I just got back from Los Angeles last night. I read about what happened on Tuesday’s episode of The Price is Right first, since my inbox was flooded with it. After that I watched the clip of the perfect bid in the Showcase. Honestly, this post isn’t about that moment, as Cory nailed that perfectly. All I will say is I can totally see where Drew’s reaction was coming from. I had the same reaction when I heard about it before I saw it. I think Drew could have faked it a bit more, but he’s not like that and CBS knew what they were getting into when they hired him. He’s a real person and acts like how most do. And I think that’s why The Price is Right is screwed and I could have told you this two years ago. Because we are finding out a few things about the format.
We’re finding thatThe Price is Right is not as strong of a format as people want to think it is. And mainly this is coming from the teenagers and 20 year olds who are misty eyed about the magical world of television and Price to find out it’s not perfect. In fact the format has lots of flaws. But the show has Bob Barker to ham it up and people forgot the flaws in the format were there. People were so in love for Bob that they barely watched for the show, they watched for Bob. It also falls partially on the old producer who was let go but it was starting to change last season with him.
We’re finding that the show was made for the 70’s and 80’s, not today’s current times. Inflation has been really rough on the show. Prices of prizes and cash have gone up and it’s putting a hurt on the budget. Falling ratings aren’t helping either but for the millionth time the ratings would have gone down even more if someone like todd Newton was the host, since people who aren’t big fans of the show have no or very little clue who he is and any incentive to turn it off.
Online forums and the internet age are hurting the show also. I’m going to be brutally honest, there is absolutely no reason any sane person should be memorizing prices to items for the small glimmer of hope that you can win a nice toaster. Issues like this cost the show $2,000,000 this summer. It’s costing the show more and more as the old obsessive fans of the show are coming back in hopes to get on again and win, or just help others. And from a production standpoint, it can’t happen.
It’s bad television if people keep winning. We saw this this summer. It was exciting for the first millionaire in the showcase, but the second one seemed like nothing special because we knew there’s someone out doing this for them. It’s like if the audience on Millionaire, during Ask the Audience, was allowed to tell the player his or her answer directly, and that person specifically lined up one person. It was the first time it’s happened, with the perfect bid, so it was still relatively interesting, but it’s going to get old fast if the obsessive Price fans keep doing this. It hurts the budget too, and production has to do something to stop it eventually. And it will happen sooner or later. So from a production standpoint, I’m really advising the fans on a certain Price is Right site to sit back for a while before anyone from there is either pushed to the far back of the audience, never picked to be a contestant, or banned from the studio.
And an issue like this does come from worsening economy and lower ratings. Back when everyone had a crush on Bob Barker they could afford a bit more. But now that ratings are getting back to what they would be for anyone beyond Barker, they’re having to work harder for the money. Which does include trying to get the better younger advertisers than the same old Depends over and over.
It’s not all on the online community and the people who need to take a step back. I know Drew’s a very realistic and down to earth person, but he could have faked it a tiny bit more. I had the same reaction Drew did, but I’m not the host. It’s the only moment on the show I really couldn’t defend him fully on. I understand where he’s coming from with his low key reaction and I was as pissed as he was, but he’s the host and he has to at least pretend to be a bit excited. You know Barker would have acted like it was the most important thing that ever happened, and after the show was over went backstage and talked crap on the “enthusiastic fan”.
It was this moment that made me realize I need to reiterate what I wrote when the host search was going on; it’s time for he Price is Right to take a break. Damage is done, it’s not going to go back to what people want. It can’t change because people are so in the past that any remote change makes them cry, and it can’t stay the same because the advertising dollars are just not coming in and the show looks incredibly dated. Inflation is hurting, the online community is hurting, and the flaws of the show are finally coming out. It’s been 37 year; time to take a break.
45 Responses
Great great post. I agree that the internet is killing the show. Factors that could have never been seen or noted when this was show was being created back in the early 70’s are factors that need to be took into consideration now. I honestly knew nothing about G-R.net people being banned from the studio until last night. I just became a member of G-R and I’m worried that I wont be able to ever see the show in person just because of what a few people did (I just turned 18 a few months ago).
I honestly think the show could use a break to figure things out. There has been a lot of stuff going on this season that makes season 36 seem like it was 5 years ago. And as I’ve said before… I’m not mad at the way Drew acted. I’m indifferent to whether or not he should have been excited but yeah, he was just showing his true feelings. He could have acted a bit more excited but I guess Drew was fed up with this type of situation.
The average viewer who watched yesterday’s episode probably think that the show was rigged ala “21″ (I know I kinda did before reading up on this). The average viewer doesn’t go on game show sites reading game show info, and because of that and all the other changes, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the last straw for long time casual viewers.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I know you like Drew, but my god, did you just defend the way he acted? No Game Show host should ever, ever go out on stage and act the way Drew did. I mean, I’m glad you at least admitted that he should have showed some excitement, but what he did needs no excuse. He is the host and he he should always be able to go out and give us his all.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
There’s really an easy solution to the obsessive fans – dim the audience lights like they do for games like Clock Game. I doubt many people can actually distinguish one voice out of 325. Most contestants rely on looking out into the audience and interpreting hand signals – if the lights are dimmed, they can’t see, they can only hear.
And it’s really sad that most other websites aren’t even reporting how Terry made his bid (a visit to this website could’ve told places like TMZ and BestWeekEver that) – they’re just reporting how unexcited Drew was. While it was inexcusable to react the way he did, there’s more to the story, and without that blurb, folks just think Drew is a fuddy-duddy and that the show is “rigged”.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
You know, again, everyone keeps using the word “rigged” like it’s easy to throw around. Be very careful folks. What happened was not a “rigged” moment in the least. And I’m gonna disagree on one point Alex- You acknowledge you KNEW what was coming before you watched. And most of the audience DID NOT. I didn’t. And when I watched, I was astonished, amazed, and thinking “What did I just see”? I did not, however, think the moment was staged in any way. And I don’t think the public at large really did either. Those who did still think people on Jeopardy! get the categories before they appear on the show, which, btw, they don’t.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Read my post carefully (along with Brad’s post), GS Guy. We didn’t say it was “rigged”; we said that is what a lot of people are thinking.
Just go look at the comments on TMZ.com, BWE.tv, the IMDB message boards, even some game show oriented boards & the InnerTube video comments. If you didn’t know Ted was out in the audience giving Terry a bid, a reasonable person would think there was something fishy going on.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
^ Yeah I know that it wasn’t rigged but I was just saying that some average viewers are probably thinking that it was.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Yesterday’s perfect showcase bid was bound to happen. When you offer up the same merchandise so often, someone’s *bound* to catch on and relay that information, in a perfectly legal way, to someone on stage.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I like Mr. Brown’s idea of dimming the lights during the bidding — a simple idea that would keep the focus of the contestants on the merchandise on contestants’ row (and not folks behind them), and likewise keep their focus away from ringers in the audience during the Showcase. And here I was (in a separate post) thinking about “Jeopardy” dividers and isolation booths, when the answer is soooo simple.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
About Drew’s reaction, I was told that the Showcase reveal came after about a 45 minute tape stop in which Drew was told by the staff that they can’t prove it yet, but they know the guy cheated. Whereas if someone memorized prices and relayed them, to me is not really cheating, the insinuation made by the producers spoiled the moment for the viewers. This should have been a spontaneous “Oh My God!” moment, and any investigations handled later. Unfortunately it turned a most-assueredly explosive moment into a trivial throw-away. T.P.I.R – The Paranoia is Rampant.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Boy, I think someone’s going to be hearing about this!
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I’m sorry, but I think Drew is just not a good fit for the Price is Right. He was fine of Power of 10 and Who’s Line, but I gave up watching Price at the beginning of this season because it was just getting so bad…Drew writing copy was just the final straw for me. A showcase about fried chicken? Hey, I gave it a little over a year….but I’ve moved on now..
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I’m starting to think yesterday was the day TPIR jumped the shark.
It seemed like a solid show yesterday (what with Dave winning a new car on his last guess on Any Number), but after hearing what happened with Terry and his perfect bid, I think I may have to step away from TPIR for a while…
I think I remember reading somewhere that the series finale of Boston Legal tried to make a case for older actors and viewers. While that may be true, I’m wondering if there’s any place left on TV for new game shows (network, syndication or otherwise, GSN excluded). After the “Perfect Showcase, Terry!” incident, I’m starting to question my faith in game shows in these troubled (and increasingly troubling) times…
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I’m gonna jump on the blogger bandwagon on this one. Yesterday’s show was by no means rigged. I would’ve gotten the price’s right mainly because it’s the same f***ing prizes they give away pretty much every day.
As for TPIR being doomed, let’s not jump ship just yet. Sure its ratings have dropped since Bob Barker retired, but, with a good production staff (which they don’t have right now), the show could/will get a second wind. Besides, it will be a little bit difficult for CBS to just cancel the show basically because they wouldn’t know what to do with the 11/10a time slot. Either air another game show, talk show, etc. or give the time slot to affiliates, which is hard to get back if they decide to bring it back (assuming they cancel it) without sacraficing any of its 4 soap operas.
It also got me thinking, if in fact it was rigged, what about Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Deal or No Deal or any of the other game shows out there? Who to say they’re not rigged as well.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I think TPIR is in serious trouble, as well. While “jumping the shark” is up for debate, they have made it easier to memorize prices…in 2 ways…
1. They keep using the same things (as DeVares stated).
2. Also, (and I am surprised no one has mentioned it yet…or not that I have seen) CBS.com puts the aired episodes on their website, and keeps them there for a while.
These two things make it easy to memorize prices.
However, websites like G-R make it even easier…and I can understand why members were banned from the show.
True, it may be “legal” to do what he did…but, is it fair to the “casual” fan who just watches it for “the fun of it”? I have to say “no”. There’s a great analogy on one of the other posts describing a Trivial Pursuit player who knows the answer because he read all the cards. It may be “legal”…but it certainly isn’t fair because of the OBVIOUS upper hand that this person has.
I, certainly, think CBS should look at this incident, learn from it, and make some immediate changes. If they don’t, this will happen again…and will just piss off more fans of the show.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
^^Yesterday’s perfect showcase bid was bound to happen. When you offer up the same merchandise so often, someone’s *bound* to catch on and relay that information, in a perfectly legal way, to someone on stage.
But more than likely someone who is “*bound* to catch on” (mesmerized prices) doesn’t have the personality to be picked anyway.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Jay and everyone else that mentioned that its easy to remember prices, their is one more thing that has everyone remember…… THE VIDEO GAME! I was watching an episode with my mom and the IUFB was a pool table, I yelled $2800 and my mom said no way. Drew reads $2800 and my mom asked how I knew and I showed her the Wii version I own. They use the same prizes again and again and the prizes on the game again. I’ve won the Showcase the same way the dude did about 6 times now (I would of won more but grandma went up in her wheelchair and oxygen tank and spun $1.00 everytime). I’ve gotten like 30 perfect IUFB’s, won Money Game, Cliffhangers, Check Out, everything so many times. I still remain a loyal to Price, but they just gotta chang up the prizes very once and awhile so people can forget the prices of the prizes.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Another thing that is making me upset is there are people (on the now infamous website) that are just saying “Drew Sucks!!!” (due to his reveal) and nothing more about the whole situation aside from that when they know exactly what had happened. It’s like forget about Drew… worry about what is going to happen to the show because of what Ted did.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Does this not remind any of you of 1984? You know, Larsen, PYL, $110K… think about it.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
That’s why the show has been changing its prizes a bit this season. The increase in the use of fancier prizes that appeal to a younger demographic (premium handbags, purses, clothing, Harleys, Bimmers, prizes Bob would have never approved) is one of the ways Kathy Greco and Crew have been trying to change the games.
It’s the grocery and small prize games that need a boost. Grocery manufacturers should seriously look at the show as a way to sell new products and put the new products on the show as to throw a monkey wrench into the old-time viewers.
Drew somewhat is a throwback to the old days of game show hosts, and that isn’t a bad thing. Whether it’s the Rayburn-esque entrances, the various ways to interpret Mark Goodson’s carnival atmosphere, or even Jack Barry’s dollar bill handout on a perfect bid (which he did once), he is starting to understand those types of hosts. His suspicion on the perfect Showcase reveal seemed to fall within the old-school hosts who had to worry every time about a game being fixed. Also keep in mind the crew was concerned they could have a Charles Ingram incident. Drew probably knows about that and played it out as if something could happen.
But that reveal somehow had a bit of a sports type attitude there, and I say this knowing Drew co-owns the Seattle Sounders FC. Sportscasters are told to lay back and let the pictures do the talking after a big win. Watch Terry’s actions — stunned, what he says, and the manners of his opponent and how he greets Drew afterwards. Drew laid back and let Terry’s shock and awe take over. Bad move for a game, maybe. But who is the centre of the action at this time? Drew or the winning contestant?
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
I agree with Pat, CBS has to have some changes as far as prizes are concern. I understand having the same cars because of GM’s sponsorship of the show, but let’s extend the trip to 7 days, 6 nights instead of 4 days, 3 nights. and up the cash prizes (e.g. It’s In the Bag, instead of $16,000, bump it up to $50,000. Grand Game $10,000…..$20,000. etc. etc.). These things can be done with (as explained in an earlier post) a good production staff.
Posted on December 17th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I lost all respect for G-R.net the day their administrators went crazy over the firing of Roger Dobkowitz and shut their site down. When they lost Roger, they lost their major source for breaking news and other backstage information. What they’ve shown since then is a lack of passion for their own site. Their members are getting away with posting personal attacks against the host, the production staff, and even other G-R.net members; content which would have been heavily moderated during the Barker/Dobkowitz era. The administrators also haven’t visited Television City for a TPIR taping during the Drew Carey era. One would think that it would be important for them to represent Price’s most prominent fan site and travel out to Los Angeles to meet the cast and crew, but they haven’t done that. In my opinion, I don’t think they ever gave this transition a fair shot.
In regards to cheating and sabotage, I agree with certain posters above that die-hard fans (specifically some G-R.net members) are ruining the integrity TPIR’s gameplay and outcome. I would support any measures that would ensure that the show returns to the concept of “rewarding smart shoppers” for their pricing ability instead of the current method of trying to find the one Price fanatic in the audience that will give you all the information you need. I hope the production staff finds ways to decrease sabotage, including having a greater variety of prizes on the show.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 at 5:32 am
My favorite is how GR.net will shut down threads for absolutely ridiculous reasons, yet they let the thread “Why Drew Sucks” be started 5 or 6 times with no action. As a matter of fact there’s a few those going on right now.
Unfortunately, they haven’t been back to S33, but I think that website has ruined their invitations. They let the place go nuts and they’ve become a harm to the show that they say they love so much. Where as I have said, the fans will be the death of Price.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
I think it’s cool that they had a perfect showcase bid, but I really have not watched the price is right for a long time. I think ever since Bob Barker retired and Drew Carey took over, the show has been lacking the excitement. I mean Bob Barker is The Price is Right. It would be like Carey taking over for Gene Rayburn on Match Game, or Jack Barry on The Joker’s Wild or Wink Martiondale on Tic Tac Dough or Monty Hall on Let’s Make A Deal. Bottom line for me is that I will not watch TPIR because of Drew Carey. Until they bring some excitement back to TPIR, I will not watch the show again.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Ok they must not be as hurting financially as you all think because if they were they wouldn’t have just stopped tape for 45 minutes and just let him have it. I’m sure had this been a MDS they would have tried to recover some of the $1,000,000 he would have won if not all and possibly then some (if they are entitled to it, legally).
And another thing had he acted the way he normally would for an exact bid on the showcase you’d all be killing him for overreacting for a 50K win ,audience-aided or not.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
^^Rich… there has been some very exciting things that have happened this and last season. When considering this season, Taylor comes to mind. He had a great 18th birthday on TPiR with one of the best Lucky $even wins I have seen. So yeah the excitement in my opinion is still there…
Well… I have just been banned from G-R.net . I have been trying to get in contact with someone as to why (since I honestly didn’t do anything wrong… well at least I think so) but to tell you the truth, I probably would have left anyways. Everyone else is bashing G-R.net… I might as well too (lol; doesn’t matter since I have been banned). But yeah the enjoyment of watching the show has been reduced for me due to solely some of the members on the forum. The negativity alone that a lot of the posters there say makes you get tired of the show because it makes you wonder “I wonder what they will say about this…” or something similar to that. Honestly that forum plays part in some of the reasons in why I don’t like the show as much as I use to. Even in the beginning of this season, I thought that the show wasn’t as good as it was but I still enjoyed it. But now after being there it’s like I can’t even focus on the show itself anymore without thinking in the back of my mind about what negative comments will be made. Then to add to the fact that the some of the members of the site played a role in what had happened on Tuesdays show and previous shows that had the same problem, I honestly can say that I really don’t mind being banned from there. Maybe I will enjoy the show more now since I don’t have to think about what bad things people will say about Drew after I watch an episode (even if I might feel the same during some episodes).
But yeah.. end of rant lol.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I think Drew is a great host, but what I just saw in that clip was really terrible. He must have not been having a good day, but still, he should have shown a little excitement. It doesn’t even seem like him to be that nonchalent.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Here is Terry the contestant’s interview with a Las Vegas radio station. Take it from what it’s worth…
http://www.tmz.com/2008/12/18/price-winners-final-bid-i-didnt-cheat/#comments
Posted on December 18th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
My take on Drew’s reaction alone is mixed. I mean, yeah, there were certain circumstances that may have made his reaction what it was, but since he’s not only a comedian, but AN ACTOR, he could’ve and most definately should’ve stepped it up a little bit.
To veer off-topic a little bit for comparative purposes, this whole incident reminds me of an SNL sketch I saw many moons ago where Kevin Nealon is looking back at Bobby Thomson’s famous “Shot Heard ’round the World”, (You know, “THE GIANTS WON THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WON THE PENNANT!”) only the announcer heard during that play by play had the enthusiam of an Ice Cube. To which Nealon simply quipped, “Hmm, must’ve been a lot more exciting back then.”
Basically what I’m saying is that once something is out of the bag on some level, it’s kind of hard to repeat that level of excitement, even if it is still fresh in people’s minds. Add to that an impatient audience waiting for the result that everybody else knows, and you wind up with a Major Anticlimax instead of nailing (One of) the game show equivilant(s) of Winning the Pennant.
So Blame Drew if you want to on his performance, but I think he was being more human than showman. Honestly, I think a Majority of the blame should actually go to the people behind the scenes for not knowing how to handle such an occurance, and god help them if it ever happens again. It even says in the “Come on Down” book that once the showcase prices are guessed and they go to commercial, they immediately go into position for whoever wins, they shouldn’t have been THAT Flabbergasted (OK, so the guy bid a suspiciously precise amount, but they could’ve settled legal Mumbo Jumbo AFTER The show, not at the moment of Climax)!
If the ball was dropped any harder, it would dent the floor of Studio 33.
As for Drew, he’ll persevere I’m sure, but he simply MUST STEP IT UP, Especially on “Historical” Occasions no matter how questionable they may be. The kind of excitement he had when $1 Million was won (Except for that one where he had a bad cold) should’ve been the appropriate reaction for the Exacta to end all Exactas.
The Price Isn’t Wrong (Yet), but the way it was handled was definately not Right.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I agree that TPIR’s popularity is at an all-time low now. I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if TPIR gets canned by the end of the season. The show has been on the air for 37 years, and I think there is another show that is itching to get into the 11:00 am time slot that TPIR dominated for most of the run – whether a syndicated or network show. TPIR is not what it used to be. I agree that it is an okay show up until around Bob’s retirement, and it has plummeted since Drew took the helm. Not necessarily due to Drew, but possibly other factors involved that we don’t know about. 3 Strikes hasn’t been played in quite some time (it may be on the verge of retirement), and Barker’s Bargain Bar and Buy or Sell have been retired already. The only game that is exciting for me to see now is Spelling Bee, and they changed the font of the letters from Eurostile to Impact.
Well, maybe if TPIR gets the ax by the fall, it will only be a matter of time before we start seeing at least episodes from 2004 to the end of the Bob Barker era of TPIR appear on GSN.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
“Bob Barker IS ‘TPIR?’” Come on now – isn’t that a bit much? And what was Bill Cullen before him – chopped liver? Granted Barker did the show for 35 years, and Bill Cullen less than that, but the host isn’t the only one that makes the show (even though a majority of the people at G-R.net think otherwise!) For 28 years, Bob may have been the ‘ringmaster’ of “TPIR”, but if it weren’t for the boisterous announcing of Johnny (“Come On Down!”), Olson, ‘the illustrious one’ Rod Roddy who replaced him, one of the original models, (and set bashers) Janice Pennington, the other original model Anitra Ford, Dian ‘the bod’ Parkinson, Holly (‘my favorite klutz’) Hallstrom, and ‘the groundbreaker’ Kathleen Bradley, the show wouldn’t have lasted as long as it has. CBS was pretty damn lucky that the show didn’t get canceled long ago due to Barker’s antics (as well as his ‘yes man’ Roger.) It takes more than one man to run a show, but it almost took one man to DESTROY that same show at that same time. The remark Barker made last year that the original models were ‘disgusting’ still rings clear in my mind, and that is why I will never respect the man. Granted he was good at what he did for a while, but saying that Barker WAS the show, and everyone else was just there for the ride just don’t gel with me. I haven’t been a fan of the show since ‘the last of the guard’ was let go in 2000, but I still keep up on the show through the internet, and from my friends at the show who got canned by Barker, and even though Drew has his good points and his bad, if what went down did go down, I can see his lack of excitement for this win.
Posted on December 19th, 2008 at 1:10 am
TPIR’s ratings are at a all-time low, granted, but I don’t expect CBS to swing the gautlet just yet. While it is low, it’s still beating The View and the much hated fourth hour of Today.
And (as explained in an earlier post) if CBS does decide to cancel TPIR it’ll be hard to replace it. They could replace it with a talk show (which there are too many of now), another game show, or give that hour to stations (which is hard for them to get back without compensation).
To Jonathan: As for GSN getting reruns of Price, pray for rain. GSN haven’t aired TPIR since CBS acquired the rerun rights (a’ la’ NBC with Concentration) in 2001. So the only way it’ll happen is Les Moonves gives them the rights to it (which, let’s be honest with ourselves, will never happen).
Posted on December 19th, 2008 at 1:14 am
It’s a shame that Price might get the boot. Same as Deal. I really love those two shows, and really, really hope they get renewed up to 2012, just like Wheel and Jeopardy! I miss good ol’ Bob so much, but Drewy is getting better all the time. Besides, there’s also another primetime favorite of mine: Million Dollar Password. My mom once advised me to watch Password to learn new words. So, here’s to my mom!
-Guy
Posted on December 19th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
So, does that mean that CBS will actually get rid of the Price Is Right?
Posted on December 19th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Why is The Price Is Right in trouble? It’s a combination of 3 things. A host who doesn’t have a clue of what is going on around him; same prizes on the show over and over again; and Fremantle/North America who has a reputation of ruining shows. The last time I watched the show, I was bored out of my mind, Drew acted like he didn’t want to be there and the showcase clip with the perfect bid really showed it. If they don’t get new prizes on there, you will see more perfect bids, period. Can’t CBS step in and do something before things get even worse?
Posted on December 21st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
DENo1MatchGameFan said…
“CBS was pretty damn lucky that the show didn’t get canceled long ago due to Barker’s antics (as well as his ‘yes man’ Roger.) It takes more than one man to run a show, but it almost took one man to DESTROY that same show at that same time. The remark Barker made last year that the original models were ‘disgusting’ still rings clear in my mind, and that is why I will never respect the man.”
You can’t believe everything negative you read or hear through mass communications about people you only know from broadcasting. Everything has a deeper meaning or explanation, such as the quotation from USA Today you referred to. He may have not called the show’s original models disgusting people, but his feelings about them.
Think more about what you hear or read in these news reports. Not everything can be accepted as absolute truth.
Posted on December 22nd, 2008 at 8:12 am
This is for Mario500…
The facts about Barker are true when three people that I know from the show who were wronged by the man state that these antics of his are true, and therefore, the statement in USA Today is truthful as well, as Barker can’t handle the mess that he started with Dian all of those years ago. Also, his behavior is finally starting to bite back at him, and he doesn’t like it, and when he loses cases (like the one Holly brought against him), he lashes out at them through the media, and doesn’t mince words.
Posted on December 23rd, 2008 at 2:14 am
Price is fine.
Posted on December 23rd, 2008 at 2:00 pm
To Josh: CBS is not about to get rid of TPIR (at least not for the foreseeable future). We’re just forecasting what might happen if changes doesn’t happen.
To Mario500: Apparently, you haven’t watch E! True Hollywood Story when they did The Price Is Right back in ‘03. Everything that DeNo1MatchGameFan is saying actually happened. Everyone, from brings the prizes from backstage to the studio even said that he was hard to work with.
Posted on December 23rd, 2008 at 8:33 pm
I saw this “E! True Hollywood Story” and I was expecting a history of the show, but instead I heard negative reports and allegations from a station I cannot trust, even if the program had some of the subjects interviewed. You cannot trust everything the interview subjects say without hearing opposing views. It was a very one-sided program.
Posted on December 24th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Mario500 -
Go to YouTube – there is a clip from 2005 featuring Holly Hallstrom on the “Today” show talking about her victory against Barker in her lawsuit against him for slander – it is just as believable as what she said on E!, just in a different forum. Also remember Barker made that famous “as God is my witness” statement when he was first implicated by Dian with their affair, and it wasn’t broadcast on E!
Posted on December 24th, 2008 at 4:28 am
Mario500- I think you can trust what the people who actually worked for Bob Barker had to say about him…
“Bob Barker is the Boss From Hell.”ť
Claudia Jordan
“If I’d have been a dog Bob Barker would have treated me better.”ť
Sherrill Paris
“After I testified, Bob never spoke to me again.”ť
Janice Pennington
“There’s no one to tell him not to be mean.”ť
Barbara Hunter
“Bob didn’t like all the attention I was getting.”
Nikki Ziering
“America saw a performance. They never saw the real Bob Barker.”ť
Debbie Curling
“The TV audience has never even seen the real Bob Barker. In real life he is a mean, vicious old man, a ruthless mad dictator. But the audience never sees that, they think he’s Santa Claus.”ť
Holly Hallstrom
“He would turn it on for the camera, and then turn it off.”ť
Heather Kozar
“It’s a sad testimony to Bob Barker’s out-of-control ego, the fact that at the end of his life he has no friends, no family, no one who cares about him that isn’t dependent on him for their income. The only people who like him are the people who don’t know him, the audience.”ť
Linda Riegert
“Bob Barker is a lonely soul.”ť
Kathleen Bradley
Posted on December 24th, 2008 at 7:23 am
I think what will happen eventually is that CBS S&P will force the staff to ban audience help for all games from the One-Bid to the pricing games to the Showcases. The audience help gives the show a lively atmosphere, and if CBS demands no more audience help, it could ruin the lively atmosphere and end up making TPIR “uncool” in the eyes of the college crowd.
If anything causes the cancellation of the show, it will probably be the banning of audience help.
Posted on December 27th, 2008 at 1:19 am
Darth Chaos -
Just remember that when “TPIR” first started, there was no audience participation whatsoever, both in pricing games, and in the showcases themselves. Even during the first week of the show, the studio audience was quiet when announcer Johnny O told the lucky four contestants to ’stand up’ instead of to “Come On Down!”, which he made famous to this day.
Posted on December 27th, 2008 at 1:46 am
For those who keep spewing that TPiR’s ratings are at an all-time low, if you don’t have concrete proof to back up your claim, ZIP YOUR LIPS! For those who don’t like Drew Carey hosting the show, STOP WATCHING AND TURN THE CHANNEL! As for that program in which the contestant hit the price of his showcase on the nose, that’s a rarity- the man said on the radio he did his homework, and at the same time, how in the world would he know he would hit the exact price on the nose from the offset? Think about that- the show was NOT fixed. As far as Drew’s reaction when that contestant hit the price of his showcase exactly, has it ever occured to anyone that maybe Drew at that moment was at a loss for words because of a very rare occurance? He didn’t immediately know that the contestant would hit the price exactly. Case and point, people, CUT THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES- there are none! As for the author of this ridiculous blog, find something worthwhile to write about instead of boring us with your ridiculous rants about anything you think you can write conspiracy theories about.
Posted on February 25th, 2009 at 12:31 am
DENo1MatchGameFan, you’re correct.
It’s possible that the ratings for TPIR were quite dismal in 1972 and 1973 and that CBS told the producers “do something to bring in the ratings, or we’re gonna cancel the show”, and maybe they decided to encourage audience participation. That may be why the audience started shouting out bids around 1974.
Posted on May 18th, 2009 at 11:38 am
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