The Degenhardt family with roots originating in Goodsoil, Saskatchewan are going to fill the tv screen in a forthcoming episode of CBC’s game show Family Feud.
Evan Degenhardt known at 106.1 FM as ‘Bossman Evan’ along with his first cousins Sheri, Sarah, Joe and Lynn flew out to Toronto in September to shoot their television debut which airs November 11th at 7:30 p.m. MST.
The application process involved submitting a fun family video and then waiting to hear back from CBC. This got delayed as while they submitted the video in early 2020, the world changed due to the pandemic in March and the family forgot about their entry.
A few months into the pandemic CBC reached out to the family saying they wanted them to audition. Evan says with the cousins spread out on the prairies, the pandemic logistics were easier as they could set up a Zoom meeting with everyone rather than they all having to travel to audition. He says they rocked that interview, but with the COVID travel restrictions, the gig never materialized.
Then this year, Evan says the TV network called again.
“About four months ago, CBC reached out again and said, ‘Hey we didn’t forget about you guys. Are you interested?’ And we said, ‘Heck yeah.’ Let’s do this thing. We did another interview and then early August, they gave us the call and said would you guys like to come down to Toronto.”
The process which started in February 2020 led up to a trip to Toronto to record in September, 2021. Evan said under normal circumstances they would have had to be prepare for several interviews over the course of a few months, and while COVID made it longer, it was fun the whole way.
They were in Toronto for three days. With the restrictions no one had been able to travel. Evan recalls the city was buzzing, as they got downtown at the end of a baseball game.
“When all five of us prairie cousins landed, there was a Blue Jays game letting out at Rogers and wow, the people, the downtown smell; it felt like you were back to normal. It was overwhelming sensually, but it was a sigh of relief; life will move on.”
He says the actual taping of the show lasted over an hour at CBC.
“Seeing the studio for the first time. Seeing our name in the cove of the Family Feud lights. It’s just surreal. I honestly can’t describe it. It still gives me goosebumps talking about it. It just was an out of this world feeling and experience that the five of us got to share together and we will never forget that.”
Evan said the Degenhardt cousins are grateful for being able to have that experience in the midst of a pandemic. He says it gives them hope that life is still life and to not take it for granted.