“Come on down, you’re the next contestant on The Price Is Right!”
If you were a child during the 1980s or 1990s, it’s possible that you fantasized about personally hearing those words while you joined the other enthusiastic contestants in the row designated for them.
In days gone by, when the concept of internet television felt more like a promise of flying cars than reality, tuning in live to CBS for their popular game show, where contestants played games reminiscent of carnival attractions with dreams of winning a pool table and potentially even a new car, was a favorite pastime during snowy days or relaxed summer mornings.
Simplify this by saying: In 2000, future Emmy winner and “Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul was thrilled beyond belief at the chance to meet the iconic host Bob Barker when he appeared on their show.
An Idaho-born newcomer to L.A., with ambitions in acting, exclaimed, “You’re fantastic, Bob! You’re my role model,” as he triumphantly submitted the winning bid (within budget) for a sleek desk.
He came very close to reaching the Finale, but fell short by only $132 from winning a prize package worth $26,368, which notably included a sports car.
13 years past, the pain was as fresh as ever, and during a visit to Jay Leno’s talk show, The Tonight Show, Paul expressed his feelings, “I can’t express it enough; I was deeply sad for quite some time.
However, that’s simply how the Plinko chips land in America’s longest-running game show, a tradition dating back to 1956 when NBC broadcasted an early version featuring only four contestants competing for items. Viewers could participate by guessing the retail price of these items and sending their answers via postcard, hoping to win a large prize.
In a more contemporary rendition, it first aired on CBS over 50 years ago, featuring Barker as host, Rod Roddy as announcer, and iconic games like The Clock Game, Lucky Seven, and Cliff Hangers. Although Barker retired in 2007, passing the slim microphone to comedian Drew Carey, the show has continued its run (with a brief interruption due to the production halt caused by the coronavirus pandemic).
On February 26th, the series will celebrate reaching its 10,000th episode by hosting an elaborate event themed around ten thousand dollars, as referred to by Carey as a “very costly” spectacle.
Let’s delve into the enduring classic that keeps our shopping skills sharp! Join me as we unravel the mysteries behind those prices you see at retail stores, learn where new cars are hidden away, and much more. And remember, responsible pet ownership includes getting your pets spayed or neutered to help manage our furry friends’ population.
Apart from Aaron Paul, other well-known figures have graced the stage of “The Price Is Right”. Among them are Paralympic silver medalist snowboarder Amy Purdy and television personality Giuliana Rancic. Each of them took turns as guest models for the show. In 2013, before her appearance, Rancic shared her excitement about being on the show, stating, “I’ve been watching ‘Price Is Right’ since I was a little girl. I am absolutely smitten with ‘Price Is Right’. I know exactly what they do there.” She continued, “It’s all about the hip positioning – the whole thing, I’ve got it down to a tee.
2. Additionally, a multitude of enthusiastic celebrities have given it a try to raise money for charity, with notable figures such as Seth Rogen, Kristen Bell, and Snoop Dogg sporting tagged names.
As a lifestyle expert, I fondly recall the legendary host Bob Barker, who passed away at the grand age of 99 in 2023. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times back in 1990, he attributed the enduring success of “The Price Is Right” to two key factors. First and foremost, the chance for audience interaction was pivotal. As he put it, “the moment we put something up for bidding and the contestant makes a guess, the viewer is instantly engaged.” Once viewers are engaged, we, as producers of every game show, have achieved our primary goal—engaging the viewer. And let me tell you, “The Price Is Right” excels at this engagement to no end.
4. He attributed the remaining increase in ratings to a fortunate day with good hair, confessing that his gray temples didn’t look great at the time. “I wasn’t looking good,” he told the newspaper. Producers then suggested coloring his hair, which initially worked but later turned his strands blue. When he started dyeing his hair, it turned red instead. “I went on vacation and let it grow out naturally,” he said. “When I returned, the show’s team commented that I looked better without the dye or tint, so they suggested I keep it this way.
Due to the wonders of television broadcasting, it was his silver fox episode that premiered the day following another where he sported darker hair. As he clarified, we had filmed in advance. So if on the Wednesday show I appeared with dark hair, when we recorded the subsequent show I had gray hair and it aired on Thursday. A viewer wrote to him saying, “Bob, you must have had one incredible night!
5. Not every person who receives a new car drives it off eagerly. Some prize winners, like one Reddit user, find themselves paying a substantial amount in taxes for their winnings upfront – this individual had to pay approximately $20,000 for prizes worth $57,000. As a result, they occasionally choose to walk away empty-handed.
In addition, there was an instance where a recipient received $10,000, but chose not to accept it due to his unwillingness to share half of it with his former spouse.
Since 2008, when Mike Richards became the executive producer, every winner of Showcase Showdown has reportedly received a tax letter detailing how much they owe, and each of them is said to have claimed their prize package according to his statement to The New York Times in 2016.
6. Almost all prizes are prepared and are now ready to be dispatched, as Richard mentioned in an interview. It turns out that all those dinette sets and exercise bikes are stored in three massive warehouses situated on the CBS Television City property. Interestingly, there are around 37 cars available at a private lot.
7. Embarrassing incidents? Yes, there have been a few, such as the time model Manuela Arbelaez inadvertently gave away a $21,960 car. Speaking to Inside Edition about the 2015 incident, she explained, “I thought, A: Today is my last day at work. B: They’re going to deduct it from my paycheck every week. I thought that was the end of me.” This six-year veteran said.
Thankfully, “Drew could not have been more supportive. Same with the producers.”
There was also an occasion when a contestant, as Barker described, was momentarily away, in the restroom, when her name was announced. However, the incident that Barker referred to as “the most discussed singular event in the show’s history” took place in 1977, when a woman became overly enthusiastic and leaped out of her top during her excitement to come on down.
9. If a contestant hadn’t possessed a great sense of humor, the exchange might have been awkward during that 2015 episode when announcers revealed comedian Danielle Perez, who uses a wheelchair, was competing for a walk-in sauna and a treadmill. The audience seemed taken aback. In an interview with People magazine, she explained, “I just thought, ‘This is too good to be true, you couldn’t script this.’ It wasn’t even about being in a wheelchair; it was that I don’t have feet.” Despite this, she remained resolute and aimed to win: “I was so energized by all the cash, prizes, and endorphins. I just wanted to come out on top, no matter what the challenge was.
9. While several of the 73 pricing games have been modernized in this century, many continue to function using traditional crank-and-pulley systems. Interestingly, Carey often employs a person who operates the crank, as union rules require that if an employee’s face is visible on screen, they must be compensated additional funds for their appearance.
10. To maintain consistency, the
11. The catchy tune that’s likely stuck in your head at this moment is a composition by Edd Kalehoff, who also created the themes for shows like Double Dare on Nickelodeon and Monday Night Football on ABC.
12. It seems that three is a lucky number, as in a 2017 episode of the game show, all three contestants found success at the Big Wheel. Each one won exactly $1 during their spins, which usually requires a tiebreaker to advance to the Showcase Showdown. However, they each walked away with $10,000. Remarkably, two of them won another $1, resulting in an additional $25,000 each on their second spin.
13′. It’s possible that everyone referenced “To Spin or Not to Spin?”, a study by The Royal Economic Society, which they invested real funds in an attempt to decipher the mystery behind the well-known spinning top.
14. In the popular game called Plinko, named for its distinctive “plinking” chip sounds upon dropping, contestants have a chance to win up to $50,000. However, the chips themselves could be equally valuable since CBS has revealed there are only 10 unique Plinko chips made, which are so precious that they’re securely stored after each use.
According to a Reddit user, a lucky individual struck it rich when they played the game immediately after it had been utilized for an advertisement. A hidden fishing line was allegedly set up within the game, causing the chip to land in the $10,000 slot. The contestant ended up winning $30,000 (“Everyone was shouting, Drew was literally jumping with joy,” the Reddit user recounted). As she dropped her fourth chip, a producer suddenly appeared and forcefully grabbed the token as it fell, according to the eyewitness account. Upon discovering the mistake, producers re-shot the segment; however, the Plinko player still received her $30,000 prize, along with an additional $3,000 she won during the re-take.
16. The games became somewhat less challenging following Carey’s takeover in 2007, although this was only a temporary change. In a blog post, producer Roger Dobkowitz explained that during the initial phase after the new host was introduced, he thought it was crucial to have many winners on the show for the first couple of months.
Initially, he admitted that for the first couple of months, he neglected the prize budget. To ensure more contestants left as winners, he planned simple games with clear right and wrong answers. Unfortunately, his strategy was a bit too successful. By January 2008, he found himself $700,000 over budget! As the network refused to provide additional funds, they were compelled to introduce more challenging games and smaller vehicles instead.
17. Certainly, Carey always had a fail-safe strategy to foster goodwill. Whenever a player managed to bid correctly on an item and thereby escape Contestant’s Row, he would personally gift them $500 in cash. By 2017, it was estimated by CBS that he had given away at least $187,000.
18. It was Barker who often received affectionate kisses on the cheek from contestants, with CBS estimating he received around 22,000 of them.
19. In a 2010 interview with Esquire, one man successfully predicted the exact outcome in his show and shared his story afterward. With his keen eye for patterns and her mathematical skills, former TV weatherman Terry Kneiss and his wife Linda spent months analyzing episodes of the show.
In this unique situation, he had a precise idea about the bid for the Big Green Egg smoker and grill ($1,175) and could make an informed guess regarding the karaoke machine, pool table, and 17-foot camper in his winnings package, worth approximately $23,743. He cleverly included the additional 743 to reference the shared PIN number with Linda. Given that this scenario was unprecedented on the show (happening shortly after parting ways with producer Dobkowitz), Carey and the team suspected it was manipulated, causing them to alter the prizes they provide, often swapping out car options to maintain unpredictable prices.
Even now, I can’t help but ponder over my actions, echoing Terry’s words to Esquire, “I harbor no remorse, yet moments arise when I find myself questioning, ‘What path have I chosen?’
20. Participating in filming can be quite an engaging process. A past winner shared with The AV Club that they had to wait for nearly five hours before stepping into the studio, and then spent approximately 90 minutes recording. Moreover, due to everyone trying to seem enthusiastic, the screams could become so deafening that production assistants often need to display name cards to signal contestants called upon, since they often can’t hear the announcer over the noise.
21. Despite this, the production process is remarkably well-structured. In his blog, Dobkowitz boasted about how their team of eleven managed to create six exceptional hours of premium programming every week in only four days. Not a single member worked more than 8-10 hour days (including studio time). To top it off, he said, “Our operations ran so smoothly that we had three-day weekends every week and enjoyed 20 weeks of vacation each year! It’s safe to say our team was quite happy!
22. To participate, you simply need to win over one individual: Producer Stan Blits. Contrary to popular belief, contestants aren’t selected randomly; instead, they are carefully chosen by Blits, relying on his extensive 40-year career in the industry to find a worthy winner.
In a conversation with the New York Post back in 2013, he shared that his approach is similar to a lively court jester. He’s on the hunt for enthusiasm, authenticity, and a touch of humor. If someone can match or surpass his energy level while maintaining it consistently, they find themselves at the top of his list.
For those aiming to qualify, he advised, “Show enthusiasm, but not overdo it”: Excessive actions such as jumping around or waving fists won’t make a difference.
23. Keep in mind that you’ll be facing contestants who are extremely determined to get on the show.
During a break in a talk, Barker found himself addressing an audience when suddenly a young woman started giving birth. He quickly looked through the crowd and asked, “Can someone assist her?” The woman hesitated, saying, “I don’t want to leave, they might call my name.” Incredibly, he said, “Madam, we won’t announce any more names until you reach the hospital.
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2025-02-26 11:18