In the wake of Bob Holness's recent departure, its good news for quiz fans that Blockbusters will be back on telly soon, courtesy of Talkback Thames who are producing the show in the next few months.
Obviously, Uncle Bob won't be the host but I've been told the format will remain as-was in the glory days of the program in the 1980s and 1990s and the prizes will be cash.
Also, this time there is no need to be a teenager, adults may apply. Auditions are happening now and you can get more info by emailing Lauren Tee on either of these emails:
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65 dollars a gig plus tips? For some, that might not be so bad and if you live in Portland, Oregon, America and you're interested then check out this recruitment ad for quizmasters.
Established company Pub Quiz USA is looking for new blood on the mic but of course, they're taking their cut.
Of course, for an outlay of less than twenty quid, you could get a copy of my amazing ebook for pub quizmasters and that'll teach you everything you need to know to get out and earn money off your own back as a cool pub quizmaster.
Perfection is back on the BBC later this year and is now auditioning for new contestants during June and July. All the answers are true/false so if you're bipolar, then this could be the show for you.
Jane from the production team says "The winning money is much like 'Eggheads' - £1000 per game, and the money is rolled over if nobody wins. Each episode contains 2 games so the jackpot can increase quite quickly. As far as I know (and the production team know) the most that has been won is £8000 or £9000 - I don't have a specific figure though. The show usually airs at 4.15pm on BBC 2 - weekdays."
What to do now? Email them This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give them a shaaaaaaat on the blower: 0800 032 0151
Unfamiliar with the format: You can read more about the show on UK Gameshows
“Me and the wife recently auditioned for the game show ‘Pointless’ and were sent a shortlist email 2 days after that audition. Unfortunately we never heard back from them, so about 3 weeks later I emailed one of the researchers who said we unfortunately not made the list to actually appear on the programme.
“She did say that it was definitely worth auditioning again which we did last week. I’m getting a bit worried though as its now been exactly a week and we haven’t heard anything (no shortlist email 2 days later like before).
“I’m beginning to lose hope, even though the researcher said you will hear within 2 weeks it seems this show shortlists contestants within a couple of days (as was shown in our 1st audition process).
“Please can you offer us any hope? Has it been known for any shows to just ring you up and say you are on (without first sending the shortlist email)
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.”
The short answer is that as with all TV shows, you can always receive a call from out of the blue if you applied. Even if you’re not first choice, circumstances can change and the production company may need to refer to their backup list of contestants.
Also, it can be difficult to second-guess what the TV company is looking for at any given time. Producers are under pressure to fairly represent the ethnic, age, gender and regional make-up of the UK when casting for their shows.
This means that at the time of any given application your personal profile may be the wrong fit. At the time you apply, the network may be specifically looking for more women from the North of England. They may be for more Asian faces. You can miss out this way and it can be nothing to do with your ability.
Also, the ability of a contestant to project the right mood is usually far more important than their quizzing ability. Different shows will be looking for different characters. Bubbly is a good bet but some will also be looking for serious, wacky, intense, or even brutally normal.
What the producers are looking for depends on the show and the time. It’s always a good idea to simply ask the researchers what they’re looking for when you apply or when you turn up to an audition. They’ll often be happy to tell you exactly what type of contestant they are hoping to find and you can adjust your behaviour accordingly.
The other thing to remember is that if a show is very popular then you will have less chance of getting on. This is simply to do with supply and demand.
So, the hope is there: unless you’ve been specifically told you are not required, you can be called at any time. Keep applying for shows and you’re sure to be on screen sooner or later.
UPDATE:
I later got another email from Steve saying:
"Just to let you know that we appeared on Pointless last month. We finally got the call. I think my persistent helped.
Some of the questions may be repeated under the "uncategorized" sections but I'm planning to get rid of the uncategorized sections anyway and split them into smaller, more focussed pages ...
I got an email the other day from a chap in India who wrote:
"Respected Sir, I am writing quiz questions and giving it to an Indian Quiz site as 'Daily Quiz'. Till today I have not received money against my hard work.Please tell me a platform where I can reedem my hard work."
Channel 4 have a show called "Should I Stay Or Should I Go". In true pilot style, they are looking for contestants at the very last minute. The recording is in London next Tuesday (8th March) and I got the details below from one of the program's researchers today:
There are more than 6000 questions on this website and they're all free but if you want that kind of trivia power without having to turn on your PC or without having to trust your broadband connection to keep functioning, you might fancy getting it all in a book.
Quiz Master by Nick Holt claims to contain 5000 trivia questions in one volume. From my own personal experience of putting this site together, I can tell you: that is a bunch of questions.
I haven't seen it myself but the reviews on Amazon are decent enough, although one reviewer complains that the questions are too hard for the elderly. I guess you can't have everything.
I had TV lady Hayley getting in touch recently with a contestant call for an as-yet-un-named Channel 4 show.
She says "We are making a pilot for a brand new Channel 4 quiz show and would love to hear from you if you would love to test your knowledge in an exciting new quiz format."
Here's a nice little innovation for those of you running the less-serious type of quiz. I've been using Top Trumps for a long time at my quizzes to elminate contestants.
In the wake of Bob Holness's recent departure, its good news for quiz fans that Blockbusters will be back on telly soon, courtesy of Talkback Thames who are producing the show in the next few months.
Perfection is back on the BBC later this year and is now auditioning for new contestants during June and July. All the answers are true/false so if you're bipolar, then this could be the show for you.
I got this email query recently from Steve: 
Also, it can be difficult to second-guess what the TV company is looking for at any given time. Producers are under pressure to fairly represent the ethnic, age, gender and regional make-up of the UK when casting for their shows.
The other thing to remember is that if a show is very popular then you will have less chance of getting on. This is simply to do with supply and demand. 
I added a a page of 
I got an email the other day from a chap in India who wrote:
by Nick Holt claims to contain 5000 trivia questions in one volume. From my own personal experience of putting this site together, I can tell you: that is a bunch of questions.
I had TV lady Hayley getting in touch recently with a contestant call for an as-yet-un-named Channel 4 show.
