Did you know Family Feud is filmed in Atlanta? I didn't either until one of my friend's families auditioned and got selected to be on the show. As a perk for being on the show, he was allowed to return to future tapings of the show as a "priority guest" and bring friends with him. No tickets required. So last Saturday, we went to the Atlanta Civic Center, where the show is currently being filmed, and were able to sit on the front row. It felt like being in NY or SoCal, but we were on Piedmont Ave. in downtown Atlanta.
In short, the experience was awesome. Just a whole lot of fun. I've never been in a game show audience before and I didn't realize how energetic and participative one has to be to be in the audience, especially down in the "pit," the section closest to the stage (and most likely to be on TV).
Family Feud is currently hosted by comedian Steve Harvey. It's my understanding that the show is filmed in Atlanta because of him. He carries a lot of clout. On the set, not a second of his time is wasted. If he's not hosting the show, he's interacting with the crowd, posing for photographs with contestants, talking to production assistants, etc. Whenever filming stops, there are always at least 1-2 people by his side, ready with a bottle of water, his next set of cards with questions, makeup, etc. He is definitely the one that runs the show.
On that note, during back-and-forth banter with the crowd during one of the commercial breaks, Steve asked the audience what their favorite restaurant in Atlanta was. Someone said Marlow's Tavern. WTF? I said Bacchanalia. As soon as I said it, Steve stopped what he was saying and said, "Who said Bacchanalia?" I raised my hand and he looked at me. Then he silently walked over to me, stopped in front of me, said "My man!," and extended his hand over the stage so I could shake it.
He then went on to talk about his experience meeting his wife for dinner at Bacchanalia, making fun of its odd location inside Star Provisions. He asked me what I did for a living and I said, "Engineer." Then he made some smart remark which caused the audience to laugh and then went on to describe the menu and how he didn't know what anything was on the menu. That was pretty cool, but that wasn't the end of my interactions with Mr. Harvey.
In the subsequent taping, he fielded questions. I raised my hand and he picked me again. I asked him what his favorite NBA team was and he responded the Miami Heat and "Oklahoma Thunder." What fairweather answers, but safe I suppose. I snuck in another question and asked him if he's met LeBron James and he said he has, citing their mutual roots in Cleveland, Ohio. Makes sense.
Before the taping, I knew who Steve Harvey was, but I didn't realize how engaging and comedic of an entertainer he was. The man can talk and he is funny. He could talk his way out of a paper bag.
Four episodes were filmed that day. Before each episode, Steve changed his suit and tie. I got to see one family win five "days" in a row (the Grace family from Illinois), which meant they won a new car (a Ford Edge SUV). Before the taping of their fifth appearance on the show, they did a small rehearsal of how they would run to the car and celebrate winning it. That way, if they actually did win the car (which they did), they could plan out where everybody would sit/stand in and around the car. Pretty funny. It's stuff like that you don't think about watching on TV from home.
It was interesting to see what goes on when the cameras aren't rolling. Makeup people are blotting off sweat from contestants, reapplying makeup, production assistants are reminding/instructing families of what's to come, an MC/motivator comes on stage to rile up and excite the audience, etc. The audience was specifically told to clap a lot. By "a lot," I mean at everything. We had to clap after every answer, even if it was a terrible answer. Example:
Survey: Name something you associate with a camel.
Contestant Answer: A spaceship!
Audience: *cheerful applause*
When an answer wasn't on the board and a team received a strike, we had to say, "Awwww!!" When answers that weren't guessed were revealed on the board, we had to read them out loud.
One of the families that competed was the local McNulty family. They were led by brother Tommy (DJ at 99x and Atlanta Braves PA announcer) and his four sisters. At the end of their episode taping, they had to re-record Tommy saying an answer into his microphone, presumably to be dubbed over his live recording.
I sat through three tapings which took I estimate 4-5 hours. By the end of the third taping, I was drained and had enough Family Feud for the day. I was Family Feuded out.
If you're looking for something free and fun to do in Atlanta, I highly recommend attending a taping of Family Feud. It's free to be an audience member. Visit Family Feud's web site for details. The show is filmed in Atlanta every summer. read more
