The Price Is Right (1972)
From The TV IV
| The Price Is Right | |
| |
| Premiere | September 4, 1972 |
| Finale | |
| Airs | Weekdays at 11AM |
| Creator | Jay Wolpert |
| Host | Bob Barker (seasons 1–35) Drew Carey (seasons 36– ) |
| Network | CBS |
| Style | 60-minute game show |
| Company | Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions |
| Episodes | 6731 (through season 35) |
| Seasons | 35 |
| Origin | USA |
The Price Is Right is a game show hosted for 35 years by Bob Barker until he retired in 2007 when it was announced he was replaced by Drew Carey. The show revolves around contestants guessing the retail price of various products. Contestants are drawn from the studio audience, prompting the announcer to invite them to "come on down!"
In its history The Price Is Right has become a cultural phenomenon. Due to its daytime timeslot, its main viewers tend to be retirees, housewives, and college students. Many children too young for school also watch it, leading to a nostalgic attachment for the show that may last into adulthood. Large groups may make trips to join the audience, and it is not uncommon to see entire rows dressed similiarly; matching college sweatshirts, specially-printed t-shirts, and even military uniforms. The program's popularity has sometimes been attributed to the fact that "everyone knows what stuff costs."
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
All contestants begin in Contestants Row, at the front of the audience (not on stage). Four contestants will be present there at a time. Six times during the show a product will be brought out on stage and the contestants will be asked to guess the retail price of it. The contestant who guesses the closest without going higher than the price will be called on stage to play a pricing game. Those who guess the exact number win $500 in addition to the prize. (At the beginning of the next round a new contestant will be called from the audience.)
The pricing games are gimmicky, carnival-like games that involve the contestant trying to guess the price of one or several items, from household products to expensive luxury items. Each game has its own rules that Bob Barker will explain to the contestant before play; the rules are never overly complicated. The luxury items in these games often double as the prizes; the low-cost items win tokens that give the contestant a better chance of winning a big prize. Six pricing games are played per episode.
Regardless of whether they win or lose the pricing game, each of these contestants is allowed to participate in the Showcase Showdown. Two sessions of three contestants each are held. Each contestant spins a giant wheel printed with cent values; the contestant gets up to two spins to try and get as close to $1 as possible. The winners of each round move on to the Showcase at the end of the episode.
The Showcases are two huge assortments of prizes. After presentation of the first Showcase, the contestant who scored highest during the Showdown is given a choice: take the first one, or pass it on to the other contestant. Each contestant must try to guess the value of their assigned Showcase, guessing closest without going over. The winner wins their respective Showcase; a winner within $250 of the total value of their Showcase wins both Showcases.
[edit] Broadcast History
Daytime
9/4/72 - 3/23/73, 10:30 AM ET/9:30 AM CT, PT (Gambit follows)
3/26/73 - 8/8/75, 3 PM ET/2 PM CT, PT (Hollywood's Talking follows to 6/23/73; Match Game follows afterwards)
8/11/75 - 10/31/75, 10:30 AM ET/9:30 AM CT, PT (Experimental hour-long shows aired week of 9/8, otherwise Gambit follows)
11/3/75 - 3/24/77, 10 AM ET/9 AM CT, PT (Hour long permanently; Gambit follows to 12/13/76; Double Dare follows afterwards)
3/27/77 - 11/4/77, 10:30 AM ET/9:30 AM CT, PT (Love Of Life follows)
11/7/77 - 12/16/77, 10 AM ET/9 AM CT, PT (Match Game follows)
12/19/77 - 4/20/77, 10:30 AM ET/9:30 AM CT, PT (Love Of Life follows)
4/23/77 - present, 11 AM ET/10 AM CT, PT (Local programming follows)
Nighttime
8/14/86 - 9/18/86, Thursdays, 8 PM ET, PT/7 PM CT
8/23/96, Friday, 8 PM ET, PT/7 PM CT (25th anniversary special)
1/31/02, Thursday, 8 PM ET, PT/7 PM CT (30th anniversary special)
5/16/02 - 7/4/02, Thursdays, 8 PM ET, PT/7 PM CT
7/12/02 - 7/26/02, Fridays, 9 PM ET, PT/8 PM CT
5/17/07, Thursday, 8 PM ET, PT/7 PM CT (as Bob Barker: A Celebration Of 50 Years In Television)
6/15/07, Friday, 8 PM ET, PT/7 PM CT (Replay of Barker's final show, aired earlier in the day)
[edit] Cast
| Person | Role | Duration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Cast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bob Barker | Host | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | |
| Drew Carey | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Johnny Olson | Announcer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rod Roddy | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Rich Fields | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[edit] Seasons
| Season | Premiere | Finale | # |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBS | |||
| Season One | September 4, 1972 | September 21, 1973 | — |
| Season Two | September 24, 1973 | August 29, 1974 | — |
| Season Three | September 2, 1974 | August 29, 1975 | — |
| Season Four | September 1, 1975 | July 2, 1976 | — |
| Season Five | September 21, 1976 | July 1, 1977 | — |
| Season Six | August 29, 1977 | August 24, 1978 | — |
| Season Seven | August 28, 1978 | June 28, 1979 | — |
| Season Eight | August 27, 1979 | June 27, 1980 | — |
| Season Nine | August 25, 1980 | September 4, 1981 | — |
| Season Ten | September 7, 1981 | June 11, 1982 | — |
| Season Eleven | September 6, 1982 | August 26, 1983 | — |
| Season Twelve | September 12, 1983 | June 22, 1984 | — |
| Season Thirteen | September 10, 1984 | July 5, 1985 | — |
| Season Fourteen | September 9, 1985 | June 13, 1986 | — |
| Season Fifteen | September 8, 1986 | June 26, 1987 | — |
| Season Sixteen | September 14, 1987 | July 1, 1988 | — |
| Season Seventeen | September 12, 1988 | June 16, 1989 | — |
| Season Eighteen | September 11, 1989 | June 1, 1990 | — |
| Season Nineteen | September 10, 1990 | June 14, 1991 | — |
| Season Twenty | September 9, 1991 | June 26, 1992 | — |
| Season Twenty-One | September 14, 1992 | June 18, 1993 | — |
| Season Twenty-Two | September 13, 1993 | June 17, 1994 | — |
| Season Twenty-Three | September 12, 1994 | June 16, 1995 | — |
| Season Twenty-Four | September 11, 1995 | June 14, 1996 | — |
| Season Twenty-Five | September 9, 1996 | June 13, 1997 | — |
| Season Twenty-Six | September 8, 1997 | June 12, 1998 | — |
| Season Twenty-Seven | September 22, 1998 | June 17, 1999 | — |
| Season Twenty-Eight | September 20, 1999 | September 29, 2000 | — |
| Season Twenty-Nine | October 2, 2000 | June 13, 2001 | — |
| Season Thirty | September 24, 2001 | June 27, 2002 | — |
| Season Thirty-One | September 23, 2002 | June 18, 2003 | — |
| Season Thirty-Two | September 22, 2003 | June 16, 2004 | — |
| Season Thirty-Three | September 20, 2004 | June 14, 2005 | — |
| Season Thirty-Four | September 19, 2005 | June 23, 2006 | — |
| Season Thirty-Five | September 18, 2006 | June 15, 2007 | — |
| Season Thirty-Six | October 15, 2007 | — | — |
[edit] In-Depth
- At a Glance: Additional information about the series
- Pricing Games: A complete list of pricing games played on the show.
[edit] DVD Releases
| Title | Release Date | # | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'Best Of' Collections | |||
| The Best of The Price Is Right | March 25, 2008 | 4 | purchase |
[edit] External Sites
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