You Can Soon Get Academic Credit — And Maybe Even A Job — For Studying Game Shows At Cal State LA

Forget film theory and consider game shows.

Breaking into Hollywood is never easy, so gaining any possible advantage makes sense. Now Cal State LA is working a unique path into a show biz career with a three-class series on game shows beginning this fall.

The first in the series slated is called, “Get in the game.”

“The whole idea is to provide not only a gateway into the industry, but to send people out to be eligible for jobs,” said Harry Friedman, the longtime producer of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, who helped create the classes.

Friedman was there for the announcement Thursday in a Cal State LA auditorium filled with students, professors, and entertainment industry professionals.

The backstory

The idea for the classes began in a conversation between Friedman and California State University administrators about how to help graduates enter the television industry.

Friedman said Cal State LA was the first campus to step forward to create a curriculum.

“There'll be internships, there'll be on-the-job training, there'll be field trips, there'll be all these things that will help them, hopefully, step right out of school and into jobs,” said Kristina Hackel, chair of Cal State LA’s department of television, film, and media studies.

Why game shows?

At a time when production for TV and the movies is struggling, game shows are a different story. The New York Times has reported how in even in this tough environment TV game shows remain popular.

“It's a pretty turbulent world out there, folks… there's a lot of conflict going on and this is a safe space,” said Bob Boden at the announcement.

Gameshow producers and hosts (L-R) Bob Boden, Harry Friedman, Brooke Burns and Rane Laymance on April 25, 2023.

(

J. Emilio Flores

/

California State University, Los Angeles

)

Boden has been a consultant on Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader, and Massive Monster Mayhem, among other game shows. He’s also the co-founder of the National Archives of Game Show History, which aims to preserve "the history of game shows—from the earliest panel shows and quiz scandals to the classic games now in primetime."

Boden says it comes down to how you want to spend your work life. Here's his pitch:

“Imagine a job… where you make people happy for a living… we never lose sight of the fact that, we are a happy factory,” Boden said, adding that winning game show prizes helps people out.

Procuring those prizes is just one aspect of the game show business — an important one. Successful game shows also require casting directors, set designers, and production accountants.

Will the classes attract students?

Professors made the announcement on the opening day of Cal State LA’s annual film festival.

Some students who attended the announcement are TV, film, media studies majors and want to get their foot in the door in the entertainment industry.

“I'm really looking into music editing for films. I really just enjoy music and how it shapes a picture,” said third year TV, film, and media studies major Isaiah Nieves.

But now, after hearing about what goes into producing a game show, he said he wants to take the first class in the fall to find out if he can do that kind of work for game shows.

Professors expect the first class in the fall to attract about 25 students. If there's a big enough demand, they can expand the enrollment. And they're considering making it more widely available, hearing interest from people outside of Los Angeles in taking the class online.

While remote classes are not yet in the works, Hackel, the chair of TV, film, media studies, said that may change as they continue to offer the game show curriculum.