New pop culture trivia game show to film in Kingston
Pop Whiz, a new trivia game show airing on GameTV, is inviting local teenagers between the ages of 13-17 to audition for a chance to be on national TV. The game show will be filming in Kingston later this month.
The trivia show will engage Canadian teenagers and test their knowledge on everything pop culture, according to a release from the Kingston Film Office. Contestants will have a chance to earn bragging rights and win some great prizes. Pop Whiz has confirmed their first four locations and said they kicked things off in North Bay for their summer tour. Filming will occur at Fort Henry in Kingston from August 20 to 23, 2021.
The show will be hosted by Andrew Gunadie, aka ‘Gunnarolla,’ an award-winning host & producer who has traveled the world for the likes of Travel Channel and HGTV. According to the release, he has achieved verified internet celebrity thanks in part to his extremely successful YouTube channel where he has amassed millions of views and over 90K subscribers and viral TikToks.
“Andrew fits the style and tone of this series perfectly. He brings a youthful energy that is sure to resonate with our audience,” commented Frank Bertolas, Pop Whiz Executive Producer from Carpe Diem Media.
Pop Whiz is a fun, new series that brings the experience of a big, shiny floor game show to towns across Ontario, the producers said. Bertolas continued, “It has been a challenging time, with many community activities having been cancelled or postponed. Pop Whiz provides an opportunity to inject a little excitement.” The series has been designed to bring all the splash you’d expect from a studio show, with the ability to execute it in a mobile and COVID-friendly manner, according to the release.
Embracing diversity, identity, and orientation, the creators said Pop Whiz is a celebration of inclusiveness and multi-culturalism that will amplify the broad spectrum of cultures that make up the Ontario landscape. All teenagers are invited for casting through the Pop Whiz website.
In addition to engaging youth, the film office said producers are looking to put a spotlight on communities across Ontario and show a nationwide audience what makes them a beautiful place to live and visit. “The support has been overwhelming. We have been whole-heartedly embraced and our community partners have welcomed this opportunity with open arms as the province starts to slowly open up,” said Sergio Gallinaro who serves as producer and director.
Virtual auditions for the Fort Henry filming are open now, and Pop Whiz encourages all interested teenagers to try out.
Pop Whiz will be broadcast on Game TV in February-March 2022. According to the release, an additional online contest will be launched to run concurrently with the game show in 2022. Visit their website for more details.