I've had a few friends on Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and went to see Price is Right.

Jeopardy does favor people who live in Southern California; all five episodes for the week are filmed on one day and supposedly filmed in real time (two minute breaks for commercials in between segments) six months before air date. Preference is given to the people from out of state given they have days in between filming, so if it nears a weekend or the champion is from So Cal they switch it around and have the California people go home and come back the next week. Another way for them to save money on a hotel.

Price is Right gives preferences to large groups; they make promises to all the college in Southern California and other large groups that if they bring 30-40 people one of them will be *guaranteed* to be called. The crowd's 200-300 people, so four or five of the eight or nine contestants called up to play are from groups and the rest are from people who get random tickets to fill the holes in the audience. Its a simple: they stop you before you go into the studio, have you smile and say your name and where you're from, and have all the large groups with prior accommodations enter in waves. Thats all they need to decide.

I'm going to be on Jeopardy someday and whomp some ass.