Wheeling in prizes on game show

Kistner and her daughter, Lisa Green, participated in Saturday's taping of a Mother's Day show called "Mom and me." Wheel of Fortune rolled into San Francisco this week to tape three weeks worth of shows in three days to air next month.

Green is a fifth grade teacher at Saratoga Elementary School and mother of two She lives in San Mateo with her retired mother who volunteers at Alpha Beacon Christian School. They were two of the 30 contestants picked for the Mother's Day special.

Nearly 2,500 fans filed into the doors at Moscone Center this weekend to be a part of the game's road show - which happens only three times a year. On the sunny Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people filed through the doors to be part of the taping. Outside, people not lucky enough to have tickets played up their best puppy dog eyes and begged for extra tickets.

As seen on TV

What you see on television is what you get, said Sajak, who has been hosting the show since its inception in 1981. The 56-year-old host still has a skip in his step after 22 years of selling vowels and giving away prizes. The steady stream of paychecks and easy working schedule is enough to keep him coming back. After one weekend of shows, Sajak won't tape again for another three weeks.

He's a little taller than he appears on TV, but that's because he's usually standing next to White who regularly wears 3-inch heels.

White is a 5'6" tall jeans and sweats kind of girl. When she's not changing into glamour dresses, White said she hardly wears make up and enjoys crocheting. Sometimes she'll sneak in a few stitches behind the puzzle board.

If the camera is said to add 10 pounds to everybody, it certainly adds a few feet to the puzzle board and wheel, which both seem a whole lot smaller in person. The puzzle board is less than 15 feet long and no higher than seven feet. The wheel, which gets broken down to 16 pieces and shipped to various towns for show roads, is only about four feet in diameter.

The playing time is a lot shorter too. For one half-hour show, players are guessing puzzles for about 20 minutes. Not too shabby when prizes include $25,000, a set of sport cars and various trips.

Not a puzzling process

Contestants are prepped right before the show on how to scream out letters and clap enthusiastically. Other than that, Sajak said it's all about "natural enthusiasm."

It was that same enthusiasm that got Green and Kistner on the show. When Green logged on to the Wheel of Fortune about a month ago to request tickets for the San Francisco taping, she wasn't intending to fill out an application to be on the show. But she did, and within a week representatives from show told her to head to the San Francisco Marriott for live auditions.

"I thought my chances were slim to none. I was shocked," said Green, who immediately called her mom and told her "guess what I've done."

The auditions in San Francisco gathered about 100 people and asked them to solve puzzles all at the same time. After that, they were given a written puzzle-solving test. Then half the people were dismissed, leaving the other half - including Green and Kistner - to play mock games in front of make shift wheels.

Next thing they know, the two are invited to the show.

A few tips Kistner said they were given right before the show: Stay calm, watch the used letter board and don't try to guess puzzles using letters that you asked for and didn't get.

If you're wondering if Green and Kistner won, you'll have to wait till the May 5 airing. Here's a hint: They get to the final round and Kistner almost forgets tip number three.

The show airs 7:30 p.m., May 5 on Channel 7.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.