The Price [Will Be Just Fine]
This is part one of a two-part perspective post. I will be playing “Price is Right fan.” Alex will be playing “heartless apathetic bastard” tomorrow.

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.”