Confirmed: Rich Fields No Longer with “The Price is Right”
EDIT: Due to a massive amount of people asking how to contact CBS to get Rich back, we’re giving you the address as provided by someone close to the situation. Mail a nice letter to this address if you want Rich back. If you do want him back, you have to do it.
Les Moonves
7800 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Sadly, news was confirmed today that Rich Fields is no longer the announcer for the long running CBS daytime game show The Price is Right, hosted by Drew Carey. Rumors about this have been swirling for around two months now. Rich has been the announcer of the show since 2004, taking over for the deceased Rod Roddy. I wish Rich the best. He’s a great friend to the site and unbelievably nice.
On-camera auditions will take place the first few weeks of the new season of Price which begins in September. New tapings start next week and hopefully we’ll hear back. And just before the deluge of questions come on: I truly have no idea what happened. I’m usually in the loop for this stuff, but I’m stumped on this one.
One more request, also. The show’s not going to suddenly self destruct so I’d really like to kindly ask people to not do the usual Price thing where something changes and there’s a witch hunt against Drew and doom being spouted left and right. Be supportive and wish Rich your best. He reads and your messages are welcome.
I know these rumors have been around for a while. I have a rule that I won’t post rumors about people like this. It’s just without taste to post rumors about someone’s career. It’s confirmed now, and I hope to see Rich somewhere else soon.
I’ve been out of the Price loop for a long time… what happened here?
Not 100% sure. But I’ll tell you what I know, and what I speculate.
Rumours started after a lot of Rich’s tweets (both on @iRichFields and @tpirannouncer) were deleted. A lot of his Facebook updates vanished as well. Someone on G-R — the same user who broke the news that Mike Richards was hired and Bart Eskander was fired well before either were confirmed — noted Rich’s departure/ousting/whatever it was early last month. A few fans did the “shit happens, blame Drew” routine (one G-R user even accused Drew of backstabbing); however, Drew was out of the country at the time the then-rumour was posted (en route to South Africa for the World Cup), not to mention the Cleveland Connection get on very well away from the TPIR set as well as on it. I seriously doubt Drew is responsible.
It’s also known that Fremantle has wanted Rich Fields gone since he was hired years ago. If anything, perhaps Rich was the last bit of the Barker era/”old regime” (not counting the models) to be ousted. This time, no one was there to save him. (The Dob or Barker saved Rich from being fired once some years ago.)
ClockGameJohn on G-R notes we shouldn’t look for any familiar names (e.g., Randy West (who confirmed Rich’s departure on the Invision boards), Burton Richardson) to turn up in the auditions.
Tapings Start Monday, btw.
He and Drew had a great chemistry set going! Why is he pulling the plug on this position? Price will never be the same after this one…
In all fairness, if I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard the words “Price will never be the same after this,” or some variation thereof, I think I’d have enough to buy the rights to the show off Fremantle…
With that said, however, this came out of nowhere (though again, I’ve been a bit out of the loop for a while).
If I were you, I would buy the whole G-T library from Fremantle if I had a nickel. Fremantle are poor excuses for GS producers.
Did Rich resign the position or was he fired?
I thought Rich wouldn’t leave until he died. I hope everything is okay.
It’s fine. The only thing which died is Rich’s career.
Rich might’ve said he wouldn’t leave until he died. Too bad he’s not his own boss.
Rich Fields has been doing a lot of weathercasting in LA (KCBS) over the last few weeks, as well some radio weather (KNX-AM).
Like I said, Rich’s career is dead.
What a rude, crude ass you are. If Rich’s career “died” why is he currently working on the big duopoly in LA on 2 CBS news channels. He was working there the next week after he was let go from TPIR! He was picked up by them very quickly. Sure does not sound like someone who’s career is dead. And I remind you that being a Meteorologist at a network station in a city that is #2 in the media market ( second only to NY!) is a “great” gig! I’m guessing we’ll see him soon in other places as well.
Sounds like you are either a total ass…. or more likely simply jealous as you have “no career” yourself. ha Or does it make you better about yourself to run down others who are more accomplished than you?
Is it easy to hide behind your keyboard, ..Mike?
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Burton Richardson to make a few appearances
As I noted above, it’s confirmed that NO familiar names will be auditioning. That means no Burton (much to my own dismay; IMO, he should’ve replaced The Illustrious One (RIP)) and no Randy West.
George, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got the job.
If they *look* for replacements during the first few weeks of taping, I’m assuming they’ll have replacements. West and Richardson may not be auditioning, but Richardson (for example) has been with G-T/Fremantle/etc. since 1990. He’s sure to make a guest appearance to fill-in at some point, even if he doesn’t get the job or even audition. IF they have fill-ins, they’ll be there.
Everytime they replace an announcer, it’s someone no one expected. Gene Wood and Bob Hilton filled for Olsen after he passed, but Roddy got the job. Happens everytime…
I can’t believe this. He was like “THE” perfect person to take the job after Rod died. I mean this was the man that scared the great Johnny Olson because his announcing was so good 30 years ago. What happened? He was liked by almost everyone and with the recent things he’s been doing (iRichFields App, Rich Fields Gone Wild, etc.) I’d think he’d be around for awhile. I mean he was young; the youngest, of the announcers when he started so I saw him putting in at least 20 years. I’m gonna miss him and I hope they make a good choice in announcer.
I’m a bit surprised it took them this long to confirm Rich’s departure. If the original rumors were false, a no-answer would be expected, but now the opposite has happened just three days before the first Season 39 tapings…
I don’t think this will have any profound impact, one way or the other, on the show’s ratings.
I do wish Rich the best of luck.
I certainly wish Rich the best. He was a great announcer especially when announcing Plinko or a new CARRR! It is sad that he is leaving the show, but I think Price is Right will do fine in the future. I am saddened as well but ya know, there has gotta be someone else that can be good and I still will watch the Price is Right. It is a very good show and Drew Carey is hilarious.
I disagree with you assessment of Rich’s announcing style, but before I get into that, I am going to admit with everyone else that Rich is a nice guy, and that he and Drew had good banter, and I hope that he has success in another field (sorry for the pun.) My friends that were fired from “TPIR” said the same thing to me when I asked them about him. The points you stated were THE very reason that I couldn’t stand him as a game show announcer – his “COME ON DOOOWWWNNN!”, “A NEW CAAARRR!”, and “PLIIINKOOO!” were a bit over the top, as even though Johnny O and Rod had enthusiasm when they were announcing on the show, they did it in a way that make the viewer comfortable to listen to – I’m afraid that Rich’s style was simply a pain to listen to on a daily basis. Now someone in the Burton Richardson and Randy West area (yes I know they aren’t being considered to replace RIch, but am just using them as an example) are used to game show announcing, as Burton sharpened his chops on “The Arsenio Hall Show” and “Family Feud”, and Randy did likewise with “TPIR”, and knowing Johnny O and his family in person. Maybe Rich could have been the host of the show instead of Drew Carey – we’ll never know that one, but an announcer, he is not. Johnny O and Rod were WAY above him in quality, but I still wish Rich luck in his future endeavors though.
he started a couple of weeks ago at our local channel 2 news as a weather person. this is in los angeles.
I’ll have to watch for him when I visit CA in August for my vacation – will probably see one of my friends from the show while I’m out there.
Little by little, Fremental, er, uh, FreMANGLE, sorry…FreMANTLE continues in deconstructing TPIR. After, (38, 39 years), maybe it’s time to pull the plug.
Yeah – it’s time to pull the plug when the show is better than it has been in years, ratings are beating Young & the Restless for the first time in years – over 5 million viewers – that makes perfect sense! Cancel this ratings winner!
Can people finally be honest and admit the only reason they like to say anything negative about Fremantle is because they don’t do stuff exactly as it was done, if a revival. They don’t cater to the hardcore game show geeks and replicate things exactly as they did? Seriously, the complaints I’ve read about them range from petty to downright hysterical. They’ve given a few clunkers but they’ve also done a ton of really good shows. Who hasn’t done a poor show? Come on.
You cannot cater solely to the hardcore game show fans. The show will fail. Frankly I’d like to see no more revivals of these huge shows and people focus on new ideas, but that won’t happen. It’s 2010. Time to move on.
The problem is that people will simply never forgive them for what they did to Match Game or Card Sharks — even though, strictly speaking, it was literally and figuratively a different company back then. If you want, you can go ahead and add Whammy! to the list too (and this one is at least fair to consider a Fremantle production in every sense of the word). It’s really as simple as that, in my experience, and to some people no amount of penance paid or improvements made will ever erase those bad memories…
No one has ever explained what the problem with Whammy was beyond, “It was different than the old version,” which people have some psychotic obsession to. The show looked better than the 80s version, frankly I thought the game was better and less repetitive, and I liked the car-key idea. The only thing that hurt the show was the budget, and that’s because it was on GSN which can’t give away a ton of cash on a show so unbelievably unpredictable as Whammy.
Again, Whammy seemed like another case of, “If this isn’t the exact way I’m obsessed with, I don’t like it.” Which is a massive issue Price is Right has now.
The company was different in the times of Match Game and Card Sharks. I barely consider those.
The one problem with Whammy! (of the many that’ve been posted) that I can actually get behind is the concept of the “Double Whammies.” At the time, I myself didn’t have much of a problem with them, but in hindsight I will concede they were probably a dumb idea. They added nothing to the game, and only made the whole show come off silly and inconsequential.
I also wasn’t too crazy about the reworked first round, and still think it could have been done a lot better than what they came up with… but not necessarily by going back to The Way Things Used To Be, either. Maybe limiting each player to a three-spin maximum, or not eliminating players who hit a Whammy, or something along those lines, would have helped immensely in my book.
Everything else, yeah, it’s a case of sour grapes from old-school fans as far as I’m concerned. Of course, when you’re dealing with a show that’s as beloved as Press Your Luck was (and still is), you’re gonna have to expect that…
>>>”made the whole show come off silly and inconsequential.<<<
Exactly. Those horrible "Double Whammies" ruined the cerebral atmosphere and gravitas that the original "Press Your Luck" was so famous for.
On “Whammy!”, I think the stink was mainly because of the overabundance of prizes and the lack of returning champions. I did like the other changes, though.
And you forgot about Temptation, Alex. It had such abysmal ratings and dared to call itself “The New Sale Of The Century” — okay, it was based on the *Australian* Temptation, but it changed stuff too much and was dumbed-down considerably. Th sales pitch failed to note very much about the *gameplay*, and it wasn’t until promos for the show’s DEBUT that we saw the pilots had Knock-Off and the “wrong” Fame Game.
Yes, Fremantle has had a few hits, but do they really need to change formats that needed no changing? I recall hating Million-Dollar Password because they took an exciting game and made it dark, bland, and closer to Pyramid.
There’s my two cents on the matter. :-)
Every single Whammy point still boils down to fanboys being upset. People can’t seem to grasp the concept that this is GSN. The day of returning champions on shows is done. Again, people will not get over it. Temptation was a complete failure. There’s nothing more to say about that.
It’s of your opinion that some formats need no changing. Again, it comes to, “This is how it was done 25 years ago. Don’t change it,” even if it wasn’t all that great like Press Your Luck. It gets irritating whenever I post anything about a single Fremantle show and people instantly go, “Fucking Fremantle…” and it’s always because they don’t cater to fanboys with few exceptions. When the fact of the matter is a good deal of game shows that come out these days come from Fremantle and if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t have many good ones around.
The day of returning champions is done? Someone forgot to tell the Jeopardy producers. And, lest we forget, one of the most enthralling moments in game shows last decade was due in part to having returning champions? Ken Jennings anyone?
Whammy pros and cons:
Pros:
Todd Newton could hold his own.
The second season Big Board layout.
The first round was a neat idea.
Five questions instead of four for the question segment.
The car keys. (mostly)
Cons:
The pace felt slower overall. I can get that with the new first round, but the main money round, even if all spins were earned, just didn’t feel as fast as it used to.
Todd seemed to like to spoil which whammy “animation” was next versus commenting on it after on occasion.
During the final tapings, there were too many squares involving the car keys. I can understand them kind of wanting to give the car away, but I wish it was a little more consistent.
The Big Bank. Let me rephrase: the Big Bank Questions. They just slowed the game down even more. I was being reminded of Double Dare 2000′s Triple Dare Challenge here.
The GSN budget…but also related to that were the multitude of prize squares versus cash squares…at least, based on my count.
Neutrals:
Double Whammies. Some are good, others are not.
Change can be good. You just have to know what to change. Basic example: the most recent version of Hollywood Squares. Original bonus round format: choose a star, get the prize if you agree or disagree right. That was fine. Later format: answer up to 10 non agree/disagree with a chance to double your money. Horrible. Last format: quickly agree/disagree with up to nine stars; the more you get right, the more likely you win a prize. I liked this one as well.
Thank goodness I’m not alone in not understanding this intense obession against everything Fremantle does/has done.
First of all, Goodson himself built two of his “classics” that everyone seems to think must never be changed on the remnants of previous formats. Whining about changes to Price, itself a revival that dramatically changed the original style, is just nutty. Secondly, it’s not as if Goodson’s team didn’t land some duds as well. Harping on the failures to the exclusion of the successes is revisionist history at its best.
(I also don’t get the big Match Game deal. They took a shot and did a format that, save for one less celebrity–seriously, people, it wouldn’t have mattered if there were six–was largely intact. Fremantle can’t control that today’s C-listers who will do game shows aren’t all so wonderful as the then-largely-unknowns-and-used-to-bes that signed on to Match Game ‘XX. Nor can they control that times change, and standards change, rendering efforts to do the same ’70s style of question a generation later utterly laughable.)
So Whammy didn’t have champs…so what? Welcome to the new century, and to a cable network, where they simply needed the self-contained format. The rest of the issues are like the people who worry about a light bulb in the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise being the wrong shade of white. It’s beyond petty.
You have a valid point, HomerJay. I came to the realization about this: Fremantle owns the show now, and they can do whatever they want whether we like it or not.
It’s not as if Goodson’s team didn’t land some duds as well……very true also. Trivia Trap, Mindreaders, and The Better Sex ring a bell, just to name a few.
I also don’t get the big Match Game deal. They took a shot and did a format that, save for one less celebrity–seriously, people, it wouldn’t have mattered if there were six–was largely intact. Fremantle can’t control that today’s C-listers who will do game shows aren’t all so wonderful as the then-largely-unknowns-and-used-to-bes that signed on to Match Game ‘XX. Nor can they control that times change, and standards change, rendering efforts to do the same ’70s style of question a generation later utterly laughable…….same can be said about Bergeron’s H2. Sure Tom did a great job hold the show together, but it was no secret that the producers used Whoopi to bring in A-List talent, which, in today’s world of Entertainment Tonight, TMZ, or the late night circuit, would be almost impossible.
So Whammy didn’t have champs…so what? Welcome to the new century, and to a cable network, where they simply needed the self-contained format. The rest of the issues are like the people who worry about a light bulb in the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise being the wrong shade of white. It’s beyond petty…….everyone thinks that GSN should be the game show equivalent to ESPN, but it’s the complete opposite.
My two cents on “Whammy!”: The main problem was, there were too many stinkingly bad prizes which made the game bland. Who wants $300 worth of M&M’s or $250 gift cards when the lowest cash value on the board is $300? Or His and Hers Roller Skates? They may as well have made half the prize spaces Flokati Rugs. For that matter, PYL’s infamous Flokati Rug made a much better prize than half the crap on the Whammy! board.
The other changes I could live with. But contestants trying to fake enthusiasm at winning assorted junk nobody wants to land on just ruined the mood.
I see your point, Alex, and it’s a good one. But it’s also important to keep in mind that with a revival, you’re dealing with two different types of viewers: those who’ve never seen the show and who are likely to be attracted to it because it’s totally new, and those who will be excited about an old show coming back.
The latter will always compare the new version to the old…and they’re almost never going to like the new, different version as much as the old one…but it’s that old version they remember so fondly that gets them to the table to begin with to check out the revival.
It’s a shame that there has to be this adversarial relationship between the two.
Rich was who I grew up with as the announcer of TPiR. It’s so sad for me to see him go, because he’s one of the best. =( If Rich reads this, then I wish you the best of luck. As Ryan Seacrest put it, you were “the glue that holds The Price is Right together” and “the unsung hero of the show”.
When will Rich’s last show air? Is his last show going to be the Back to School show? Also, will they make any set changes to the show for the 39th season?
I’m saddened by this. :(
So glad to hear about a new direction. I hope it’s better than what we had the past few years. It was a long fall between Johnny O’s quality and Rich’s whatever.
I agree with you, and we can’t forget ‘the illustrious one’s’ famed foreign suits and just being a ham – Rod Roddy was a worthy successor to Johnny O, but Rich couldn’t be either of them on their worst day, as best as he tried to do so! Personality, yes – announcing, no.
Rich Fields is like Ed MacMahon to Drew Carey’s Johnny Carson ot how Gene Wood was to Richard Dawson on “Family Feud” whoever becomes the next announcer of Price is Right has some big shoes to fill.
Where do I apply?
…this gives me an idea….
Whoever it is, I just hope it’s not another Drew Carey show alum. I love mimi on April Fools Day, and I love Craig Ferguson, but I think we don’t need another Ryan Styles vehicle here.
Todd Newton seems like a genuinely good fit though.
I’m sorry Rich will be gone, but it certainly will be fun for the first few weeks of shows not knowing what the voice will sound like each day when we all hear those legendary words… “Here It Comes…” The inflection, the tone… it will be all new and exciting each day.
Then after Drew emerges from the doors certainly he will introduce the announcer of the day and we will see that person on camera saying “thank you for having me Drew”.
Consider this scandal… one or two of the announcers featured in the auditions is a woman! That would be spectacular.
I think the “new announcer every day” surprise will add a very exciting element to the new season. This will not be the first time they have had rotating announcers.
Again, I think Rich is great and I’m sorry to see him go, but I’m equally excited to see the “temporary rotating announcer” element returning to the production after seven years.
Oh, I forgot to mention… my first time at a Price Is Right taping was in 1995, just a few days before the legendary Johnny Olsen passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. What an honor it was to see him at one of his last appearances.
He commanded the studio. He did extensive warm-ups and had audience members up on stage alongside him dancing to disco music. It was the best pre-show you could imagine.
It’s unlikely we will ever see a second banana on Price that can live up to Johnny, but you just never know. We might all be eating our words this time next year after some fantastic unknown has taken the reigns of studio 33 and successfully launched Price into the next era of television history.
We’ll all be dead, but if television actually survives the technology rebirth, who knows who will be hosting and announcing The Price Is Right during it’s centennial broadcast in 2072? They might be even better than Bob and Johnny! Nothing is impossible. Keep an open mind everybody! It’s a timeless format, this Price Is Right thing.
1985 for Johnny Olsen’s last shows, not 1995. oops, sorry just a typo.
I haven’t seen anywhere the circumstances of his departure. As noted above, Rich Fields has “changed” his delivery, likely at the insistence of the producers and the host. Maybe, Rich felt he did not want to do the schtick that has become part of the job lately. This goes contrary to our thinking — that people don’t leave a Price Is Right job unless dismissed under scandal or by taking a dirtnap.
It will be another change much like the mass model turnover in 2000 when it was vowed that the show was ruined and will never be the same anymore. I thought there was supposed to be a big audience departure because of it. Did I miss something?
Thank you for the “disclaimer” about Drew. People, he is just the host, he is not also the E.P. like Bob was. At least I think so. I think he wouldn’t have as much power over the show, then?
That said, I didn’t see this news coming. Rich was no Johnny or Rod, and I imagine people will keep on ribbing him for the NEW CAAAAAAAAH stuff even now. But he still fit into the TPIR family well, and him and Drew had a good rapport. I just hope some ugly political behind-the-scenes story doesn’t rear its head in the next few days. Lord knows Price fans don’t need any more of that, heck, it’s why Bob Barker’s legacy can’t fully be celebrated.
Now, let’s get Randy West to have another tryout, shall we? :-)
Emphasis on this. Drew brought his unique personality to the show. He also likes to be involved with the fun parts of production, like game design. Besides that, he has not had power over, or attempted to influence in any way, Price’s fundamental production.
Could CBS be grooming Rich for The Early Show as the substitute morning weatherman? Does CBS see Rich doing weather for the network as a greater morning asset?
But as Drew might say, it’s good to see Rich staying at CBS and it should be interesting to see if he used TPIR as a springboard to news. Of course, the LFAT’s want Randy West, and Burton Richardson is a possibility. But Drew will miss his tag-team partner, and because of his team-oriented philosophy (when they do Emmy nominations, he prefers one nomination for the entire time, none for him), this will be a bigger loss for the “team first” concept that Drew is putting to the show. The Season 38 opening changes reflected his philosophy that the show is about the contestants and the prizes. The treatment of the models and production staff are the “anti-Bob” in that they are teammates.
Recently, someone sent a Twitter there was “no team in Lebron”. Could this be an advancement for Rich for a New York move and a change to The Early Show?
According to Rich Fields own Facebook page, Fremantle wants to turn TPIR into a variety show, complete with a house band and regular guest star appearances. He is going to be replaced with an improv comic.
The Price is Right, as we knew it, is dead. I know you said in the top post that this wasn’t the end of the show. However, all indications are the show is dead.
Please tell me this isn’t true. If it is, so be it…but, as an LFAT (and as a person who thinks Drew has become a great host), I loathe this idea.
I wonder too if the “house band” concept is a throwback to the 50′s game shows when the music was live. But Mike Richards is already in trouble with fans and now Drew.
Didn’t people declare the show dead before Season 36 started in 2007, with Drew’s arrival as host and the revamped set?
Didn’t people declare the show dead before Season 37 started in 2008, with the purple wheel which lasted a few episodes, the Drew-cases, and the rumors of a format change?
Didn’t people declare the show dead before Season 38 started in 2009?
Good heavens, people. You guys do the same crap year after year. Guess what? The sky hasn’t fallen. Nobody knows what will happen until the S39 shows start taping, outside of no Rich Fields which, in itself, is no big deal. Everybody take off your tinfoil pyramid hats and step away from the computer. Life will go on.
Good points, Mike. Although these attitudes are to be expected when something someone loves starts to change, Price’s fans don’t seem to realize that its changes haven’t really harmed the show’s ratings, nor have they harmed its basic structure. (A big part of that, probably, is its overwhelmingly large percentage of elderly following.)
Either Burton Richardson or Randy West will get the job.
Not according to Rich Fields.
Hmmm…TPIR lets him go at the same time he’s doing commercials for the Tennessee Lottery, complete with TPIR theme? Weird timing.
If Freemantle is looking for a substitute announcer, why not go back to the roots of TPIR? Don Pardo is now 92, but still sounds great. He commutes from his home in Tucson to NYC for Saturday Night Live, so he might be willing to travel to LA a couple of times a month. The only downside is that tapings for TPIR might conflict with SNL.
Bringing Pardo back for a single “shot” (or a few weeks) as the announcer would generate a ton of favorable publicity, if nothing else. His voice is the most recongizeable of any announcer who ever worked in game shows (although Johnny Olsen fans might disagree), and after all, he was the man who first invited contestants to “come on down,” almost 60 years ago.
We want Don!!
Don Pardo announcing TPiR? Not gonna happen anytime soon.
Don Pardo has a LIFETIME contract at NBC, so he’s not gonna move to any other network.
Pardo has a lifetime contract? I thought that he retired.
[...] Report: "Price is Right" announcer is out Rich Fields, who's took over for Rod Roddy in 2004, won't return to the Drew Carey-hosted game show, according to Buzzer Blog. There's no word on why he's no longer with the show. [...]