“Bart Lerner, come on down!”

And with those words, 国产主播-Ontario Academic Dean Bart Lerner became the next contestant on “.”

“I鈥檝e watched the show forever but I鈥檝e never been on one, never done anything like this before. Somebody here at work 鈥� her friend gets tickets and they always go together 鈥� and they said, 鈥榊ou should go with us sometime!鈥�” Lerner said.

‘Big Wheel’ Memories

Well?

“Everyone asks if it鈥檚 heavy and it really wasn鈥檛 that heavy. To me, at least. It was just a really cool thing to be able to spin it.”

And?

鈥淎t first I was thinking, 鈥業鈥檓 not going to spin it that hard. But then I thought, 鈥榊ou know what? I鈥檝e got nothing to lose so I鈥檓 just going to let it rip.’ So I just grabbed it and pulled and hoped for the best.鈥�

Eventually, “sometime” became “we鈥檝e got tickets,” and despite his reservations about missing work or putting off those proverbial “things to do,” Lerner found himself saying “Alright, I鈥檒l go.”

Once the trio arrived at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, Lerner discovered that before being on “The Price is Right,” you have to play “The Waiting Game.”

鈥淚t was an all-day event. We got down there about 10:30 in the morning and it didn鈥檛 tape until 4 o鈥� clock,” Lerner said. “We were literally in line in these different areas throughout the whole day.”

After the doors opened, everyone was given a number and asked to fill out some forms and releases. Next, they waited while groups of about 20 at a time were interviewed to see if they would make good contestants.

When it was finally his turn, Lerner and a producer chatted for a few seconds about Lerner’s hometown, his profession and if he had a favorite game on the show. Lerner said he liked the classic “Cliff Hanger.” When asked why, he admitted it was because of the music.

鈥淚 just love that song,鈥� he told the producer, and of course, .

“And then he said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e on the wrong show. You should be on 鈥楢merica鈥檚 Got Talent.鈥� And that was it. He went to the next person and that was all my time,鈥� Lerner said.

After the interviews, Lerner’s group filed into another waiting area. While there, one of the other audience members leaned over and told Lerner, “They liked your answers because we saw this lady writing down some stuff.”

Eventually, the audience was seated in the Bob Barker Studio and Lerner’s co-worker told him, “You鈥檙e going to get on.” Lerner disagreed, but less than 60 seconds into the taping, he was running down the aisle to take his place on Contestant’s Row.

鈥淭he energy in that room is so electric,” Lerner said. “It鈥檚 amazing. Everyone is cheering, we鈥檙e giving out high-fives and we don鈥檛 know each other at all. They seat the contestants in this other area in the front row and we鈥檙e talking to one another going, 鈥榃hat the heck just happened?鈥� It was really wild.鈥�

Three items after being called, Lerner had won a smartphone and one-year plan worth $1,500. Moments later, he was standing onstage next to Drew Carey and a huge sign flashing “$100,000” was being lowered from the ceiling.

Lerner had watched a few episodes as homework in case he got on. If he wasn’t going to get “Cliff Hanger,” Lerner had hoped for a simple game where you say “higher” or “lower” or roll some comically large dice. Instead, he had to play “Pay the Rent.”

“Pay the Rent” involves putting six items 鈥� in Lerner’s case: a can of peas, cookies, pie crust, cold medicine, coffee and birdseed 鈥� in a specific order and combination on four tiers, so that each level has a progressively greater price than lower ones. A single item is placed on the first and fourth tier, while two items go on the second and third. Arguably the show’s most complicated contest, it’s also one of the most lucrative.

鈥淚 just bought cold medicine for my son about a month ago and paid a fortune for it, so I was like, 鈥極h my gosh, that鈥檚 got to be expensive鈥� but it was only $6.59,” he said. “I wouldn鈥檛 expect birdseed was the second-most expensive. How much are sunflower seeds and little nuts kinds of things? But it was a bigger bag so that鈥檚 what kind of threw me.鈥�

While Lerner didn’t win the grand prize, he did walk away with $10,000 鈥� and some priceless memories.

鈥淓ven if I didn鈥檛 get on, it was an amazing experience just being in that audience. That鈥檚 about the one game, maybe between that and 鈥楲et鈥檚 Make a Deal,鈥� where the audience is a real part it. Because I鈥檓 looking out to the audience and I鈥檓 seeing everybody 鈥� and there was this one guy literally who was like spreading his wings and yelling at me 鈥楤irdseed! Birdseed!鈥� It was very funny.”

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