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''The Price Is Right'' is a popular American Game Show based on contestants guessing the retail prices of featured prizes and other promotional products. The modern United States version, which premiered on September 4 , 1972 and is hosted by Bob Barker , still airs today on CBS . The original 1956 version of the show was hosted by Bill Cullen . TV Guide named ''The Price Is Right'' the "greatest game show of all time". Its longevity is such that it is one of two game-show franchises to be seen nationally in either first-run network or syndication airings in every decade from the 1950s onward; the other is '' To Tell The Truth ''. ''Price'' is known in pop culture for phrases such as "Come on down!" and "This showcase (or prize) can be yours if the price is right!" ''See List Of The Price Is Right Pricing Games for a description of each game.'' OVERVIEW The 1972 daytime incarnation of ''The Price Is Right'' (hosted by Bob Barker ) has the distinction of being the longest-running game show in North American television history. It has surpassed the previous record of 17 years and seven months set by '' What's My Line? ''. Still airing today, it continues to extend its record, and has aired more than 6,000 episodes. Notably, it is also the only daytime game show that has aired regularly on United States network television since January 1994. Many believe ''The Price Is Right'' has lasted so long because of Barker's refusal to make significant changes to the show's look or format. (For example, when his microphone died, CBS didn't have an old style microphone to replace it, so a new microphone was simply put in an old-style casing.) The show's main theme was written by Sheila Cole. Much of the prize music, written by noted composer Edd Kalehoff , has been around since 1972, with additional pieces from 1976, 1983, and music transplanted from the 1994 syndicated version in the rotation as well. Johnny Olson was the Barker version's original announcer. Olson was the first to call contestants to "Come on down!" which became the show's catch phrase. Olson died in 1985, and shortly afterward, Rod Roddy was chosen to succeed him. Roddy continued to do the show when able until shortly before his death on October 27, 2003. Rich Fields was named the CBS version's third permanent announcer on April 4, 2004. ''See The Announcers for information on the announcers of The Price Is Right.'' The show unexpectedly garnered younger college-age viewers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Barker theorizes that they acquired these fans from his appearance in the Adam Sandler frat house favorite '' Happy Gilmore .'' He also suspects that these viewers remember the show from when they were children and their parents watched the show. It should be noted that Bob Barker has hosted every episode of the CBS daytime version except three – Dennis James subbed for him briefly in December 1974 because of an illness. Today, in the event Barker is unavailable, rather than using sub-hosts, the scheduled taping is postponed. The catchphrase "Come on down" did not become popular until the mid-1970s. In fact, for the first few episodes taped, Johnny Olson announced the names of the first four contestants and told them to "stand up," and then said, "Come on down and play ''The New Price Is Right''!" Olson also originated the revival's two famous opening lines: (30-minute version) ''A fortune in fabulous prizes may go to these people today if they know when The Price Is Right!'' (60-minute version) ''Here it Comes! Television's most exciting hour of fantastic prizes! The fabulous, sixty-minute 'Price Is Right'!'' In 1998, after Studio 33 was renamed in the host's honor, the line ''From the Bob Barker Studio at CBS in Hollywood!'' was added after "Here it comes." Bob Barker also serves as the show's executive producer; Roger Dobkowitz produces, while Kathy "Fingers" Greco is associate producer. Frank Wayne, a Goodson-Todman staffer since the 1950s, was the revival's original executive producer; previous producers include Jay Wolpert, Barbara Hunter, and Frank Wayne's son, Phil Wayne Rossi. ''THE PRICE IS RIGHT'' SERIES 1956-1965 version ''The Price Is Right'' was created and produced by Bob Stewart for Mark Goodson – Bill Todman Productions. Stewart already had created one hit series for Goodson-Todman, '' To Tell The Truth '', and he would later create the enormously successful '' Password ''. After 1964, Stewart left ''Password'' and Goodson-Todman to strike out on his own. (Frank Wayne, who later produced the Barker version of ''Price,'' took over Stewart's ''Password'' spot.) The original daytime version of ''The Price Is Right'' ran from November 26 , 1956 to September 6 , 1963 on NBC and from September 9 , 1963 to September 3 , 1965 on ABC . A weekly nighttime version ran concurrently from September 23 , 1957 to September 6 , 1963 on NBC and from September 18 , 1963 to September 11 , 1964 on ABC. The show originated from New York City in a Broadway theater converted for television. Although no color Kinescope s or Videotape s are known to exist from either NBC or ABC, ''The Price Is Right'' became the first regularly airing game show series to be aired in color in 1957. Bill Cullen hosted both the daytime and nighttime versions of the show. For two seasons (1959-1960 and 1960-1961), the show was eighth in the Nielsen Ratings , making it by far the most watched game show on television at the time. Cullen's easygoing personality was a key part of the show's success. The Announcer s of the show were Don Pardo and Jack Clark on NBC and Johnny Gilbert on ABC. The first theme song used was called the "Sixth Finger Tune" by Charles Strouse . The theme song was later changed in the early sixties and was composed by Bob Cobert. On the original version of ''The Price Is Right'', four contestants chosen from the studio audience bid on items or ensembles of items in an Auction -style format. They could bid higher as long as they wanted or they could freeze their bids. When time ran out, the players who didn't freeze had one more bid. Whoever's bid was nearest the actual retail price of the merchandise without going over won the merchandise. Depending on the item, a minimum bid increment restriction was implemented. Some rounds were one-bid rounds which were like today's Contestants' Row. The contestant who accumulated the most value in cash and prizes was the returning champion on the next show. The multi-prize packages, or "showcases," remain in today's CBS version – as does the announcer phrase, "this showcase can be yours ''if'' the price is right." Sometimes when winning a prize, a bell would ring indicating that the contestant had won a bonus surprise. (On the nighttime show, which had a larger prize budget than the daytime show, some of these prizes were a 1926 Rolls-Royce with chauffeur, a Ferris Wheel , shares of corporate stock, and an island in the St. Lawrence Seaway .) In later years, bonus games (not necessarily pricing games) were also added. After the success of ''Price'', ''To Tell the Truth'', and ''Password'', producer Stewart left Goodson-Todman in 1965. Stewart's follow-up to ''The Price Is Right'', his first independent production, was '' Eye Guess '', a delightful sight-and-memory game with Bill Cullen as host (it was loosely based on a ''Price Is Right'' bonus game). Later, Stewart hit the jackpot with the popular '' The $10,000 Pyramid '' and its successors. 1972 version and related versions 1972 ]] , 1975 episode]] The most recognized version of the show premiered September 4 , 1972 on CBS and has been hosted by Bob Barker through its entire broadcast run. The show was first called ''The New Price is Right'' (and shortly afterward simply renamed ''The Price Is Right''), and still airs today as the last network daytime game show that is still running. From 1972 to 1975, ''The Price Is Right'' was a half-hour long. It featured three pricing games rather than six. There was no Showcase Showdown; the top 2 winners of the day participated in the Showcase. This was changed in 1975 to the hour-long version that continues today. (Nine weeks before the permanent change, CBS tried out an hour-long TPIR for one week, during which a different, sideways-spinning Big Wheel was used in the Showcase Showdowns.) As of December 5, 2005, contestants have won all six pricing games on a single episode 72 times. On the other hand, as of March 28, 2006, there have been 72 times where all six pricing games on a single episode were lost. (It should be noted, though, that a "winless show" is harder to define than a "perfect show," and that the stats given for the former are less likely to be accurate.) Of particular note for contestant futility was the February 23, 2006 episode, where not only were all six pricing games lost, but there was a double overbid in the Showcase, as well. Winnings-wise, it was one of the least successful episodes in the show's history, with only eight prizes being given away the entire hour, including the six Items up for Bids and a tortilla maker and a carousel horse in Master Key; it was also the first episode in more than a decade to give away less then $10,000, only giving away $8,739 in prizes. Other short-lived versions of the show have aired as well. A weekly syndicated version of the show aired from 1972 through 1980. This show was hosted by Dennis James from 1972 to 1977, then Bob Barker from 1977 to 1980. James also subbed for Barker on three daytime shows around Christmas of 1974. Two daily (''The Nighttime Price Is Right''), and in 1994 with host Doug Davidson (''The New Price Is Right''). Both were quickly cancelled—Kennedy's after a year, Davidson's after five months. The Kennedy version was played exactly the same way as the first three seasons and the original syndicated run, with the two highest winners advancing to the Showcase. Some of the Davidson version's concepts became part of European versions starting with Bruce Forsyth 's British version in 1995. The Davidson version did not have a true Contestants' Row, as all pricing game players were chosen directly from the audience; however, a similar setup was used for ''The Price WAS Right'', an alternate Showcase Showdown frequently used on that version of the show. The Kennedy version experimented with a $500 perfect bid bonus, which the daytime show adopted in 1998, and the Davidson version's doors were used in the daytime version starting in September 1996, albeit repainted with the patterns from the daytime doors. The Davidson version also had a Showcase Showdown, but it differed from the network version. While the Big Wheel was employed sometimes (with the same rules, except the top winner spun it first), most of the shows had a game called The Price WAS Right, which was similar to Contestants' Row. The three contestants whose names were called were shown an old TV commercial and would be asked to place a bid on how much the item cost at the time the ad had originally aired (How much did a 1969 Buick cost? What was the price of a bottle of Bosco in 1964?). The objective was to come closest to the original retail price of the product depicted in the year its commercial aired without going over. The closest bidder advanced to the Showcase. Since there was only one person playing the Showcase, the producers of The New Price Is Right decided to modify the pricing game Range Game for the situation. During the commercial break, the contestant would draw a range in which their showcase bid would have to be (ranged from $5,000 to $10,000). The contestant would be shown the showcase, and then the range finder would be started. The contestant would pull a lever when they believed the price was in the range (as opposed to pushing a button in the normal Range Game). If it was, the contestant won the showcase. Also, the Davidson version never used the famous "losing horns." In their place, a sound effect of glass breaking immediately followed the buzzer, which meant that the player had lost his game. Prime time specials A series of six nighttime specials aired on Thursday nights during the summer of 1986. Up against the powerhouse NBC sitcom The Cosby Show , the show fared relatively poorly. In 1996, CBS aired an hour-long 25th Anniversary Special, using the half-hour gameplay format and featuring a number of retrospective clips. Ratings were markedly better, but it would be another five years before ''TPiR'' returned to primetime. A 30th anniversary special was recorded at Harrah's Rio in Las Vegas and was plagued with problems. The situation with potential audience members before the Vegas show started with confusion, then quickly degraded almost to chaos; as such, another road trip is unlikely. However, Harrah's and the producers have since agreed to do live licensed shows (dubbed '' The Price Is Right - LIVE '') at their venues, with several performers (including Roger Lodge and Todd Newton ) hosting and Randy West or Daniel Rosen announcing. It is highly speculated among some fans that the stage show may be being used to groom Price's next host. Despite the production problems, more primetime shows were planned, albeit back at CBS Television City. Six nighttime specials saluting various branches of the United States Armed Forces and for police officers & firefighters aired during the summer of 2002, as a tribute to the heroes of the terrorist attacks of 2001. During the Military Specials, a $1 on the bonus spin in the Showcase Showdown would have been worth $100,000 instead of the usual $10,000; this prize went unclaimed. The "Million Dollar Spectaculars" Since 2003, fifteen nighttime "Million Dollar Spectaculars" have been aired, with the last one airing on February 14, 2006 ( Valentine's Day ); it was intended for May 6, 2005, but was pre-empted. On the Million Dollar Spectaculars, the bonus spin payoff was again increased, to $1,000,000. Beginning on the fourth Million Dollar Spectacular, the winner of the Showcase earns a million-dollar spin if there was no bonus spin during either of the episode's Showcase Showdowns; during these post-Showcase spins, hitting a green section does not earn any money. The rule in place for the fourth through 12th specials in case of a Showcase double-overbid was that a random audience member would be called onstage for a million-dollar spin; such a spinner would retain their eligibility to be called as a regular contestant on a future episode. Sometime during the fifth set of Million Dollar Spectaculars (exactly when isn't clear), the double overbid rule was changed to award the spin to the contestant who made the smaller overbid. No one has claimed the million dollar prize through the first fifteen MDS shows; seven contestants (as of this writing) have had the wheel stop on .05, one wedge away from the $1 million jackpot. The lack of big wins is notable given the relative frequency of $10,000 wins on the daytime show. "Gameshow Marathon" ''TPIR'' is one of seven classic game show formats set to be played on the upcoming CBS '' Gameshow Marathon ''. Ricki Lake will serve as host, while celebrities will play as contestants. Reports from audience members indicate that the show will take place not on the current set, but on a specially-designed smaller set in a different studio at CBS Television City; however, ''Marathon'' will use some props from the current ''TPIR'' (including the Big Wheel), along with appearances by ''TPIR'' models and announcer Rich Fields . ''Gameshow Marathon'' does not yet have an official airdate, but will likely air in Summer 2006. GAME DESCRIPTION The current one-hour show follows the following outline:
Audience and contestant selection To quote a well-known line from the show, "If you'd like to see ''The Price Is Right'' in person, send your request, including the number of tickets and the date you wish to attend, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope, to ''TICKETS: The Price Is Right, CBS Television City, 7800 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 90036.''" Tickets can also be ordered on the internet; again, to quote the show, "To order tickets online to ''The Price Is Right,'' simply go to CBS.com, click on 'Daytime,' and select ''The Price Is Right.'' Go to 'Ticket Information,' and click on the words 'Come On Down!!!'. It's that easy!" The CBS Television City studio itself is located on the southeast corner of Beverly and Fairfax, with the Farmer's Market located just south of the studios. Many audience members arrive early on the day of 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 famous name tags with a temporary identification number. The ID number is also written on the person's ticket. Audience members are eventually brought through in groups of ten for brief interviews with Stan Blits, the show's music director/contestant coordinator. (Until partway through Season 32, these interviews were conducted by one of the producers.) Social Security Numbers are also checked for tax reporting of potential prize winners. The interviews determine possible selections for the nine contestants per taping from among the pool of approximately 320 audience members. Anyone 18 and over who attends the show has the potential to become a contestant on ''The Price Is Right''. This fact is one of the show's attractions, and several tour companies, especially those that cater to the elderly, have special ''"Price Is Right"'' tours that include tickets to a taping. Many claim that wearing a military uniform or a flashy T-shirt will get you selected, but what the staff ''really'' looks for is people who are genuinely excited and can be entertaining just by being themselves. The basic permanent set includes the audience seating and the stage. Contestants' Row is built into the center of the front of that stage, with steps on each end, although it is preferred, due to camera positioning, that the contestants use the steps closest to the right as viewed when looking at the audience. On stage are three sets of large, paneled, sliding doors (the Big Doors), as well as a platform with rotating walls (the Turntable). Pricing games and prizes are typically placed in these areas. There is also the Giant Price Tag, the Race Game Curtain, and a red curtain on wheels at center stage that can be used to conceal prizes and games; the Race Game Curtain is also lowered from the ceiling during commercial breaks to conceal the staging of the next act from the audience. The announcer sits at a station to the left side of the stage, while the production crew is in an area on the right side of the stage. Contestants' Row During the show open, the announcer calls down the first four contestants, who line up in "Contestants' Row", where they will bid on the price of a small prize, like a television, bicycle, or sofa. Right after the fourth contestant arrives, the announcer continues, "You are the first four contestants on The Price Is Right! And now, here is the ''star'' of The Price Is Right, Bob Barker!" (The name was drawn out at the discretion of the announcer.) Bob then enters the studio through Door #2 or the back of the audience, depending upon what the day's first pricing game is; and a model hands him his microphone as he reaches "home base." The prizes brought out to Contestants' Row may arrive in a number of ways or be seen at a distance behind one of the Big Doors, behind the Giant Price Tag, behind a small curtain mid-stage, or on the Turntable. During the early 1980s, a robot brought out some of these prizes. A descending platform known as "the Basket" has also brought the prize down from the ceiling; a train and a tugboat have delivered prizes, as well. Sometimes, a small object is brought down to the audience floor right behind the four contestants. Occasionally, the model is wearing the prize, such as a ring, bracelet or necklace. The four contestants then bid on the price of the prize. Whoever bids closest to the prize's actual retail price without going over wins and comes on stage to play a pricing game. If all contestants go over, then they are to bid again below the lowest bid. From approximately 1977 through late 1998, if a contestant bids exactly right, he won a cash bonus of $100, which he was able to take from the host's pocket. The 1985 syndicated version, and on the regular version since 1998, pays $500 for a perfect bid, and the host hands five $100 bills to the contestants. On the Million Dollar Spectaculars, the bonus for a perfect bid is $1,000. Two well-known bidding strategies include bidding $1 over the highest bid so far (e.g., $901 if the highest bid is $900) or bidding only $1 if all the bids seem too high. The latter strategy doesn't work if the person using it isn't the last bidder, of course; such misuse has been known to lead to subsequent bids of $2. Instead, these strategies typically work best for the fourth (final) or third bidder, so the order of Contestants' Row is important. After the first pricing game, new contestants must fill with vacant spot without shuffling. Bidding proceeds left-to-right from the new contestant. One interesting aspect of the show's opening is that no one from show's staff regulates the order in which the first four contestants situate themselves in Contestants' Row. The opening bid always starts with the far left bidder. The contestants are usually too excited to notice their spot, but the contestant who ends up in the far right spot does have a slight advantage in bidding. Trivia: Contestants' Row color scheme When the show began, all four Contestants' Row monitors were brown eggcrate displays. On August 19, 1975, the Row took on its more traditional appearance (as did most of the rest of the show's set), with four, different-colored, sportstype displays; from left to right, the monitors were red, green, orange, and blue. Sometime between September 18 and early November of 1981, the green and blue displays switched places. Aside from the green border around the displays being changed to pink for most of the 1984-1985 season, Contestants' Row remained largely unchanged for the next two decades. Two notable changes have occurred since the beginning of the 30th season: on January 20, 2002, the second display from the left was changed to a noticeably darker shade of blue than the one that had been in place since 1975; and on January 31, 2003, the orange display became yellow, and the area immediately surrounding each monitor became a marbled silver. The first shows ''taped'' with the latter changes were the first three Million Dollar Spectaculars, which aired during February, 2003. Pricing games ''See List Of The Price Is Right Pricing Games for a description of each game.'' The winner of the one-bid game gets to play a "pricing game," where he or she can win a bigger prize like a car, a trip, or cash. As only one contestant is involved in a pricing game at a time, they tend to get the unanimous support of the audience. After the pricing game ends, a new contestant is selected for Contestants' Row, and the process begins again. A total of 100 different games have been played throughout the history of the show: 74 are in the current rotation, 24 have been retired, and two are on hiatus (out of the rotation, but not actually retired). The Showcase Showdown Six pricing games are played per show. After the third and sixth pricing games, there is a "Showcase Showdown," so that one of three finalists per Showdown can be determined for the Showcase from among those who won their way out of Contestants' Row. (Until the program expanded to one hour, the two leading contestants of the three, in value of winnings, automatically advanced to the Showcase; even after the hour expansion, this format continued to be used on the occasional half-hour episodes that were done to accommodate CBS's scheduling needs.) The contestants (in ascending order of winnings so far) spin a wheel with 20 uniquely marked sections. Each section is marked with a multiple of 5¢; the lowest value on the wheel is 5¢, the highest $1.00. After the first spin, the contestant has a chance to stay or spin again. The contestant's score is the sum of the two spins (or one spin if he decides to stay). The goal is to have the highest score without going over $1. Any contestant who goes over $1 is immediately eliminated. If the first two contestants both go over $1 in their two spins, the third contestant wins by default and is given ''one'' spin so that he can try to get a dollar. The beeping sounds heard while the Big Wheel is spinning are triggered by sensors on the side of the wheel. Each space has a white section and a black section on its left side; every time one of the white sections moves in front of the sensor, the beep is activated. Showcase Showdown: bonus spin If a contestant gets a dollar on the wheel in one spin or a combination of two spins, he wins a bonus of $1,000 and is granted a bonus spin at the end of the Showdown. In a bonus spin, the wheel is reset to 5 cents (done so because the rule is the wheel must go all the way around at least once to count, and a bonus spin starting on $1 could theoretically land on 5 cents, voiding the apparent $5000 bonus), and the contestant is given one spin. If the wheel lands on a green section – 5 or 15, the spaces before and after the dollar, respectively—in that spin, he wins $5,000 more; if it stops on the dollar, he wins $10,000 more. If the wheel doesn't go all the way around, the contestant does not get another try. Some primetime specials have changed the bonuses for hitting a dollar in a bonus spin; these changes are covered in the "Primetime Specials" section above. Showcase Showdown: special cases There is a rule that the wheel must make one full rotation each time it is spun, to make it hard to aim for a specific square of the wheel. The audience usually "lightly admonishes" the contestant if he or she fails at this, and the player is given another chance. In the case of senior citizens and other contestants who may be too weak to spin the wheel fully, Barker usually helps spin the wheel for them. If two (or very rarely all three) contestants are tied, there is a spin-off consisting of one spin only each. The $1,000 bonus and subsequent bonus spin can still be earned in a spin-off. If two contestants tie with $1, there is a spin that is simultaneously a bonus spin and spin-off. However, a contestant cannot win more than one $1,000 bonus. Until late 1978 , however, there was no "bonus spin", and contestants simply won a $1,000 bonus every time they spun $1 (so if two people tied at $1 and had a spin-off, they could win another $1,000 bonus by spinning $1 again). Another possibility is that the first two contestants in a Showcase Showdown will go over. In this case, the third contestant (the top winner of that half of pricing games) automatically makes it to the Showcase; he still gets one spin to try to get $1 and win $1,000. Showcase Showdown: optimal strategy The question of strategy naturally arises: When should a contestant choose to spin again? Probability dictates that spinning again with a score below 50¢ gives odds in the contestant's favor of emerging with a dollar or less; spinning with 50¢, the odds are even; above 50¢, the odds are against the contestant. Historically, the show's consensus seems to be that 60¢– 65¢ is a score that a contestant should give serious thought to staying on with a single spin. Spinning on 70¢ or above when it is not necessary is likely to get a bad reaction from the audience. On one episode in 1997, an incident similar to this happened. A contestant spun 75¢ on his first spin, and without knowing that he had an option to quit, spun again, and went over. Bob eventually made the decision that he was indeed over, and could not spin again. A few Usenet threads have discussed the optimal strategy for the Showcase Showdown. One of the earliest references is 1993, noting that an unnamed student, probably a U.C. Berkeley student, determined the optimal strategy. Others have since independently derived the same strategy. The optimal strategy is as follows: The first contestant should spin again on 65¢ or less and stand on 70¢ or more. The second contestant should spin again if behind (in which case he ''must'' spin), or ahead of the first contestant with 50¢ or less, or tied with the first contestant at 65¢ or less. The third contestant should obviously spin again if behind and stand if ahead. The third contestant should spin again if tied with one other contestant at 45¢ or less, or tied with the two other contestants at 65¢ or less. One subtle point in computing the optimal strategy for the Showcase Showdown is that a contestant might consider taking a second spin, when doing so slightly decreases the contestant's chance of winning, in order to have a chance at the bonus spin (see below). The closest decision is when the second contestant spins 55¢ and beats the first contestant. To spin again reduces the second contestant's probability of winning from 0.2875 to 0.2803, but gives the second contestant a one-in-twenty chance of spinning 45¢ and being awarded a bonus spin. If the second contestant thinks that winning will cause him or her to eventually bid on a showcase worth about $9,000 or less, the second contestant should spin again. But, since the average value of a showcase is more than that these days, the second contestant should stand after spinning 55¢ and beating the first contestant. Note that the increased bonus spin prizes during a "Primetime Special" may change the contestants' optimal strategies, especially in the second Showcase Showdown after a contestant in the first Showcase Showdown was awarded a bonus spin. In this situation, spinning a second time is worth about $2,500 (the contestant has a 1/20 chance of hitting $1 total, after which the contestant has a 1/20 chance of winning $1 million). So, for example, the second contestant should spin again after spinning 55¢ and beating the first contestant. The Showcase The two winners of the Showcase Showdowns in each episode make it to the Showcase. The Showcase usually involves several prizes connected by a common theme or a story; they tend to be worth between $12,000 and $40,000, although they occasionally exceed $55,000, and primetime specials in recent years have gone over $100,000. The goal, as in Contestants' Row, is to be the closest without going over. One showcase is shown, and the contestant with greatest winnings so far has the option to "bid or pass". After the bid is placed, the 2nd showcase is shown and bid upon by the remaining contestant. The contestant nearest to the price of his own showcase without going over wins his showcase. If both contestants go over, neither player wins his showcase. Beginning in the spring of 1974, if the winner is less than $100 away from (Seasons 2-26) or within $250 of (Season 27 onward) the price of his own showcase, he wins ''both'' showcases. If the two contestants are exactly the same distance from the actual prices (in other words, if there is a tie) without going over, each wins his own showcase; this has happened exactly once in the show's history. If there is a tie where the differences are within the Double Showcase range, ''both'' contestants win both showcases; this has never happened. Unlike Contestants' Row, there is no cash bonus for a perfect bid in the Showcase. However, there has been exactly one person to have a perfect bid in the Showcase (the eggcrate display on the player's Showcase podium read "00000"). This is believed to have occurred on the '70s nighttime run, where the Double Showcase rule was never added; as such, the contestant in question won only his own showcase. As with Contestants' Row, contestants have at times used the strategy of bidding $1 (or any other extremely low amount) if they think the other contestant has gone over. On the fourth daytime episode, such a strategy led to one contestant winning her showcase without Bob revealing its actual retail price. {Link without Title} In primetime, beginning with the fourth Million Dollar Spectacular, if no one earned a bonus spin in either Showcase Showdown, the Showcase winner automatically earns a spin for $1,000,000; no money is awarded for hitting a green section in this spin. If there is a double overbid in the Showcase under these circumstances, a random person is called out of the audience to spin for the million; this person does not lose his eligibility to be called as a regular contestant on a future episode. However, during the course of the tapings of the Season 33 Million Dollar Spectaculars, the double overbid rule was changed. Under those circumstances, the spin is now awarded to the Showcase participant who made the smaller overbid. This rule was in place on MDS 15; it isn't known for certain which rule was used for 13 and 14. In the 1970s, some of the second showcases were introduced very elaborately, and a recorded voice-over is sometimes obvious, such as when Johnny Olson appeared as "Kook Skywalker" in a " Star Wars "-themed showcase. The program is usually produced in exactly one hour, with carefully timed commercial breaks, even though it is taped well in advance (for example, the morning taping of November 16, 1983, was aired on January 10, 1984—a poster tells the audience when the show will be broadcast, so they can send postcards to a friend). As with many other shows that start production in the summer, the lead time varies during the season. For example, while some shows airing in October 2005 had been taped the previous July, the gap closed enough so that episodes taped in the second week of November 2005 aired just before Christmas. The audience is entertained for several minutes before taping begins; Johnny Olson once joked that his clothes were from "pen-nayy... J.C. Pen-nayy". After the taping session, there is a drawing for a door prize. THE ANNOUNCERS ''The Price Is Right'' has had three permanent announcers over the course of its run on CBS: Johnny Olson (1972–1985); Rod Roddy (1986–2003); and Rich Fields (2004–present). They have generally enjoyed greater exposure than most shows' announcers, serving as Barker's sidekick and frequently appearing on-camera in Showcase skits and while calling contestants to "Come on Down!" Several announcers have also subbed on the show over the years. In late 1985 and early 1986, in the wake of Johnny Olson's death, Gene Wood (of '' Family Feud '' fame) lent his voice to both the daytime show and the Kennedy version, and Rod Roddy , Rich Jefferies , and Bob Hilton also tried out on the air; Hilton was actually offered the job permanently but turned it down due to a commitment to a pilot that never got picked up. From 2001–2004, during Rod Roddy's illness and after his death, a number of announcers filled in on the show; Burton Richardson (the Davidson version's announcer; he currently announces the Richard Karn version of '' Family Feud ''), Paul Boland , Randy West , Daniel Rosen , Art Sanders , Roger Rose , Rich Fields , Don Bishop , and Jim Thornton were all featured at various times until Fields was given the job in April, 2004. BARKER'S BEAUTIES The daily show featured models who became known as Barker's Beauties. From the mid-1970s through most of the 1980s these were Dian Parkinson (1975–1993), Holly Hallstrom (1977–1995), and Janice Pennington (1972–2000). Controversy erupted in 1993 when Parkinson sued host Bob Barker for Sexual Harassment . Barker admitted to sexual involvement with Parkinson in the late '80s. Ultimately, it was shown that Parkinson initiated the whole affair, and Barker was exonerated. In 1995, Hallstrom was dismissed from the show. When she subsequently complained that she had been fired for failing to lose weight, Barker sued her for libel and slander. Hallstrom replied with a countersuit. Pennington was fired shortly after having been subpoenaed to give testimony during Hallstrom's lawsuit. Hallstrom won a $3 million settlement in Fall 2005. Other permanent models over the years include Anitra Ford (1972–1976), Kathleen Bradley (1990–2000), Gena Lee Nolin (1994–1995), Chantel Dubay (1996–1999), Nikki Ziering (1999–2002), Heather Kozar (2001–2002), and Claudia Jordan (2001–2003). Since Heather, Nikki, and later Claudia left the show, there has been a Barker's Beauty rotation. Some of the rotating models include Lanisha Cole , Brandi Sherwood , Rachel Reynolds , Rebecca Mary Pribonic, Shane Stirling, Gabrielle Tuite, Gwendolyn Osbourne, and Phire Dawson. For a complete list of permanent and semi-permanent models, see Barker's Beauties . PRODUCTION COMPANIES The current version of the series was originally a Mark Goodson / Bill Todman production in association with CBS. Although CBS still has a hand in the production of the show, the Goodson/Todman unit has changed ownership over the years. After Todman died in 1979, the unit became known as simply Mark Goodson Productions (although this name change didn't take effect until 1982 on most shows and 1984 on The Price Is Right). In 1994 , the Goodson company was bought out by All-American Television, which itself was later bought out by Pearson Television in 1998 , which also acquired Reg Grundy Productions . In 2000, Pearson plc. sold their television division to RTL Group , whose North American arm is known as FremantleMedia North America. The series is now produced by The Price Is Right Productions, a joint venture of RTL and CBS. Some fans associate this time as the start of a Decline In The Show's Quality . There are several recent changes that are disliked, including:
Fremantle has done many remakes of other Goodson–Todman shows, such as '' Match Game '' ( 1998 ), '' Family Feud '' ( 1999 ), '' To Tell The Truth '' ( 2000 ), '' Card Sharks '' ( 2001 ), and '' Beat The Clock '' ( 2002 ). Of these, only ''Feud'' was still in production at the beginning of the 2005-2006 season. They also did a revival of '' Press Your Luck '' exclusively for GSN , which coincidentally came on in the timeslot before ''Price'' during its CBS run. The revival was known as '' Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck '' ( 2002 ). In 2006 , ''The Price Is Right'' will be one of seven game shows that will be used in the upcoming CBS series '' Gameshow Marathon '', along with ''Match Game'', ''Family Feud'', ''Card Sharks'', ''Beat the Clock'', and ''Press Your Luck''. The seventh game, '' Let's Make A Deal '', is considered something of a "rival" to ''Price'' by fans of that show. Ricki Lake will serve as host of this seven-week series. Bob and Rich will not be involved with the overall series, although Rich has been confirmed as the announcer for the ''Price'' episode, as have Barker's Beauties, who according to producer Stuart Krasnow , might also be used in the other shows (if required) in this series. BLOOPERS AND OTHER MEMORABLE MOMENTS ''The Price Is Right'' has a number of the most celebrated game show bloopers in history – including one on a live edition of the Cullen version in which the prize was a trip to the Circus . The producers placed a live elephant in front of the circus backdrop. The camera cut to the elephant—which was moving its bowels. Cullen quipped: "Join us again on Monday when we'll have equal time for the Democratic party!" The most frequently mentioned blooper happened in the fall of 1977 (coincidentally, on the same episode that featured the first playing of Secret "X" ), when at the beginning of the show, a woman named Yolanda Bowsley was called to come on down. She ran so hard to Contestants' Row that she failed to notice her Tube Top slipping downward, exposing her breasts (this was later Censored with a large blue box); before she noticed it, she had flashed the entire hysterical audience. Ironically, as Barker was waiting behind the center doors for Olson to introduce him, the emcee did not have a monitor to see what was going on. He was flummoxed to hear the wild audience reaction to his entrance, figuring that something in the audience's tone "was not legitimate," in his words. "Bob, they have given their ''all'' for you," Olson joked to the still-unsuspecting Barker, bringing the house down. Barker then speculated that it had something to do with the Hepatitis injections the ''Price Is Right'' crew got some time earlier. Whatever it was, he told to Olson, "Johnny, this is the way I want it every day from now on!" again bringing the house down. Barker finally found out about the mishap during the first commercial break. Other moments
REFERENCES IN POPULAR CULTURE '' spoof.]]
SLOT MACHINES A series of popular video Slot Machine s, all based on the current version of ''The Price Is Right,'' was manufactured for North American casinos by International Game Technology . Rod Roddy's voice and cartoon persona are part of the game, even after his death. 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 . 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, but it isn't clear if the machine has been released to casinos. The game features a fishing-themed bonus, and is not based on any pricing game featured on the program. EPISODE STATUS Not all episodes of the Cullen run are believed to exist, although many of them do. All episodes of the other versions are believed to exist. The Cullen, Barker, and Kennedy versions aired on Game Show Network from 1996 to 2000. After 2000, GSN's rights to air the show expired, and the contract has not been renewed since then. Even when GSN did have the rights, reruns of all '70s nighttime episodes, as well as some daytime episodes, were vetoed by Barker due to fur coats being given away as prizes. GSN was unable to air the Davidson episodes, as that run falls under different ownership ( CBS Paramount ) than the other versions of the show. "THE PRICE IS RIGHT" ON PRIME (CANADA) Currently, the show airs on an approximately month-behind rotation on Prime in Canada . Airings are off of recordings from the East coast CBS feed, and as a result, episodes pre-empted in their original East Coast CBS airings do not air on Prime. However, the network does try to get the pre-empted episodes directly from the producers, though there have been some cases in which the tapes they received were actually rough versions of the episodes that had not yet been edited into the final product. For instance, one episode seen on Prime had Bob Barker say to a contestant, "This is your showcase!" followed by a brief pause, a fade to black, and then Bob counting down and giving last minute instructions to the contestant before the Showcase proceeded. In addition, the season's Christmas week episodes are never aired on Prime due to the delayed rotation. Plus, the show's Closed Captioning Plugs that precede the Showcase Showdowns are not included in Prime's airings. A schedule of when episodes are supposed to air on Prime can be found here HOME GAMES Several home games have been produced over the years: Board Games Eight board games have been produced. One of them was a version of the card game "GOPS", 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 , with Contestants' Row; a small number of pricing games; and, in the case of the third version, a spinner for the Big Wheel, albeit with the numbers in the wrong order. In the first two versions, several 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 would tell the 'host' for the round what color cards would be necessary. The 1986 version, again by Milton Bradley , was similar in scope to the earlier version, with new prizes and more games, but strangely lacking the Big Wheel. The 1998 version, this time by Endless Games , of the game was virtually identical to the 1986 release, with the same games, the same prizes, and even the same prices; the only changes were the number tiles being changed to cardboard bits. The 2004 edition, again by Endless Games , was a complete departure. Instead of different prize cards and background games, the game consisted of everything you would need to play over 40 pricing 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. 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 Games In 1990 GameTek created a "The Price is Right" computer game to fit in their line of other game show games. Unfortunately, several things prevented the game from being playable. Prizes for certain games could come from any file (Cliff Hangers could have the player bidding on a truck with only a $300 range), and the rules were frequently different from the ones on the show. It did not sell well and was quickly removed from the market. A hand-held Tiger game was made in 1998 with four pricing games, and a DVD game with 12 pricing games and prizes taken directly from the show was produced by Endless Games in 2005. EXTERNAL LINKS
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