Reminder: “Price is Right” in Primetime Tonight

16 May

Posted by Alex Davis as CBS, Reader Input, The Price is Right

Tonight is the beginning of the end, I suppose. On CBS tonight at 8PM ET will be Bob Barker’s final primetime The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular. Watch as someone will hopefully get to spin for $1,000,000 on the Big Wheel. Also, be on the lookout for some very very popular games played for very very big prizes. Not only that, tomorrow at 8PM ET on CBS will also be celebrating Bob Barker as the longtime host reminisces about his 50 years in television. Bob Barker’s final daytime Price is Right will be taping within the next few weeks. I don’t know if we’ve ever discussed this here before, but I’m curious. How do you all feel about Bob Barker? Also, do you think Price is Right can last without him? If you don’t mind, let’s leave the debate about who should be the new host out of this one. Let’s just talk about the current television legend that is Barker. Positive or negative, I’d love to hear what you feel.

29 Responses

Pat
1
May 16th, 2007 at 4:28 pm

I love Bob. I grew up watching TPIR everyday with my grandma and faked being sick to stay home and watch. Now that he is going, I believe that that spark of excitement and suspense that Bob brings in Grand Game, Golden Road, Triple Play, Punch-A-Bunch, the way he sounds when someone over bids in Card Game and The Showcase, and his practice shot in Hole in One or Two will be gone and the new host won’t be enough. The crowd won’t act the same and Rich Fields will probably call the new host Bob every now and then. This is gonna take some time to get use to, but I’m sure that we’ll all enjoy TPIR still.
Measles!
2
May 16th, 2007 at 6:08 pm

Bob Barker is a TV legend. The world needs more people like him. He will leave a very huge hole in the TV world.
Greg
3
May 16th, 2007 at 6:10 pm

Who knows whether TPIR will last without Bob. I’d hate to see such a legendary show die. At least this is better than Bob dying.
abric pitt
4
May 16th, 2007 at 6:29 pm

A real great sendoff would be if someone actually won the million-dollar prize one the wheel. But anyway, Bob is a true legend, an icon as it were. TPIR may get a new host, but it’s the Barker who made TPIR the great gamehow that it is today and always will be.
dropzone5
5
May 16th, 2007 at 7:36 pm

I’ve always watched Bob over the summers or school holidays whenever I could, since I know I couldn’t catch it during school. Nevertheless, Bob was one of the first people I ever watched on TV, and it was he who sparked my desire to become a game show host. Price won’t ever be the same without him.

Some things on Price’s to-do-list before Bob goes (just my $0.02):
–One final Inspiration Putt on his last show
–Another DSW
–A million dollar spin…and win, maybe…?
–And, of course, the unforgettable reminder to “have your pets spayed or neutered”. But, he does that after EVERY show, so it won’t comes as a surprise.
Greg
6
May 16th, 2007 at 8:37 pm

Heck, why don’t they give away $1M on the last show for winning the Showcase?
Intelligentfan777
7
May 16th, 2007 at 9:59 pm

As usual, a fantastic MDS tonight!

But for those that have yet to see it, I must warn you………….

(Spoilers) kind of….
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1. The first segment of tonight’s show had “AWKWARD” written all over it. If you pay attention and watch carefully, trust me you’ll see what I mean. In addition, the first contestant who gets on stage is, in my mind, extremely friggin’ lucky to even be up there!

2. A pricing game prop will get stuck (AGAIN! LOL :p) and the contestant has to reveal it…..

3. A rare thing happens just before the 5th IUFB………

4. We had a change in something, for the MDS’s………I won’t tell you specifically….

5. One pricing game was an outright disaster!

6. For the first time ever, three pricing games were played…without commercial interruption!

That’s all for now, you figure the rest out.
scooter
8
May 16th, 2007 at 11:19 pm

Unfortunately, I give “The Price Is Right” only another five years of life before it’s done. Primarily because once Bob is gone, they will do what they can to catch the show up 35 years.
A good deal of the technology they are using is severely outdated. The iconic set may (should) get eventual makeovers. But beyond all that, you have the host.
I don’t think any of the front-runners have what it takes for a audience-participation show but Todd Newton is by far the most qualified. He’s a little on the hammy side, doesn’t always seem so genuine. But compared to Mark Steines and George Hamilton, he’s the best of the three.

I’m far more curious who is going to take the EP (Executive Producer) role and if it’s someone who’s has been with the show for a period of time (or all the time).
scooter
9
May 16th, 2007 at 11:20 pm

Keep in mind, also, that this has been the longest running version of the show anywhere.
While it’s been nice to have around, all good things must come to an end.
steve
10
May 16th, 2007 at 11:30 pm

i missed the show tonight! i’ll have to search for a recap of a show, or if i can get on a faster computer, hunt for some video clips.

so now for tomorrow night… the advertisements said that there would be a very special surprise guest… my predictions are (1) chuck norris, (2) adam sandler, or (3) whoever the new host is. truth be told, i think that the odds of any of those three predictions being right is slim to none, but i thought i’d just throw that out there. who do you guys think it’ll be?
Intelligentfan777
11
May 16th, 2007 at 11:36 pm

I still feel this show is a case one that “transcends” the host. I still feel optimistic TPIR will still be
around for awhile, the show is strong and as long as the host does a good job and keeps the show moving, it will be fine.
Greg
12
May 17th, 2007 at 7:12 am

Todd Newton sounds like a wonderful choice. I have a copy of the TPIR DVD game, and he seemed like a good host.
Chad
13
May 17th, 2007 at 9:44 am

They may try, but I don’t think the show will last without Bob. In my opinion, the fact that TPiR lasts so long is because it has changed very little. Sure, it’s changed its door borders and turntable patterns, but aside from that the only other thing is inflation and the number of games. Change the host and I doubt that it will last 12 months.
myke25
14
May 17th, 2007 at 10:06 am

I’d like to see them play the games that are named for Bob on the last show…Barker’s Bargain Bar, Barker’s Markers…even resurrect Trader Bob!
DJ
15
May 17th, 2007 at 10:47 am

I wonder if it will be like what happened with the Tonight Show. Many of us who were so fond of Johnny Carson felt as if the show was never the same. I haven’t watched Tonight since 1993, because I thought Leno awful and the show an insult to the past. Never went back. (Although I still hear he’s awful…Leno got a reputation and may or may not be fair…Bob’s replacement might have the same problem.)

Bob’s replacement might face the same dilemma…how to create a sort of new show while retainin the fans of the Barker era. CBS needs to tread lightly. Too many changes, and the show will be gone within a year.

I’ll bet one thing…gone will be the days of little old ladies going up on stage…the audience will likely be full of 18-24 year olds. TV execs don’t give a d#(*$* about those over 24 anymore.
DDELE7
16
May 17th, 2007 at 1:07 pm

TPIR had better be careful and not radically change the show.

Remember the sydnicated TPIR in ‘94?

Perhaps they should go in the direction of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!
to make the price is right into a modern classic for it is inevitable that some of the show be updated, even though its current simplicity has provided the shows longevity.

As for Bob, ill miss him dearly. I grew up watching the show as most of us have.
His shoes will be huge to fill. Whoever takes over must bring something new to the table. And he must be well liked FAST.

Perhaps it would be great if they had more nightime specials in the fall to get viewers introduced to the new host and changes, Thats just my two cents.
Greg
17
May 17th, 2007 at 3:17 pm

We’ll all miss Bob. He’s so familiar and friendly. The new host (either Newton or Davidson, IMO) should know all the pricing games and be a very likeable host. Todd Newton did the DVD game and the live show, so he knows these things. Doug Davidson did the 1994 syndicated version. Maybe there should be a pre-retirement episode where the new host learns the ropes.
Intelligentfan777
18
May 17th, 2007 at 3:23 pm

DJ, you’re wrong! You’re very wrong!

You’re quote about T.V. execs is a complete misconception. T.V. caters to everyone and anyone who thinks a show is good, great, whatever. Maybe you just say that because you don’t like certain things on T.V. You’re not looking at things from a proper open-minded perspective. Yet another thing about some game show fans that needs to be curtailed immediately.
Intelligentfan777
19
May 17th, 2007 at 8:22 pm

The 50 Year Celebration of Bob is On….RIGHT NOW. WATCH IT!

It the Greatest TPIR Special Ever!
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There goes, Yolanda! …………..again! :p :p xD

Hey….

What the hell are you doing on this Blog………GO WATCH THE SHOW…..NOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Greg
20
May 17th, 2007 at 9:13 pm

Just saw it. Used the 30-minute format and a heck of a lot of clips. It was one of the few times I ever saw the fight scene. Just remember… “Fur is murder! Don’t wear fur!”
steve
21
May 17th, 2007 at 10:07 pm

really, i’m not the bragging type. i really don’t like bragging. but i just have to take this one opportunity to say… did i call adam sandler or what? :D

i think that especially after watching the special tonight, i will really really miss bob. i think that 99.9% of americans would miss bob. (gotta leave that .1% for the fur-lovers.) and no matter who steps up to the plate as the new host, they’ll have that working against them. it’ll be a rough start for the new host because throughout his/her first year, there’ll always be someone saying, “bob would have done it better.” or “bob would have done it this way or that way” or something like that. and it’ll probably continue throughout the entire year. and if all goes well, someone will still be saying that five years from now. ten, maybe twenty years later, people would still be saying, “bob would’ve done it better”… memories of bob are so implanted in our minds that we’ll always remember bob as THE host of tpir. only our children, who grow up with mr. X as the host and didn’t know bob, would really get over this milestone without too much difficulty.

another thing about tonight’s special… when the one cbs executive (whose name escapes me… heaven knows why) came out and talked with bob, it was clear from the audience (especially a few rowdy shouters) that they wanted “ONE MORE YEAR!” of bob… but bob gently declined. (several times.) and i got to thinking… what if bob said “yes” to “just one more year”? then we’d probably go through this same pleading process one year from now, and who knows whether or not he’d say yes again… but the fact that he insisted that this is his last year really brought me closure… i now know (and yes, i know he’s been saying this along, i’ve just been somewhat oblivious to the whole thing until now) that bob really wants to retire now. and i figure, if he’s ready to end it now, then i’m ready for bob barker’s reign to end as well. i know this completely flies in the face of just about everything in the last paragraph, but bob… if you’re ready to go, i support that. thank you for what you’ve done, and without a doubt, we’ll always miss you.
Intelligentfan777
22
May 17th, 2007 at 10:38 pm

It also doesn’t hurt that………………

*SPOILERS*
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1. The first Pricing Game of the night had it’s biggest WIN ever!

2. I would’ve cried Bloody Murder if the second game had been lost, it could’ve happened, thankfully another winner!

3. Something about the third game and half-hour format shows (Gameshow Marathon included), just doesn’t agree with it.

4. The showcases were absolutely brilliant!
Michael
23
May 18th, 2007 at 1:54 am

I taped both shows so I can watch them and I hope to tape the last couple of shows. He’s a legend there is no doubt about it. I don’t know how long the show can run without him but I can hope whoever they choose can be as good as him, but I hope they try not to compare the new host with Bob, though I’m afraid it may occur..I hope I’m wrong.
mike
24
May 18th, 2007 at 2:05 am

absolutely one of the best hours on television…so well put together….Kudos to CBS for giving Bob the tribute he deserves…just dread that last day…sad to say its right around the corner…but not to dwell on that now. Bob, You are the best and always will be!
Greg
25
May 18th, 2007 at 7:18 am

The CBS exec’s name was Les Moonves. The next host should be somebody who knows the show inside and out (read Davidson or Newton). Of course Todd Newton has the same number of syllables as Bob Barker. I saw Bob’s fight with “Happy” and I thought it was brilliant! Go Bob!
Patrick
26
May 18th, 2007 at 10:32 am

In the UK our equivalent would be Bruce Forsyth, but he doesn’t hold a candle to Bob Barker’s incredible longevity within a single format…

We also head a recent remake of the series, which looks likely to be re-commissioned for a second series. We weren’t able to use classic TPIR when we made the WeDigTV version, but we did end up being in the audience, and filming on set for the game.

Feel sort of appropriate that we’re launching the TPIR game as BB moves on… but it would be great to work on the US version with Bob in the future…

Maybe we’ll convince him to do an online version that allows him to carry on forever!

Cheers
Greg
27
May 18th, 2007 at 11:42 am

Patrick, just e-mail TPIR at CBS or go to Fremantle Media’s offices in London and ask for permission to use the US version. Fremantle is Fremantle anywhere, right?
Greg
28
May 18th, 2007 at 11:45 am

Or, you can write him snail-mail at:
The Price is Right
Price Productions
7800 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

E-mail:
pir@tvc.cbs.com
Michael
29
May 20th, 2007 at 12:33 am

Thank you Bob Barker. You will be missed. The specials rocked! And thank you Adam Sandler for surprising Bob and with the poem. It was 2 great nights well spent. (Far better than Idol or any reality crap)