WLWT-TV is looking for contestants to play Wait, What Happened?, a game show from parent Hearst Television.
Episodes will be shot in September for the 30-minute shows to premier next year on Hearst's Very Local app and later on WLWT-TV, says David Seals, WLWT-TV programming and community affairs director.
Contestants interviewed on the street will "try to guess what happened in some of the wildest, wackiest news stories from around the country," Seals says. They will be given clues from Frank Nicotero, the comedian who hosts the show.
Each half-hour episode features three contestants. More than a dozen people will be filmed in Greater Cincinnati as part of the second season, Seals says. First season shows filmed in Orlando, Pittsburgh and other cities with Hearst TV stations are streaming now on the Very Local app.
Here's the trailer for the first season.
The questions are mostly derived from news events covered by Hearst stations around the country. They all have "some element of the unexpected," Seals says. For questions answered correctly, each contestant will have a chance to win prizes with a maximum retail value of $225, Seals says.
Applicants must be at least 21. Producers from Heart Television's Very Local team want prospective contestants to provide a brief biography, contact information, a photo and an explanation why they want to compete on the show. Producers also require applicants to list their social media accounts. Here's a link to the application.
Wait, What Happened? will stream on the Very Local app first, and then "we’ll look for the best time to air the episode on WLWT-TV after it premieres on the app," Seals says. Shows will drop weekly for the duration of the season, and all episodes will remain available to stream for free on the Very Local app.
Nicotero, a Pittsburgh native, is best known as host of the syndicated Street Smarts (2000-05) game show. He's also hosted The Game Of Life (2011-12) and appeared on Make Me Laugh, Comics Unleashed, One Tree Hill, Comedy On The Road, The Wayne Brady Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show and The Sharon Osbourne Show.
The Cincinnati Very Local app can be downloaded on your phone or installed on your Amazon Fire TV, Roku or other major streaming device.