An Interview With J. Predosta
(Bumper Stumpers; December 1989)

J. Predosta, partnered with his roommate Yochanan, appeared on the show Bumper Stumpers on December 5 and December 6, 1989. On this two day run, they brought home a total of $2700. Mr Predosta was kind enough to email me an interview about his experiences on the show, and that interview is online. My questions/responces are in cyan, and the answers to the questions are in blue.
Let's begin with you introducing yourself to everyone. What was your occupation
and where were you living at the time of the Bumper Stumpers taping, what do
you do now, and where are you now?

I was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts as a freshman at Harvard.
I now am a travel agent for Cathay Pacific Airways in San Francisco.

Who was your partner on the show, and how were you related to him/her?

My partner was a guy named Yochanan, an Israeli-American. He was my
roommate. He now lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

How long had you been watching Bumper Stumpers before you
decided to try out for the show? Where you a big fan of the show?

I had been watching Bumper Stumpers for about a year or so and gotten extremely
good at the plates. So did Yochanan. I was a big fan, but not as much as The
$40,000 Chain Reaction, which I tried out for and did not make.

Do you know when your episodes were taped and broadcast?

My episodes were taped on November 3, 1989 and aired on December 5 and December 6, 1989.

In 1989, several other game shows were on the air that you could have tried out for.
(Classic Concentration, The $40,000 Chain Reaction, and many others). What
made you decide to try out for Bumper Stumpers in particular?

Originally, I wanted to go on The $40,000 Chain Reaction. But I didn't pass, so I tried
Backup #1, Bumper Stumpers. I liked Bumper Stumpers a lot and decided
that it would be a backup after The $40,000 Chain Reaction.

How did the entire tryout process begin? What did you do? Did they have you play a mock
version of the game? Did they do other types of mini-games or the like to test your skills?

The tryout process began with an application form you had to fill out. They then put the forms in a hat and picked twenty-five of them. The first one picked was Yochanan and I's. We then played a few mock games. Those who did well continued to a test with about 20 license plates. Those who passed were given a call about 2 weeks later to appear on the show.

What was the overall atmosphere like when you were with all of the other people that were trying out?

The atmosphere was DENSE. I felt like I wasn't going to pass.

Had you ever made an appearance on, or tryed out for, any other game shows,
prior or after your episodes of Bumper Stumpers? If so, how would you compare the tryouts?

I made 3 other game show appearances. In 1994, I made an appearance on Trivial Pursuit. I won the vacation. The tryout was easy,since only about 200 people were trying out. In 2000, I appeared on Supermarket Sweep. I won $1513. The tryout was a bit dense, but also easy. I appeared with Yochanan again. In 2002, I appeared on the syndie Weakest Link. I won $14,500 in a tie. The tryout was hard to handle. I also tried out for Card Sharks in 2001, but didn't make it. The tryout was very light.

How were you notified that you were chosen as a contestant on the show? Where you told
immediately or did they call you back? What as the reaction of yourself, as well as
your family and friends, when you were told?

I was notified by phone about 2 weeks later. My reaction was very happy. My dad, a former Whew champion immediately dragged me to a restaurant to celebrate. My brother did the same thing. My brother is a former $40,000 Chain Reaction champ. My mom gave me a big hug and good luck!

Whew is another cool show that was very underrated. Did your father give you any advice
on how to handle the tryouts? (Even though the time difference would be about 10 years?)

Quite a bit, actually. He told me to keep my cool and relax, no big deal if
you don't get on. My dad tried out for ten shows before he got on one.

On the first day that you appeared at the studio to record your first episode, what was
going through your mind? Would you consider yourself being nervous or calm, and why?

I was calm and just solving the puzzles. I was calm because my brother told me not
to get too excited or you might lose. The words "solve and earn" went through my mind.

Do you recall any conversations with host Al DuBois that could be of interest?
And what was it like meeting him? What was he like off camera?

No. I liked meeting him, but I liked the producer better. I only saw him once or twice off the set.

The rumor is that the host would be talking to the audience, but it has been said that
the show didn't have one. Is it true that the show didn't have a studio audience? If not, do you
think it made you more or less comfortable, or do you think it was irrelivant?

There was a small audience. This included my aunt Lesley.

How many days were you on the show? How many games did you
and your partner play? How much, if anything, did you win at the end of your run?

We were on the show for 2 days and played 3 games. We won $2700 in the end.

Where there any other interesting things that happened on your episodes? (Like game
problems, contestant conflicts, technical difficulties, or anything else for that matter?)

The man from the couple from Connecticut that we defeated
said an Arabic curse word to me during the credits.

During your run on the show, did you have any kind of strategy that you used during certain situations?

Our strategy was to solve them as quick as possible and hit
the buzzer as fast as possible. We used that the whole maingame.

After the first episode that you won a game, how you react on the show? Did you ever think that you would win anything at all? If you won on more than one episode, how did it feel to win more on following shows? Some people go on a game show to win money, while others go on a show for the experience. Which, or both, was true for you, and why?

I just said "Yay!" quickly. I was sure I'd win something. It felt great to win on
following games. I went on for two reasons: The experience, and that
Yochanan and I wanted to go on a long-awaited vacation to Israel.

Were their any decisions that you made while playing the game,
that now that the experience is over, you would change?

I would change no decisions.

How did you feel after the entire experience was over?

I felt sad. But I reassured myself that I could be a game show contestant again.

If I'm not getting too personal, what did you decide to do with the money?

Yochanan and I went on a two-week vacation to Israel with the cash.

How were you given a copy of your episodes? Where you given a copy of the show right
after the taping, or did you have to wait for it to air before you got a chance to see it?

I was given copies by the producer after the taping. I watch it weekly.

Would you ever go on another game show? Why or why not? If so, which shows would you try out for? Also, do you have any suggestions for those that are trying to get on a game show themselves?

I might try out for a million-dollar game show next year. It would be nice to buy a house, now that I'm married. I'd try out for Millionaire or whatever is on then. And a few tryout suggestions: Keep cool, don't be overly polite, and don't have a fit in the middle of the interview.

What exactly do you mean, "Don't have a fit?" Like don't get
fustrated and take it out on the contestant cordinators? :-)

Yep. Don't get frustrated.

Any final words or comments that you'd like to make?

I hope that you didn't get bored and that you watch
game shows at least once a week. It's better than The View. Bye!