South Bay Family Competes For $1,000,000

So did they win it?

The Bishop kids gave it all they had, and in the end they had a lot.  The San Jose family competed in NBC prime time Wednesday night in the popular game show "Minute to Win It."

And the Bishop family didn't leave empty-handed, walking away with a cool $500,000.

Not too shabby for a "minute's" worth of work.

The final challenge for $1,000,000, which they just missed, was to bounce coins off a table and into a water jug's tiny mouth. It was a pretty tough challenge, but when competing for a million bucks, it wasn't going to be easy.

The Bishop kids, Aimee, 19, Drew, 18, Holly, 13, Cullen, 11 and Brad, 10 spent two full hours competing.  Their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were in the audience watching it all in their "Team Bishop" t-shirts.

Like thousands of other families across the country, the Bishops became fans of the NBC show "Minute to Win It"  Glenn and Juli Bishop and their kids are famous (or imfamous) for being competitors on all gaming levels  making the show perfect for family television night.

Their oldest daughter Aimee noticed a "Minute to Win It" promotional booth on her college campus one day and impressed the casting director enough to get a try out right there on the spot.  During another round of tryouts the show's producers said they were working on a couple's series and Aimee quickly volunteered her dad. Then, during a Skype interview back at the Willow Glen homestead to see if Glenn was ready for prime time, other members of the Bishop family joined in the Skype talk. That was enough to convince the producers to do something they had never done before.

For the first time in the show's history, the kids were the ones competing for the money.

All were sworn to secrecy until the show aired. 

If you haven't watched the show before here is how it works. All-American chef and television personality Guy Fieri walks contestants through 10 challenges that escalate in their level of difficulty using everyday household items. The Bishops practiced hours and hours on each game ahead of their trip to Los Angeles.

Each game has a one-minute limit and failure to finish the task on time ends with elimination. If a person or team makes it through all ten games, they win a million bucks. At certain points in the game, the competitor is given the chance to take the money and walk away. 

The competitors are shown over 60 games prior to the competition and are encouraged to practice these one-of-a-kind challenges at home, but don't learn what the games they will be playing until they are on TV. The Bishops were the first team ever to make it to Level 10 and try to the million dollars.

Needless to say this is a big week for the Bishops who gathered with friends and their extended family Wednesday night to watch themselves on TV.

Glenn is a firefighter. Juli is a middle school teacher.  The family listed setting up college funds, buying 49er tickets and a hair crimper if they won.

During the show, the kids said they wanted to buy their parents a second car if they won the money.

Congratulations to the Bishops!
 

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