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The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)
Encyclopedia
The Price Is Right is an American
game show
which was created by Mark Goodson
and Bill Todman
. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to "Contestants' Row". The original version of The Price Is Right aired from 1956 until 1965. The current version of the series premiered on September 4, 1972 on CBS
, originally titled The New Price Is Right to distinguish itself from the original. Bob Barker
hosted and Johnny Olson
was the game's announcer. The series originally ran for 30 minutes, but expanded to 60 minutes in 1975. After Olson's death in 1985, Rod Roddy
became the program's announcer until his death in 2003, when Rich Fields
replaced him. After Barker's retirement in 2007, Drew Carey
became the program's host. George Gray
became the show's announcer in 2011.
In a 2007 article, TV Guide
named The Price Is Right the "greatest game show of all time".
While retaining some elements of the earlier generation show, the 1972 version added many new distinctive gameplay elements and is the longest continuously running game show in United States television history, with over 7,000 episodes aired. The program's 40th season began September 19, 2011.
If all four contestants overbid, a buzzer sounds before the price is revealed. The host announces the lowest bid, the bids are erased and the bidding process is repeated in the same manner with the contestants instructed to bid lower than the lowest of the original bids.
If one of the contestants bids the exact price of the item, including during a re-bid, a bell rings before the price is revealed. From 1977 until 1998, a player who made a "perfect bid" received a $100 bonus. In 1998, the bonus for perfect bids was increased to $500. On The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular, the bonus is $1,000.
When the show premiered in 1972, five pricing games were in the rotation. Throughout the years more games have been created and added to the rotation, and after the program expanded to one hour permanently in 1975, the rate at which games premiered increased dramatically. Games are occasionally removed from the rotation due to lack of popularity, confusing gameplay, antiquated or irreparable mechanics used to operate the game, or for other unspecified reasons. A total of 105 games have been played on the show, of which 70 are in the current rotation.
On the 1994 syndicated version
hosted by Doug Davidson
, the rules of several games were modified and other aesthetic changes were made. Notably, the grocery products used in some games on the daytime version were replaced by small merchandise prizes, generally valued less than $100. Beginning in 2008, episodes of The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular featured rule changes to some pricing games which rewarded a $1 million bonus to the contestant if specific goals were achieved while playing the pricing game.
The contestants play in the order of the value of their winnings thus far (including in the One Bid round), with the contestant who has won the most spinning last. In the rare event two or all three players are tied in winnings, a coin toss or random drawing determines which player goes first.
The wheel contains 20 sections showing values from 5¢–$1.00, in increments of five cents. The first contestant spins the wheel and may choose to stop with their score or spin again, adding the value of the second spin to their first. However, if a contestant's total score goes over $1.00, that contestant is eliminated from the game. The contestant whose score is nearest to $1.00 without going over advances to the Showcase at the end of each episode. If the first two contestants go over $1.00, the last contestant automatically advances to the Showcase, however they are given one spin to see if they can hit $1.00.
Any contestant whose score equals $1.00 (from either one spin or a combination of two spins) receives a $1,000 bonus, and since 1978, a bonus spin. In the bonus spin, the wheel is positioned on 5¢ and the contestant takes their spin. If the wheel stops on 5¢ or 15¢ (which are adjacent to the $1.00 space and painted green), the contestant receives a bonus of $10,000. If the wheel stops on $1.00 during the bonus spin, the contestant wins an additional $25,000. From 1978–September 2008, the bonuses were to $5,000 for landing on a green section and $10,000 for landing on $1.00. If the wheel does not stop on any of these spaces or fails to make one complete revolution, the contestant wins no additional money and does not get to spin again.
If, after all three contestants have competed, two or more contestants are tied with the leading score, each competes in a spin-off. The tied contestants are given one additional spin and the player who achieves the higher score advances to the Showcase. Multiple spin-offs are played until the tie is broken. Those who hit $1.00 in their spin-off spin still get $1,000 and a bonus spin. If two or more contestants tied with a score of $1.00, their bonus spin also determines their spin-off score. Only the spin-off score, not any bonus money won, determines which contestant moves on to the Showcase. A tie in a bonus spin spin-off means the ensuing second spin-off will be spun with no bonuses available.
Each spin must make one complete revolution in order to qualify. A contestant whose spin does not make a complete revolution is traditionally booed
by the audience, and is required to spin again, except during a bonus spin, when the player's turn ends. However, if the bonus spin was also part of a spin-off, the contestant is required to spin again but does not have an opportunity to win any bonus money, similar to a tie-breaking spin after a bonus spin.
A "showcase" of prizes is presented and the top winner either places a bid on the total value of the showcase or passes the showcase to the runner-up, who is then required to make a bid. A second showcase is then presented and the contestant who had not bid on the first showcase makes their bid. Unlike the One Bid, the contestant bidding on the second showcase may bid the same amount their opponent did on the first showcase, since the two contestants are bidding on different prize packages.
The contestant who has bid nearer to the price of their own showcase without going over wins the prizes in their showcase. Any contestant who overbids automatically loses regardless of their opponent's result. If both contestants overbid (a "double overbid"), neither player wins.
Unlike One Bid, there is no additional bonus for a perfect bid, which has happened twice in the daytime show's history. However, if the winner's difference is $250 or less away from the actual retail price of their own showcase without going over, the contestant wins both showcases. From 1974–September 1998, the contestants' bids had to be less than $100 from the actual price without going over in order to win both showcases.
and Limited Brands
in an attempt to attract a younger demographic.
The most expensive prize ever offered on this version of the show was a Tesla Roadster
(valued at $112,845), featured during Green Road (an Earth Day
-themed playing of Golden Road) on Earth Day
2010.
in 1991, and as a show of support to the American car industry, which was particularly struggling at that time. When Chrysler
merged with German
automaker Daimler-Benz
in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler AG (now simply Daimler AG after Chrysler split from the automaker; Chrysler is now controlled by Italian
automaker Fiat
), the foreign ownership of Chrysler did not affect carrying any Chrysler-related models on the show.
Since Barker's retirement, cars made by foreign companies have been offered, most notably Honda
, which has several factories throughout Carey's home state of Ohio
. Through product placement, certain episodes feature Honda as the exclusive automobile manufacturer for vehicles offered on that episode. The major European (Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler) and Asian (Hyundai, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi) manufacturers have all provided cars on the show since the ban was lifted, with premium foreign cars almost exclusively used for games that generally offer higher-priced cars, such as Golden Road and 3 Strikes. Vintage cars have occasionally been offered as prizes for games which do not involve pricing them.
playing Push Over and $1,000 in cash in the second Showcase Showdown. She also won both showcases, which included a Dodge Viper
in her showcase and a Saturn Sky
Roadster in her opponent's, bringing her total winnings for the episode to $147,517, making her the largest single-episode winner
in the history of American network daytime game shows.
The record for winnings on the prime time show is held by Adam Rose. On The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular that aired on February 22, 2008, Rose won $20,000 playing Grand Game and won both showcases, which included a Ford Escape Hybrid
in his opponent's showcase and a Cadillac XLR
convertible in his own showcase, plus a $1,000,000 bonus. His total was $1,153,908.
CBS imposed a $25,000 winnings limit on their game shows until November 1, 1984, when the limit was raised to $50,000. The limit was again raised to $75,000 two years later. By the late 1990s, CBS had lifted its winnings limit and contestants kept all cash and prizes won without forfeiture or forced donation to charity.
. His retirement coincided with his 50th year as a television host. His final show aired on June 15, 2007 and was repeated in prime time, leading into the network's coverage of the Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition to hosting, Barker became Executive Producer of the show and so served from 1988 to his retirement, gaining significant creative control over the series between 2000 and his 2007 retirement. He also was responsible for creating several of the show's pricing games and launching The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular spin-off.
Reruns of Barker's last season were aired throughout the summer until the Friday before Carey's debut, when the Season 35 finale was re-aired on October 12, 2007.
During his time as host, Barker missed one taping due to illness. Dennis James
, then hosting the syndicated nighttime version of the show, filled in for him on four episodes in December 1974.
After he became a noted animal rights advocate in the early 1980s, Barker signed off each broadcast with the public-service message, "Help control the pet population—have your pets spayed or neutered." Carey continued the tradition upon becoming the new host.
Barker made a guest appearance on the show on April 16, 2009, to promote his autobiography, Priceless Memories. He appeared during the Showcase round and brought copies of the book to the audience.
On October 31, 2006, Barker announced that he would retire from the show at the end of Season 35. In March 2007, CBS and FremantleMedia
began a search for the next host of the show. Drew Carey was chosen and made the announcement of his selection during a July 23, 2007 interview on Late Show with David Letterman
.
Carey's first show aired October 15, 2007. Carey has continued Barker's tagline of "have your pet spayed or neutered" at the end of each episode.
was the program's original announcer until shortly before his death in October 1985. Olson was replaced by Rod Roddy
in 1986, who remained with the program until shortly before his death in October 2003. Los Angeles meteorologist Rich Fields
took over as the announcer in April 2004, and stayed on until the end of season 38.
JD Roberto
, Jeff B. Davis, Brad Sherwood
, David H. Lawrence XVII, George Gray, and Steve White
alternated as guest announcers following Fields' departure. Fields stated that the show's executive producer Mike Richards
was looking for an announcer with experience in the field of improvisational comedy. Gray was confirmed as the show's permanent announcer on the April 18, 2011 episode.
(1990–2000), Holly Hallstrom
(1977–1995), Dian Parkinson
(1975–1993) and Janice Pennington
(1972–2000). Pennington and Bradley were both dismissed from the program in 2000, allegedly because they had given testimony on Hallstrom's behalf in the wrongful-termination litigation she pursued against Barker and the show. Following the departures of Nikki Ziering, Heather Kozar
and Claudia Jordan
in the 2000s, producers decided to use a rotating cast of models (up to ten) until the middle of Season 37, after which the show reverted to five regular models.
The current models are Rachel Reynolds
, Amber Lancaster
, Gwendolyn Osborne, and Manuela Arbeláez
. Current host Drew Carey does not use a collective name for the models, but refers to them by name, hoping that the models will be able to use the show as a "springboard" to further their careers. In a change from previous policy, the models appearing on a given episode are now named individually in the show's credits and are formally referred as "The Price Is Right models" when collectively grouped at events.
and Bill Todman
was responsible for producing the original as well as the revival versions of the game show. Goodson–Todman staffer Bob Stewart is credited with creating the original version of The Price Is Right.
Roger Dobkowitz
was the program's producer
from 1984–2008, having worked with the program as a production staffer since the current version's debut after graduating from San Francisco State University
in 1972. Occasionally, Dobkowitz appeared on camera when answering a question posed by the host, usually relating to the show's history or records. Dobkowitz left the show in 2008. Variety
reported that it was unclear whether he was retiring or was fired, although Drew Carey indicated in a later interview with Esquire
that Dobkowitz was fired.
As of 2011, the show uses multiple producers, all long-time staffers. Adam Sandler (not to be confused with the actor
) is the current producer of the show. Stan Blits, who joined the show in 1980, and Sue MacIntyre are the co-producers. Kathy Greco joined the show in 1975 and became producer in 2008; she announced her retirement October 8, 2010 on the show's Web site, effective at the end of the December 2010 tapings. Her last episode as producer, which aired January 27, 2011, featured a theme in tribute to her. The show's official website featured a series of videos including an interview with Greco as a tribute to her 35 years in the days leading up to her final episode.
Frank Wayne
, a Goodson–Todman staffer since the 1950s, was the original executive producer of the show's current version. Barker assumed that role after Wayne's death in 1988. Previous producers have included Jay Wolpert
, Barbara Hunter and Phil Wayne Rossi (Frank Wayne's son). Michael Dimich assumed the director's chair in June 2011. Marc Breslow
, Paul Alter
, Bart Eskander and Rich DiPirro each served long stints previously as director. Former associate directors Andrew Felsher and Fred Witten, as well as technical director Glenn Koch, have directed episodes strictly on a fill-in basis.
Aside from Barker, the show's production staff remained intact after Carey became host. FremantleMedia executive Syd Vinnedge was named the program's new executive producer, with Mike Richards
becoming co-executive producer after Dobkowitz's departure. Richards was a candidate to replace Barker as host in 2007, before Carey was ultimately chosen. Richards succeeded Vinnedge as executive producer when the 2009–2010 season started, with Tracy Verna Soiseth joining Richards as co-executive producer in 2010. Vinnedge remains credited as an executive consultant to the show.
(or some national I.D. number for non-U.S. audience members) is also required to be submitted. Audience members are eventually brought through in groups of twelve for brief interviews with the production staff. Contrary to popular belief, contestant names are not chosen at random; rather, the interviews determine possible selections for the nine contestants per taping from among the pool of approximately 325 audience members. Since 1988, the minimum age for audience members has been 18; prior to 1988, children and teenagers (as young as 12) were present in the audience.
With few exceptions, anyone at least 18 years old who attends a taping of the show has the potential to become a contestant. Those ineligible include current candidates for political office, employees of CBS Corporation or its affiliates, RTL Group or any firm involved in offering prizes for the show. Contestants who have appeared on a different game show within the previous year or either two other game shows or any version of The Price Is Right itself within the past ten years are also ineligible. The show’s staff alerts potential contestantsin person, on the show's Web site and on the tickets themselvesto dress in "street clothes" and to not wear costumes, such as those used to attract attention on Let's Make a Deal
, another show that featured contestants selected from the audience. Those who have attended tapings in June 2008 noted that producers disallowed audience members from wearing fake eyeglasses designed to look similar to those worn by host Drew Carey
, though this restriction was later relaxed. Instead, contestants will often wear shirts with hand-decorated slogans. As is the tradition on game shows, members of the Armed Forces will often wear a military uniform.
Prospective contestants obtain tickets by mailing their request to the ticketing department at CBS Television City. Since 2005, tickets can also be obtained from the show's official website.
In addition, the show discourages contestants from wearing green shirts because some game props use chroma key
effects, which can blend into a contestant's shirt. The show began using this effect for trips as a result of switching to 1080i
in 2008, but later in the season abandoned the green screen for trips and oversized prizes too large to fit in the studio, replacing them with the use of video screens. Some prizes (mostly water-related prizes) still use green screens to create a simulated "wave" effect. The green screen is now used outside on the show where potential contestants are allowed to be photographed as if they were on the Plinko
board, Cliff Hangers set or Showcase Showdown wheel where contestants can post a message notifying them of their appearance on the show on a future date.
Occasionally episodes are taped with special audience restrictions. For Memorial Day
in 1991, an episode was taped with an audience composed entirely of those who had served in the Armed Forces. Similar prime time episodes were taped in 2002 honoring each branch of the United States military and a sixth episode honoring police officers and firefighters.
Since Season 37 in 2008, the annual Veteran's Day episode, set to air November 11 or the Friday closest to it, the audience is composed entirely of those who have served in the Armed Forces and their families. The 2008 version was slated to air in daytime on November 11, 2008 (Veteran's Day), but the airing was moved to November 14 as a CBS prime time episode. The format contains a unique rule where each One Bid would feature one contestant from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. As each contestant wins their way onstage they are replaced by a member of the same branch of service. The show features a live military band playing the winning contestant's service song. The traditional name tags also contained the contestant's (or their family member's) service branch. Most civilian attendees were retired or disabled veterans or family members of military. Each contestant was also introduced by their rank, which usually does not happen with civilian episodes when military members are introduced and One Bid winners won a $1,000 gift card. Audience members were grouped by branch of service.
The 2009 version changed the earlier format in which a service member from the same branch replaced another after advancing from Contestants' Row. Additionally, members from the United States Coast Guard (part of the Department of Homeland Security) were invited to the show.
Beginning in 2008, some episodes have featured themes with couples competing as teams (either married or engaged couples for Valentine's Day and parent and child teams for both Mother's Day and Father's Day Calling All Fathers ), or specific groups of contestants (brides-to-be and engaged couples for "the Ultimate Wedding Shower" and students for "Ultimate Spring Break" and "Back to School"). Other special episodes themed for holidays or featuring family members of the Armed Forces (Armed Forces Day
episode) have also aired.
The second taped episode had to be replaced as a contestant was related to a CBS employee and therefore ineligible to be on the show. The other contestants who appeared on that episode were awarded their prizes, but the episode was never aired (and currently cannot be shown due to containing a fur coat). There have been similar instances over the years of ineligible contestants appearing on stage, but were not edited out of the final broadcast since it was discovered in post-production. Usually, these episodes air with a disclaimer from the announcer added in post-production that the contestant was found ineligible. Standards and Practices guidelines for game shows state that if an ineligible contestant wins a One-Bid and the other contestants on Contestants' Row at the time do not win a subsequent One-Bid, they are not considered to have made an appearance on the show and are immediately eligible again once the error has been discovered.
in Hollywood, California for its entire run. The studio, which is also used for other television productions, was renamed the Bob Barker Studio in the host's honor on the ceremonial 5,000th episode in 1998. When Carey became host, there was talk of the show traveling in the future.
The program is usually produced in about an hour. Two episodes are usually taped each day and there are normally three taping days per week. The program is taped in advance of its air date. For example, the show broadcast on February 28, 2008 was taped the preceding January 16. As with many other shows that start production in the summer, the lead time varies during the season, as many as fifteen weeks to as little as one day (a special episode featuring military family members as contestants was taped the day after the death of Osama bin Laden
, and rushed to air the following day). The audience is entertained by the announcer before taping begins. After the taping session, there is a drawing for a door prize
. On some episodes all members of the audience receive a prize from a sponsor or celebrity guest; those prizes are usually mentioned in the Showcase (such as a complimentary slice of Papa John's Pizza, an NHL Winter Classic
game puck, a couples' gift box from Hershey's or a book authored by a guest). Television and CBS.COM viewers have also been directed to PRICEISRIGHT.COM to enter a drawing for a smilar prize offered to all viewers, or another prize related to the special offer (such as the Rock of Ages signed CD).
Some episodes are taped "out of order" so that a specific episode will air after other episodes have aired. Notably, the Christmas Week episodes are usually taped in early December outside of the regular rotation. An episode may be taped out of order if a prize package reflects a trip to a special event that is taking place close to the date that episode will air (such as the Indianapolis 500
, Academy of Country Music Awards, NHL Winter Classic
, or Final Four
basketball tournament).
Other episodes may be aired out of out of order because of game-related incidents or situations beyond the network's control. Such was the case when two episodes taped in June 2005, featuring trips to New Orleans, were set to air in the fall of 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina
struck. The episodes eventually aired in May and June 2006. Similarly, an episode taped in April 2010, slated to air in May 2010, that offered a trip to Nashville, Tennessee
was pulled and moved into the traditional rerun season, airing at the end of the season in September 2010 after the May 2010 Tennessee floods
. Episodes featuring trips to locations where recent natural disasters have coincided with the original air date have also been delayed.
Currently, the show usually tapes two or three weeks each month in which six shows are taped each week (two shows on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday), except for a small Christmas break after December tapings.
–Bill Todman
Production" in association with CBS. After Todman died in 1979, the unit became known as simply Mark Goodson Productions and was announced as such on The Price Is Right from 1984–2007. Today, the series is produced by FremantleMedia and copyrighted by The Price Is Right Productions, Inc., a joint venture of RTL Group
and CBS.
For the sake of tradition and through special permission from RTL's subsidiary FremantleMedia, the show continued to use the Mark Goodson Productions name, logo and announcement at the end of each episode until Barker's retirement, even after FremantleMedia purchased and absorbed the Goodson-Todman holdings. The show is now credited as a FremantleMedia production.
. On stage are three sets of large paneled sliding doors as well as the turntable, a platform with a rotating wall. Pricing games and prizes are typically placed in these areas. There is also a "Giant Price Tag" prop, a large curtain and other covers used to conceal prizes, games and other staging elements. On the back wall behind the audience is a large plasma video screen that displays the show's logo and various prizes. The announcer and production crew are positioned on separate podia stage left.
Outside of minor cosmetic changes or updates to color schemes, the set remained largely unchanged until Carey began hosting. In 2008, with the transition to high-definition
, updates have been made to various game props, the announcer's podium and other set features, and aesthetics of these items have varied from year to year. Outdated technology, such as the use of eggcrate displays, has been replaced on some props with newer technology, such as LCD screens, as the One Bid and Showcase podia were the first to switch at the start of Season 38.
Changes to the set (including altering color schemes of certain set pieces, adding themed decorations, and changing the name of pricing games) are occasionally made for specially themed episodes.
. The show was first called The New Price Is Right to distinguish itself from the earlier Bill Cullen
version (1956–1965), but it proved so popular in its own right that, in June 1973, the producers decided to drop the word "New." The program aired at 3:00 p.m. from 1973 to 1975, but has otherwise been part of the network's morning schedule. In September 1975, CBS experimented with a 60-minute version of the show to celebrate its third anniversary, and the expansion was made permanent two months later on November 3, 1975. On April 23, 1979, the show moved to the 11:00 a.m. time slot, which it has occupied since.
The format of the show has since remained virtually unchanged. New pricing games are generally added each year, while others are removed. In addition, prizes and pricing games have kept pace with inflation, with games originally designed for four-digit prices of prizes(most often cars) to be adjusted to allow for five-digit prices. While the set has been redesigned and upgraded, the show maintained a similar aesthetic element from its premiere in 1972 through 2009, when a transition to broadcasting in high-definition began.
In season 36, CBS began offering full episodes of the show available for free viewing on the network's website, and the show began to broadcast in high definition
with The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular primetime specials (the normal daytime version continued to air in 4:3 standard definition
). In addition, the last 12 episodes of season 36 were taped in HD, but broadcast in 4:3 standard definition. The show made the full transition to HD broadcasts beginning with season 37.
From September 28-October 2, 2009, September 20-24, 2010, and October 4-8, 2010, two new episodes aired daily on CBS. In 2009, the additional episodes filled a gap between the cancellation of the daytime drama Guiding Light
and the debut of Let's Make a Deal
). In 2010, the extra episodes aired between the cancellation of As the World Turns
and the debut of The Talk. The intervening week offered a second episode of Let's Make a Deal
). The 2009 second episode aired in the time slot vacated by Guiding Light, at 10:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. ET/PT, depending on the affiliate's choice. In 2010, the second episode aired in the former As the World Turns time slot, at 2:00 p.m. ET/PT.
, which had started as the syndication arm of CBS. Since Bob Barker was also hosting Truth or Consequences
and his contract forbade him from hosting two syndicated series at the same time, Dennis James
was selected to host the nighttime version of The Price Is Right.
The two versions were largely similar at the beginning – both were called The New Price Is Right. Some games had rule differences because of the larger budget and less commercial time on the nighttime show; for example, Double Prices was played for two prizes instead of one.
This version retained the 1972 half-hour format for its entire run and did not add the daytime show's Showcase Showdown or Double Showcase rule. On June 22, 1973, on the daytime show's 200th episode, the word "New" was dropped from the program's name, and it was known as "the nighttime Price Is Right" or simply The Price Is Right.
In most of the U.S., stations carried the syndicated Price as one of several different programs aired each night of the week in one of the time slots in the hour before prime time which were created by the 1971 FCC
Prime Time Access Rule
.
After the fifth nighttime season in 1977, James' contract was not renewed. Barker, whose Truth or Consequences was taped two years ahead and had stopped production in 1975, took over this version as well.
The series taped its 300th and final episode on March 12, 1980 and was canceled after weekly syndicated game shows had fallen out of popularity in favor of daily offerings. With a run of eight seasons, it was one of the longest-running weekly syndicated game shows of the era and the longest-running regularly scheduled prime-time version of Price (the 1957–1964 run was seven seasons).
. Like the previous syndicated series, this version had a slightly larger budget than its daytime counterpart. A perfect bid during the One-Bids won that contestant a $500 bonus (compared to $100 awarded on the daytime show during the same period; the bonus was increased to $500 on the daytime show in 1998).
This version used the same models as the daytime show. When Johnny Olson died in late 1985, Gene Wood filled in as announcer until producers chose Rod Roddy
as Olson's replacement. The nighttime version did not feature rotating auditions for announcers as the daytime show did.
The series failed to earn prime access slots as its predecessor did, due to increased competition from programs such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! and often found itself in late night
slots.
This version produced 170 episodes, airing in first-run from September 9, 1985 to May 30, 1986 (reruns aired until September 5). During the six years it held the rights to Price, the Kennedy version is the only one of the three syndicated versions that was rerun by GSN
(albeit in the late-night slots it frequently had during its original run).
(who would eventually host the series), while the second was emceed by Mark Kriski
.
This series premiered on September 12, 1994 and was distributed by Paramount Domestic Television
(now, like Viacom Enterprises before it, part of CBS Television Distribution). This series featured several significant changes – eliminating Contestants' Row, a different format for the Showcase Showdown, a one-player Showcase, a completely different set and a much larger budget (even when compared to the previous two syndicated runs) that gave contestants the potential to win up to five times what they could win on the daytime show.
This version failed to gain viewership, largely because many stations regularly preempted it for coverage of the O. J. Simpson murder case
, and ended its run on January 27, 1995, after 16 weeks of first-run shows. Several stylistic elements of this series, as well as many of its music cues, would later be integrated into both the daytime version and nighttime specials.
CBS attempted to break NBC's dominance of Thursday night prime time
by The Cosby Show
and Family Ties
with a six-episode summer series, The Price Is Right Special, beginning in August 1986.
On August 23, 1996, CBS aired an hour-long 25th Anniversary Special, using the half-hour gameplay format and featuring a number of retrospective clips. The 30th Anniversary Special was recorded at Harrah's Rio
in Las Vegas
and aired on January 31, 2002. This one-time road trip enticed 5,000 potential contestants to line up for 900 available tickets, causing an incident that left one person injured.
A second prime time series was a six-show series saluting various branches of the United States armed forces
, police officers and firefighters aired during the summer of 2002, as a tribute to the heroes of the terrorist attacks of 2001
. During the series The Price Is Right Salutes, spinning $1.00 in a bonus spin during the Showcase Showdown was worth $100,000 instead of the usual $10,000.
The success of the prime time series, which aired mostly in the summer, along with the rise of "million dollar" game shows led to CBS launching another prime time series in 2003, titled The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular. The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
and original success in the Nielsen ratings
led CBS to commission ten more episodes of the prime time series. This series introduced set changes as the show was broadcast in high definition television for the first time, and the set used for these episodes (except for the black floor) was moved to the daytime show in 2008.
On the prime time series, larger and more expensive prizes are generally offered than on the daytime show. The Showcase frequently offers multiple or very expensive cars. In the first sixteen $1,000,000 Spectaculars, the bonus spin payoff for the Showcase Showdown was again increased, this time to $1 million. The million-dollar spin was eliminated for Season 36 and was replaced with two other methods of winning the prize. One pricing game per episode was selected as a "million-dollar game" with an additional requirement that the contestant must meet in order to win the money. In the Showcase round, the double showcase win rule was adjusted to include the million dollar prize if the winning contestant came within $500 (originally $1,000) of the actual retail price of their showcase. No prime time episodes have been produced since summer 2008.
host and actress Ricki Lake
. This version combined aspects of the Barker and Davidson versions with the celebrity contestants playing three pricing games, followed by a Showcase Showdown where the two contestants with the highest scores would go on to the Showcase. The winner of the Showcase would be entitled to a spot in Finalists' Row.
This version was announced by Rich Fields and taped in Studio 46. It also marked the first Price Is Right episode directed by Rich DiPirro, who replaced Bart Eskander as the director on the daytime show in January 2009.
The introduction of the program ushered in a new era of game show—moving away from the knowledge-based quiz show format, creating "a noisy, carnival atmosphere that challenged cultural norms and assumptions represented in previous generations of quiz shows".
Since the mid-1990s, the program production company and in some cases the executive producer (both Barker and Michael G. Richards
, the executive producer since 2008) have been sued by numerous women. Most of the lawsuits involved models and other staff members in cases of sexual harassment, wrongful termination and racial discrimination. Allegations of sexual harassment brought by model Dian Parkinson
led to Barker calling a press conference to admit a past consensual sexual relationship with her, while denying any harassment and alleging instead that she was only angry with him for calling off the relationship. Barker was widowed in 1981 following the death of his wife, Dorothy Jo. It has also been alleged that Barker and senior staff created a hostile work environment, particularly to those who would testify for the plaintiffs suing Barker. Responding to the controversy just before his retirement, Barker told William Keck of USA Today
, "[The allegations have] been such a problem. I don't want to say anything about them. They [were] disgusting; I don't want to mention them."
All Barker-era lawsuits, except for one, were settled out of court. Barker himself dropped his slander suit against Holly Hallstrom. Hallstrom countersued and ultimately received millions in settlement.
Two current lawsuits involving Brandi Sherwood
and Lanisha Cole
are currently in litigation, with Richards being targeted, along with producer Sandler.
Three games were produced during the 1970s by Milton Bradley
, with Contestants' Row, a small number of pricing games and, in the case of the third version, a spinner for the Big Wheel. In the first two versions, decks of cards had various grocery items, small prizes and larger prizes. The third version simply had cards for each game that included ten sets of "right" answers, all using the same price choices. The instruction book specified what color cards would be necessary for each round.
The 1986 version, again by Milton Bradley, was similar in scope to the earlier version, with new prizes and more games, but lacking the Big Wheel. The instruction book refers to Contestants' Row as the "Qualifying Round" and the pricing games as "Solo Games". The book also instructs players to use items priced under $100 as One Bids. The 1998 version of the game, by Endless Games
, was virtually identical to the 1986 release, with the same games, prizes and even the same prices. The only changes were that the number tiles were made of cardboard bits instead of plastic and the cars from the deck of prizes with four-digit prices were removed.
The 2004 edition, again by Endless Games, was a complete departure from previous home versions. Instead of different prize cards and games, the game consisted of everything needed to play 40 games and enough materials to create all the games not technically included if the "host" wished to and knew their rules. The Big Wheel spinner was also restored, this time with the numbers in the correct order. Additionally, the prices, instead of being random numbers that could change each time the game was played, were actual prices taken from episodes of the TV show. To fit everything in the box, grocery items and prizes were listed in the instruction book and games were played on dry erase boards. A spinner would determine what game would be played next, although its use was not necessarily required if the "host" wished to build his own game lineup.
created a The Price Is Right computer game for the DOS
and Commodore 64
platforms and other systems to fit in their line of other game show games.
A hand-held Tiger game was made in 1998 with four pricing games. A DVD game with 12 pricing games, live casino show host Todd Newton
and video of prizes taken directly from the show was produced by Endless Games in 2005. A 2008 DVD edition, also from Endless Games, featured many changes based on Season 36 and included seven new games: Half Off, More or Less, Swap Meet, Secret X, That's Too Much, Coming or Going and Hole in One. It also featured both host Drew Carey and announcer Rich Fields.
CBS.com featured an online Price Is Right-based game in the late 1990s, which was plugged in the closing credits of each episode. The game consisted of choosing which of the four bidders in Contestant's Row was closest to the price of a prize without going over.
Mobliss provides a suite of pricing games for cellular phones. Previously, it offered Cliff Hangers and Plinko.
On March 26, 2008, Ludia Inc (in connection with Ubisoft
) launched The Price Is Right video game for PC. A version for the Wii
and Nintendo DS
platforms was released in September 2008, while a version for the iOS was released in November 2008. The show's announcer, Rich Fields, was the host of the computer version. The virtual set in the game resembles the set used in Seasons 31 through 34 rather than the current set. During the taping of this promotion, the Plinko
board was rigged so that all chips dropped landed in the highest value slot on the board. After production wrapped, the wires used to rig the board were mistakenly left in place, leading to an incident during a taping of the daytime show which had to be edited and re-shot.
Ludia announced that all three platforms will receive a new version of the video game that was previewed at the Target Bullseye Lounge during the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show on June 2–4, 2009. The Price Is Right 2010 Edition was released on September 22, 2009. In the fall of 2010, Ludia developed a multiplayer version for Facebook
.
Irwin Toys released an electronic tabletop version in 2008 featuring Contestant's Row, the Big Wheel, a physical Plinko board with chips, Showcases and seven pricing games.
Jakks Pacific
released a Plug It in and Play version of The Price Is Right in 2009, featuring Drew Carey and announcer Rich Fields. The unit features 20 pricing games as well as the Contestant's Row, Big Wheel and Showcase rounds.
.
The most common machines recreate the Showcase Showdown as a bonus feature, with a wheel built into the game above the main video screen. At least four different versions of this machine exist as of 2006, each featuring additional bonus rounds based on popular pricing games: Plinko
, Cliff Hangers, Punch a Bunch, and Dice Game. The Cliff Hangers game also exists as a mechanical reel slot machine, with a video screen positioned above the reels for the bonus.
In addition, a Money Game slot machine exists, albeit in limited release. This game has a potential top prize of a new car and has a different bonus round than the other The Price Is Right slot machines in service.
Another slot machine called The Price Is Right Fishing Game has been created by IGT. The game features a fishing-themed bonus and is not based on any pricing game featured on the program. IGT has also released a game called The Price Is Right Fort Knox Progressives, but there are no elements of the television program evident in its gameplay.
version of the game is being offered by several U.S. and Canadian lotteries, featuring adaptations of Plinko
, Cliff Hangers, the Showcase Showdown and the Showcase. The top prize varies with each version.
and Todd Newton
hosting and Randy West
, Daniel Rosen
or Dave Walls announcing.
In accordance with Barker's animal-rights wishes, which remain in effect beyond his retirement, any episodes with fur coats as prizes currently cannot be aired or released into home media formats. This includes the first three daytime shows recorded in 1972, plus most of the 1970s syndicated run. Despite this measure, GSN accidentally aired four episodes with furs during the time it had the rights to the series.
, in 1988, 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2007.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
which was created by Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
and Bill Todman
Bill Todman
William S. "Bill" Todman was an American television producer born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest running shows with business partner Mark Goodson.-Early life:...
. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to "Contestants' Row". The original version of The Price Is Right aired from 1956 until 1965. The current version of the series premiered on September 4, 1972 on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, originally titled The New Price Is Right to distinguish itself from the original. Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Robert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
hosted and Johnny Olson
Johnny Olson
John Leonard "Johnny" Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. His work spanned 32 game shows produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s...
was the game's announcer. The series originally ran for 30 minutes, but expanded to 60 minutes in 1975. After Olson's death in 1985, Rod Roddy
Rod Roddy
Robert Ray "Rod" Roddy was an American radio and television announcer. He is primarily known for his role as an offstage announcer on game shows. Among the shows that he announced are the CBS game shows Whew!, Press Your Luck and The Price Is Right. On the latter two, Roddy appeared on camera on...
became the program's announcer until his death in 2003, when Rich Fields
Rich Fields
Richard Wayne "Rich" Fields is an American broadcaster, spokesman, announcer and meteorologist, best known for being the announcer of the American version of The Price Is Right from 2004–2010....
replaced him. After Barker's retirement in 2007, Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
became the program's host. George Gray
George Gray
George Gray may refer to:* George Gray, founder of the Hawkhurst Gang* George Gray , member of the Australian House of Representatives...
became the show's announcer in 2011.
In a 2007 article, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
named The Price Is Right the "greatest game show of all time".
While retaining some elements of the earlier generation show, the 1972 version added many new distinctive gameplay elements and is the longest continuously running game show in United States television history, with over 7,000 episodes aired. The program's 40th season began September 19, 2011.
Gameplay
The gameplay on the show includes four distinct competition elements through which nine preliminary contestants (or six, depending on the episode's running time) eventually are narrowed to two finalists who compete in the final segment of the show, "the Showcase."One Bid
The four players in Contestants' Row compete in a One Bid qualifying game to determine which contestant will play the next pricing game. A prize is shown and, beginning with the last player to be called down or the player farthest-left during the first One Bid, each contestant gives a single bid for the item. The order of bidding moves from left to right. Contestants bid in whole dollars and may not bid the same amount as any player bid previously for that item. The player whose bid is closest to the actual retail price of the prize without going over wins the prize and plays the next pricing game.If all four contestants overbid, a buzzer sounds before the price is revealed. The host announces the lowest bid, the bids are erased and the bidding process is repeated in the same manner with the contestants instructed to bid lower than the lowest of the original bids.
If one of the contestants bids the exact price of the item, including during a re-bid, a bell rings before the price is revealed. From 1977 until 1998, a player who made a "perfect bid" received a $100 bonus. In 1998, the bonus for perfect bids was increased to $500. On The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular, the bonus is $1,000.
Pricing games
The contestant who wins the One Bid comes onstage and has the chance to win additional prizes or cash playing a pricing game. After the pricing game ends, a new contestant is selected for Contestants' Row and the process is repeated. Six pricing games are played on each hour-long episode; three games per episode were played in the half-hour format. On a typical hour-long episode, two games—one in each half of the show—will be played for a car, at most one game will be played for a cash prize and the other games will offer merchandise or trips. Usually, one of the six games will involve grocery products, while another will involve smaller prizes that can be used to win a larger prize package.When the show premiered in 1972, five pricing games were in the rotation. Throughout the years more games have been created and added to the rotation, and after the program expanded to one hour permanently in 1975, the rate at which games premiered increased dramatically. Games are occasionally removed from the rotation due to lack of popularity, confusing gameplay, antiquated or irreparable mechanics used to operate the game, or for other unspecified reasons. A total of 105 games have been played on the show, of which 70 are in the current rotation.
On the 1994 syndicated version
The New Price Is Right (1994 game show)
The New Price Is Right was a short-lived syndicated version of the American game show The Price Is Right, which aired from September 12, 1994 to January 27, 1995. This version of the show did not use the same on-air personnel as the daytime version which ran concurrently on CBS...
hosted by Doug Davidson
Doug Davidson
Douglas Donald "Doug" Davidson is an American television actor. He has portrayed private investigator Paul Williams on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless since May 1978, making him the series' senior male cast member.On September 12, 1994, he began hosting a five-night-a-week,...
, the rules of several games were modified and other aesthetic changes were made. Notably, the grocery products used in some games on the daytime version were replaced by small merchandise prizes, generally valued less than $100. Beginning in 2008, episodes of The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular featured rule changes to some pricing games which rewarded a $1 million bonus to the contestant if specific goals were achieved while playing the pricing game.
Showcase Showdown
Since the expansion to 60 minutes in 1975, each episode features two Showcase Showdowns, occurring after the third and sixth pricing games. Each features the three contestants who played the preceding pricing games spinning "The Big Wheel" to determine who advances to the Showcase.The contestants play in the order of the value of their winnings thus far (including in the One Bid round), with the contestant who has won the most spinning last. In the rare event two or all three players are tied in winnings, a coin toss or random drawing determines which player goes first.
The wheel contains 20 sections showing values from 5¢–$1.00, in increments of five cents. The first contestant spins the wheel and may choose to stop with their score or spin again, adding the value of the second spin to their first. However, if a contestant's total score goes over $1.00, that contestant is eliminated from the game. The contestant whose score is nearest to $1.00 without going over advances to the Showcase at the end of each episode. If the first two contestants go over $1.00, the last contestant automatically advances to the Showcase, however they are given one spin to see if they can hit $1.00.
Any contestant whose score equals $1.00 (from either one spin or a combination of two spins) receives a $1,000 bonus, and since 1978, a bonus spin. In the bonus spin, the wheel is positioned on 5¢ and the contestant takes their spin. If the wheel stops on 5¢ or 15¢ (which are adjacent to the $1.00 space and painted green), the contestant receives a bonus of $10,000. If the wheel stops on $1.00 during the bonus spin, the contestant wins an additional $25,000. From 1978–September 2008, the bonuses were to $5,000 for landing on a green section and $10,000 for landing on $1.00. If the wheel does not stop on any of these spaces or fails to make one complete revolution, the contestant wins no additional money and does not get to spin again.
If, after all three contestants have competed, two or more contestants are tied with the leading score, each competes in a spin-off. The tied contestants are given one additional spin and the player who achieves the higher score advances to the Showcase. Multiple spin-offs are played until the tie is broken. Those who hit $1.00 in their spin-off spin still get $1,000 and a bonus spin. If two or more contestants tied with a score of $1.00, their bonus spin also determines their spin-off score. Only the spin-off score, not any bonus money won, determines which contestant moves on to the Showcase. A tie in a bonus spin spin-off means the ensuing second spin-off will be spun with no bonuses available.
Each spin must make one complete revolution in order to qualify. A contestant whose spin does not make a complete revolution is traditionally booed
Booing
Booing is an act of showing displeasure for someone or something, generally an entertainer, by loudly yelling boo! or making other noises of disparagement, such as hissing. People may make hand signs at the entertainer, such as the thumbs down sign...
by the audience, and is required to spin again, except during a bonus spin, when the player's turn ends. However, if the bonus spin was also part of a spin-off, the contestant is required to spin again but does not have an opportunity to win any bonus money, similar to a tie-breaking spin after a bonus spin.
The Showcase
The two winners of the Showcase Showdowns compete in the Showcase at the end of the show. These two contestants are dubbed the "top winner" and the "runner-up", based upon their total winnings to that point. Before the introduction of the Showcase Showdown in 1975, and on all episodes which are 30-minutes in length, the two contestants with the highest winnings advanced directly to the Showcase.A "showcase" of prizes is presented and the top winner either places a bid on the total value of the showcase or passes the showcase to the runner-up, who is then required to make a bid. A second showcase is then presented and the contestant who had not bid on the first showcase makes their bid. Unlike the One Bid, the contestant bidding on the second showcase may bid the same amount their opponent did on the first showcase, since the two contestants are bidding on different prize packages.
The contestant who has bid nearer to the price of their own showcase without going over wins the prizes in their showcase. Any contestant who overbids automatically loses regardless of their opponent's result. If both contestants overbid (a "double overbid"), neither player wins.
Unlike One Bid, there is no additional bonus for a perfect bid, which has happened twice in the daytime show's history. However, if the winner's difference is $250 or less away from the actual retail price of their own showcase without going over, the contestant wins both showcases. From 1974–September 1998, the contestants' bids had to be less than $100 from the actual price without going over in order to win both showcases.
Prizes
As of November 2009, the show had given away approximately $250,000,000 in cash and prizes. Several Barker-imposed prohibitions have been lifted since Carey became host, such as offering products made of leather or leather seats in vehicles and showing simulated meat props on barbecues and in ovens. The show has also offered couture clothing and accessories since Carey began hosting, featuring designers such as Coach Inc., Louis VuittonLouis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
and Limited Brands
Limited Brands
Limited Brands is an American apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009 it reported 9.04 billion dollars in revenue for the last fiscal year.-History:...
in an attempt to attract a younger demographic.
The most expensive prize ever offered on this version of the show was a Tesla Roadster
Tesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster is a battery electric vehicle sports car produced by the electric car firm Tesla Motors in California. The Roadster was the first highway-capable all-electric vehicle in serial production available in the United States. Since 2008 Tesla has sold 2,024 Roadsters in 30 countries...
(valued at $112,845), featured during Green Road (an Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
-themed playing of Golden Road) on Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
2010.
Cars
From 1991–2008, almost all automobiles offered on the show were made by companies based in the United States, specifically Detroit's Big Three (although cars made by these companies' foreign subsidiaries or in a joint-venture with a foreign company were also offered). The move was made by Barker, in his capacity as executive producer, as a sign of patriotism during the first Iraq warGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
in 1991, and as a show of support to the American car industry, which was particularly struggling at that time. When Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
merged with German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automaker Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler AG (now simply Daimler AG after Chrysler split from the automaker; Chrysler is now controlled by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
automaker Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
), the foreign ownership of Chrysler did not affect carrying any Chrysler-related models on the show.
Since Barker's retirement, cars made by foreign companies have been offered, most notably Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, which has several factories throughout Carey's home state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Through product placement, certain episodes feature Honda as the exclusive automobile manufacturer for vehicles offered on that episode. The major European (Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler) and Asian (Hyundai, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi) manufacturers have all provided cars on the show since the ban was lifted, with premium foreign cars almost exclusively used for games that generally offer higher-priced cars, such as Golden Road and 3 Strikes. Vintage cars have occasionally been offered as prizes for games which do not involve pricing them.
Winnings records
The record for largest individual total in cash and prizes on a daytime episode is held by Vickyann Sadowski. On September 18, 2006, the premiere of Season 35, Sadowski won a Dodge CaravanDodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
playing Push Over and $1,000 in cash in the second Showcase Showdown. She also won both showcases, which included a Dodge Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
in her showcase and a Saturn Sky
Saturn Sky
The Saturn Sky was the only roadster from the Saturn marque of American automaker General Motors, and was initially released in the first quarter of 2006 as a 2007 model. It uses the Kappa automobile platform shared with the Pontiac Solstice and Opel GT...
Roadster in her opponent's, bringing her total winnings for the episode to $147,517, making her the largest single-episode winner
American game show winnings records
This article lists American game show winnings records and goes into the history and people who have held them. Through the years there have been number of big winners as American game shows competed for viewers with ballooning prizes....
in the history of American network daytime game shows.
The record for winnings on the prime time show is held by Adam Rose. On The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular that aired on February 22, 2008, Rose won $20,000 playing Grand Game and won both showcases, which included a Ford Escape Hybrid
Ford Escape
The Ford Escape is a compact SUV sold by the automaker Ford Motor Company introduced in 2000 as a 2001 model year and priced below the Ford Explorer. Although technically it's a crossover vehicle, it is marketed by Ford as part of its traditional SUV lineup rather than its separate crossover lineup...
in his opponent's showcase and a Cadillac XLR
Cadillac XLR
The XLR was a retractable hardtop convertible marketed by the Cadillac division of General Motors, assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Intended to be Cadillac's flagship sports car, the XLR was based on the Chevrolet Corvette's Y platform...
convertible in his own showcase, plus a $1,000,000 bonus. His total was $1,153,908.
CBS imposed a $25,000 winnings limit on their game shows until November 1, 1984, when the limit was raised to $50,000. The limit was again raised to $75,000 two years later. By the late 1990s, CBS had lifted its winnings limit and contestants kept all cash and prizes won without forfeiture or forced donation to charity.
Bob Barker (1972–2007)
Bob Barker began hosting The Price Is Right in September 4, 1972 and completed a 35-year tenure in 2007. Barker was hired as host while still hosting the stunt comedy show Truth or ConsequencesTruth or Consequences
Truth or Consequences is an American quiz show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards and later on television by Edwards , Jack Bailey , Bob Barker , Bob Hilton and Larry Anderson . The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication...
. His retirement coincided with his 50th year as a television host. His final show aired on June 15, 2007 and was repeated in prime time, leading into the network's coverage of the Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition to hosting, Barker became Executive Producer of the show and so served from 1988 to his retirement, gaining significant creative control over the series between 2000 and his 2007 retirement. He also was responsible for creating several of the show's pricing games and launching The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular spin-off.
Reruns of Barker's last season were aired throughout the summer until the Friday before Carey's debut, when the Season 35 finale was re-aired on October 12, 2007.
During his time as host, Barker missed one taping due to illness. Dennis James
Dennis James
Dennis James was an American television personality, actor, and announcer. He is credited as the host of television's first network game show, the DuMont Network's Cash and Carry in 1946...
, then hosting the syndicated nighttime version of the show, filled in for him on four episodes in December 1974.
After he became a noted animal rights advocate in the early 1980s, Barker signed off each broadcast with the public-service message, "Help control the pet population—have your pets spayed or neutered." Carey continued the tradition upon becoming the new host.
Barker made a guest appearance on the show on April 16, 2009, to promote his autobiography, Priceless Memories. He appeared during the Showcase round and brought copies of the book to the audience.
Drew Carey (2007–present)
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
began a search for the next host of the show. Drew Carey was chosen and made the announcement of his selection during a July 23, 2007 interview on Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
.
Carey's first show aired October 15, 2007. Carey has continued Barker's tagline of "have your pet spayed or neutered" at the end of each episode.
Announcers
Johnny OlsonJohnny Olson
John Leonard "Johnny" Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. His work spanned 32 game shows produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s...
was the program's original announcer until shortly before his death in October 1985. Olson was replaced by Rod Roddy
Rod Roddy
Robert Ray "Rod" Roddy was an American radio and television announcer. He is primarily known for his role as an offstage announcer on game shows. Among the shows that he announced are the CBS game shows Whew!, Press Your Luck and The Price Is Right. On the latter two, Roddy appeared on camera on...
in 1986, who remained with the program until shortly before his death in October 2003. Los Angeles meteorologist Rich Fields
Rich Fields
Richard Wayne "Rich" Fields is an American broadcaster, spokesman, announcer and meteorologist, best known for being the announcer of the American version of The Price Is Right from 2004–2010....
took over as the announcer in April 2004, and stayed on until the end of season 38.
JD Roberto
JD Roberto
John David "JD" Roberto is an American television personality, game show host and writer.-Biography:Born in White Plains, New York, Roberto went to the NYU's Tisch School of the Arts where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting...
, Jeff B. Davis, Brad Sherwood
Brad Sherwood
Bradley "Brad" Sherwood is an American actor and comedian. He has worked in entertainment as an actor, comedian, singer, writer, and producer.- Early life and career:...
, David H. Lawrence XVII, George Gray, and Steve White
Steve White (actor)
Steve White is an African American actor and comedian, best known for his roles in Spike Lee films. He has worked with Lee five times...
alternated as guest announcers following Fields' departure. Fields stated that the show's executive producer Mike Richards
Michael G. Richards
Michael G. Richards , also known as Mike Richards, is a television personality and producer....
was looking for an announcer with experience in the field of improvisational comedy. Gray was confirmed as the show's permanent announcer on the April 18, 2011 episode.
Models
To help display its many prizes, the show has featured several models who were known, during Barker's time on the show, as "Barker's Beauties." Some of the longer-tenured Barker's Beauties included Kathleen BradleyKathleen Bradley
Kathleen Bradley is a former model primarily known as a "Barker's Beauty" on the daytime game show The Price Is Right from 1990 to 2000...
(1990–2000), Holly Hallstrom
Holly Hallstrom
Holly Hallstrom was one of the models on the daytime game show The Price Is Right, from 1977–1995...
(1977–1995), Dian Parkinson
Dian Parkinson
Dian Parkinson is a former American model and hostess on The Price Is Right.-Career history:...
(1975–1993) and Janice Pennington
Janice Pennington
Janice Marie Pennington was one of the original "Barker's Beauties" models on The Price Is Right, serving as the show's longest-running model to date, from 1972 to 2000. She was also Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for the May 1971 issue. She is the older sister of fellow model Ann...
(1972–2000). Pennington and Bradley were both dismissed from the program in 2000, allegedly because they had given testimony on Hallstrom's behalf in the wrongful-termination litigation she pursued against Barker and the show. Following the departures of Nikki Ziering, Heather Kozar
Heather Kozar
Heather Kozar is an American model known as Playboy's Playmate of the Month for January 1998. She appeared on the cover of the June 1999 issue of the magazine, and was voted Playmate of the Year for 1999. Her original centerfold was photographed by Richard Fegley...
and Claudia Jordan
Claudia Jordan
Claudia Jordan is an American television and radio personality. She is primarily known for appearing as a model on the U.S. version of Deal or No Deal, and for competing on Season 2 of the Celebrity Apprentice.-Personal life:...
in the 2000s, producers decided to use a rotating cast of models (up to ten) until the middle of Season 37, after which the show reverted to five regular models.
The current models are Rachel Reynolds
Rachel Reynolds
Rachel Reynolds is an American model and actress who is currently one of the models on the game show The Price Is Right....
, Amber Lancaster
Amber Lancaster
-Personal life:Lancaster was born in Tacoma, Washington. She attended Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma. In 1998, she won the title of Miss Washington Teen USA. She went on to join the Sea Gals, the cheerleading squad of the Seattle Seahawks football team. Lancaster was a member of the Sea Gals...
, Gwendolyn Osborne, and Manuela Arbeláez
Manuela Arbeláez
Manuela Arbeláez Correa is a Colombian-born, naturalized American model and actress perhaps best known for her work on the television game show The Price Is Right....
. Current host Drew Carey does not use a collective name for the models, but refers to them by name, hoping that the models will be able to use the show as a "springboard" to further their careers. In a change from previous policy, the models appearing on a given episode are now named individually in the show's credits and are formally referred as "The Price Is Right models" when collectively grouped at events.
Production staff
The game show production team of Mark GoodsonMark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
and Bill Todman
Bill Todman
William S. "Bill" Todman was an American television producer born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest running shows with business partner Mark Goodson.-Early life:...
was responsible for producing the original as well as the revival versions of the game show. Goodson–Todman staffer Bob Stewart is credited with creating the original version of The Price Is Right.
Roger Dobkowitz
Roger Dobkowitz
Roger Kurt Dobkowitz is the head of his own production company in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his 24-year tenure as a producer of the CBS game show The Price Is Right...
was the program's producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
from 1984–2008, having worked with the program as a production staffer since the current version's debut after graduating from San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
in 1972. Occasionally, Dobkowitz appeared on camera when answering a question posed by the host, usually relating to the show's history or records. Dobkowitz left the show in 2008. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported that it was unclear whether he was retiring or was fired, although Drew Carey indicated in a later interview with Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
that Dobkowitz was fired.
As of 2011, the show uses multiple producers, all long-time staffers. Adam Sandler (not to be confused with the actor
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
) is the current producer of the show. Stan Blits, who joined the show in 1980, and Sue MacIntyre are the co-producers. Kathy Greco joined the show in 1975 and became producer in 2008; she announced her retirement October 8, 2010 on the show's Web site, effective at the end of the December 2010 tapings. Her last episode as producer, which aired January 27, 2011, featured a theme in tribute to her. The show's official website featured a series of videos including an interview with Greco as a tribute to her 35 years in the days leading up to her final episode.
Frank Wayne
Frank Wayne
Frank Wayne was an American game show producer and host.Wayne was the original executive producer of the 1972 revival of The Price Is Right until his death in 1988. He created the show's most popular game, Plinko, and many others...
, a Goodson–Todman staffer since the 1950s, was the original executive producer of the show's current version. Barker assumed that role after Wayne's death in 1988. Previous producers have included Jay Wolpert
Jay Wolpert
Jay Wolpert is an American television producer and screenwriter.His first television appearance came as a contestant on the original version of Jeopardy! in 1969. He competed in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions that year and won....
, Barbara Hunter and Phil Wayne Rossi (Frank Wayne's son). Michael Dimich assumed the director's chair in June 2011. Marc Breslow
Marc Breslow
Marc Breslow is a former American television director, specializing in game shows for Mark Goodson Productions. Breslow was the director throughout the CBS and syndicated run of Match Game during the 1970s and early 1980s, and was the original director of the 1972 version of The Price Is...
, Paul Alter
Paul Alter
Paul Alter was a former American television director, specializing in game shows for Mark Goodson Productions...
, Bart Eskander and Rich DiPirro each served long stints previously as director. Former associate directors Andrew Felsher and Fred Witten, as well as technical director Glenn Koch, have directed episodes strictly on a fill-in basis.
Aside from Barker, the show's production staff remained intact after Carey became host. FremantleMedia executive Syd Vinnedge was named the program's new executive producer, with Mike Richards
Michael G. Richards
Michael G. Richards , also known as Mike Richards, is a television personality and producer....
becoming co-executive producer after Dobkowitz's departure. Richards was a candidate to replace Barker as host in 2007, before Carey was ultimately chosen. Richards succeeded Vinnedge as executive producer when the 2009–2010 season started, with Tracy Verna Soiseth joining Richards as co-executive producer in 2010. Vinnedge remains credited as an executive consultant to the show.
Audience and contestant selection
Many audience members arrive early on the day of a taping, often camping out late at night the previous night, to attend a taping. Most have already received tickets for that day's show, although some hope to get same-day tickets. Audience members are then given the iconic name tags with a temporary identification number, which is also written on the person's ticket. A Social Security NumberSocial Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
(or some national I.D. number for non-U.S. audience members) is also required to be submitted. Audience members are eventually brought through in groups of twelve for brief interviews with the production staff. Contrary to popular belief, contestant names are not chosen at random; rather, the interviews determine possible selections for the nine contestants per taping from among the pool of approximately 325 audience members. Since 1988, the minimum age for audience members has been 18; prior to 1988, children and teenagers (as young as 12) were present in the audience.
With few exceptions, anyone at least 18 years old who attends a taping of the show has the potential to become a contestant. Those ineligible include current candidates for political office, employees of CBS Corporation or its affiliates, RTL Group or any firm involved in offering prizes for the show. Contestants who have appeared on a different game show within the previous year or either two other game shows or any version of The Price Is Right itself within the past ten years are also ineligible. The show’s staff alerts potential contestantsin person, on the show's Web site and on the tickets themselvesto dress in "street clothes" and to not wear costumes, such as those used to attract attention on Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
, another show that featured contestants selected from the audience. Those who have attended tapings in June 2008 noted that producers disallowed audience members from wearing fake eyeglasses designed to look similar to those worn by host Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
, though this restriction was later relaxed. Instead, contestants will often wear shirts with hand-decorated slogans. As is the tradition on game shows, members of the Armed Forces will often wear a military uniform.
Prospective contestants obtain tickets by mailing their request to the ticketing department at CBS Television City. Since 2005, tickets can also be obtained from the show's official website.
In addition, the show discourages contestants from wearing green shirts because some game props use chroma key
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
effects, which can blend into a contestant's shirt. The show began using this effect for trips as a result of switching to 1080i
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
in 2008, but later in the season abandoned the green screen for trips and oversized prizes too large to fit in the studio, replacing them with the use of video screens. Some prizes (mostly water-related prizes) still use green screens to create a simulated "wave" effect. The green screen is now used outside on the show where potential contestants are allowed to be photographed as if they were on the Plinko
Plinko
Plinko is a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. The game involves guessing the prices of prizes to win "Plinko chips," which are later dropped down a large bean machine-style board to determine the contestant's cash prize...
board, Cliff Hangers set or Showcase Showdown wheel where contestants can post a message notifying them of their appearance on the show on a future date.
Occasionally episodes are taped with special audience restrictions. For Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
in 1991, an episode was taped with an audience composed entirely of those who had served in the Armed Forces. Similar prime time episodes were taped in 2002 honoring each branch of the United States military and a sixth episode honoring police officers and firefighters.
Since Season 37 in 2008, the annual Veteran's Day episode, set to air November 11 or the Friday closest to it, the audience is composed entirely of those who have served in the Armed Forces and their families. The 2008 version was slated to air in daytime on November 11, 2008 (Veteran's Day), but the airing was moved to November 14 as a CBS prime time episode. The format contains a unique rule where each One Bid would feature one contestant from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. As each contestant wins their way onstage they are replaced by a member of the same branch of service. The show features a live military band playing the winning contestant's service song. The traditional name tags also contained the contestant's (or their family member's) service branch. Most civilian attendees were retired or disabled veterans or family members of military. Each contestant was also introduced by their rank, which usually does not happen with civilian episodes when military members are introduced and One Bid winners won a $1,000 gift card. Audience members were grouped by branch of service.
The 2009 version changed the earlier format in which a service member from the same branch replaced another after advancing from Contestants' Row. Additionally, members from the United States Coast Guard (part of the Department of Homeland Security) were invited to the show.
Beginning in 2008, some episodes have featured themes with couples competing as teams (either married or engaged couples for Valentine's Day and parent and child teams for both Mother's Day and Father's Day Calling All Fathers ), or specific groups of contestants (brides-to-be and engaged couples for "the Ultimate Wedding Shower" and students for "Ultimate Spring Break" and "Back to School"). Other special episodes themed for holidays or featuring family members of the Armed Forces (Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces Day
Several nations of the world hold an annual Armed Forces Day in honor of their military forces. - Armenia :Բանակի օր is celebrated on 28 January to commemorate the formation of the armed forces of the newly independent Republic of Armenia in 1992....
episode) have also aired.
The second taped episode had to be replaced as a contestant was related to a CBS employee and therefore ineligible to be on the show. The other contestants who appeared on that episode were awarded their prizes, but the episode was never aired (and currently cannot be shown due to containing a fur coat). There have been similar instances over the years of ineligible contestants appearing on stage, but were not edited out of the final broadcast since it was discovered in post-production. Usually, these episodes air with a disclaimer from the announcer added in post-production that the contestant was found ineligible. Standards and Practices guidelines for game shows state that if an ineligible contestant wins a One-Bid and the other contestants on Contestants' Row at the time do not win a subsequent One-Bid, they are not considered to have made an appearance on the show and are immediately eligible again once the error has been discovered.
Taping
Except for the 2002 Las Vegas special, The Price Is Right has been taped in Studio 33 in CBS Television CityCBS Television City
CBS Television City is a television studio complex located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of North Fairfax Avenue...
in Hollywood, California for its entire run. The studio, which is also used for other television productions, was renamed the Bob Barker Studio in the host's honor on the ceremonial 5,000th episode in 1998. When Carey became host, there was talk of the show traveling in the future.
The program is usually produced in about an hour. Two episodes are usually taped each day and there are normally three taping days per week. The program is taped in advance of its air date. For example, the show broadcast on February 28, 2008 was taped the preceding January 16. As with many other shows that start production in the summer, the lead time varies during the season, as many as fifteen weeks to as little as one day (a special episode featuring military family members as contestants was taped the day after the death of Osama bin Laden
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
, and rushed to air the following day). The audience is entertained by the announcer before taping begins. After the taping session, there is a drawing for a door prize
Door prize
At a party or gathering, a door prize may be awarded to one or more persons attending, via a raffle or drawing. Prizes can be small things such as pens, bookmarks, and buttons or they can be larger, more expensive items like gift baskets, cash, tickets to concerts, bicycles, or furniture...
. On some episodes all members of the audience receive a prize from a sponsor or celebrity guest; those prizes are usually mentioned in the Showcase (such as a complimentary slice of Papa John's Pizza, an NHL Winter Classic
NHL Winter Classic
The NHL Winter Classic is an annual event held by the National Hockey League on New Year's Day where regular-season games are played outdoors, in areas hosted by NHL teams. Though largely derived from the Heritage Classic outdoor game held in Edmonton in 2003, the Winter Classic has so far only...
game puck, a couples' gift box from Hershey's or a book authored by a guest). Television and CBS.COM viewers have also been directed to PRICEISRIGHT.COM to enter a drawing for a smilar prize offered to all viewers, or another prize related to the special offer (such as the Rock of Ages signed CD).
Some episodes are taped "out of order" so that a specific episode will air after other episodes have aired. Notably, the Christmas Week episodes are usually taped in early December outside of the regular rotation. An episode may be taped out of order if a prize package reflects a trip to a special event that is taking place close to the date that episode will air (such as the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
, Academy of Country Music Awards, NHL Winter Classic
NHL Winter Classic
The NHL Winter Classic is an annual event held by the National Hockey League on New Year's Day where regular-season games are played outdoors, in areas hosted by NHL teams. Though largely derived from the Heritage Classic outdoor game held in Edmonton in 2003, the Winter Classic has so far only...
, or Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
basketball tournament).
Other episodes may be aired out of out of order because of game-related incidents or situations beyond the network's control. Such was the case when two episodes taped in June 2005, featuring trips to New Orleans, were set to air in the fall of 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
struck. The episodes eventually aired in May and June 2006. Similarly, an episode taped in April 2010, slated to air in May 2010, that offered a trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
was pulled and moved into the traditional rerun season, airing at the end of the season in September 2010 after the May 2010 Tennessee floods
2010 Tennessee floods
The May 2010 Tennessee floods were 1000-year floods in Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, south-central and western Kentucky and northern Mississippi as the result of torrential rains on May 1 and 2, 2010...
. Episodes featuring trips to locations where recent natural disasters have coincided with the original air date have also been delayed.
Currently, the show usually tapes two or three weeks each month in which six shows are taped each week (two shows on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday), except for a small Christmas break after December tapings.
Production company
The current version of the series was originally "A Mark GoodsonMark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
–Bill Todman
Bill Todman
William S. "Bill" Todman was an American television producer born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest running shows with business partner Mark Goodson.-Early life:...
Production" in association with CBS. After Todman died in 1979, the unit became known as simply Mark Goodson Productions and was announced as such on The Price Is Right from 1984–2007. Today, the series is produced by FremantleMedia and copyrighted by The Price Is Right Productions, Inc., a joint venture of RTL Group
RTL Group
RTL Group is Europe's largest TV, radio and production company, and is majority-owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. It has 45 television and 32 radio stations in 11 countries...
and CBS.
For the sake of tradition and through special permission from RTL's subsidiary FremantleMedia, the show continued to use the Mark Goodson Productions name, logo and announcement at the end of each episode until Barker's retirement, even after FremantleMedia purchased and absorbed the Goodson-Todman holdings. The show is now credited as a FremantleMedia production.
Set features
Contestants' Row is placed at the front of the audience located on the edge of the apronApron stage
The apron is any part of the stage that extends past the proscenium arch and into the audience or seating area. The Elizabethan stage, which was a raised platform with the audience on three sides, is the outstanding example....
. On stage are three sets of large paneled sliding doors as well as the turntable, a platform with a rotating wall. Pricing games and prizes are typically placed in these areas. There is also a "Giant Price Tag" prop, a large curtain and other covers used to conceal prizes, games and other staging elements. On the back wall behind the audience is a large plasma video screen that displays the show's logo and various prizes. The announcer and production crew are positioned on separate podia stage left.
Outside of minor cosmetic changes or updates to color schemes, the set remained largely unchanged until Carey began hosting. In 2008, with the transition to high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, updates have been made to various game props, the announcer's podium and other set features, and aesthetics of these items have varied from year to year. Outdated technology, such as the use of eggcrate displays, has been replaced on some props with newer technology, such as LCD screens, as the One Bid and Showcase podia were the first to switch at the start of Season 38.
Changes to the set (including altering color schemes of certain set pieces, adding themed decorations, and changing the name of pricing games) are occasionally made for specially themed episodes.
Broadcast history
The Price Is Right premiered on September 4, 1972 at 10:30 a.m. (9:30 Central) on CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. The show was first called The New Price Is Right to distinguish itself from the earlier Bill Cullen
Bill Cullen
William Lawrence Francis "Bill" Cullen was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades...
version (1956–1965), but it proved so popular in its own right that, in June 1973, the producers decided to drop the word "New." The program aired at 3:00 p.m. from 1973 to 1975, but has otherwise been part of the network's morning schedule. In September 1975, CBS experimented with a 60-minute version of the show to celebrate its third anniversary, and the expansion was made permanent two months later on November 3, 1975. On April 23, 1979, the show moved to the 11:00 a.m. time slot, which it has occupied since.
The format of the show has since remained virtually unchanged. New pricing games are generally added each year, while others are removed. In addition, prizes and pricing games have kept pace with inflation, with games originally designed for four-digit prices of prizes(most often cars) to be adjusted to allow for five-digit prices. While the set has been redesigned and upgraded, the show maintained a similar aesthetic element from its premiere in 1972 through 2009, when a transition to broadcasting in high-definition began.
In season 36, CBS began offering full episodes of the show available for free viewing on the network's website, and the show began to broadcast in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
with The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular primetime specials (the normal daytime version continued to air in 4:3 standard definition
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
). In addition, the last 12 episodes of season 36 were taped in HD, but broadcast in 4:3 standard definition. The show made the full transition to HD broadcasts beginning with season 37.
From September 28-October 2, 2009, September 20-24, 2010, and October 4-8, 2010, two new episodes aired daily on CBS. In 2009, the additional episodes filled a gap between the cancellation of the daytime drama Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
and the debut of Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
). In 2010, the extra episodes aired between the cancellation of As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
and the debut of The Talk. The intervening week offered a second episode of Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
). The 2009 second episode aired in the time slot vacated by Guiding Light, at 10:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. ET/PT, depending on the affiliate's choice. In 2010, the second episode aired in the former As the World Turns time slot, at 2:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Syndicated productions
Three syndicated versions of The Price Is Right have aired. The first two followed the same format as the half-hour daytime version but were intended to air on most stations in the early evening and as such were referred to on-air as "the nighttime Price Is Right".1972–1980
A weekly syndicated version debuted the week after the daytime show and continued to air until September 1980. It was distributed by Viacom EnterprisesViacom Enterprises
Viacom Enterprises was a television distribution company formed in 1971 as the successor to CBS Enterprises, and spun off in 1973 due to now-repealed FCC bylaws prohibiting networks from syndicating their own shows....
, which had started as the syndication arm of CBS. Since Bob Barker was also hosting Truth or Consequences
Truth or Consequences
Truth or Consequences is an American quiz show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards and later on television by Edwards , Jack Bailey , Bob Barker , Bob Hilton and Larry Anderson . The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication...
and his contract forbade him from hosting two syndicated series at the same time, Dennis James
Dennis James
Dennis James was an American television personality, actor, and announcer. He is credited as the host of television's first network game show, the DuMont Network's Cash and Carry in 1946...
was selected to host the nighttime version of The Price Is Right.
The two versions were largely similar at the beginning – both were called The New Price Is Right. Some games had rule differences because of the larger budget and less commercial time on the nighttime show; for example, Double Prices was played for two prizes instead of one.
This version retained the 1972 half-hour format for its entire run and did not add the daytime show's Showcase Showdown or Double Showcase rule. On June 22, 1973, on the daytime show's 200th episode, the word "New" was dropped from the program's name, and it was known as "the nighttime Price Is Right" or simply The Price Is Right.
In most of the U.S., stations carried the syndicated Price as one of several different programs aired each night of the week in one of the time slots in the hour before prime time which were created by the 1971 FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
Prime Time Access Rule
Prime Time Access Rule
The Prime Time Access Rule was instituted by the Federal Communications Commission in 1970 to restrict the amount of network broadcast programming that a local television station, Owned-and-operated station by or affiliated with a television network may air during "prime time"...
.
After the fifth nighttime season in 1977, James' contract was not renewed. Barker, whose Truth or Consequences was taped two years ahead and had stopped production in 1975, took over this version as well.
The series taped its 300th and final episode on March 12, 1980 and was canceled after weekly syndicated game shows had fallen out of popularity in favor of daily offerings. With a run of eight seasons, it was one of the longest-running weekly syndicated game shows of the era and the longest-running regularly scheduled prime-time version of Price (the 1957–1964 run was seven seasons).
1985–1986
Five years later, veteran host Tom Kennedy starred in a new daily syndicated version, which also used the traditional half-hour format and was syndicated by The Television Program SourceCoca-Cola Telecommunications
Coca-Cola Telecommunications was a short-lived first-run syndication unit of Columbia Pictures Television created in 1986 that was a merger between CPT's first-run syndication department and The Television Program Source...
. Like the previous syndicated series, this version had a slightly larger budget than its daytime counterpart. A perfect bid during the One-Bids won that contestant a $500 bonus (compared to $100 awarded on the daytime show during the same period; the bonus was increased to $500 on the daytime show in 1998).
This version used the same models as the daytime show. When Johnny Olson died in late 1985, Gene Wood filled in as announcer until producers chose Rod Roddy
Rod Roddy
Robert Ray "Rod" Roddy was an American radio and television announcer. He is primarily known for his role as an offstage announcer on game shows. Among the shows that he announced are the CBS game shows Whew!, Press Your Luck and The Price Is Right. On the latter two, Roddy appeared on camera on...
as Olson's replacement. The nighttime version did not feature rotating auditions for announcers as the daytime show did.
The series failed to earn prime access slots as its predecessor did, due to increased competition from programs such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! and often found itself in late night
Late night television
Late night television in the United States is the block of television programming airing after 11:00 pm and usually through 2:00 am. Traditionally, this type of programming airs after the late local news and is most notable for being the daypart used for a particular genre of programming that falls...
slots.
This version produced 170 episodes, airing in first-run from September 9, 1985 to May 30, 1986 (reruns aired until September 5). During the six years it held the rights to Price, the Kennedy version is the only one of the three syndicated versions that was rerun by GSN
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
(albeit in the late-night slots it frequently had during its original run).
The New Price Is Right
Seven years after the cancellation of Tom Kennedy's Price Is Right, the producers of the series decided to try again with a completely revamped version. The show, titled The New Price Is Right, taped two pilots on July 16 and 17, 1993. The first was hosted by Doug DavidsonDoug Davidson
Douglas Donald "Doug" Davidson is an American television actor. He has portrayed private investigator Paul Williams on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless since May 1978, making him the series' senior male cast member.On September 12, 1994, he began hosting a five-night-a-week,...
(who would eventually host the series), while the second was emceed by Mark Kriski
Mark Kriski
Mark Kriski is a Canadian born in Nova Scotia of Polish descent. He served as a DJ on Victoria, British Columbia's Q-100 FM, and Montreal's 980 AM, known as CKGM, then later as weatherman on Canada's The Weather Network in the late 1980s. Kriski now works at KTLA in Los Angeles.Mark Kriski has...
.
This series premiered on September 12, 1994 and was distributed by Paramount Domestic Television
Paramount Domestic Television
Paramount Domestic Television was the television distribution arm of American television production company Paramount Television, once the TV arm of Paramount Pictures...
(now, like Viacom Enterprises before it, part of CBS Television Distribution). This series featured several significant changes – eliminating Contestants' Row, a different format for the Showcase Showdown, a one-player Showcase, a completely different set and a much larger budget (even when compared to the previous two syndicated runs) that gave contestants the potential to win up to five times what they could win on the daytime show.
This version failed to gain viewership, largely because many stations regularly preempted it for coverage of the O. J. Simpson murder case
O. J. Simpson murder case
The O. J. Simpson murder case was a criminal trial held in Los Angeles County, California Superior Court from January 29 to October 3, 1995. Former American football star and actor O. J...
, and ended its run on January 27, 1995, after 16 weeks of first-run shows. Several stylistic elements of this series, as well as many of its music cues, would later be integrated into both the daytime version and nighttime specials.
CBS prime time specials and series
Must See TV
"Must See TV" is an advertising slogan used by the NBC television network to brand its prime time blocks of sitcoms during the 1990s, and most often applied to the network's Thursday night lineup, which featured such popular sitcoms as The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court, A Different...
by The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
and Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
with a six-episode summer series, The Price Is Right Special, beginning in August 1986.
On August 23, 1996, CBS aired an hour-long 25th Anniversary Special, using the half-hour gameplay format and featuring a number of retrospective clips. The 30th Anniversary Special was recorded at Harrah's Rio
Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in the unincorporated area of Paradise, Nevada, USA. It is better known as The Rio and is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Inc. The Rio was the first all suite resort in the Las Vegas area...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
and aired on January 31, 2002. This one-time road trip enticed 5,000 potential contestants to line up for 900 available tickets, causing an incident that left one person injured.
A second prime time series was a six-show series saluting various branches of the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, police officers and firefighters aired during the summer of 2002, as a tribute to the heroes of the terrorist attacks of 2001
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. During the series The Price Is Right Salutes, spinning $1.00 in a bonus spin during the Showcase Showdown was worth $100,000 instead of the usual $10,000.
The success of the prime time series, which aired mostly in the summer, along with the rise of "million dollar" game shows led to CBS launching another prime time series in 2003, titled The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular. The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
and original success in the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
led CBS to commission ten more episodes of the prime time series. This series introduced set changes as the show was broadcast in high definition television for the first time, and the set used for these episodes (except for the black floor) was moved to the daytime show in 2008.
On the prime time series, larger and more expensive prizes are generally offered than on the daytime show. The Showcase frequently offers multiple or very expensive cars. In the first sixteen $1,000,000 Spectaculars, the bonus spin payoff for the Showcase Showdown was again increased, this time to $1 million. The million-dollar spin was eliminated for Season 36 and was replaced with two other methods of winning the prize. One pricing game per episode was selected as a "million-dollar game" with an additional requirement that the contestant must meet in order to win the money. In the Showcase round, the double showcase win rule was adjusted to include the million dollar prize if the winning contestant came within $500 (originally $1,000) of the actual retail price of their showcase. No prime time episodes have been produced since summer 2008.
Gameshow Marathon
In 2006, The Price Is Right was featured on the series Gameshow Marathon, hosted by talk showTalk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host and actress Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake is an American actress, producer, and television host. She is best known for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, her ground-breaking documentary film The Business of Being Born, and her talk show which was broadcasted internationally from...
. This version combined aspects of the Barker and Davidson versions with the celebrity contestants playing three pricing games, followed by a Showcase Showdown where the two contestants with the highest scores would go on to the Showcase. The winner of the Showcase would be entitled to a spot in Finalists' Row.
This version was announced by Rich Fields and taped in Studio 46. It also marked the first Price Is Right episode directed by Rich DiPirro, who replaced Bart Eskander as the director on the daytime show in January 2009.
Critical reaction and legal issues
The program has been generally praised and remains a stalwart in television ratings over its long history.The introduction of the program ushered in a new era of game show—moving away from the knowledge-based quiz show format, creating "a noisy, carnival atmosphere that challenged cultural norms and assumptions represented in previous generations of quiz shows".
Since the mid-1990s, the program production company and in some cases the executive producer (both Barker and Michael G. Richards
Michael G. Richards
Michael G. Richards , also known as Mike Richards, is a television personality and producer....
, the executive producer since 2008) have been sued by numerous women. Most of the lawsuits involved models and other staff members in cases of sexual harassment, wrongful termination and racial discrimination. Allegations of sexual harassment brought by model Dian Parkinson
Dian Parkinson
Dian Parkinson is a former American model and hostess on The Price Is Right.-Career history:...
led to Barker calling a press conference to admit a past consensual sexual relationship with her, while denying any harassment and alleging instead that she was only angry with him for calling off the relationship. Barker was widowed in 1981 following the death of his wife, Dorothy Jo. It has also been alleged that Barker and senior staff created a hostile work environment, particularly to those who would testify for the plaintiffs suing Barker. Responding to the controversy just before his retirement, Barker told William Keck of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, "[The allegations have] been such a problem. I don't want to say anything about them. They [were] disgusting; I don't want to mention them."
All Barker-era lawsuits, except for one, were settled out of court. Barker himself dropped his slander suit against Holly Hallstrom. Hallstrom countersued and ultimately received millions in settlement.
Two current lawsuits involving Brandi Sherwood
Brandi Sherwood
Brandi Sherwood is an American model and pageant winner. She was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She was Miss USA 1997 and Miss Teen USA 1989 and was a frequent rotating Barker's Beauty model on the US daytime television game show The Price Is Right from 2002-2009.-Pageant history:In 1997, she won...
and Lanisha Cole
Lanisha Cole
Lanisha Diane Cole is an American model that has been most recognizable as a rotating model on the game show The Price Is Right in both the Barker and Carey eras. She has also appeared in several hip-hop and rapmusic videos, and had a minor part in the movie Soul Plane...
are currently in litigation, with Richards being targeted, along with producer Sandler.
The Price Is Right in other media
The Price Is Right has expanded beyond television to home and casino-based games.Board games
Eight board games have been produced. One of them was a variation of a card game, using prizes and price tags from the original version. The second was based more closely on the original version of the show.Three games were produced during the 1970s by Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley Company
The Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...
, with Contestants' Row, a small number of pricing games and, in the case of the third version, a spinner for the Big Wheel. In the first two versions, decks of cards had various grocery items, small prizes and larger prizes. The third version simply had cards for each game that included ten sets of "right" answers, all using the same price choices. The instruction book specified what color cards would be necessary for each round.
The 1986 version, again by Milton Bradley, was similar in scope to the earlier version, with new prizes and more games, but lacking the Big Wheel. The instruction book refers to Contestants' Row as the "Qualifying Round" and the pricing games as "Solo Games". The book also instructs players to use items priced under $100 as One Bids. The 1998 version of the game, by Endless Games
Endless Games
Endless Games is a games manufacturer based in South Amboy, New Jersey and founded in 1996 by industry veterans Mike Gasser, Kevin McNulty and game inventor Brian Turtle....
, was virtually identical to the 1986 release, with the same games, prizes and even the same prices. The only changes were that the number tiles were made of cardboard bits instead of plastic and the cars from the deck of prizes with four-digit prices were removed.
The 2004 edition, again by Endless Games, was a complete departure from previous home versions. Instead of different prize cards and games, the game consisted of everything needed to play 40 games and enough materials to create all the games not technically included if the "host" wished to and knew their rules. The Big Wheel spinner was also restored, this time with the numbers in the correct order. Additionally, the prices, instead of being random numbers that could change each time the game was played, were actual prices taken from episodes of the TV show. To fit everything in the box, grocery items and prizes were listed in the instruction book and games were played on dry erase boards. A spinner would determine what game would be played next, although its use was not necessarily required if the "host" wished to build his own game lineup.
Computer and electronic games
In 1990, GameTekGameTek
GameTek was a video game publisher based in North Miami Beach, Florida well known for publishing video game adaptations of game shows in the early 1990s. GameTek was a trade name for IJE, the owner of electronic publishing rights to Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune...
created a The Price Is Right computer game for the DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
platforms and other systems to fit in their line of other game show games.
A hand-held Tiger game was made in 1998 with four pricing games. A DVD game with 12 pricing games, live casino show host Todd Newton
Todd Newton
Todd Newton is an entertainment personality and a three-time game show host.Newton has hosted Hollywood Showdown and Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck, both on Game Show Network; and Coming Attractions on E!, as well as occasional episodes of Wild On... He is known for occasionally wearing a...
and video of prizes taken directly from the show was produced by Endless Games in 2005. A 2008 DVD edition, also from Endless Games, featured many changes based on Season 36 and included seven new games: Half Off, More or Less, Swap Meet, Secret X, That's Too Much, Coming or Going and Hole in One. It also featured both host Drew Carey and announcer Rich Fields.
CBS.com featured an online Price Is Right-based game in the late 1990s, which was plugged in the closing credits of each episode. The game consisted of choosing which of the four bidders in Contestant's Row was closest to the price of a prize without going over.
Mobliss provides a suite of pricing games for cellular phones. Previously, it offered Cliff Hangers and Plinko.
On March 26, 2008, Ludia Inc (in connection with Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
) launched The Price Is Right video game for PC. A version for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
platforms was released in September 2008, while a version for the iOS was released in November 2008. The show's announcer, Rich Fields, was the host of the computer version. The virtual set in the game resembles the set used in Seasons 31 through 34 rather than the current set. During the taping of this promotion, the Plinko
Plinko
Plinko is a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. The game involves guessing the prices of prizes to win "Plinko chips," which are later dropped down a large bean machine-style board to determine the contestant's cash prize...
board was rigged so that all chips dropped landed in the highest value slot on the board. After production wrapped, the wires used to rig the board were mistakenly left in place, leading to an incident during a taping of the daytime show which had to be edited and re-shot.
Ludia announced that all three platforms will receive a new version of the video game that was previewed at the Target Bullseye Lounge during the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show on June 2–4, 2009. The Price Is Right 2010 Edition was released on September 22, 2009. In the fall of 2010, Ludia developed a multiplayer version for Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
Irwin Toys released an electronic tabletop version in 2008 featuring Contestant's Row, the Big Wheel, a physical Plinko board with chips, Showcases and seven pricing games.
Jakks Pacific
Jakks Pacific
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses...
released a Plug It in and Play version of The Price Is Right in 2009, featuring Drew Carey and announcer Rich Fields. The unit features 20 pricing games as well as the Contestant's Row, Big Wheel and Showcase rounds.
Slot machines
A series of popular video slot machines, all based on the current version of The Price Is Right, were manufactured for North American casinos by International Game TechnologyInternational Game Technology
International Game Technology is a Nevada based company specializing in the design, development, manufacturing, sales and distribution of gaming machines and network system products internationally, as well as online and mobile gaming solutions for regulated markets. The company's main offices are...
.
The most common machines recreate the Showcase Showdown as a bonus feature, with a wheel built into the game above the main video screen. At least four different versions of this machine exist as of 2006, each featuring additional bonus rounds based on popular pricing games: Plinko
Plinko
Plinko is a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. The game involves guessing the prices of prizes to win "Plinko chips," which are later dropped down a large bean machine-style board to determine the contestant's cash prize...
, Cliff Hangers, Punch a Bunch, and Dice Game. The Cliff Hangers game also exists as a mechanical reel slot machine, with a video screen positioned above the reels for the bonus.
In addition, a Money Game slot machine exists, albeit in limited release. This game has a potential top prize of a new car and has a different bonus round than the other The Price Is Right slot machines in service.
Another slot machine called The Price Is Right Fishing Game has been created by IGT. The game features a fishing-themed bonus and is not based on any pricing game featured on the program. IGT has also released a game called The Price Is Right Fort Knox Progressives, but there are no elements of the television program evident in its gameplay.
Scratch-off tickets
A scratchcardScratchcard
A scratchcard is a small card, often made of thin paper-based card for competitions and plastic to conceal PINs, where one or more areas contain concealed information which can...
version of the game is being offered by several U.S. and Canadian lotteries, featuring adaptations of Plinko
Plinko
Plinko is a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. The game involves guessing the prices of prizes to win "Plinko chips," which are later dropped down a large bean machine-style board to determine the contestant's cash prize...
, Cliff Hangers, the Showcase Showdown and the Showcase. The top prize varies with each version.
Live casino game
After the 2002 one-off Las Vegas episode, Harrah's and RTL Group have agreed to do live licensed shows (dubbed The Price Is Right Live!) at their venues, with several performers, including Roger LodgeRoger Lodge
Roger Lodge is an American game show host, sports radio host, and actor.-Life and career:Lodge was born as Rogelio Chavez in Fontana, California and raised in Cerritos, California. Lodge currently serves as Executive Producer and host of HDNET's "CELEBRIDATE", scheduled to debut in October of 2011...
and Todd Newton
Todd Newton
Todd Newton is an entertainment personality and a three-time game show host.Newton has hosted Hollywood Showdown and Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck, both on Game Show Network; and Coming Attractions on E!, as well as occasional episodes of Wild On... He is known for occasionally wearing a...
hosting and Randy West
Randy West
Randy West is an American television personality who is best known for his work on game shows. He has been an announcer on American television game shows since 1990, with credits including Supermarket Sweep, Trivial Pursuit, Hollywood Showdown, and a substitute role on The Price Is Right.West's...
, Daniel Rosen
Daniel Rosen
Daniel Rosen is an American comedian, juggler and game show announcer. He began his career with unicycle, juggling and magic acts in high school. Johnny Carson discovered Rosen when he was a teen and made him a regular guest on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson...
or Dave Walls announcing.
DVD episodes
A four-disc DVD box set, titled The Best of "The Price Is Right", was released on March 25, 2008. The set features four episodes of the 1956–1965 Bill Cullen series, 17 episodes of the Barker daytime series from 1972–1975 and the final five daytime episodes hosted by Barker.In accordance with Barker's animal-rights wishes, which remain in effect beyond his retirement, any episodes with fur coats as prizes currently cannot be aired or released into home media formats. This includes the first three daytime shows recorded in 1972, plus most of the 1970s syndicated run. Despite this measure, GSN accidentally aired four episodes with furs during the time it had the rights to the series.
Awards
The Price Is Right has received five Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation ShowDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show
The Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show is one of the overall awards presented every year at the Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony...
, in 1988, 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2007.