About Mark L. Walberg
Mark L. Walberg has been a fixture on television game shows for over a decade, having been the announcer on Shop 'Til You Drop, and the host of USA Gonzo Games and The Big Date. Recently, Walberg emceed FOX's popular reality series Temptation Island and its sequel, Temptation Island 2. Mark also had a talk show in the mid-1990s (the appropriately titled The Mark Walberg Show) and was the warm-up talent on almost 50 shows. Walberg operates GlugginMarx Productions, Inc. with partner and former game show host and two-time contestant Mark DeCarlo. Walberg, whose career began as a gopher with dick clark productions, is married and has two children.
Russian Roulette Interactive
Russian Roulette Interactive is available during all airings. To play Russian Roulette Interactive, visit Game Show Network between 5 and 15 minutes before the episode starts. If you're a first time player, I'd suggest visiting the site 15 minutes before the game begins, in case you have to install Shockwave components before the game starts.
Russian Roulette's interactive game is similar to the TV show but with a few differences.
* The base value of each question is worth the same amount as the dollar amount of the question in that round i.e. round 1 questions are worth 150 points, round 2 200, round 3 300, but the points for the question drop with each second. The faster you lock in your answer, the more points you'll score with a correct answer.
* After each question in the first 3 rounds, you can play russian roulette against the house. Surviving russian roulette means you earn the value of the questions in the round multiplied by the number of drop zones. For example, surviving 4 drop zones in round 2 would be worth 800 points (200 points per question in round two x 4 drop zones). If a drop zone stops on your wedge, your score is reset to zero.
* You can select which of the 6 areas on the game board you want to stand in for each spin.
* Miscellaneous questions and polls during the game are worth bonus points.
* The questions in the final round are worth up to 300 points, with points being deducted for each second it takes to answer.
* The final spin is worth 5000 points. The number of drop zones in the final round is equal to the number of incorrect answers given during the final round plus 1.
Miscellaneous info
* The 5th aired episode was a "special" celebrity episode, even though only one of the 4 players could be considered a celebrity. The contestants on that episode were Kristin Malia from E!, Ken Taylor from the TV Guide Channel, Danny Bonaduce, and Gayle Anderson, a news personality in Los Angeles.
* The premiere had a contestant winning $10,000 but opting not to go for the grand prize. It's a shame, since he would've won the $100,000, despite having only one safe zone.
* So far, 3 people have taken home the $100,000 grand prize. Al Winchell's big win aired on July 12, 2002, while Todd Truley's take aired on August 5, 2002. Season 2's sole $100,000 winner is Maria Lay, whose win aired on December 9, 2002.
Russian Roulette links
Gunnar Wetterberg Productions
The official Russian Roulette page at gameshownetwork.com
Game Show Network's Russian Roulette Interactive message board
Season 2 contestant Joe Van Ginkel's Russian Roulette experience