One of the appeals of broadcast game shows is playing along with the people on the screen and imagining what you would do and how you would fare in games like “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!”

Residents of Butler County continue to prove this doesn’t just have to be experienced from the couch, as some have made the leap to competing on these two very shows themselves — and had good outcomes.

In recent memory, Harmony resident Ron Lalonde won three games of “Jeopardy!” in December and Sarver resident Drew Rummel made two appearances on “Wheel of Fortune” as of Saturday, April 25. The two contestants went out of their way to audition for these programs and did their homework on the gameplay to take themselves to victory.

It’s inspiring, even though these shows are based on the appeal of getting regular people to compete.

The appearance of people in the community also may draw in viewers from that community. Maybe you’ve seen Lalonde around Harmony or Rummel in the streets of the Sarver area. And then they show up on TV and it makes you perk up a bit.

That’s part of what keeps these shows exciting. They have each been around for decades and yet there is always a new player, a new random person who wants to try their hand at the buzzer or the big wheel — each of which look appealing to the eyes on their own.

And it’s even more satisfying seeing people from your community win at these games — it proves that different kinds of success come right out of Butler County.

So send in that game show playing application. You may be the next person being told to “spin the wheel.”

— ET