Listen to the audio version of the story by Joseph Chavarria here
Think about the last time you listened to the radio, and heard the DJ make the announcement that one lucky caller answered all the trivia questions right, winning a pair of tickets to a concert or theme park.
The thought of being a contestant on a game show might come easily, but the thought of being the host — electrifying the crowd with cash prizes or a fancy new sports car — might as well be a fantasy.
Now, students at Cal State LA can become showrunners with a first of its kind Game Show program. Students will take three classes over three semesters learning the history of game shows and its many types, develop a show plan, and finish with producing a pilot of their very own. The class is an elective for Television Film and Media (TVFM) majors, but it will also be open to all students.
Of course, they won’t be on their own in this journey, as they’ll be joined by game show veterans Bob Boden, who’s worked on shows like Family Feud, Stuart Krasnow, who was executive producer on shows like Hole in the Wall, and Harry Friedman, most known for his work on Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. According to the April 29 announcement, this semester’s class will be taught by Krasnow and fellow producer Joey Ortega.
TVFM Professor Nidhin Patel is proctoring the class. The class is the first of its kind in the country, according to Department Chair Dr. Kristiina Hackel. She also said that she and Boden had the class in the works for around a year.
Students taking it were initially unsure of what they were in for, but ecstatic nonetheless. When asked what kind of skills they wanted to get out of this class, 3rd year Remy Hardin said it was experience first and foremost.
“I came into the class really blind so just seeing how energetic and active they are with the class helps a lot,” Hardin said.
Transfer student Pablo Aguilar, who has worked professionally in studios and production for a decade, said that learning to communicate with others is a valuable learned skill that can be applied to areas outside of game show production. “Hoping that we’ll have a lot of one-on-one on how to pitch something,” he said.
The first semester will be dedicated to the history of game shows and the roles that are needed to produce a show. The second semester will be the students developing ideas and pitches for a show narrowing it down to one by the end. Finally, the third semester will be dedicated to producing a pilot for the chosen pitch. When asked about this huge commitment, TVFM major Mark Virgen said, “I plan on taking it in the spring. Unfortunately I won’t be around for the third and final show, but hopefully I can make connections along the way.”
With the way that entertainment is shifting from long form to short form with things like Tik Tok, Youtube shorts, and Instagram Reels, some people might worry about the future of more traditional content like game shows. When asked if they thought game shows could survive in these environments, TVFM student Derek Hyde said, “I think we already see that they aren’t like social media game shows where people just go on the streets and ask people questions and give people money.”
With this new addition to the course catalog students can explore a new path in content production. There’s just something about watching people compete for a prize and rooting for them that keeps people on the edge of their seats. Hopefully with this class, students studying TVFM at Cal State LA can try out another avenue of media and maybe spark some very successful careers.
This article was first published in the August 28 print edition of the University Times.
