Episode 20.2
January 19

Chico: Awwwwwbarf :)
Gordon: :). Welcome back to the show. We have our VERY special guest this week for 20 Questions. It's Million Dollar Password champion Chad Mosher. Thanks for joining us.
Chad: Thanks for having me!
Gordon: Are you ready for 20 questions?
Chad: I'm ready when you are!
Gordon: Here we go...

1) You're a child of the 80s, arguably one of the two decades of the game show. When was the first moment that you knew you were a game show fan?

Chad: Well, technically, I *just* missed the 80s. I was born in April of 1990. My mom always says that when she brought me home from the hospital, she had sat me down in front of the TV while she was making dinner or something. It just so happened that Wheel of Fortune was on TV. She says that I was laughing and crying at the sounds and the lights on the program and, as it goes, the rest is history! Thankfully, when I was young, the USA afternoon block was still active. In some home movies when I'm two or three, you can see me sitting there watching $ale of the Century. In another video, I'm hosting my own game show with my mom while Rod Roddy is describing a vehicle in the background, so the game show bug bit me pretty early.

2) How did you end up trying out for Password?

Chad: It's kind of neat, because I had no intentions of trying out for the show. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was coming for tryouts in Detroit in mid-August and I was all set to try to conquer those. What had happened was that I designed my own PowerPoint version of the show (available at ChadMosher.com!) where one could control and host the game in his own home with his own words. I posted that on the Game Show Forum in the beginning of July '08 so other fans could download it and play at home. About a week after posting that, I got an email from a contestant coordinator saying that her producers had seen the control and were impressed enough to send me a direct invite to the audition in Chicago. I, of course, jumped on this opportunity. I figured if I flopped at the audition, there was still always Millionaire in Detroit. Thankfully, though, I rocked at the audition (kudos as well to my partner Russell.)

3) I'm guessing you were a fan of Password. What version is your favorite and why?

Chad: It was a great day in my household in late 1998 when our cable added a couple of new channels to the lineup, one of them being Game Show Network. I was able to finally watch all versions of Password and I enjoy each one of them. Not counting the current incarnation, I'd definitely have to say Super Password. I enjoy Bert Convy's work and I think the Ca$hword was a neat little implant of the game. I think there were more laughs on that version than any of the others.

4) Take us back to game day. You knew you were going in with Phil Keoghan and Julie Chen. Did that give you any jitters?

Chad: Honestly, not really. It made me more excited, because I'm a big fan of "Big Brother". So, getting to play with Julie was really, really cool in my eyes. Also, I would have been playing a game show with two other "game show" hosts! I was definitely looking forward to getting to play with both of them.
Gordon: Since you brought it up...

5) How do you think you would have done on Big Brother?

Chad: I would definitely do a lot better on Big Brother than I would Survivor. I could live with eating "slop" for a while if I have a comfortable, temperature-controlled environment. I think I would be able to make a lot of friends for real and convince others that I'm their friend. I don't know if I'd last to win a top prize, but I'd be able to live for free a few weeks.

6) If you were to have your pick of any one Million Dollar Password Celebrity to go after the million with, who would it be?

Chad: Of course, it's got to be Betty White. But after seeing his performance, I'm going to have to make my close second be Craig Ferguson. Like with Julie, I love Craig's show and I would be able to make references to his program for clues if needed. He performed very well and I think that we'd be able to make it pretty high on the ladder.
Gordon: Let's talk about a celebrity that you probably don't want to see again: Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan.

7) After seeing what Phil Keoghan did during the show, what were your thoughts when you were stuck with him?

Chad: I was a bit disappointed that he wasn't picking up on some of my obvious cues. I feel that when he was playing, he was either really, really good. (i.e. "Spielberg") or really, really bad. ("vanilla") I also knew he wasn't likely to get some of the American words ("Gettysburg"), but I didn't see any point in passing if you have clues at your arsenal.

8) As a follow up, seeing that it was a struggle to get to $25,000, why did you take the risk from $50,000 to $100,000?

Chad: I feel like I took the risk for $100,000 on a false sense of security. We did have a bit of a struggle during the $10,000 and $25,000 rounds, but we did our $50,000 in just over 30 seconds. I thought that maybe I could get the same, great results I had gotten on the last level. We came pretty darn close, though. We had four right and if it wasn't for the silly historic American word, my silly miscue of clues or his silly knee-jerk reaction, we might've had it!
Gordon: So of course, I have to ask this.

9) Looking back over the whole experience... any thoughts on anything you would've done differently?

Chad: I had known about the "play with who you get the most with" flaw (even if your game is cut short due to a good score, you still have to play the money round with who you get the most points with, and you don't get to finish) since season one. Of course, now I wish I had brought it up to someone during boot camp! (pre-rehearsal the day before taping) And, of course, I wish I would've given different clues for certain words. It was *obviously* a bad decision to switch gears on "states". I should've just gone with "United..." off the bat. However, I still take no responsibility for "thin"/"thick" on "sheets." ;)

10) As you have probably heard by now. Million Dollar Password got yanked from CBS's schedule because they don't have enough 18-49 year olds watching. As an 18-49 year old yourself, what's your thoughts on this?

Chad: I'm certainly hoping that there's simply some re-scheduling going and the 18-49 issue doesn't have anything to do with it. If it does, it's really upsetting. Password is a show that you can enjoy at any age. The fact that networks think that "old" people are undesirable TV watchers is just sad. However, if this incident means that Fremantle ends up re-tooling it for a half-hour syndicated program, I'm all for it.

11) Password, we know, is not your first game show encounter. You were on Jeopardy! during kids' week. Did they treat you any differently from grown-ups?

Chad: When I was on Jeopardy! (I wasn't exactly a champion - I got second place, though!), there was really nothing that made us feel any different than an adult who was on the show. Everyone treated us the same and, if I recall correctly, I think the stage manager even yelled at us once! But everything was pretty much the same in terms of preparation.

12) How'd it feel to win either on Password or J!? What show was the better experience and why?

Chad: Certainly, both of these shows are staples of the American game show. They've both been on in forms since the 1960s and they're both at the top of the crop in their fields (word game and quiz show). With Jeopardy!, it was my first game show and one of my first loves. Getting to achieve my dream of playing on a game show at the age of twelve was simply awesome, especially since, for a while I was doing so well. With Password, this was my first outing as an adult on a game. On this show, I knew that the risks were much higher than on a show such as Jeopardy!, but certainly so were the rewards. When I reached the $25,000 level on the show, it literally didn't hit me until the break. I saw the "$25,000" flashing on the board in front of me, and I actually turned to a PA giving me water and I said, "Holy crap. I have $25,000. That's actually MINE!" I honestly don't think that I could call one better than the other. Both times, the staff and other contestants were super nice and very helpful and on both occasions, I walked out with some cash. They both hold a special place for me.

13) But that's not all. You're also representing America as a semi-regular on Trivial Pursuit: America Plays. How many questions did you end up submitting?

Chad: Going through my files right now, I submitted a total of sixteen videos to their website.
Gordon: How much did you end up winning on "Trivial Pursuit"?
Chad: So far, they have used (at least) six of my videos. Two of them have aired so far and I won on both of those episodes. (SPOILER ALERT) Four of my others will air in February, March and April. I know (since they have already paid me for them) that I will have won on three of those episodes. So, over five winning questions, I won $3,064.

14) Between game show legends Regis Philbin and Alex Trebek, who did you like more? Why?

Chad: This is a toughie. I really like both of them. To me, Regis represents the modern game show host and Alex represents the "classic" game show host. Both of them have given me no reason to *not^ like them, but I think that I would pick Regis just based on the fact that he was pretty helpful to me during my MDP experience. One of the reasons I think we did so well during $50,000 was because Regis, during the break, was trying to help Phil out and calm him down. "Don't be nervous! Just pay attention and be calm - he's leading you right to the word!" His words of encouragement were certainly appreciated.

15) Like myself, you were (or still are) a member of PlayCafe. Did any of those experiences help you during your stint on Password?

Chad: I had the great pleasure of being employed by PlayCafe, the internet's first game show network from October of 2007 until last month. I started off as the only trivia writer, and then I moved to trivia manager (managing the other writers we employed). I was then promoted to manager of operations, pretty much overseeing most aspects of the company. The week after I taped my episode of Password (Aug. 4, 2008), my boss Mark Goldenson contacted me and let me know that our regular on-air host was unable to perform her duties. He asked if I would be able to "construct" my own set and host the show. Of course, I jumped on this opportunity because I've always wanted to be a game show host. That week, at the age of eighteen, I achieved my second major life goal. Each week, I hosted a two-hour live program featuring oodles of trivia. Due to financial issues (and who doesn't have those these days?), I hosted my final show in mid-December. I'm forever grateful to Mark for allowing me that opportunity. But, the company certainly may return in the future. Anyway, to answer the question, I think the experiences certainly helped me out. Having wrote and checked so many trivia questions, I became exposed to a lot of different words and concepts and, in turn, learned new words and things of that sort. I think having to help run a tight ship day after day also made me immune to pressure, which certainly helps out on the game show stage.
Gordon: Thanks, Chad. And now, the 5 questions that we ask everyone.

16) What's your favorite game show, past or present?

Chad: Being that it was the first one I regularly watched, it would have to be Nickelodeon's "Double Dare". I can remember waking up on Sunday mornings at 7:30 am just to watch reruns they would have of the Family version. A close second definitely has to be "Wheel of Fortune".

17) What's your favorite host, past or present?

Chad: I can't really say that I have a favorite. I like just about all of them for their different approaches to the formats and their quirks. But in the top would have to be Pat & Alex, Geoff Edwards and John Daly.

18) Let's waive the year-long moratorium. What game show would you like to appear on next?

Chad: It would certainly have to be "Wheel". Not to brag, but I find that I do fairly well against the contestants while watching the show. (I often solve bonuses, I can beat them in toss ups, etc.)

19) You're the Executive Producer. What show from the past do you bring back?

Chad: $ale of the Century. Let's do it right this time! (I'd also like to convert MDP into a half-hour version, with a $250,000 top prize.)

20) Finally, it's Chad Time. Anything you want to get off your chest, now's the time to do it.

Chad: After my episode, it really amazed me how many people came out and congratulated me. I really appreciated it and it showed me truly just how many friends I do have. Thanks to everyone who supported me!
Gordon: And thank you, Chad, for 20 Questions. We celebrate more of Chico's birthday next!

(Brought to you by America's Best Rowing Crew. Rowing teams from the most elite colleges take on various street monikers in order to navigate the world's rivers... It's gonna be hot, y'all)

Gordon: We'll find out which teams are the best and who is just full of ship.
Chico: Ha.
Gordon: So as you all may or may not know, Monday on the 19th of January in 2009, is Chico's 29th Birthday!
Jason: (tosses confetti)
Gordon: (blows noisemakers)
Chico: Thanks, guys...
Jason: You are welcome.
Gordon: And in Chico's honor, he gets to debut a new game this week!
Chico: Yes I do.
Jason: Cant wait to play it.
Chico: And it's something that game show nation has always had to struggle with from time to time, right...Two things on TV at the same time... Which do you watch... and which do you record? This brings rise to a game called...



Gordon: Yay!
Chico: It's simple. Two shows on at the same time. Which do you watch and which do you record?
Jason: Sounds good.
Chico: Okay. Here's the first one.

American Idol... or The Biggest Loser: Couples?

Jason: Watch AI: Record The Biggest Loser
Gordon: Same here. The Biggest Loser, as beneficial as it is, is not Water Cooler material.
Jason: AI is more of a "current events" type show. More Water Cooler.
Chico: Same here. Watching AI... it happens in the now. Recording The Biggest Loser... watch it on my own time. Next?
Gordon: Next one...

Top Chef or The Ultimate Fighter?

Gordon: When UFC returns, it shares the same spot as Top Chef
Jason: For me...Watch Top Chef....record TUF. You can always see a good MMA drama fight. Cooking to me is more fun.
Gordon: For me, its the other way around, but for a different reason. I'd want to record Top Chef so I can see the recipes and jot down what I like so I can go to bravo.com and get the recipe.
Chico: Definitely watch TUF live... I can care about Top Chef another time for much the same reason
Jason: Interesting.
Gordon: next one?
Chico: Next up...

Superstars of Dance... or the Bachelor?

Jason: Watch Superstars, tape the Bachelor (if I was into that sort of thing)
Chico: Me, I'd watch Dance... because it's dynamic and much like AI, it happens in the now. The Bachelor I'd record... for someone else......or leave it on the DVR until it drops off
Gordon: It's Chico's birthday. I'll make him feel good. Watch Superstars, Tape the Bachelor, then take the tape and bring it to a cleric to baptize it before using it again.
Jason: I was thinking Voodoo Priestess..
Gordon: We could do voodoo priestess
Chico: Oh yeah.
Gordon: Next one...

I Love Money 2 or Heroes?

Chico: Watch Heroes... record I Love Money 2. Nothing against I Love Money 2... but Heroes you have to keep up with
Jason: Agreed with Chico on this one.
Gordon: I think Heroes has jumped the shark. I'll go with the new show. Watch I Love Money 2, tape Heroes.
Chico: Okay, next one...

J!/Wheel one-two combo... or reruns of Lingo and Catch 21?

Gordon: Watch J!/Wheel combo. Tape Catch 21 and find Jason Block's bonus episode and watch it again and again and use it as my ringtone.
Chico: For those playing along at home... J was on Catch 21... and he pretty much talked his way out of $25,000.
Jason: Hey. :) I watch J/Wheel and tape the GSN stuff. J and Wheel is one and done.
Gordon: But Jason Block is forever
Chico: Same here.
Jason: Much thanks, G.
Gordon: No prob. Last one...

Wipeout or the Superbowl Halftime Show?

Chico: Wipeout. Watch that now... tape the other thing later... but not before getting the express written consent of NBC and the National Football League.
Jason: Watch Wipeout, use the facilities, grab a snack...Bruce you can see anytime.
Gordon: (Takes NY Giants Flag and Jersey. Puts it in the Storage box labeled 'Do not Open Until August'). Wipeout. Sniff, Sniff, Sniff...
Chico: Can you toss my Panthers jersey in there, too?
Gordon: Sure thing, bro. (Takes Chico's Panthers Flag and Jersey. Puts it in the storage box labeled 'Do Not Open Until August'.)
Chico: Two teams that had a legitimate chance, and what do we get? ... The Arizona Cardinals. The Arizona freaking Cardinals.
Gordon: The team that beat Carolina, huh?
Chico: Yep. Though in fairness, the Cards didn't beat the Cats so much as the Cats beat themselves.
Gordon: Same with the Giants.
Jason: Yes, but the Cats beat the Eagles. And since NY and Carolina both lost, I won my football pool! (counts money)
Gordon: Hey Chico.
Chico: Yyyyes, Gordon.
Gordon: (Whispers to Chico) Can I take Jason and put him in the storage box to not open until August?
Chico: We'll... we'll get to that after the break.
Jason: Hey, what are you doing?
Gordon: Hey Jason! There's free CD's of you on Millionaire in the box!
Jason: Where?
Gordon: Right....over.....here! (Dumps Jason in the box)
Jason: Hey! That's not...mmmm....mmm.....
Gordon: Hey Chico! Help me tape this up.
Jason: (knocks on box)
Chico: So what are we going to do with this?
Gordon: ....well, Jason's in a box. It's all wrapped up...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Chico: I do NOT want Jason Block as a birthday present!
Gordon: Well....I'm sure someone somewhere would want one. (Gets the packing peanuts)
Chico: And with that, we go to the Speed Round after this.
Jason: Guys...joke's over, right?

(This show has been brought to you by In My Pants! Take any game show and either replace the prepositional phrase or last word with In My Pants! Trust us, it's fun!)

Jason: The Price is...in My Pants.
Gordon: A Double Shot of Love...in My Pants
Chico: Who Wants to Be ... in My Pants?
Gordon: Family Feud in my pants
Jason: Are you Smarter....in my pants?
Gordon: However, there's no Speed Round in my pants. It starts...now! American Idol - Do we see the winner this week?
Jason: Again, not sure. This is a wait and see sort of thing.
Chico: The Sony/Embassy Row deal... what do we see coming out of it?
Jason: We see a lot of shows coming out of it...but it wont happen until late 2009---early 2010.
Gordon: More empowerment to Michael Davies - and hopefully more good game shows.
Jason: Growing now...fruit next year.
Gordon: I'll disagree. I think we see some this Summer. The Summer is the perfect time to launch a game show.
Chico: Oh yeah. Just as long as it's not on CBS and it's not put on over the winter.
Gordon: Well they have to keep it in the Summer.
Chico: ABC is playing Wipeout and Japanese Game Show ideally.
Jason: ABC is smart.
Gordon: Momma's Boys: Mrs. B. is putting up herself as a possible woman for Jo Jo to choose in the finale. WHo wins?
Jason: The audience...when the show is over.
Chico: I'll go off the board with "Who Gives a Rat's Ass", Jack.
Jason: Judges?
Gordon: (Ding!) Approved. We also approve mail sent to us by you guys. What do we got?
Chico: We have mail from Paul Reese. Thanks, Paul!

Chico: Thanks, Paul, and thanks for the well wishes....
Jason: We do a need a good kids game show. Endurance can't be just the one.
Chico: The thing about Nick Arcade is that it came when videogames were reaching a bit of a peak. Now you look at games for everyone, and they pale in comparison to games for the 18-49 set, you know?
Chico: But yeah, we're long overdue for a new kids' game show.
Gordon: I'd go more with The Cryptkeeper than Nick Arcade. Either way, it would be nice to see another kids show out there.
Chico: Right. Thanks for the letter.
Jason: And as far LMAD and Match Game. Match Game shot a pilot...nothing new as of now. And LMAD...Has to be the right time.
Chico: That's right. Okay, next is the next chapter of... "The Letter". Episode: GSN Radio
Gordon: Oh no.

Jason: 100%. Not to be biased.
Chico: Why not? You know?
Jason: But with new players. So I can win more than the $1,800 that I have won so fa...
Gordon: (Grabs Jason. Puts him back in the box)
Jason: Hey!
Gordon: (Tapes up the box). Why did you let him out, Chico?
Chico: Sure. Blame the guy with the box cutter in front of him.
Gordon: (Grabs Box cutter)
Chico: Hey now... Watch what you do with that.
Jason: What are you doing?
Gordon: (Puts the box cutter away. Takes magic marker and writes 'Send directly to Guam' on the box.)
Chico: Speaking of mail.... Hey Gordon?
Gordon: Yes Chico?
Chico: What do our friends have to do if they want to send us stuff?
Gordon: Send us mail! Email wlti@gameshownewsnet.com, or go to Facebook, MySpace, or You Tube and look us up there. Or if you're either living or visiting Guam and you see Jason Block in a large cardboard box, give him your letter and he'll text it to us.
Jason: Why am I going to Guam? Hey! Answer me! (Bangs on box)
Gordon: (Stamps 'Fragile' on the box)
Chico: Oh geez... You're horrible.
Gordon: Thank you. If he's lucky, Jason's flight will be delayed and someone will find him. Maybe ;)
Chico: And on that bombshell, we're going to end it here. Jason and Don, thanks for joining us. Thanks to you for reading... for Gordon and everyone at GSNN, I'm Chico... Game over, and Spread the Love.
Jason: HELP!!!!