Price Is Right Reveals New Format for First Time in 54-Year History

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Come on down for a new kind of Price is Right.  

After 54 years on the air, the classic game show The Price Is Right is trying something new: a live broadcast. This one-hour special, airing during the holidays, will be the first live episode in over five decades.

I’m so relieved to hear that Drew Carey will be back hosting the live special! CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach recently shared that they absolutely wouldn’t consider doing it without him, and honestly, I can’t imagine it any other way. He’s the perfect host!

As for what’s in store for the live special?

She explained that they have some exciting plans to make the live show more engaging for viewers. She believes the chance to win prizes is a major draw, and that watching others win during the holidays is especially enjoyable for everyone.

The show will feature classic segments like The Big Wheel, and also offer viewers a unique look behind the scenes as the crew works hard to ensure everything runs smoothly without needing to film anything over.

Having a live episode is the biggest update to The Price Is Right since Drew Carey became host in 2007. He took over from Bob Barker, who had hosted the show since it began.

When Drew finally stepped onto the famous stage, he felt a little overwhelmed by the size of the crowd.

He remembered being shocked by how loud it was. “I honestly thought my hair was going to fly back!” he told Variety in 2025. He used to wear an Apple Watch, but had to adjust the settings because it kept alerting him to the excessive noise levels during the show.

Since becoming involved, the actor from The Drew Carey Show has worked hard to respect the show’s legacy and follow the example set by its creator, Bob.

He emphasized the importance of remembering Bob. He clarified that he wasn’t trying to take anyone’s place, but simply continuing a show that Bob had previously hosted.

Want to discover some of the most interesting behind-the-scenes stories from The Price Is Right? Then keep reading!

Aaron Paul wasn’t the only celebrity to appear on The Price Is Right stage. Paralympic silver medalist Amy Purdy and Giuliana Rancic both worked as guest models on the show. Before her 2013 appearance – an episode featuring only breast cancer survivors in the audience – Rancic shared her longtime love for the show. “I’ve been watching The Price Is Right since I was a little girl. I’m obsessed with it, so I know exactly how it works,” she said. “I’ve got the hand-on-the-hip pose and everything down perfectly!”

Many popular celebrities have also competed to win money for charity, including Seth Rogen, Kristen Bell, and Snoop Dogg, all wearing the show’s signature price tag name tags.

The long-running success of The Price Is Right, according to its beloved host Bob Barker (who passed away in 2023 at age 99), stemmed from how well the show involved its audience. He told the Los Angeles Times in 1990 that the moment a contestant bid on an item, viewers at home became invested. “Once you become involved, we have accomplished what the producer of every game show wants—viewer involvement,” he said, adding that The Price Is Right excelled at this more than any other game show.

He jokingly attributed some of his success to simply having a good hair day, noting that his ratings improved when he stopped dyeing his hair and let his gray streaks show. He explained that early television technology wasn’t great at hiding imperfections, and he initially didn’t look good on camera. Producers first suggested a hair tint, which briefly worked until it turned his hair blue, then dyeing it resulted in red streaks. After a vacation where he stopped coloring his hair, the show’s team told him he looked better with his natural gray, and encouraged him to embrace it.

Thanks to television scheduling, the first episode showing his silver hair aired almost immediately after one where he had dark hair. He explained they filmed episodes in advance. “We might have taped an episode on Wednesday with me having dark hair, then filmed another the next day with gray hair, which would air on Thursday,” he said. A viewer even wrote to him, joking, “Bob, you must have had a wild night!”

It’s not always a glamorous exit for those who win prizes on set. Winners are required to pay taxes on their winnings immediately, and one person shared that they actually had to pay around $20,000 in taxes on $57,000 worth of prizes, meaning they left with no money in hand.

One person who was awarded $10,000 actually refused the money because they didn’t want to share half of it with their former spouse!

According to a 2016 interview with The New York Times, Mike Richards, who was an executive producer at the time, stated that all winners receive a tax letter detailing how much they owe. He also noted that since he began overseeing the show in 2008, every winner of the Showcase Showdown had successfully claimed their prize package.

Most of the prizes have been collected and are ready to ship. Richards mentioned in an interview that they’ve filled three large warehouses on the CBS Television City lot with items like dinette sets and exercise bikes. They also have over 37 cars ready to go in a separate, private parking lot.

There have been some funny mishaps over the years, like the time model Manuela Arbelaez mistakenly awarded a $21,960 car to someone. As she told Inside Edition, she initially panicked, thinking she’d have to pay for it weekly since it was her last day on the job. This happened back in 2015, and she’d been with the company for six years at the time.

Thankfully, “Drew could not have been more supportive. Same with the producers.”

There are many memorable moments from the show, including the time a contestant happened to be in the restroom when her name was called. However, Bob Barker considered the most talked-about incident to be in 1977, when a woman became so thrilled to be selected that her top slipped off.

A potentially awkward moment turned funny thanks to a contestant’s great sense of humor. When comedian Danielle Perez, who uses a wheelchair, was announced as a contestant on a 2015 episode and revealed she was playing for a walk-in sauna and a treadmill, the audience was initially stunned. She later told People magazine that the irony was perfect, saying, “You can’t make this up!” She clarified that it wasn’t even about her wheelchair, but the fact that she doesn’t have feet. Despite this, she was determined to win, explaining, “I was so excited about the prizes and the adrenaline. You just want to win, no matter what it is.”

While some of the 73 pricing games have been updated for modern times, many still rely on traditional, mechanical systems. Carey has jokingly started introducing the person who operates these systems, as union rules require extra pay for any employee shown on camera – and these operators often work behind the ‘Freeze Frame’ setup to avoid being seen.

To ensure accuracy, we used real prices from California stores. However, the companies producing these items aren’t sharing which stores we consulted.

That catchy theme song you likely have stuck in your head was created by Edd Kalehoff. He also composed the music for popular shows like Nickelodeon’s Double Dare and ABC’s Monday Night Football.

An unusual event happened on the show in 2017 when three contestants all won exactly $1 during the Big Wheel spins. While the rules usually require a tiebreaker, each of them received $10,000. Remarkably, when two of those contestants spun again, they each won another $1, earning an additional $25,000 apiece.

Perhaps everyone involved researched the Royal Economic Society’s guide, “To Spin or Not to Spin?” It actually used research funding to try and figure out how the famous wheel worked.

Plinko, a popular game on the show named for the sound the chips make as they fall, offers players a chance to win up to $50,000. Interestingly, the chips themselves are quite rare – CBS has confirmed there are only 10 Plinko chips in existence, and they’re securely stored after each use.

According to one Reddit user, a contestant on the show got incredibly lucky. Apparently, the game had just been used for filming a commercial and an almost invisible wire was still attached, guiding the chip towards the $10,000 slot. The contestant won $30,000 – described by the witness as a moment of huge excitement with the host jumping up and down – when a producer quickly intervened, slamming his hand down on the chip as it fell, trying to stop it. Although producers realized what happened and re-filmed the segment, the contestant still got to keep her original $30,000 winnings, plus an additional $3,000 from the re-shoot.

When Carey took over hosting in 2007, the show became a little easier for contestants, though it didn’t last. Producer Roger Dobkowitz explained in a blog post that he wanted to ensure many contestants won during the first few months, helping viewers get used to the new host.

He admitted he initially disregarded the prize money budget. To ensure more contestants won, he started with simple games where the correct prices were obvious. However, he took this approach a bit too far. By January 2008, he was $700,000 over budget! When the network refused to provide additional funding, they had to switch to more difficult games and offer smaller prizes.

Carey always had a way to win people over. Whenever a player successfully bid on an item and moved out of Contestant’s Row, he’d personally give them $500 as a reward. By 2017, CBS calculated that he’d given away at least $187,000 of his own money this way.

Interestingly, Barker was known for receiving kisses on the cheek from contestants – CBS estimated he’d gotten around 22,000 of them throughout his time on the show.

Let me tell you, one of the most fascinating stories I’ve heard about The Price is Right comes from Terry Kneiss, a former TV weatherman. He and his wife, Linda, were serious strategists! They spent months carefully watching episodes, Terry spotting visual patterns and Linda using her math skills. And it paid off – he actually guessed the exact price of a showcase, and shared the whole story with Esquire magazine back in 2010. It just goes to show, a little preparation can go a long way!

I remember when Bob knew exactly how much to bid on that Big Green Egg – $1,175! And he had a really good idea of what the whole prize package was worth, including the karaoke machine, pool table, and that incredible 17-foot camper – he figured around $23,743, and he even added that ‘743’ because it was his and Linda’s PIN number. It was so strange! Nothing like that had ever happened on the show before, especially not so soon after they let Dobkowitz go. Everyone – Carey and the whole team – immediately thought something was rigged. It actually led to some big changes in how they handle prizes now. For instance, they frequently swap out car options to make sure the prices aren’t predictable.

Despite everything, Terry recently told Esquire that while he doesn’t regret his choices, he has occasionally questioned them, wondering about the consequences of his actions.

Being on the show can be a long process – one past winner shared that they waited over four hours just to get into the studio, and then filming took another 90 minutes. It’s also incredibly loud, with contestants trying so hard to seem enthusiastic that production assistants often have to use cue cards to signal who should come on stage, because the announcer’s calls are usually drowned out.

Despite the demanding schedule, the show was surprisingly well-organized. Dobkowitz noted in his blog that his team of 11 people could create six hours of high-quality programming each week in just four days, with no one working more than 8-10 hours a day (including time in the studio). He also pointed out that their efficient workflow allowed them to have three-day weekends every week and a full 20 weeks of vacation each year, making for a very happy team.

If you’re hoping to be on the show, you just need to impress producer Stan Blits. Despite what many think, contestants aren’t chosen randomly. Blits personally selects them, using his 40 years of experience to find someone he believes will win.

He described his approach to finding talent, telling the New York Post in 2013 that he ‘jump[s] around like a court jester’ looking for people with energy, genuineness, and a good sense of humor. He prioritizes those who can match or surpass his own energy levels and sustain it.

He advised hopefuls to appear relaxed and enjoy themselves, but warned against overdoing it. Trying too hard to impress – like jumping or waving your fists – won’t actually help, he explained.

Keep in mind that you’re up against people who are incredibly determined to be on television.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe this story Bob Barker told! Apparently, during a show break, a woman started going into labor in the audience! He said he flipped through the pages and asked if anyone was a doctor to help, and this woman, can you believe it, was worried about leaving because she thought he might call her name for a prize! I mean, seriously?! He had to tell her they weren’t calling any more names until she got to the hospital! It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard, and it just proves how captivating The Price Is Right was – people were having babies and worried about missing their turn!

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2026-04-22 23:50