BBC America is working with NPR to bring a one-hour Wait Wait end-of-year special, airing on December 23rd. The New York Times is reporting that the special won’t stray far from the current radio format: Sagal, Wait Wait judge and NPR broadcaster Carl Kassel and a panel of guests will all remain on the BBC Special. A news release on Wednesday announced that the special will have an “American and British perspective” and will include the listener contests and celebrity guests Wait Wait is known for.

For those who are worried that the show may deviate from its radio template, series creator Doug Berman put those fears to rest in a statement: “It’s going to be pretty much what we do every week, except NPR has to add a budget line for pants.”

It’s an interesting partnership, to say the least. The BBC has shows that are very similar to Wait Wait, like Have I Got News For You or QI, so Wait Wait would fit nicely. Hopefully this special garners big ratings, so we’ll see this radio show make the jump to TV.

Customizing your character is also improved, although the default options have me looking like a raggedy-ass homeless dude. (Spare some change for a vowel?) In-app purchases can unlock more accoutrements for your WoF avatar, including ski goggles and 3D glasses, not to mention more styles of shirts and the like. For those who really want their avatar to look exactly like them in real life, then spending a couple bucks to get a pirate hat is, I’m sure, a welcome addition to the game. If you’re really looking to spend a few bucks to make this game better, spend your money on the ten different puzzle packs. At 99 cents a pop for 180 puzzles, it’s a good way to extend the life of the game without having to buy a whole new game.

The game, where it counts, is solid. The Wheel itself doesn’t look like a painful piece of crap anymore (someone figured out how to make JPGs!) and has all the decorations of the actual Wheel: LED Jackpot Wedge, Million Dollar Wedge, Wild Card, Free Play, and Mystery Things, none of which are sponsored by Eggland’s best, sadly. The arrangement of the rounds, however, is confusing to those who care about that kind of stuff: There are two toss-up puzzles, then the jackpot round, then a round with no gimmicks, then the Mystery Round. Edit: I’m the dumbass who hasn’t watched Wheel all season: commenter Kevin gave me the scoop and the arrangement of puzzles is correct. Odd, to say the least, but it’s not a dealbreaker. You still get plenty of spinning. And, if you don’t want to watch your CPU opponents (who border on absolutely merciless in the Hard difficulty) spin, buy or solve, there’s always a handy Skip button.

Overall, the game looks fantastic, and it plays equally so. The added features, including cool multi-player modes and online play, just add to the package. This is one of the best and most well-rounded game show games on the App Store, and it is well worth the $4.99.

Wheel of Fortune Platinum [via iTunes]

CNet Video @ YouTube

Today’s Double Showcase Win during the Price is Right was the perfect example of ruining the spirit of the game.

From poster Ted on the Golden-Road.net forums:

“There was a very long stopdown between the showcases and the reveal, and lots of conversations going on all over the stage between groups of people. I really don’t think they knew how to proceed, since this wasn’t like somebody bidding $17500 and being on the nose…For the record, this was the third time that I got a showcase on the nose while in the studio…Not sure if I’m welcome at Studio 33 anymore, but I’m sure I’ll find out one of these days…”

I should probably get this out of the way now: Congratulations to Terry on your big haul. $50K+ isn’t too bad, especially since you know my good friend Jay Lewis. Edit: J/K. I misread a journal entry. Sorry, Jay! You’re, at this point, a somewhat innocent bystander in a disappointing moment for two reasons: Ted, the producers of TPiR and Drew Carey.

First, the lashing at Ted: If I were the producer, I would more likely than not, if just for the sake of the budget, essentially ban you from the studio, just as other G-R.neters have already been essentially banned. You know the prizes. You know that the producers at Price don’t really change the prizes that often. Hell, even in Ken Jennings’ book Brainiac, he notes that the Jeopardy! writers will recycle facts somewhat. That doesn’t mean that you should shout out exact answers. The point of the Price is Right is not, as you may or may not think, to give away money and prizes, although that’s a fun side effect. The point is to reward those who make it on stage and have a knowledge of pricing items. What did Bob say on the first episode? “This is your favorite game, still based on the pricing of merchandise, with wonderful awards for smart shoppers.” The game is not meant to reward those with an encyclopedic, freakish nature of items given out on the show. If you would like to participate, then ignore your exact numbers and give ballparks so at the very least, you look less suspicious. Why do casinos frown on card counters? They have an advantage that the other players can’t or don’t have, and that’s against the spirit of the game. The young lady with the excellent bid? It seems as if she didn’t listen to the same help that Terry had, and she should have won her showcase because it was her bid and a very good bid at that. There is no excuse for what you did, it’s not cute, it’s not commendable and it changes the show from “I think I know how much that costs!” to “I hope Ted is in the audience so I can rob CBS.”

Now, the lashing at the producers: COME ON! You’ve sequestered two members of Golden-Road.net because they memorized products, and you’ve got the Banhammer coming down on the third one. Obviously, you guys are either not screening/banning people well enough or maybe you’re recycling too many prizes. I know the Chips Ahoy Snack Pack is 55 cents and I shouldn’t. I know that we’re in a recession and getting sponsors is difficult, but there’s no excuse for re-using prizes over and over again, especially in the largest, most expensive part of the show. If you’re going to stop tape for 45 minutes for a problem that 1) you know existed before, with people memorizing prizes and 2) someone listened to one of those guys, maybe you should start taking preventive measures to make sure you’re not giving Double Showcase Wins away every show.

Finally, Drew. Drew. Drew. I know you read us. I know you’ve seen our website. Listen to me: Your performance was inexcusable. I don’t care if you knew the outcome was shady. Jack Barry knew his outcome was shady and, for the sake of entertainment, pretended that everything was hunky-dory. Granted, that was rigged by the producers, but you get what I’m saying. You are getting chided throughout the internets (and therefore, the country, at least) for the most underwhelming display of emotion anyone has ever seen when someone has won $50,000. I was on Wheel of Fortune and I got beat by a f’ing Prize Puzzle and I still cheered and clapped for the two who beat me. You are, first and foremost, an entertainer and, to a lesser extent, an actor. Act like it’s big news, even if you know it’s not. Your performance this year has been shaky and unsteady, like a boat in the storm. You need to have a steadier performance, you need to think about how your actions on stage appear on the finished product and you need to act like a goddamn professional. You have the potential to be a very good game show host; act like one.

Alex will undoubtedly have more to say, so look for that in the upcoming hours.

11:00 AM: It’s in High-Def, and I’m watching it on a big screen tv that’s sadly not HD-Ready. Let’s see all the radical changes that exist. We’re going to hid the rest of the commentary behind a cut, just to appease everyone.

11:01 AM: Drew walks out as a giddy schoolgirl. The set looks fantastic. “That’s why we lasted so long: crowds like this.” Take THAT, Golden-Road. It’s not Roger at all! Mahaha.

11:02 AM: Drew seems to be mentioning all the change talk by slyly mentioning that everything’s the same. I can tell that he knows everyone’s freaking out over the changes, and maybe Drew himself is upset over the changes, but $&!* all to $&!*, it’s fine. Drew knows it’s fine. I know it’s fine. We all know it’s fine.

Oh, we don’t all know it’ll be fine? Well, hrm. That throws a wrench in the cogs.

11:03 AM: OMG THE ARP SLIP IS WHITE AND NOT YELLOW IT’S BECAUSE OF ROGER’S ABSENCE OMG OMG OMG OH NOESSSS!

11:04 AM: Three cars! We’re playing Most Expensive for three cars.

11:05 AM: These cars are pricey. She wants the Pontiac. If the Pontiac is more than $23,000+… but nooo. She didn’t listen to her instinct. What a whopper for her first lost. Puppy dog eyes and we go to commercial.

11:07 AM: We’re back! They couldn’t give away three cars. Our contestant coordinators are picking winners today. (I may or may not mean that sarcastically.) Whoa, new backdrop for that treadmill that’s up for bids. That’s pretty classy. I have that in my non-existent exercise room.

11:08 AM: Dude, sweet tie-dye shirt. Drew likes it too, bro. “See you in church,” Drew says.

11:09 AM: It’s $50,000 Plinko-Planko-Plunko. Let’s see if our hippie friend can get all 5 chips. The first item is a portable stove… and he guesses “79.” Drew couldn’t be clearer with those rules but Camp Counselor Nathan’s nerves are kind of racked.

11:10 AM: Hey hey, Price is Right Video Game! Second digit’s a 0! *ding* That’s a $20 PC game. It was $40 for Wii… Maybe I went the wrong route here. Good purchase, though. Review coming soon.

11:11 AM: He’s got 4 chips in all for $40,000 Plinko Monday. His first chip… Whoops, hit it $0. Next chip, $500. Another $500. He’s up to $1,000.

11:12 AM: OH NO A BAD BOUNCE! His last Plinko chip hit the $10,000 slot and bounced out, landing in the $0 slot. That’s really traumatic, but not as bad as fishing line. And we go to commercial. That’s a technical win, so we’re 1-1, I suppose.

11:13 AM: The changes that we’re seeing from a new producer aren’t immediately evident. Maybe they’ll come later in the season, but for the premier, they’re placating the geeks.

11:15 AM: We’re back, and Drew just gave Rich and the models a really nice shout-out. Next item up for bid, is a MacBook Air mentioned by name! Did Apple pay for that plug, or was that a change that Roger was preventing? It’s been mentioned by name already 3 times.

11:17 AM: Bro hug! Didn’t know there were bros at Brigham Young. Hmm… there’s a Pontiac Solstice hiding behind the Race Game curtain. OH! It’s Gas Money! Thank you, Roger. I like the reveal for that.

11:18 AM: First, there’s 5 prices revealed. He has to pick what he think is the price of the car. Behind each value has money behind it, but one has a “pink slip”. This sounds like Deal or No Deal. His first pick is the lowest amount, and…

11:19 AM: $3,000 and a fun sound effect. This is Deal or No Deal. He can keep going if he thinks he’s picked the correct price of the car. He went for it and he’s got $5,000 now. He keeps going, and he’s got $9,000. The last amount is the largest amount. If it has a pink slip, he loses. Bro goes big and goes home…

11:20 AM: AND HE’S A WINNER! $10,000 and a new car! Roger has our first win. Let’s go talk to Wilford Brimley whilst we set up for the Showcase Showdown. 2-1 for our first half.

11:22 AM: And we’re back. Let’s see the new wheel and it’s shiiiny. The wheel is a lot shinier, but my girlfriend can’t notice the differences. It’s a very nice wheel and it fits the set perfectly. The carpet is nice, the diamond-metal Pricedown dollar signs are blingtastic. The wheel seems a lot looser, though. Still looks heavy, but very very loose. It’s got a lot of give. And there is a lot a glitter.

11:24 AM: The bonuses have been upped and there’s a very nice, retro-style split screen. No bonuses here, though, and we’ll see Nathan in the showcase.

11:25 AM: The ticket plug is the same, but they’re still using the hypocloids on their fake browser screens. Someone inform the CBS Fake Browser Mockup Division that we’re on to boxes now.

11:26 AM: And now, halftime analysis. I think the changes that have been made, the average viewer couldn’t notice. Despite the doom and gloom that everyone’s projecting, everyone’s still having a good time and everyone’s winning prizes. So, what’s so bad, guys?

11:27 AM: The music’s the same, the excited fat Canadians are still the same… I know it’s the premier, but they’ve pulled out all the stops. Everyone’s on the top of their game. Drew’s on top, the presentation’s the same. This is Change We Can Bid On™.

11:28 AM: I’m sorry, you were looking for “$3,001.” $3,001. It would’ve lost anyway, but still. Cover your $&!*.

11:29 AM: “Oh, my God!” “Please, call me Drew.” Let’s play Ye Holy Squeeze Play. And our dear Yvette has a muscly Drew on her shirt. It’s frighting. Our first Alakazam of the season produces a win. We should track Alakazam wins. Someone get on that. Year to date: 1 Win for 1 Alakazam. The year’s Alakazam to Win Ratio is 1:1. I expect this to be tracked and implemented to the fullest this season.

11:32 AM: Navyman’s on board in Contestant’s Row. That was one expensive Pool Table, but at least we didn’t have to wade through people not knowing what to bid. That was fun. It seemed a bit rushed, but I don’t care because I don’t like watching people turn around for 2 minutes.

11:33 AM: After our Canadian geography lesson, we’re treated to a Dodge Journey and a new-to-me car cue. It sounds pretty cool, Classic Car Cue fans be $&!*. We’ll be playing Money Game.

11:34 AM: After winning $51.95 Canadian Dollars, Kelly found the front of the car. After two more dollar signs, she leaves with money for food on the plane back to Ontario and not much more. What was the last two digits… 37? Sounds like they didn’t want to give that car away.

11:37 AM: Does anyone know the best procedure to liveblogging? This feels like a pain in the $&!*. Maybe I’ll just make an outline and timestamp it, then go back when I’m done and edit the $&!* thing.

11:38 AM: And we’re back. Mary looks excited and we have a riding lawnmower. You know, everything’s running very nice and smooth on this show. Everyone knows what they’re doing.

11:39 AM: Mary made the Quick Fresh Jump™ from Contestant’s Row to the stage. (See? I can make up witty terms to describe things that happen on the Price is Right, just like any other forum dweller.) Mary was on the show 34 years ago, it’s her 34th wedding anniversary and her birthday and now she’s going to play for a dining room set. Somewhere, Roger’s smiling.

11:40 AM: Does anyone else think that Pick A Pair looks good with the balloons in the background, or is that just me? Just me? Hrm.

11:41 AM: Drew makes a good point: “Don’t experiment with the Garlique. Use as directed.” Wow, after 34 years, Mary comes back and wins it very fast and we have a very quick Pick A Pair win!

11:42 AM: This season, we have a new awesome Hoverround commercial. However, the clip of the man getting chased by a remote controlled car is sadly absent. That, I suppose, makes it not awesome. I hereby rescind my previous statement.

11:43 AM: Contestants not appearing on stage will happily have an HD image of their face waving next to the TPiR logo.

11:44 AM: The bulky Canadian gal says “Hi” to David Beckham. Victoria, at home reliving her Posh Spice days, is not amused. She gets $.70 and will stay. That’s about $.73 in Canada, so she might eke out a win.

11:45 AM: 55 cents is a tough thing to have to spin on, but Retro Mary wins $1,000 after hitting $.45! I’m excited for the brand new Mo’ Money Bonus Spin™. Yvette sends love and Drew does the same. She hits 60 and she needs 40 and she’s not…going to…get it.

11:46 AM: Upped values for the bonus round. Green ($.05 and $0.15): $10,000. Red ($1.00 “on the nose”): $25,000. That is some Big Bucks (no Whammies). Let’s see if Retro Mary can cash in… The wheel’s spinnin’… no. She’ll be in the showcase.

11:50 AM: A nice crane cam into the Showcase. Our first showcase looks straight out of Sesame Street, celebrating the number 37. Nathan looks confused. It’s a bunch of math problems leading into two BRAND NEW CAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHS! Cory’s guess: $39,750. Mary’s our top winner and she will bid.

11:51 AM: Mary bids $50,000. Maybe I’m a wuss. The second showcase is still running on the 37 theme. It would also be nice if Nathan would close his gaping jaw and look like not an idiot.

11:52 AM: A trip to Monte Carlo. Nathan now looks excited. Still like Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel, but an excited yokel nonetheless.

11:53 AM: A shot of a huge-$&!* trailer outside of CBS Television City? That’s pretty bad-$&!*. Well, wow. My bid is somewhere around $79,000. He bids $65,000. We didn’t even HEAR his bid. Are we pressed for time? Is this the evil works of Kathy Greco? OH NOES.

11:54 AM: I’m being very cynical over the people at Invision, Golden-Road and Buzzer who are insanely pessimistic about the changes made for the Price is Right. Right now? It looks like the changes made are subtle and…

11:55 AM: Ohh, commercials about kitty cats! Anyway, the changes look subtle and don’t subtract from anything for right now. I guess it’s OK to step gingerly, but come on people, lighten up. Everything’s OK.

11:56 AM: We’re back. Mary bid $50,000 on two trips and two cars. $52,791, for a difference of $2,791. Nathan, a giant trailer. Don’t $&!* up. $82,285. I’m off on both counts and that’s why I’m here in front of a computer while those people are in the showcase. Whoops, you $&!* up. MARY WINS! Welcome back to the Price is Right. We’ve missed you!

11:57 AM: The credit roll looks the same. And, I spot a Rich, just as usual.

So, the final verdict? It’s two fold. One, all the naysayers need to shut their shit and sit down. This is the same Price is Right that I know and love. It’s fine. No signs of green screens or video walls anywhere so far, but of course, there are pictures, so that’ll come, but I think this audience and this show right now is strong enough to handle anything that gets thrown at it. I’m not worried and no one else should be.

Obviously, the day that I don’t check The Game Show Forum or Golden Road would be the day that this happens. Reports to forum moderators at Golden-Road.net have stated that Roger Dobkowitz, long-time producer of the Price is Right, had been fired from his position with the show. As a result (or as a possible reason for the firing), Fremantle Media has also announced that for the upcoming 37th season of the Price is Right, the show would be taken in “a new direction.”

I love the Price is Right, with all my heart, I truly do. To paraphrase Jimmy Fallon from Fever Pitch, “Where does Price rank in terms of importance in my life? I say Price, sex, and breathing.” Roger was a very good producer, and a very vital asset to the Price is Right. He knew the nuances to every game, and with a very flexible host like Drew Carey at the helm of the show, was able to fully use those nuances to create dynamic and excellent game lineups.

With that in mind, I would request that the faction of the game show community that is freaking out kindly remove the twists in their panties and please calm the shit down. Everyone’s been throwing around these unsubstantiated rumors from “They’re getting rid of Contestant’s Row” to “They’re getting rid of 2 pricing games” to “They’re going to turn Rich Fields into a woman and then turn Richita Fields into a model!” (OK, maybe not that one.) The fact of the matter is, taping for season 37 is set to start in 2 weeks. Whatever changes they’re going to make won’t be that drastic.

And, lest we forget that the last major change to the Price is Right happened about 37 years ago when Bob Barker took the reigns of the show from Bill Cullen and Mark Goodson added these thing called “pricing games.”

So, let’s all relax. Let’s get ready for the new season. Let’s judge it based on its merits. Maybe they will make good changes. Maybe the changes will bring in new viewers, new viewers that will add to our community. Maybe the general public will ease up on Drew. And if Fremantle screws things up? Then we have 36 amazing seasons of one of the greatest game shows of all time to think back on. GSN could pick up the old episodes and everyone would be happy. So, in the eternal words of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, “Don’t panic.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Since everything’s aired already, we’ll go from when I started, five minutes before the show.

10:55 AM: I’m skipping class to watch and blog the 36th season of the Price is Right, now with new host Drew Carey. I’m nervous and excited. This is silly, it’s just a game show. Well, a game show-slash-American institution.

10:59 AM: Does anyone really watch Guiding Light? Really? Oh well. Let’s get ready to roll.

11:00 AM: The theme sounds SO GOOD. And it’s in stereo. And my roommate’s asleep through it. Oh well. He’ll wake up eventually. Four contestants have been called on down… now, for the chills as Rich announces Drew. YEP, I got spine-tingling chills. Drew Carey looks excited.

11:02 AM: I hope my DVR’s recording. Drew’s being very jovial and greeting everyone. I enjoy this injection of youth.

11:03 AM: That man went to go check out his new car before he even won it. That’s funny. And we’re playing Money Game.

11:05 AM: NOW he can go look at his Jeep. With a Money Game win, Drew’s show is now 1/1 lifetime. Thoughts during the commercials: Drew is still learning the games, obviously, but he’s doing very well. He’s keeping the energy up, he’s being human and pleasant. I’m enjoying him. And, am I the only one who LOVES Wilford Brimley? “If you have di-a-be-tess…” That is the best pronunciation of the word “diabetes” ever.

11:07 AM: “Rich, what are we missing here?” “A contestant, Drew.” MAH. On a seperate note, That’s the first time I’ve ever heard a model thanked for doing their job. Drew, you’re dreamy. Drew is LOVING this! He’s genuinely happy.

11:09 AM: Drew, stop setting up the games. Asking a contestant to yodel kind of gives it away. We’re playing Cliffhangers here for a wonderful trip to Bali. Hans should be known as Yodelman for the rest of the run of this game. Bwahahaha.

11:10 AM: I’m impressed they didn’t reorchestrate the yodel. Drew is making me die with laughter here. “I wish we gave a money bonus for that, BUT we don’t.” And really? Two perfect calls in Cliffhangers? Good job. Drew’s 2/2. And that theme sounds divine.

11:14 AM: They used the crane cam on Bob’s last episode. It works well. The cameraman can now get a better beat on contestants who are FREAKING OUT. And the back curtains looks nice in pastels. Let’s hope they shut the lights off so they don’t burn holes in the curtains.

11:15 AM: MAH! “I love you, Drew.” “I like you as a friend, Aura.” I can see Drew’s improv skills. And really, Drew’s first episode has It’s In The Bag? I’m disappointed. I’m not a big fan of this game. Mainly because I’m so incredibly bad at it. But still. Bah.

11:17 AM: This woman is about to shit herself or faint or something. It sounds like a prank phone call, she’s breathing so heavy there. I’ve never seen anyone crap their pants over cat food.

11:18 AM: I enjoy Drew’s screamy excited voice. I like his stuttering voice too. This man is a winner. He is a good replacement. She’s up to $4,000…

11:19 AM: Holy cat food, Batman. Will she win the $16,000? Will she GO for the $16,000? Normally, Bob would talk them out of it. Drew’s letting her ride this out and think it through for herself. I appreciate that.

11:20 AM: MAH!! Thank you, Drew, for explaining the Phillips medicine. “It’s caplets. For constipation.” She’s going. SHE’S A WINNER! HOLY SHIT! 3/3!

11:23 AM: Welcome to the Big Wheel. First spin… that was fast! We have a dollar winner for the big wheel. And that cue sounds AMAZING. They reorchestrated Dig We Must as well and it sounds good.

11:25 AM: Sir, be a man and spin the wheel like a man. He’s a big guy, and he needs a do-over spin? I’m disappointed. He’s not going to win, so we have a $1,000 winner on the big wheel. Can she win extra cash?

11:26 AM: Nope, she doesn’t get the extra cash, but Drew moves smoothly into the ticket plug. HOWEVER, This is what needs to come back: “If you’d like tickets to the Price is Right, send your request, with the amount of tickets and the dates you wish to attend, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to Tickets, The Price is Right, 7800 Beverly Blvd, Television City, Hollywood California, 90036, or go to CBS.com.” That’s all I’m saying.

11:29 AM: I never really liked Eazy As 1•2•3 either, but it’s not a difficult game to win, so let’s see if dude can make this game go 4/4.

11:30 AM: I like the “Waving The Block in the Air” method of audience polling done by the contestant here. That’s nice. And no one else is excited by the $1,000 espresso machine. I enjoy the “Talking To The Models by Name” deal that Drew’s pulling off too. What the fuck, guys! 4/4! Color me impressed.

11:33 AM: It seems that CBS is the new depository for those previously on The Drew Carey Show. First Craig Ferguson, now this. And Drew knows his sorority letters. That’s refreshing. And awesome.

11:34 AM: The friends I’m watching with are noting that Drew is very very happy to be there. He’s like a kid in a candy shop. However, he needs a new line other than, “Maybe we can drive you back,” when he’s announcing a car game. But still. ONE AWAY! I miss this game! Out of all the props on the Price is Right, I have no clue how the One Away trilons work. They’re fancy.

11:35 AM: 2? REALLY? 2? That’s disappointing, sweetheart. HAHA, that’s cute. “Oh might sound effects person, so I have one number right?” I feel that that’s going to catch on quick.

11:37 AM: I hope she wins. THERE IT IS! HOLY FUCK! SHE WON! 5/5! This is some crazy shit. Good first show so far.

11:39 AM: This is very good for Drew’s first show. And, this isn’t like, “Oh, let’s give the easy games to play.” No, no. It’s in the Bag is NOT an easy game to win all the way. One Away, ditto. So, the fact that we’re 5/5 with one game left to go is amazing.

11:41 AM: I like how Drew called Rich “Baby.”

11:42 AM: They’re playing Barker’s Bargain Bar. I wonder how Drew will handle this. LOL Ezekiel Barker. I want a T-shirt with Ezekiel Barker on it. Alex, make it happen.

11:43 AM: PERFECT SHOW! PERFECT SHOW! And they gave away a Mac. That’s exciting. PERFECT SHOW! PERFECT SHOW!

11:46 AM: 77th perfect show. Hearing Rich call it, “The Showcase Showdown With Drew Carey” has a very good ring to it. I’m glad that nothing really sounds awkward or out of place. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m adapting well.

11:48 AM: SHIT, AGAIN? TWO DOLLAR SPINS? $1,000 given away for both Showcase Showdowns… when was the last time that happened? As an aside, I haven’t been this excited to watch this show in AGES. AGES. What the fuck, Drew… Your energy is magical and your enthusiasm is totally welcomed. I’m calling it now. You are a worthy replacement for Bob Barker. I’m glad the mic’s been handed to you. If you can continue to do a good job, then you’ll be just as loved as Bob. All you haters who thought Drew would bomb or all the changes would ruin the show, I am telling you right now: No, you’re wrong.

11:51 AM: We’re on the turntable for the Showcase. Are those diamond chrome polished showcase podiums? That’s exciting!

11:54 AM: I would bid $18 just for that sandwich.

11:57 AM: That’s a fancy font for the prize display on the podium, and let’s welcome back Pricedown to the Chryon machine. HE DID THE SPAY OR NEUTER LINE! TAKE ME NOW, DREW. OK, my DVR recorded the program, so I’m all set to go. I’m going to be watching this all day.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Drew Carey is the new host of the Price is Right, and he’s done an amazing job so far. He’s learning the games, he’s working on his delivery, and it’s refreshing to see someone so energetic and not jaded doing this game. Drew seems genuinely happy, proud and excited to be at the show, let alone be hosting it. He called it the “happiest place on earth,” and I would have to agree.

I’d love to know your comments for the show below. And, just to be an asshole and an ungracious guest, check out my website at http://www.pacdudegames.com. Thanks a lot, guys, see you soon.

ETA: An investigator has come to the conclusion that ABS-CBN television is responsible for the stampede. According to the Khaleej Times, ABS-CBN “failed to prepare adequate security for the event and can be held liable for criminal negligence.” 74 people died and hundreds more were injured in the stampede. Conflicting reports exist as to what caused the stampede. The Philippines Star is reporting that a bomb threat caused everyone to try to exit the venue in a hurry, while the Khaleej Times reports that a major influx of people caused the stampede. “A huge crowd surged toward a gate in a frenzy to get raffle tickets and seats in the show in suburban Pasig city, trampling elderly women and children.”

We’ll have more as time goes on.

Which is, ironically, beating the crap out of other women.

Sunday, March 12 at 8 PM is when this’ll show. Whoooooboy.

Leading the Charge – GSN Bets on ‘Blackjack’ with AOL

How does the Deal or No Deal banker come up with his offers?

How the Banker arrives at his offers is the mathematical mystery of the game. As in many games, the offers seem based on the principle of mathematical expectation: the price of a given chance at winning a given amount. But mathematical expectation is a specific calculus: if your chances of winning $1 million are one in a million, for example, it is reasonable to pay $1 for a lottery ticket, but not $2. And the Banker does not appear to use that exact equation.

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New York Times – A Game Show for the Probabilities Theorist in Us All