ERIC PRIESSMAN Eric Priessman has a knack for remembering song lyrics. It may not be the kind of thing associated with his profession, but it almost landed him a spot on national television.

“I’ve always had it,” Priessman said of the uncanny ability to remember songs. His memory just about secured him a position on the nationally syndicate game show “Don’t Forget the Lyrics.”

By day, Priessman spends his time patrolling the highways of Mariposa County in a California Highway Patrol (CHP) car. Early in 2009, he went to Los Angeles for a casting call for the show at a karaoke bar. The show’s producers take names and numbers of potential contestants and call those who look promising.

Priessman got a couple of call backs, then got the “thanks, but no thanks” letter from the show. Then in April of this year, he got a call out of the blue. The show’s producer said it had gone into syndication, so it would be making 160 half-hour shows instead of just 13 to 15.

There was a lyric test over the phone where the contestant listens to part of a song and has to fill in the missing lyrics. No problem for Priessman. “I nailed it,” he said. It wasn’t a surprise to him, as he had spent plenty of time yelling at the TV when contestants couldn’t get the words right.

Twice, Priessman guessed the lyrics before the song even played. He got a few more call backs, then the one that said he was a finalist. “You’re still not guaranteed,” to be on the show,” he said.

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” decided to do a “heroes” week, featuring emergency service personnel in uniform. They asked Priessman to wear his CHP uniform, but he had to go through the chain of command to get permission. Surprisingly, he did.

Priessman, his wife Nicole, and his three boys went to Los Angeles for the next test. He sat, sequestered, until about 2 p.m. Finally, the producer came to him and said he wasn’t going to get on the show.

“It was disappointing,” Priessman said. There is still hope that he will be on the show, however. “The plus side is because I’ve already been produced, if they get renewed for another season, I’ll get to move up.”

Priessman is not just confident about his ability to get on the show. He is positive he can win. During the sequestering period, contestants do a practice test. “I killed the practice game - absolutely destroyed it.”

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” has been on the air since 2007. It will be hosted by Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath when it returns to television this month. The show premieres on daytime syndication on 20th Television channels and in primetime on VH1 on Sept. 20.