Survey Says: Cassilly Family Shines On “Family Feud”

Scrolling through her Facebook page one day, Marian Cassilly Baxter saw an ad looking for top-rated “Family Feud” game show contestants and thought she had just the exuberant family in mind — her own.

“I thought it would be a fun experience, so I rallied the troops,” said Baxter. And which members of her family would join her? “The people who were brave enough and available to try out made the team.”

The Severna Park-based family formed a team that included Baxter; her twin brother, Matthew Cassilly; sisters-in-law Brittany and Becky Cassilly; and her mother, Debbie Peroutka. After a great audition in Baltimore, Baxter and her team were flown to Atlanta to compete on the show hosted by comedian Steve Harvey. The episodes appeared on WBFF FOX45 on November 13 and 14.

On the first day of the competition, the Cassillys surpassed 300 points to reach the Fast Money round. At that point, two family members have 20 and 25 seconds, respectively, to answer five survey questions and try to reach 200 combined points.

“We won Fast Money with my score being 189, close to the record,” said Baxter. “Matthew went second and we won by his first answer!”

Baxter said when the cameras were off, Harvey gave a standup routine to get the crowd amped up. “Just to be in the audience is a very entertaining experience,” added Baxter. “You’re not sure you will film until they call your name just before you go on. So the whole day, we were very excited and nervous.”

She added that Steve Harvey mostly interacts with the contestants on the set. Actual filming takes an hour and a half to two hours, and that is then edited down to a half-hour show with commercial time.

“During [filming, Steve Harvey] is talking with you in the audience,” said Baxter. “You are part of his standup routine, and he is very funny and friendly.”

To prepare for their big day, the Cassillys watched hours upon hours of “Family Feud” episodes and practiced using the “Family Feud” board game. They also took special care in selecting matching outfits — bright blue and orange — to stand out.

Once the family was called from the audience down to the set, the competitive gloves came off and they were ready to compete.

“We were all just very excited to be there, but once we got on the set, we definitely became a little competitive,” said Baxter. “The experience is very exciting and high-energy. You have to stay very ready to be clapping and jumping on set.”

The Cassillys are open to trying out for another game show, but their consensus is that “Family Feud” is perfect because everybody can participate and answer simple questions.

Baxter said the key to getting past the auditions and on to television is to be animated and to have as much fun as you possibly can.

“They’re not looking for you to win the game,” said Baxter. “[Producers] are looking for families to be full of energy, which makes for good TV.”

Marian Cassilly Baxter’s High-Scoring Round

In the Fast Money round, Marian Cassilly Baxter had one of the highest all-time individual scores. Four of her five responses were the top answers on the board. Here are her answers.

Q: Name a sport where the referees have to be in as good of shape as the players.

A: Basketball (29 points)

Q: Name a job where you have to wash your hands many times a day.

A: Doctor (34 points)

Q: Name something people do to corn.

A: Eat it (35 points)

Q: Name a color you would find on a Rubik’s Cube.

A: Red (43 points)

Q: Name a male superhero.

A: Superman (48 points)