamous Extreme Gong. However, Gray had a couple of years to refine his style (and another hosting job on TLC's Junkyard Wars), and on Link he has hit his stride. His Link is far more light-hearted and fun than Robinson's rude and foreboding show (although Robinson is as much fun as Gray, her verbal jabs seem to have more punch to them, while Gray's are simply funnier).

Randy West, of course, serves as warm-up on both American series.

The second season started taping on July 15. The new season has reduced the regular money rounds by one, but upped the top prize to $100,000. This gives Gray more time to interact with (read: bag on) the contestants, and the audience more opportunities to laugh at them.

I arrived at the historic NBC Studios in Burbank (the legendary Studio One, home of Johnny Carson for over twenty years) at about 9:30 AM, just enough time for gorgeous audience coordinator Ravnae (I think that's how her name is spelled) to take me back to meet the Grand Jolly One himself. Randy took me back to his dressing room, and we yapped for a little while. Then he showed me the COLOSSAL audio room, and the control room. Afterward, he sent me to the audience coordinators to get a black T-shirt and to get on line for a front-row seat for the first episode. When the audience (consisting of several ticket-holders, myself, and a bunch of actor-wannabe-seat-sitters) was seated, Randy commenced his warm-up. He told everyone the rules of the taping, reminded them that laughter was the mean response they needed, and skillfully kept the mob entertained during the LLLLLLOOOOOONNNNGGGG taping (each of the four episodes taped took TWO AND A HALF HOURS to film). While Randy took care of the audience, master floor manager John Marshall relayed executive producer Phil Gurin, producer Javier Winnik and veteran director Bob Levy's instructions to George, Randy, the contestants, and the rest of the hard working and professional crew.

The show went pretty much as the viewers see it, although for the contestant introductions and vote-off shots, a swiveling camera on a crane was brought in and set-up, a time consuming process. For many of the reaction shots, after the first round, John took the contestants through a series of listening and smiling shots (much of the show is edited down to the half-hour we see on TV). After each round, a similar process is used for the voting shots (used while the female VO artist gives the viewers the skinny on who the statistical strongest and weakest links are in the team for that round). After each round's voting is revealed (George sees who actually got voted off on a card given to him by the crew manning "the village," the small tent area just off the main set where many decisions are made and many other problems are monitored; if the control room is the bridge of the starship Enterprise, the village is the engine room), George starts to talk to the contestants (although he talks with them a lot longer than we see on TV; it's edited down later), bags on the players who made stupid decisions or gave dumb answers during play, and sends off the Weakest Link as he always does (after which he busts out laughing; releasing whatever he held in during the round).

Nifty George Gray Fact: for those (including me) who though that the producers were just trying to turn George into a clone of Anne Robinson, it turns out the George's glasses are real. Up until Link, George never wore glasses on camera; seems George (who when I asked if his glasses were real or not handed me his glasses, and after I honestly couldn't tell said that my "eyes were jacked up, dude.") has a slight stigmatism in one eye, so his glasses are actually a mild prescription. Who knew?

After two episodes are shot, the collection is sent on a lunch break until 4 PM when shooting resumes.

I don't think I should have stayed for the last two shows, because: one, my family turned paranoid and started to worry (they do that anyways), and more importantly, two, because the taping was TWELVE hours long, and I was totally torn-up and exhausted when I got home (hey, at least I got a good night's sleep).

But perhaps I was meant to, because in the front row for the last show was, of all people, former Greed contestant Dan Avila (poor Dan is famous losing $2.2 million on an early episode of the series). Randy recognized him, but forgot who he was at first (guess who ratted Dan out). Dan was there with several friends from out-of-state, including a blonde woman who was a winner on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (I can't remember how much she won, or even her name).

I'm not going to go into specifics, but the first team only scored a total of $2,750, (I can't remember how much the second team scored), the third team only scored $6,000, but had at one point a chain of six correct answers, enough to score the $25,000 (some dumb-ass panicked and banked too early). The last team only scored $5,000, but at point had a chain of EIGHT right answers (again somebody chickened out and banked too early…the dumb girl in question didn't get voted off until the next round when she took THIRTY seconds to answer a question; actually, they stopped tape and put time back on the clock on a technicality; it didn't save her from her well-deserved fate, though).

No…he was even funnier. Again, lots of stuff no one at home sees happened during taping, and George was just rolling the whole day.

Absolutely. Randy was energetic, funny, encouraging and knowledgeable, just as those who know him here in the domain of cyberspace know him to be. He was a delight the entire day. I am looking forward to seeing him again (hopefully next week; I'm hoping to bring a camera next time to get some photos with him and George).

Frankly, I am honored and pleased that Randy was able (and willing) to share his wonderful world with me. I hope one day that I will be able to work on the other side of the stage with him and those around him. Thanks, Announcerman.

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