In 2002, Bishop was a contestant on Comedy Central's Beat the Geeks. Bishop won the final challenge in the game by defeating the "Music Geek".
Bishop appeared on the syndicated game showWho Wants to Be a Millionaire in a two-part episode airing on December 5 and 8, 2008. He won and took home $100,000 after walking away on his $250,000 question.
Broadcasting career
In May 2002, Bishop began working with Adam Carollaon the radio show Loveline as a call screener. He was fired on June 2, 2005, after blogging inside details of the show. Bishop also worked on Adam Carolla's Too Late with Adam Carolla TV show. On January 2, 2006, Bishop began working on The Adam Carolla Show as a call screener. On May 4, 2006, Bishop filled in for Mike Lynch, the show's sound effects person, while Lynch was getting married. When Lynch was promoted to writer, Bishop became the show's permanent sound effects person and the call screener position was filled by Kyle Baugher. LAist described Bryan as "a sound-effects wizard, and ultra quick-witted third-man".
Role on ''The Adam Carolla Show''
Bishop occasionally participates in both conversations and performances on the show. One of Bishop's hallmarks is providing prerecorded verbalized and audio commentary by triggering humorous and relevant sound effects. Examples of Bishop's sound effects include the "correct answer" and "incorrect answer" bells/buzzers from Family Feud, or sentences spoken by others on the show, out of context. Bishop's sound effects are often referred to as "drops" on the show. Bishop is notable on the show for excelling in geek culture-themed competition segments, such as "Totally Topical Tivo Trivia", "Blah, Blah, Blog", "Gay Walking", "Nerd Walking", and "The Rotten Tomatoes Game". Bishop occasionally participates in improvisational elements of the show. Support for Bishop's fight with cancer and his $100,000 win on Who Wants to be a Millionaire are occasionally discussed on the show.
Other broadcasts
Bishop also co-hosts a movie podcast called The Film Vault with former Loveline engineer Anderson Cowan.
Brain tumor
On Adam Carolla's Podcast in May 2009 Bishop stated he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Keith Black, the chairman of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, referred Bishop to a specialized team who pursued treatment involving radiation and chemotherapy. No official update on his prognosis has been made public, though Bishop indicated Black and his team have a more positive outlook than the initial prognosis. On October 21, 2009, Bishop appeared on Carolla's podcast and reported that his most recent MRI showed that the tumor had shrunk significantly and his treatment is ongoing. Bishop announced that he is undergoing therapy using the angiogenesis inhibiting drug, Avastin. Bishop announced on the same podcast that, because he is undergoing radiation treatments which might result in him becoming sterile, he has made deposits at a sperm bank as a precaution in advance of his pending nuptials. Bishop and his wife had a healthy daughter in 2016 through natural conception. Carolla hosted a fundraiser "Laughs for Bald Bryan" in November 2009, which included performances by Jimmy Kimmel, Larry Miller, Greg Fitzsimmons, and others. When Bishop filled in for Carolla on the July 8, 2011, edition of the podcast, he and co-host Alison Rosen discussed his diagnosis and treatment. In discussing the diagnosis, Bishop said his doctors had initially given him "6 months to a year" to live. Bishop also discussed his current treatment regimen. He has written a book about the experience: Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage, and the Tumor That Tried to Kill Me, which was published by Thomas Dunne Books in April 2014 and became a New York Times best seller.
