Primetime “Price is Right” Specials to Tweak Million Dollar Format

12 Feb

Posted by Alex Davis as CBS, The Price is Right

One issue I had when The Price is Right always used to do their primetime specials was my lack of general care. I found myself tuning in to see the wheel if anyone would win the million, and turning it off when it didn’t happen. Thankfully they seem to have tweaked the format correctly to make sure this doesn’t help. The first of the Price is Right Million Dollar Spectaculars will air Friday, February 22nd, at 8PM ET. These are the first under new (and absolutely amazing) host Drew Carey.

The general game change is that you don’t win the million on the big wheel anymore thankfully. There are two ways. During the show, one game is declared the “Million Dollar Game”, where if you play a perfect game during that event you get $1,000,000. Also, the other main way to win the million is through the Showcases. If you’ve seen the shows, it’s rather common to have really wrong bids on the showcases because they are so much. For the specials, if you come within $1,000, it’s declared a double showcase win, and you also get $1,000,000.

There are talks of the primetime specials to be in HD, but I’ve not seen concrete proof of this or confirmation anywhere substantial. Have I missed it somewhere? Regardless, this seems like yet another positive change for Price is Right under Drew Carey. They honestly have not done anything that wrong with the new era of the show in my eyes yet, so here’s to many more. They updated the set a tiny bit for the primetime specials. The pattern is now squares instead of circles, and honestly it looks really nice to me. Here’s actually a video of it from The Insider.

19 Responses

Julia
1
February 12th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

Um…WHAT??!! I’m sorry, but isn’t the budget for these shows big enough? I agree the range for double showcase in the showcase should be upped to $1000 for these shows, but a $1 mil bonus? Totally insane and unnecessary. The Million Dollar Game? Sounds…anti-climactic. Will anyone watch after the million is won? Not many. Some will, but will they even care anymore? Seriously…I think seeing the show in primetime is great. Upping the budget is great, and the audience is usually really hyped up for these eps. But, $1 mil being given away was never a big attraction to me. Hell, seeing the frequency that $1.00 is hit on the wheel this year, the Million might be given out on the wheel.

I guess we’ll have to see at the end of next week. I was one of the ones who hated the new money tree on 1vs100, but once I saw it, I thought it really worked. So, we’ll see if my opinions change.
Cory Anotado
2
February 12th, 2008 at 7:18 pm

Personally, the fact enough that TPiR is showing specials in primetime is awesome. The even bigger fact that someone *could* win a million dollars is awesome. Is it unnecessary? Sure, but then again, game shows as a whole are an amusement and a luxury enough as they are. In the past MDSs, you’d have to watch to the end to see if someone won a million dollars, and if they over-spun or under-spun the wheel, then it was painfully obvious. With the possibility of $2,000,000 in extra money being given away (someone winning the Million Dollar Game and someone getting a Double Showcase Win) is enough to watch for the full hour.

Let’s also remember that you have to play the Million Dollar Game perfectly (things like, winning Ten Chances in 3 chances or getting all three products right in Cliffhangers) and that’s pretty difficult. So, being sour grapes about good changes is kind of a downer.
TONY STARCHER
3
February 12th, 2008 at 8:07 pm

I’M EXCITED ABOUT THIS! LET’S SAY SOMEBODY HAD A BONUS SPIN AND DIDN’T GET THE DOLLAR. THAT MEANT IT WAS OVER. NOW, YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE ON YOUR TOES BIDDING. I THINK YOY’LL SEE BETTER PLAYING.
Ken C.
4
February 12th, 2008 at 8:22 pm

Those are some wild changes.

Personally disagree with the DSW for a million. I rather keep it at $250 or less. It can BE done!
Now regarding the million dollar Games. It will be interesting to see which games they choose. In order to win the million, you got to play a perfect game.
I’m guessing

3 Strikes (Win the game with no strikes)
One Away (All 5 Numbers right on the first shot) ,
Dice Game (if the contestant gets all 4 numbers rolled right on the nose)
Pathfinder (Get the car price right without the items)
Any Number (lights up the car price only)

Maybes:
Punch A Bunch (w/ 1 Million Dollar card)
Let ‘em Roll (Get A “Car Yathzee” on the first roll)
Chris Parsley
5
February 12th, 2008 at 8:42 pm

Let ‘em Roll (Get a Car Yahtzee and earn 3 rolls (even though only using 1 of em))

So, we back to $10k for 2nd $1 now for primetime?
Cory Anotado
6
February 12th, 2008 at 10:55 pm

@Chris Parsley:
I don’t think there are definite numbers, but it’s going to be more than $10,000.
Alex J
7
February 13th, 2008 at 4:38 am

It seems like in terms of popularity and relative difficulty in getting a “perfect” game, a high-likelihood choice for the Million Dollar Game would be Plinko (getting all the chips isn’t too hard, but the next part is a bit tougher)…
Marc Power
8
February 13th, 2008 at 10:31 am

wait a minute, it’s possible for someone to win $2m. if they have the perfect game and being within $1K on the showcase but if you do that I suggest buying some lottery tickets or heading to the nearest casino cause that’s incredible luck.
Intelligentfan777
9
February 13th, 2008 at 11:08 am

I think TPIR may be heading into uncharted waters with these upcomming specials. I am very, VERY excited to see what transpires.

Also, is it just me, or does the refurbished set bring back memories of the Davidson TNIPR’94? What, with the black floor and redone doors and such.
Voltaire
10
February 13th, 2008 at 12:38 pm

I was at three of the first four MDS tapings in studio this week - for the $1,000,000 bonus in the games - you didn’t necessarily have to win “perfectly” but you had to win the game in a specific fashion. These shows were taped in HD, and because of problems with rehearsals and the lighting, there were major delays in starting the show that it got to the point where some people who went for the 4:45 taping on Monday left - as the late taping that day started at 7:30(!)
Todd
11
February 13th, 2008 at 2:27 pm

I love the set! That black stage looks amazing, and i love the fact that they have tweaked the turntable design a bit. This show is gonna be awesome!
captparis1
12
February 13th, 2008 at 6:11 pm

So, what do these players win on the Big wheel NOW for these specials? Does it drop back down–to a mere $11,000 win? Pretty cheap, considering how badly they want to give away a million. Why not a thrid bite at the apple (a possible $ 3 million) or at least revert to the $101,000 win, on those armed forces shows (under the Barker Era.)
Nikolai
13
February 13th, 2008 at 8:08 pm

Ok, I don’t like the sound of this one bit. The old saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Well, once again Fremantle has come up with a way to screw up a really good show. I like the way they did it with a chance to win the million on the bonus spin. I remember once it went one space too far, the other time the pointer was just leaning on the peg in the 5 cent space. Playing for a million in a regular pricing game is no way to draw in viewers. It will turn them away. Maybe not in the showcases, but having it in the pricing games is ridiculous.
Voltaire
14
February 14th, 2008 at 3:05 am

Personally, I liked the fact that the wheel was not the $1,000,000 bonus. The fact that you can almost tell right away whether or not the contestant is even going to be close to winning $1 million just takes away all sort of suspense they could have. The wheel bonus for these specials is considerably more than $11,000, but I can’t reveal that now.
D
15
February 14th, 2008 at 8:47 am

I also heard that the MDSs will be in HD, as well as all episodes airing soon.

I guess we will have to see how these changes to the MDS work out. I don’t think there is necessarily anything wrong with giving the contestants more chances to win $1,000,000….I just hope it’s not *TOO* easy.

“new (and absolutely amazing) host Drew Carey”

I don’t know if I’d go that far. I think it would be a good idea to separate the news from the opinions here.
Jerry
16
February 14th, 2008 at 10:57 am

The author obviously did not notice the shot of the studio monitor in the clips…it was LETTERBOXED for HD!

BTW…they moved the producer’s table…there’s just a curtain there now. HD cameras could have potentially shown too much of that area — particularly during the shot of Drew at Contestant’s Row…the extra screen area on the sides would surely show Fingers and Roger workin’ hard.
Scott
17
February 14th, 2008 at 7:40 pm

Nice. The square background design reminds me of the Peter Marshall version of “The Hollywood Squares” but it differentiates the daytime show from the nighttime edition.
The black floor is a nice touch as is the additional lights along the stage apron. Of course, in HD the producers area would have to be hidden but that curtain closing at entire space off is a great idea. I’m not one to speculate, but that would be a nice touch for the daytime edition.
glenn
18
February 15th, 2008 at 10:21 am

Agree bout the Million Dollar Game…it’s hokey and hard to explain…I would INSTEAD have the Million Dollar game be a cash game with increased values OR a similar car type game that uses luck rather than the car with the mil replacing the car

I would use:

Plinko (100k Space and getting all 5 doubles the payout to a mil)

It’s In the Bag (NO outliers)

Hole in one (Old school rules, only one shot, rebounds off the back dont count)

Punch A Bunch (ONE 1 million dollar card hidden amoung the standard MDS values)

BUT I will say its silly…I would say that the DSW is more the thing for the Million…It’s a hard challenge ($1000 is too much…id use 500)and is very exciting when it happens.

The wheel is the most boring thing ever, to use the mil on the wheel just took way too much onus on what is really a bridge between parts than it should be.

it Will be interesting though
Todd
19
February 23rd, 2008 at 10:18 am

That was an amazing finish on the price is right. IDK, but i like the rules for this million dollar spectacular more than the older ones. Go Adam!