RR: How did you and Ed end up on Finders Keepers?
AM: First off, I didn’t know Ed before the show. We were matched up by the producers. Ed was a nice guy, but he couldn't find anything to save his life. I found out about the show from an advertisement in the paper. My friend Melissa convinced her mother to take us down to the studio for the interview process and we both got picked.
RR: What was the interview process like?
AM: They put a group of us in a room and gave us some problems to solve. We later found out they had a secret camera taping us. They were most interested in how we interacted with each other.
RR: Do you remember when the show taped/aired?
AM: Yes, it aired in the fall of 1988.
RR: How well did you do?
AM: I was so nervous I kept clenching my fists and sucking in my cheeks (a nervous habit). You can see this if you watch closely. When they put the pictures up on the wall, my strategy was to find all the hidden objects before the first question was asked. Then, when a clue was only half spoken, I could hit the buzzer and take the point. This was dangerous, but Blue team was quick so this was the only way to win. The helmets and the goggles for the romp-a-room round were so hot and they muffled the sound but I could still hear the screaming of the audience and the adrenaline I felt as I ran up the stairs to the moon room was the biggest rush of my life. We made it to the final round where we found clues in 3 of the rooms.
RR: How was Larry Toffler off camera?
AM: Larry was good at making us feel comfortable, but the little vignettes they came up with for the first round get-to-know-you banter were pretty lame. A production assistant interviewed us before the show and it was clear they didn't care about really getting to know us, just extracting something that sounded interesting for the show.
RR: Did you stay in touch with [Ed] after the show?
AM: No, I never saw or heard from Ed again.
RR: Have you ever been on any other game shows?
AM: No, I wish!
RR: What was the best part of your experience on Finders Keepers?
AM: Finding the secret clue in the moon room and winning a 7 day trip to Palm Springs. I still remember the trip – I took my entire family and two friends on vacation. We had a great time.
RR: Anything else you'd like to mention?
AM: No, thank you for the interview.
And thanks to Anna for a great interview!
