ABC hit the jackpot by celebrating the ordinary. When comedian Nate Bargatze brought his signature deadpan humor to network primetime, “The Greatest Average American” gave the network a new unscripted game-show entry built around the appeal of being ordinary. Co-created with “The Price Is Right” showrunner John Quinn, the show debuted to 2.38 million viewers in February.
Despite those impressive numbers, ABC hasn’t officially ordered a second season just yet. While we await news on the show's fate, here is how you can land a spot on the contestant roster if it returns for Season 2.
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- What is “The Greatest Average American” about?
- Who is in the cast of “The Greatest Average American”?
- Who is the casting director for “The Greatest Average American”?
- How does the casting process work for “The Greatest Average American”?
- Where are casting calls and auditions for “The Greatest Average American” posted?
- What are the best audition tips for landing a role on “The Greatest Average American”?
Combining humor, competition, and relatability, “The Greatest Average American” offers a fresh spin on the classic game show format.
The series, inspired by Bargatze’s 2021 Netflix special of the same name, features challenges and trivia questions that determine which player best understands the average American. In each round, contestants are tasked with guessing how average Americans think and live, testing their grasp of everyday habits, opinions, and behaviors. The last contestant standing is crowned the Greatest Average American and takes home $67,920, which is the average U.S. salary.
Bargatze has quickly risen to become a comedy powerhouse. Known for his clean, relatable humor, he was named “one of the funniest people” by CBS Mornings. He’s also a Grammy and Emmy Award nominee, as well as a New York Times No. 1 bestselling author. He sold more than 1.2 million tickets in 2024, breaking venue attendance records along the way.
Bargatze serves as the show’s host, of course, while the comedian who opened for him on the 2024 “Be Funny” Tour, Julian McCullough, serves as emcee. He engages in witty banter with Bargatze and the audience while providing live commentary during each episode. Greg Warren serves as the announcer.
Russell Berman, who is part of the popular reality TV casting and development company Pitman Casting (“The Golden Bachelor”), and Jason Skweres (“Let’s Make a Deal”) serve as the series’ casting directors.
Casting for “The Greatest Average American” begins with a questionnaire. Along with the form, potential contestants must submit two recent photos—one selfie and one full-body shot. Those who make it through to the next round then meet with the casting team via Zoom. Contestants must be at least 18 years old and are disqualified if they’ve appeared on another primetime game show within the past five years or a daytime game show within the last year.
Beyond basic information (name, address, contact information, etc.), the form offers some insight into what the casting team wants to know about you. Here are some of the questions asked:
- What are your favorite indoor games to play?
- What are your favorite outdoor games to play?
- How competitive are you? Give us examples of your competitive nature.
- If you had to brag a little, what are the top three things you’re most above average at?
- In a group, are you a leader, a follower, or an observer?
- What is the craziest thing you have ever done for money?
Applicants must also answer a number of trivia questions at the end of the form.
Contestants should know that filming takes place in Nashville, Tenn. If you’re selected but live outside that area, airfare and hotel accommodations will be provided. After all, Bargatze told Deadline he wanted to guarantee contestants were as diverse as possible. “I didn’t want this to feel like it’s a Southern show. I wanted to make sure that we were pulling the entire country in. We really did go out and have people from all over the country come and play this game. I want it to feel like it’s for everybody,” he said.
Pitman Casting has the aforementioned casting notice and form posted on its website. It specifically notes that filming will take place in November 2025, indicating this listing isn’t active at this time. We recommend bookmarking Pitman Casting’s website for updates on which shows the company is casting now, and don’t forget to follow the team on Instagram and Facebook for updates on the latest calls. With Season 2 in limbo, it’s anyone’s game.
In the meantime, keep an eye on our ABC and reality TV casting directory pages for new opportunities as they become available, and get acquainted with the audition process using our guide to getting on reality TV.
Beyond seeking contestants who are “loud, fun, and full of opinions,” there really isn’t any concrete advice out there for getting cast on “The Greatest Average American” specifically. But if you hope to land a game and/or reality TV show gig in the near future, we suggest exploring our guides for achieving just that:
- Come on Down!: 5 Steps to Getting on a Game Show
- What Top Reality Show Casting Directors Really Look For
- How to Nail a Reality TV Audition, According to a CD
- 7 Steps to Starting Your Small-Screen Journey
- How to Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast the Audition Process for ‘Survivor,’ According to the Show’s CD