Pricing Game Notes
From Golden-Road.net FAQ
To use this section of the FAQ, go into the menu below and click on the name of any pricing game. You’ll be shown when it debuted, when it was retired (only if it is retired, of course), and when any other significant changes happened to it.
Add 'em Up
Debut: September 11, 1986; fourth show of Season 15; 61st game to debut.
Retired; final playing on October 3, 1988.
Add ‘em Up appears on a few episode schedules between its final playing and November 10, but it was replaced with other games on all shows after October 3.
Add ‘em Up was retired because contestants had trouble understanding it, which led to the game taking too long.
The price display in this game was originally topped with an Add ‘em Up logo; the sign was removed after Pathfinder debuted, since the prop was used in both games. In fact, the entire prop is still stationed behind the Pathfinder board; part of it could be seen on-camera on MDS 26.
Although it was in the rotation during the late ‘80s, Add ‘em Up was never played for a 5-digit car.
Any Number
Debut: September 4, 1972; 1st game to debut.
Any Number, obviously, was the first pricing game ever played. It was also the last game on Bob's final episode, and it was played on Drew's first episode, as well.
Any Number's logo was added to its original board on May 28, 1974. For a few months before this, Bob frequently referred to the game as “Any Number Wins.”
Any Number’s current board was first used on the primetime specials in the summer of 1986; it made its daytime debut a few weeks into Season 15, on October 10. The game's first four playings on the daytime show that year, which were all taped before the specials, still used the original board.
The original Any Number board is now sitting in Bob Boden’s garage. (Mr. Boden is one of those lucky game show fanatics who actually has a job that deals with game shows. A former vice-president at Game Show Network, he now works on the current version of Family Feud. His garage also houses the gigantic skeeball ramp from Super Ball!! and the Season 13-29 Showcase podiums.)
There actually is a physical prop for Any Number’s piggy bank, but it hasn’t been used since September 13, 1972.
Any Number is one of only two games in which winning all of the main prizes is impossible (the other one being Telephone Game).
Balance Game ('84)
Debut: April 9, 1984; 57th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on December 3, 1985
When Balance Game was played, two large screens with dollar sign graphics on them were placed on the stage, one on each side of the game’s main prop. While the one on the right slid away to reveal the small prizes, the one on the left really accomplished nothing beyond blocking the camera’s view of the Turntable and Door #1.
Contestants who won Balance Game got to keep a Barker Silver Dollar if they had any left over; evidently, the coins weren’t valid currency, as they weren’t counted toward a contestant’s total winnings.
Balance Game ('06)
Debut: February 6, 2006; 100th game to debut.
While the bags used in this game do not actually contain any money, the “Barker Dollars” seen while Bob was explaining the rules during Seasons 34 and 35 were in fact the very same Barker Silver Dollars that were used to play the original Balance Game. The "Drew Dollars" seen now, on the other hand, are metal slugs with decals on them.
Until May 18, 2006, Balance Game’s price display was only four digits long.
Barker's Bargain Bar
Debut: April 22, 1980; 44th game to debut.
Barker’s Bargain Bar is probably the most resilient game on the show. It’s been known to have all of its electronics deactivated due to malfunctions and still be played.
Barker’s Bargain Bar is known in much of the show’s official documentation as “The Bargain Game.”
As a tribute to Bob Barker, Barker's Bargain Bar has retained its name even in the wake of his retirement.
Barker's Marker$/Make Your Mark
Debut: September 12, 1994 (as "Barker's Marker$"); 23rd Season Premiere; 77th game to debut.
Make Your Mark was known as "Barker's Marker$" throughout Bob Barker's tenure as host; it was renamed after Drew Carey took over the show in Season 36. Its first appearance under its current name was on February 21, 2008, the day it made its return to the pricing game rotation after the host transition; this is also the day the game's current color scheme debuted.
The name “Make Your Mark” originated on the Davidson version, where the game was played a single time; on that episode, a sign reading "Make Your Mark" in the shape of the "Barker's Marker$" logo was placed over said logo.
The show only has one set of five $100 bills; it’s used for both this game and perfect bid bonuses in Contestants’ Row. If there’s a perfect bid in the same act as Make Your Mark, Bob or Drew has to hand the contestant the money for the bonus, then take it back during the prize descriptions so he can hand it to him again during the game.
Barker’s Marker$ was originally staged with the prizes on the floor and the price displays atop individual podiums. The game’s normal prize staging and price displays are believed to have debuted on March 24, 1995.
Blank Check/Check Game
Debut: October 14, 1981 (as “Blank Check”); 50th game to debut.
The last appearance of Blank Check was on November 26, 1986. The game returned to the rotation as Check Game just over two months later on January 29, 1987.
The explanation behind Blank Check's name change is somewhat unusual. In the mid-’70s, Barry & Enright had a game show on the air also called “Blank Check” that ran for 26 weeks and was then mostly forgotten. For whatever reason, in 1986 -- five years after the pricing game was introduced -- they decided to file a lawsuit over the use of the name. Instead of trying to fight the issue, Price just took the game out of the rotation for a few weeks and then brought it back with its name changed to “Check Game.”
Check Game’s original think music was the same song used in Range Game. The current music debuted around 1988; it was definitely in use at the beginning of Season 17.
Check Game’s original win range was $3,000-$3,500. The current range of $5,000-$6,000 debuted on February 3, 1989 –- the same day the current ranges for Bullseye ‘76 debuted. The range will be increased again, to $7,000-$8,000, at the start of Season 37.
Despite what Bob sometimes told contestants, the giant pieces of paper used in this game are not valid checks. Every one of them is check #1133 (or #4620 while Bob was hosting), and they’re always dated, “TODAY, 20NOW” (or “TODAY, 19NOW” before 2000).
Check Game has been played perfectly at least once –- a contestant managed to get a total of exactly $6000 in the late ‘90s.
Bonkers
Debut: September 24, 2001’s episode (aired on October 1, 2001); 6th show of Season 30; 92nd game to debut.
Bonkers was supposed to debut on the second show of Season 30; however, the game was malfunctioning that day, so they ended up playing Range Game instead and delaying the debut until the following Monday.
The episode on which Bonkers debuted aired a week after it should have because the 9/11 attacks pushed the start of the new TV season back a week. Therefore, although it ended up airing three days before the debut of Pass the Buck (which did air on the right day), they are really not part of the same week of shows.
On the first playing of Bonkers, the price reveal was on a price tag (a la Check Game) instead of on a flap under game. The standard reveal debuted on the game’s second playing, on October 9.
Bonus Game
Debut: September 4, 1972; 2nd game to debut.
Bonus Game was the second pricing game ever played.
Surprisingly, Bonus Game was supposed to be retired in 1974, with Shell Game serving as its replacement; in fact, after June 13, 1974, five days and two episodes before Shell Game’s debut, Bonus Game was not played again on the daytime show until July 24, 1975, and after the July 28 show, it disappeared again until September 5. The game also vanished again a month later and was not played between October 6 and November 6. It is not known at this time why Bonus Game eventually returned to the game rotation, but its disappearance of one year and 41 days is the second-longest gap between playings of a game in the show’s history, surpassed only by the nearly two-year absence of Pick a Pair between 1988 and 1990.
Oddly enough, Bonus Game and Shell Game both appeared on the nighttime show throughout the third season, even though the former was completely absent in daytime.
Bonus Game has had two color schemes in the post-brown-set era. The current one debuted late in 1981 or early in 1982.
Bonus Game's blue windows were yellow during the first week of shows.
Bonus Game is the oldest pricing game that still uses its original set.
Bullseye ('72)
Debut: September 5, 1972’s show (aired on September 6); 5th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on September 14, 1972.
Bullseye was the fifth pricing game ever played and the last of the original group of games to debut.
This is not the grocery item game currently seen on the show. It was an ill-conceived car game that was probably created alongside Clock Game and eventually resulted in the creation of Double Bullseye.
Bullseye was never won; in fact, it holds the distinction of being the only pricing game in the show’s history in which absolutely nothing was ever awarded to a contestant. The similarly short-lived Double Bullseye, a game which was guaranteed to produce a winner, was created to make up for this.
Bullseye was only played five times on the daytime show. Its 2nd, 3rd, and 4th playings were on replacement September 6, September 8, and September 12.
On the third and fourth taped playings of Bullseye, on episodes 3(R) and 7, contestants were provided with a $500 bidding range; on the game's fifth and final playing, the car's price was rounded to the nearest $10. Needless to say, neither of these changes made the game significantly easier to win.
Before it was learned late in 2005 that Bullseye actually was officially named “Bullseye,” it was referred to nearly universally as “Bullseye I” to differentiate it from the other Bullseye that has been played since 1976. CBS’s website used to refer to the game as “‘Old’ Bullseye,” but that is not its proper name, and no one actually calls it that.
Bullseye ('76)
Debut: July 1, 1976 (probably); 2nd-last show of Season 4; 31st game to debut.
The earliest appearance of Bullseye recorded in the show's stats is on episode #2015D, the fourth show of Season 5. However, Bob states on that program that "We've only played [Bullseye] once," and there is no grocery item game recorded in the stats for episode #2004D; the logical conclusion is that this is the "missing" playing.
Bullseye’s original target range was $5-$10, with $9-$10 as the bullseye. This proved too hard with the era’s low prices, and on the game’s 12th playing, on November 11, the range was changed to $1-$6, with $5-$6 for the bullseye. The current target values -– $2-$12 with $10-$12 for the bullseye –- debuted on February 3, 1989; probably not coincidentally, the current win range for Check Game debuted the same day.
Early in Bullseye’s life, the hidden bullseye could only be used for a comeback win if its item had the marker on the target that was closest to the bullseye. This was replaced with the regular rule not long after the game debuted; it seems reasonable to assume that it happened on November 11, 1976, but that can’t be confirmed at this point.
This game is occasionally referred to as “Bullseye II” to distinguish it from the original Bullseye, which was once commonly known as “Bullseye I.”
Bump
Debut: September 13, 1985; fifth show of Season 14; 60th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on November 20, 1991.
After its last playing, Bump continues to appear on episode schedules up through January 24, 1992, but it is always replaced by something else on the actual shows.
Bob likely had Bump retired after his and Dian’s infamous break-up.
Buy or Sell
Debut: March 27, 1992; 72nd game to debut.
The cash bonus was added to the game on October 30, 1997.
Buy or Sell went through a flurry of set changes in the first year or so of its life. The scoreboard’s base was briefly much taller than what we’re used to (although it appeared at its normal height on the game’s premiere), and the prop spent several months being placed in different spots next to and behind the prizes before settling into its standard location in front of the Turntable. March 17, 1993 may have been the date that the game’s staging stabilized.
Buy or Sell’s pink tote board was replaced with a much clearer black one on November 30, 1998 -– the game’s first playing in Season 27.
The highest cash amount that can be offered in Buy or Sell is $1900, as this is the largest multiple of 100 that the tote board is capable of displaying. This amount has been achieved at least once, on October 4, 2004.
Card Game
Debut: July 4 or 5, 1974; 19th game to debut.
The exact date of Card Game's premiere cannot be determined due to a typo in the pricing game records.
For most of 1983, starting on March 16, Card Game was known as “New Card Game”. With the name change came a new paint job, a new logo, an automatic starting bid of $2000, the removal of the three lowest values from the original special deck, and the introduction of the “aces are wild” rule (prior to this, they could only be made worth up to $1000). The name changed back to just “Card Game” early in 1984.
In late 1984 or early 1985, Card Game got a new, 5-digit bid display and another new paint job.
The starting bid changed to $8000 on May 7, 1993, at which time the game stopped offering 4-digit cars. It changed again to $10,000 on June 8, 2001; again to $12,000 on May 11, 2005; and yet again to $15,000 on April 22, 2008.
Card Game’s original special deck contained one card with each value from $200 to $1000 in increments of $100. The second special deck, which debuted when the game temporarily became New Card Game in 1983, contained two each of the values from $500 to $1000, again in $100 increments. The third special deck, which debuted on May 7, 1993, contained three each of $500, $1000, $1500, and $2000. The current special deck, which was first used on May 11, 2005, contains two each of $1000, $2000, and $3000, and one $5000 card. Each change in the special deck corresponded with a change in the game’s starting bid –- $2,000, $8,000, and $12,000.
Very early on in Card Game's existence, the contestant's range is believed to have been determined simply by drawing a card from the regular deck. How an ace would have been treated under these circumstances is not clear. This format was abandoned in favor of the special deck by the game's fifth appearance, on August 9, 1974.
The $5000 card in the current special deck has a large, gold star behind the number.
Card Game’s current logo, as well as its table’s grooveless appearance, debuted on November 19, 2004.
Unlike most car games played on the stage, Card Game’s car is placed behind Door #2.
Contestants in Card Game are not actually required to draw any cards before freezing their bids.
Aces cannot be used to decrease a contestant’s bid; although Bob and Drew say they can be made “anything you want,” using them to represent negative numbers is not allowed.
Card Game is rumored to have had different rules on its first two playings. Supposedly, the first playing used the special deck for the entire game, and the second playing used the regular deck for the entire game.
Check-Out
Debut: January 28, 1982; 51st game to debut.
Check-Out is not retired. Its inclusion in a list of games no longer played in Stan Blits's book is a misprint.
Check-Out’s current set was first used on December 19, 2000 (the game’s first playing in Season 29). Due to some errors in timing, it soon became obvious that the buttons on the “giant calculator” no longer really did anything; as of the February 23, 2001 episode, the calculator was gone.
The game’s original win range was 50 cents above or below the actual total. It was increased to $1.00 on April 3, 1996, and again to $2.00 on October 13, 2003 (the game’s first playing of Season 32).
April 3, 1996 was also the day the “eggcrate” version of the center scoreboard debuted.
Check-Out was originally conceived as having three possible win ranges –- 50¢, 75¢, and $1.00 -– that would be used on different playings based upon how difficult the groceries were that day. By the time the game premiered, though, the range had been frozen at 50¢.
At least twice, a contestant playing Check-Out has managed to win with a perfect total; however, to the best of my knowledge, no one has ever made all five bids exactly right.
Clearance Sale
Debut: September 21, 1998’s episode; 27th Season Premiere; 85th game to debut.
The game’s debut ended up airing on September 22, 1998; a pre-emption caused the episode to be delayed a day.
Clearance Sale had different props on its first two playings. The price podiums had the shelf for the tags on the top with a downward-opening price flap below it, with blue letters on a white background for the prize descriptions. The price tags were also white with blue numbers. The regular props were first used on the game’s third playing.
Clearance Sale’s current price podiums, with yellow bases and tag-shaped shelves, were first used on October 26, 2004.
Clearance Sale has had four different “think musics” during its life. On its first playing, it used the think music from Eazy az 1-2-3. On its second playing, it used a western-sounding cue. On the third playing, a circus-style cue debuted that was used for the remainder of Season 27 and the first three playings of Season 28. On the fourth playing of that season, the game’s regular think music debuted; it’s still being used today. The show actually has two different edits of the current song, one of which starts four measures later than the other; there doesn’t seem to be any real pattern as to which one gets used when.
Although there can theoretically be more than one way to win Clearance Sale, the game is always set up so that there isn’t.
Aside from using sale prices instead of numbered blocks, Clearance Sale is exactly the same game as Eazy az 1 2 3; this fact has garnered it a considerable amount of criticism within the fan community.
Cliff Hangers
Debut: April 12, 1976; 28th game to debut.
Frighteningly, Cliff Hangers has used two different mountain climbers over the years! (It’s possible, though, that the guy simply changed his clothes, lost some weight, and got a nose job.)
The mountain climber has no official name. Doug Davidson frequently called him “Hans,” and the folks at The Price Is Right LIVE! have taken to calling him “Johann,” but Bob always called him simply “the mountain climber,” and Drew tends to refer to him as "the yodely guy."
Doug Davidson's references to "Hans" were a tribute to his The Young and the Restless co-star Eric Braeden, whose real name is Hans Gudegast.
The famous yodeling song associated with Cliff Hangers, whose little-known name is On the Franches Mountains, is not the only tune the game has used. In its early days, it used a yodeling song called The Silly Song from the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Before long, though, the music supervisor found the regular song on an album from 1975 or ‘76 called Swiss Mountain Music, and it quickly became the game’s signature tune.
The "crashing" sound effect heard when Cliff Hangers is lost was originally the same one heard when someone lost Hurdles. The current sound effect was introduced sometime in 1986.
Cliff Hangers was originally conceived as using four small prizes and a 50-step mountain. It’s not known whether or not the fifty-step mountain was ever actually used, but four small prizes were used on the game’s first eight playings, up through June 1, 1976. The game’s normal format debuted on its ninth playing, on June 10.
The introduction of Cliff Hangers could not possibly have been timed worse than it was. Shortly before it debuted, Janice’s first husband disappeared while on a trip in the Alps. It has been rumored that after the game was played for the first time, she ran backstage and spent the rest of the taping crying in her dressing room; regardless of whether or not this account is true, there is a show from early in Season 5 where Janice fills in for Anitra at the small prizes and is noticeably shaken up.
Cliff Hangers has been played perfectly several times over the years. In his last few years on the show, Bob developed a habit of declaring that it was the first time it had ever happened every time someone did it, probably to make the contestants feel special. The above also holds true for the game being lost on the first item; the worst guess in the game’s history was over by almost $2,000.
Clock Game
Debut: September 11, 1972; 6th game to debut.
Contrary to long-held belief, Clock Game’s debut was never reaired on GSN; in fact, the game’s first two playings are both unairable due to Bob’s fur ban. The show that was long believed to have featured its premiere is now known to have been the September 15, 1972 episode, which was actually its third appearance.
Clock Game very nearly never got on the air; the staff had so much trouble getting the clock to work properly in rehearsal that Mark Goodson almost had the game scrapped.
Clock Game’s cash bonus was introduced on December 14, 1998.
All prizes used in Clock Game cost less than $1000; in fact, that’s why the bonus was added.
Clock Game also offered a $1,000 bonus on the '70s nighttime show for winning with at least two seconds left on the clock; a "shadow" space, which can be seen on the cover of the First Edition home game, was added to the final two seconds on the clock face to indicate the range in which the money was no longer available. The bonus is believed to have been done away with after only four playings.
Clock Game is also believed to have sometimes offered three prizes on the James version.
In the early ‘80s, TPIR briefly tried playing Clock Game with 4-digit prizes, but it just didn’t work out; the big numbers were too long for the contestants to spit out in such a fast-paced game. They even tried telling the contestants the thousands digit and not requiring them to say it, but that just led to people forgetting about the first number. We only know of one instance of this happening since about 1984 -– a two thousand-some dollar trip offered in 1987.
The first three times Clock Game was played, the game’s board was much bulkier than usual; it appears as though only the top half of the prop existed and was somehow attached to the front of Bullseye ‘72.
Clock Game’s yellow color scheme debuted on May 30, 2003, and its blue color scheme on November 23, 2005. The game was repainted the first time because it was discovered a bit too late that the new Turntable walls used the exact same shade of blue as the game’s chroma key area. The new paint jobs are considerably better than their first solution, which was to put a gigantic, yellow circle behind the game for two playings.
The first prize ever offered in Clock Game was a clock.
The audience is not allowed to talk during Clock Game. While the game is being played, a stagehand holds up a cue card with “SHHH!!” printed on it in big, red letters.
The little boxes that Bob and Drew look at to see the prices in this game are irreplaceable; the man who built them died years ago, and no one else knows how to make them.
Clock Game had no set on the Davidson version; instead of using the game’s board, a graphic of a digital clock was displayed on the screen for viewers and on the video wall for the folks in the studio. The traditional price tag graphic used to display the price was ditched as well, being replaced by large, gold numbers.
The Davidson version frequently played Clock Game with 4-digit prizes, restoring the practice of not requiring contestants to say the thousands digit. It also sometimes offered a third prize as a bonus for winning the game.
Clock Game served as the $1,000,000 game on the 19th MDS. To win the million, the contestant had to win the game in 10 seconds or less. The million dollars would be awarded in addition to the primetime-standard $5,000 bonus for winning the game.
Coming or Going
Debut: October 2, 2003; 97th game to debut.
This game was originally going to be called “Coming & Going.” However, the name was changed before it ever appeared on the show. The game also originally had a Check Game-style price reveal that never made it to air.
Cover Up
Debut: September 13, 1993; 22nd Season Premiere; 74th game to debut.
Cover Up’s debut was pre-empted in most areas of the country and was never reaired; it was seen in a small number of East Coast markets that were airing TPIR an hour early at the time. For those curious, the lineup that day was Cover Up, Punch a Bunch, Make Your Move, Squeeze Play, Money Game, Pick-a-Pair.
Aside from Golden Road, Cover Up is the first car game to be incompatible with 4-digit prices.
Cover Up served as the $1,000,000 game on the 23rd MDS. To win the million, the contestant had to win the game on the first turn.
Credit Card
Debut: December 7, 1987; 63rd game to debut.
Even though they’re far too small to be made out on television, the fake buttons on Credit Card’s ATM prop are all labeled like a real ATM. A close-up of the buttons can be found in the “The Props” section of our Golden Gallery.
The actual credit card, which is rarely shown clearly on the air, has a Credit Card logo on it with a Big Wheel dollar sign on each end, as well as a mimic of the TPIR logo in a different font. It also lists an expiration date of 12/07 –- 20 years after the game’s debut.
Danger Price
Debut: January 8, 1976; 25th game to debut.
Danger Price’s original board was first used on the Turntable; it was moved to center stage between January and April of 1977.
Danger Price was originally conceived as a 5-prize game, with the goal being to pick the four prizes that weren’t valued at the danger price. This format was never actually used on the show.
Contrary to popular belief, Danger Price’s current set did not debut on the primetime specials in the summer of 1986. It was actually introduced sometime during Season 14; it is known to have been in use by April 4, 1986.
Dice Game
Debut: June 2, 1976; 30th game to debut.
When Dice Game was played for 5-digit cars in the ‘80s (a time when 4-digit car prices were still common), it was called “Deluxe Dice Game.” This format was first used on April 22, 1983.
Dice Game’s yellow color scheme debuted on November 1, 1983.
Dice Game offered its last 4-digit car on January 8, 1988. The game then existed solely as Deluxe Dice Game through June 27, after which the 5-digit version became just plain “Dice Game.”
The current Dice Game board debuted on December 15, 1989.
Until sometime in the second half of Season 5, prices in Dice Game could (and did) contain 0s and numbers higher than 6; obviously, this made the game ridiculously hard to win. The original rules were still in place on January 31, 1977, but were gone by June 29.
Dice Game has been won a small number of times over the years without the contestant having to make any decisions; a few people have rolled all right numbers, 1s, and 6s, and at least one contestant, on October 10, 1996, actually managed to roll the entire price.
Dice Game is the only pricing game known to have undergone a rule change on the fly. On an episode in 1983, the chase lights around the number windows weren’t working, so it was declared that for that day only, the correct number for each spot would be lit up as soon as the contestant guessed higher or lower.
Double Bullseye
Debut: September 19, 1972; 7th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on October 10, 1972.
This game’s name refers to the retired car game Bullseye from 1972, not the grocery product game that debuted in 1976.
Double Bullseye actually has its origins in the ‘70s nighttime show. When the staff saw that the original Bullseye was probably never going to be won, they decided to try “forcing” a win in it on a nighttime episode by altering the rules to make it a race between two contestants; the new format was different enough to be designated as a separate game. They liked the results of the experiment, and Double Bullseye was thus migrated to the daytime show.
Ironically, at least two playings of Double Bullseye ended in less guesses than the maximum allowed in the game it was created to replace.
There doesn’t seem to have been a hard and fast rule regarding which contestant started the bidding in Double Bullseye. It began with the first One-Bid winner on its 2nd, 3rd, and 4th playings and with the second One-Bid winner on its 1st playing.
Assuming that no nighttime Double Bullseye episodes were taped until after the last episode with the original Bullseye was taped, a market running the nighttime shows in order would not have reached the first playing of Double Bullseye until after the game was already retired on the daytime show.
Although Double Bullseye was only played four times on the daytime show, it actually managed to have a lifespan of 16 episodes; its four appearances were on September 19, September 21, September 28, and October 10, 1972. The playing aired on GSN that was long touted as its debut is now known to have been its third appearance; the other three episodes are all unairable due to Bob’s fur ban.
This is the only pricing game that involves two contestants competing against each other; two separate One-Bids were played before it, with a new contestant being called from the audience for each one.
As the winner of this game’s first IUFB came onstage, the show’s theme played instead of the “come on down” music.
Double Digits
Debut: April 20, 1973; 14th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on May 18, 1973's episode (aired out of order on June 15).
After years of speculation by fans over how long Double Digits was around, we can now state definitively that it was played five times; of its five appearances, the first was the only one on which it was won. During its short life, it had two completely different sets of rules (both of which have been described on other websites).
Double Prices
Debut: September 4, 1972; 3rd game to debut.
Double Prices was the third pricing game ever played.
Double Prices has had four sets over the years, more than any other pricing game except 1 Right Price (with which it shared its first three sets). It changed once in the 1977 portion of Season 5; once on March 21, 1983; and once near the end of 1986. Additionally, the original prop had a question mark added to it when it was repainted for the 1975 set change.
Double Prices also seems to have the most inconsistent staging of any pricing game. Originally, it was played at center stage, concealed by the Giant Price Tag. Beginning in the late ‘70s or 1980, it seems to have begun alternating between that location and Door #3 (although it appears to have been played at Door #3 at least occasionally as early as the final brown set episodes in 1975); Door #2 was added to the mix around 1990. Playing Double Prices at the Giant Price Tag was slowly phased out through the mid-’90s, and playing it at Door #3 ceased around Season 27, leaving Door #2 as its permanent location. The game is still staged at Door #3 on rare occasions, though, and near the end of Season 31, it began using its original Giant Price Tag staging again once every couple months or so. Additionally, on February 19, 1998, it was set up –- probably by mistake –- with the prize behind Door #2 and the game sitting in the middle of the stage.
Surprisingly, Double Prices used its current staging at least once as early as December 6, 1972, when it was played for a sailboat that could not be hidden by the Giant Price Tag.
Double Prices did not have a logo until its current podium debuted; the font of that logo was changed on June 7, 2001.
On Dennis James’s nighttime show, Double Prices was played with two prizes a few times. The contestant could win one, the other, or both of them. This format is often referred to by fans as “double Double Prices.” Based on the short life of a similar nighttime-only rule in Clock Game, it seems unlikely that this practice lasted through even the first ten episodes.
Thanks to the existance of episode #0013D(R), Double Prices holds the distinction of being the only pricing game that has been played six times in one week.
Double Prices has been played more times than any other pricing game...although it’s not too far ahead of Most Expensive and Any Number.
Eazy az 1 2 3
Debut: April 25, 1996; 81st game to debut.
On its first three playings, Eazy az 1 2 3 had no “think music;” the game’s traditional song finally bowed on May 15.
Finish Line
Debut: February 21, 1978; 37th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on September 25, 1978's show (aired on September 22).
Finish Line was retired due to mechanical problems.
Aside from having a more elaborate set, Finish Line was exactly the same game as Give or Keep, right down to the contestant winning the three “kept” small prizes even if the game was lost. In fact, the staff appears to have intended to replace Give or Keep with Finish Line, as the two games were never in the rotation at the same time.
Oddly, after its second playing on February 27, 1978, Finish Line disappeared for two months; it finally resurfaced on May 3, at which point it began to be played on a regular basis. During its absence, Give or Keep returned to the rotation.
After being under the radar for 26 years, Golden-Road.net’s staff unearthed a playing of Finish Line late in 2004. The game essentially combined Give or Keep’s rules with Hurdles’s set. The set had a racetrack with prices on it; the starting line was $0, and the farther down the track you went, the higher the prices got. Also on the track were a finish line and a racehorse. As the price of each “given” small prize was revealed, the finish line would move that many dollars down the track; after it reached its final destination, the racehorse would move in correspondence to the prices of the “kept” prizes. The game was won if the horse got across the finish line.
Finish Line’s race began to the sound of trumpets; during the race, a generic race-type music played.
Finish Line was played 16 times –- 11 times in Season 6 and five times in Season 7. It was won 12 times, including all of its Season 7 playings.
Five Price Tags
Debut: September 26, 1972; 8th game to debut.
Contrary to long-held belief, the first playing of Five Price Tags was never rerun on GSN; in fact, that episode is unairable due to Bob’s fur ban. The show in question was actually the October 2 episode, on which Five Price Tags was played for the second time.
Five Price Tags’s current color scheme debuted sometime in late 1981 or early 1982.
Contrary to somewhat popular belief, Five Price Tags is not played at Door #1. The camera shot before the game’s reveal is of Drew and the contestant walking to the right side of Door #2; this confuses some people, since most games have them standing to its left.
Flip Flop
Debut: February 25, 2000; 89th game to debut.
Flip Flop has played host to one of only five known instances of cheating in the show’s history (although that term may be a stretch here); on April 4, 2005, a contestant hit the price reveal button without actually changing the price. Bob awarded the contestant the prize, probably because he didn’t really know what else to do; we do not advise this course of action to any future contestants, as the staff probably won’t be so nice if it happens again. (This incident was never seen in the Eastern and Central time zones, as the portion of the show in question was pre-empted on both its original airing and its rerun on August 15.)
Fortune Hunter
Debut: November 21, 1997; 83rd game to debut.
Retired; final playing on May 11, 2000
Fortune Hunter was presumably retired because it wasn’t generating enough winners; during its life, it was won about 1/3 of the times it was played.
Freeze Frame
Debut: February 22, 1995; 78th game to debut.
Freeze Frame is normally concealed by the Giant Price Tag, but it generally isn’t when the game is played first; since the Tag would block Bob or Drew’s entrance, the game is simply moved into place during the first One-Bid.
Gallery Game
Debut: September 10, 1990; 19th Season Premiere; 68th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on April 11, 1991.
Give or Keep
Debut: December 27, 1972; 11th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on October 22, 1990
Contrary to long-held belief, Give or Keep actually debuted two days after Money Game. The episode long believed to feature its premiere is actually the January 4, 1973 episode, which contains both games’ second playings. The December 27, 1972 episode is actually unairable due to Bob’s fur ban.
Give or Keep was not played during much of 1978; it was absent between February 3 and March 9, and again between April 27 and November 14. It appears to have been the staff's intention during these periods to replace the game with Finish Line, as the two were never in the rotation at the same time.
Give or Keep’s green color scheme debuted in August or September of 1975, around the time of the show’s first major set overhaul. Its blue color scheme debuted sometime in the first half of 1983.
Give or Keep is the only game whose board was placed on the stationary part of the Turntable set.
Like many set pieces, Give or Keep’s board had flower-like asterisks on it. While this in and of itself is not noteworthy, the asterisk between the “Keep” column and the “Give” column is nearly unique -– it and the asterisks on the first two Hi Lo counters and Take Two’s original prize label cover are the only ones in the show’s history to have eight petals instead of six.
Give or Keep was retired because most of the show’s staffers didn’t like it very much.
Golden Road
Debut: August 19, 1975; first show with the set’s “regular” color scheme; 22nd game to debut.
Contrary to long-held belief, Golden Road did not debut on the first trial hour show; in fact, it debuted in August of Season 3, on the first new episode after the The Price Is Right moved back to the morning.
Golden Road’s original sign was redone to look more smooth sometime in 1985 or 1986; the first version of it was still in use immediately after Johnny died. The game’s current set and sign debuted on October 6, 1999, on the its first playing of Season 28.
For some length of time between 1977 and 1979, the road had a velvet rope running along it, similar to what one might see in the line at a movie theatre.
On Davidson’s show, instead of a grocery product, the item at the beginning of the Golden Road would be some sort of small prize or even a fishbowl of cash.
In its first appearance, which was on a half-hour show, Golden Road was played third; as far as is known, this was its only playing where it was not the first game of the day.
Golden Road has occasionally been played for 6-figure prizes on $1,000,000 Spectaculars, as well as on the daytime show on June 11, 2007. When this happens, the hundreds digit is still the missing number, just like with everything else in the game. A longer red price holder also exists for these occasions.
Golden Road has the distinction of being the only car game that is still occasionally played for boats.
From the late '80s through the end of Season 35, Bob always entered the studio through the audience when Golden Road was played. While this feature may return later, Drew is not doing audience entrances at this point; as such, when Golden Road is played, he enters through Door #2, and the road is laid down during the first Item up for Bids.
At the beginning of Season 36, the gold dots that made up the actual "golden road" were done away with, as were the coves frequently used to conceal the first two prizes, partly to keep the game from being spoiled during Drew's entrance and partly because Roger had decided that the sign was a good enough symbol for the game; however, this change only lasted for two playings.
Grand Game
Debut: May 16, 1980; 46th game to debut.
Grand Game is the only pricing game that doesn’t involve any Barker’s Beauties.
Grand Game’s intro contained a big, red “Ten Thousand Dollars” graphic starting in 1985 or late 1984. It remained until 1990 at the latest; it was definitely gone by April 23, 1990. Up through at least the earliest Gene Wood episodes, the graphic only said, “Ten Thousand.”
On Davidson’s show, Grand Game used small prizes (like those found in Cliff Hangers and Plinko) instead of groceries.
The music heard while Grand Game is being revealed is actually the very end of the Family Feud theme. The music is the version used on Dawson’s show...except in Seasons 21 and 22, during which it was replaced with the remix from Combs’s show.
Grand Game's first win and the subsequent chasing of Bob around the stage by a Samoan contestant are frequently incorrectly assumed to have occurred on the game's premiere; they actually happened on November 10, 1980, on the game's eighth playing.
Grocery Game
Debut: September 5, 1972’s show (aired on September 6); 4th game to debut.
Grocery Game was also the fourth pricing game ever played.
Grocery Game’s original win range was $6.75-$7.00; due to rising prices, it was changed to $20-$21 on January 26, 1989.
On episodes produced during the show’s first week of taping, Grocery Game awarded $100 for not going over $7.00. It seems as though this money would be won even if a contestant lost by running out of items before reaching $6.75; indeed, on the game’s first playing, Bob explained the money before he ever brought up the prize or coming with 25¢ of $7.00. Because the replacement episode 3 was done during the show's second week of tapings, this rule is not present there, even though it is present on both the second and fifth episodes.
The first four times Grocery Game was played, the contestant received supplies of the five groceries used in the game. The amounts received varied, but they always totalled at least $100, and they counted toward the contestant’s winnings.
Grocery Game’s table has been redone several times over the years. It originally had the same hexagon pattern as the first “game side” of the Turntable wall, with orange stripes at the top and bottom; its front was given vertical pink and purple stripes in the summer of 1975; it changed to a red-bricked appearance in the fall of 1975, after September 8 and no later than November 3; it took on a solid red appearance between June 1976 and April 1977; it became cream-colored between September and December of 1980; and it assumed its current appearance sometime in mid-1985. The grocery pictures on the front of the table likely debuted at the same time as the cream color scheme.
In addition to the above, Grocery Game’s cash register appears to have gone through at least three incarnations, probably changing in the summer of 1975 and when the current set debuted. The register did not originally have a WIN!/OVER display, but that was in place by November, 1972. The second WIN!/OVER display debuted sometime during 1974, well before the rest of the register was redone.
Grocery Game’s original sign first appeared sometime between January and May of 1975. The second sign likely debuted at the same time as the game’s current set.
Grocery Game is the first pricing game whose name was used on the air. Bob referred to it by name twice on the replacement third episode –- once during Grocery Game itself, and again during the Showcase.
Grocery Game is the only pricing game that has ever offered three rooms of furniture on a single playing. On both the Coast Guard Special in Season 30 and MDS 24 in Season 36, it was played for a living room, a dining room, and a bedroom.
Grocery Game was originally revealed before its prize was shown, in the style of Bonus Game and Hi Lo; also like Hi Lo, the groceries were originally described before the prize. This practice was stopped by mid-1974, though.
1/2 Off
Debut: May 28, 2004; 98th game to debut.
The $500 bonuses awarded with each correct pricing decision were instituted at the start of Season 36.
The box reveal at the end of 1/2 Off was designed as an homage to Fortune Hunter.
The lights around 1/2 Off’s “$10,000” tag were not present on its two playings in Season 32; they debuted on September 21, 2004, on the game’s first playing in Season 33.
The music used as 1/2 Off's second intro cue was originally part of a song from the 2003 music package. It was replaced with a harp/drum sting on February 20, 2008.
In primetime, 1/2 Off’s prize increases to $25,000.
The bills found in 1/2 Off’s winning box are not actually real money.
1/2 Off’s mechanized box gallery is the most expensive prop that has ever been built for The Price Is Right.
Thus far, the money in 1/2 Off has never been hidden in box 13.
1/2 Off served as the $1,000,000 game on the 22nd MDS. To win the million, the contestant had to win the game, give up the $25,000, and correctly pick the one of the remaining 15 boxes that contained a check for $1,000,000.
Hi Lo
Debut: April 9, 1973; 13th game to debut.
Hi Lo has had three different sets. Its two set changes happened in the first half of 1978 (no later than June 12) and on October 26, 1990. The current set's logo had a holographic film applied to it early in Season 36.
Hi Lo holds the distinction of being the first pricing game whose name appeared on its board.
Like many other set pieces, Hi Lo’s counter has flower-like asterisks on it. While this in and of itself is not noteworthy, the game’s first two sets are two of the only four props in the show’s history to use asterisks with eight petals instead of six (the third being the Give or Keep board and the fourth being the original cover for Take Two’s prize labels). Sometime between February 27 and June 20, 1980, the asterisks on the second counter's price cards were changed to the normal ones.
Early in its life, Hi Lo had different rules than the ones we’re used to. The contestant would pick an item, and after its price was revealed, he would tell Bob which row he believed it belonged on. This would continue until either all the items were placed or a price was shown that indicated a mistake had been made. The normal rules are believed to have debuted no later than the game’s third playing.
For its first 35 years on the show, Hi Lo was manuevered onto the stage on-camera before its prize was revealed, and its groceries were described before the prize. The game moved behind the Giant Price Tag and adopted a more standard reveal on May 15, 2008.
Hit Me
Debut: November 7, 1980; 48th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on October 13, 2006.
Hit Me was retired because the staff decided its rules were beginning to confuse too many contestants.
Hit Me is the second-longest-lived pricing game ever to be retired, having been in the rotation for less than one month short of 26 years.
The debut of Hit Me, and the entire week of shows that it falls in, was taped five weeks out of order, and after the game's second through fifth playings; in fact, on November 13, the day of the game's second appearance, Bob half-erroneously implies that it has never been played before.
There is some confusion as to whether or not “Vegas rules” applied to Hit Me when the house had an ace that, if valued at 11, would have put its hand over 21. In some cases, Bob would end the game at that point and declare it a win; in others, he would make the ace’s value 1 and let the game continue. He said at a taping during Season 33 that he’d decided to always play the game out in whatever way gave the contestant the best shot at winning, but this doesn’t always seem to have been the way things ended up happening.
When Hit Me debuted, its deck contained no face cards, and the cards found with the groceries were taken from said deck. Both of these aspects were changed at some point; the game has used face cards since February 4, 1981, and there is at least one episode where the contestant’s hand and the house’s hand both contained the same card.
When Hit Me began using face cards, instead of simply adding extra cards to the deck, an entirely new deck was created for the game. The original deck is still kept backstage, with a label reading, “Backup deck only –- not a complete set.”
The lower portion of the right-hand Hit Me board, which was rarely seen on the air in the game's later years, had two legs shaped like TPIR dollar signs.
Hole in One
Debut: May 9, 1977; 33rd game to debut.
The two-putt format was first used on the first primetime special in the summer of 1986, which aired on August 14; at this time, the game was still called “Hole in One.” The format was carried over to the daytime show on October 10, on the game’s first playing after the Specials were taped, but its name did not actually change to “Hole in One or Two” until sometime in December 1986 or the first few months of 1987. Before the actual name change occurred, Bob frequently referred to the game as “Hole in Two.”
Between the name change and the debut of the game’s revamped set in the last three months of 1987, a stake saying “or Two” accompanied the original “Hole in One” sign for several months.
Before the two-putt rule was added, Hole in One was regularly played for sportscars.
The name “Hole in One or Two” is regarded as an alternate name, like Deluxe Dice Game, and not as a name change, like Check Game; all known official sources besides the game’s sign still refer to it as “Hole in One.”
When Hole in One is played in primetime, the bonus for ordering the groceries perfectly is increased to $1,000.
On Davidson’s show, Hole in One used small prizes (like those in Plinko or Cliff Hangers) instead of groceries, and each item’s price was revealed immediately after it was placed.
Hole in One’s cup is 5.5 inches in diameter, 1.25 inches larger than one found on a golf course. The lines on the “green” are 22 inches apart, and the final line is 15 inches from the hole.
Hurdles
Debut: February 19, 1976; 27th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on March 31, 1983.
Hurdles is quite possibly the most mechanically complex pricing game ever built. Unfortunately, this proved to be its downfall; by 1983, the game was malfunctioning so often that it just wasn’t worth it to keep it around any longer.
The William Tell Overture was played during the “race” in Hurdles.
It's in the Bag
Debut: September 26, 1997; 82nd game to debut.
It’s in the Bag was in development for most of Season 25; in fact, it appears in planned lineups almost every week for the last three months of 1996, sometimes in the same shows as Plinko or Punch a Bunch. Its planned debut was a full year before it actually got played.
As of the 14th $1,000,000 Spectacular on April 9, 2005 (the 13th one aired; it was run out of order), It’s in the Bag’s top prize in primetime is $24,000. Only the last bag’s prize is increased –- the first four remain the same as in daytime. We’re really not sure why it took so long for this change to be made.
Several people have asked why It’s in the Bag’s cash amounts were not simply all doubled for primetime. Roger has explained that he didn’t think anyone would ever be willing to risk $16,000 to go for $32,000, so it’s not something they ever plan on featuring.
On It’s in the Bag’s first playing, the lights that display the cash amounts were yellow; the normal, blue lights first appeared on the game’s second playing.
When It’s in the Bag debuted, it was actually introduced by an extended version of what would become Fortune Hunter’s intro cue; the game’s own cue wasn’t heard until at least its third playing. The cue from Fortune Hunter was subsequently shortened to its more familiar length, and it gradually came to be used for It’s in the Bag less and less frequently until it finally vanished entirely late in Season 31 or early in Season 32.
It's Optional
Debut: September 4, 1978’s episode (aired early, on June 30); 40th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on May 9, 1983.
It’s Optional is the only pricing game to regularly offer two cars.
It’s Optional debuted on the same episode as Shower Game, with It’s Optional being played in the second half.
It’s Optional is known to have had different rules the first one or two times it was played. Unfortunately, at this time, we don’t know what they were in full, although it’s believed that there was no limit to the number of options a contestant could add.
The price of the right-hand car in It’s Optional was reached by adding several unidentified options to a base model. When contestants won the game, they received the right-hand car with those options and the left-hand car with the options they placed on it while playing the game.
It’s Optional was played 45 times; it was won on exactly 60% of its appearances.
Joker
Debut: February 14, 1994; 75th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on March 5, 2007.
Joker technically survived into Season 36; it was not permanently removed from the rotation until that winter and was, in fact, originally scheduled to be played instead of Bonus Game on the February 29, 2008 episode.
Let 'em Roll
Debut: September 20, 1999; 28th Season Premiere; 88th game to debut.
Let ‘em Roll’s logo didn’t have an apostrophe until November 29, 1999; prior to that, the game’s name was Let em Roll.
Let ‘em Roll’s current set first appeared on Season 31’s fifth $1,000,000 Spectacular on May 10, 2003. It made its daytime debut about three weeks later, on May 30.
Let ‘em Roll is the newest pricing game to have undergone a major set change.
Let ‘em Roll’s original cubes were made styrofoam or some other similar substance; as the game entered its second year, small bits of them were beginning to fall off. Around November or December of 2000, they were replaced by the current cubes, which are made of wood.
Contestants are not allowed to freeze money and roll again to try to accumulate more; they may only freeze cars.
Fans have noted over the years that Let ‘em Roll’s pricing portion is usually very easy; Roger has confirmed that this is generally done intentionally.
For about a year starting late in Season 32, Let ‘em Roll consistently had problems with cubes flying off the table. On March 9, 2005, a plexiglass barrier was added to the prop to keep this from happening.
Line em Up
Debut: March 10, 1998; 84th game to debut.
On its first several playings, Line em Up used the “think music” from Make Your Move; its traditional music didn’t debut until June 2.
In Seasons 26 through 32, Line em Up’s car was revealed before the other prizes. This was reversed at the beginning of Season 33 (specifically, on October 7, 2004); at the same time, the prizes swapped which doors they were behind, and a second piece of music was added for the smaller prizes.
Lucky $even
Debut: August 28, 1973; 15th game to debut.
The current Lucky $even set made its first appearance sometime in Season 14, probably during 1986. It is known to have been in place by its final playing of the season on May 30.
The font currently used for the price in this game first appeared on October 10, 2001.
This game’s name was written as “Lucky Seven” -– with no dollar sign -– on its original set.
On the ‘86 Specials, which introduced 5-digit cars to Lucky $even, the contestants were given the last number free instead of the first number; this format was never used on the daytime show.
Lucky Seven is rumored to have been played for two cars once in the early ‘70s; supposedly, the price the contestant had to guess was the total of the cars’ prices.
Bob once salvaged a loss in this game when he decided that 0, the last number in the price that day, was only three digits away from 7, the contestant’s guess. Lucky $even hasn’t used a price containing a zero in many, many years; it’s not known whether or not these two facts are related, but it’s certainly interesting to note.
The car in Lucky $even is not actually driven onto the stage; it is put in neutral and is pushed out from backstage by stagehands.
Starting on March 18, 1999, excluding primetime episodes, Lucky $even was only played as the first game; this was done to accomodate the stage crew, as the game's car takes up a great deal of space backstage. Over the next eight and a half years, the game gradually began to appear later in the show again; it returned to the second slot partway through Season 31, the third slot near the end of Season 34, and the second half when Season 36 started.
Lucky $even winners do indeed receive any money that is left over after paying a dollar for the car.
Lucky $even offered its last 4-digit car during Season 21. The game became permanently 5-digit on April 23, 1993.
Magic #
Debut: September 14, 1992; 21st Season Premiere; 73rd game to debut.
Not counting Clock Game, Magic # is the only pricing game that used a different set on the Davidson version than on the daytime show; after its first playing on that version, the prizes’ prices were revealed on the Double Prices podium.
Magic # is the second-most expensive prop that has ever been built for The Price Is Right, eclipsed only by the mechanism that operates 1/2 Off.
Magic # can’t be played as the first game on an episode. Its computer requires time to boot after it’s turned on, so it can’t be used any earlier than second.
Magic #’s sound effects were changed during 2004; there was no longer a sound effect to indicate that the number was being stopped as of the June 11 episode (due to a pre-emption, the episode in question was not aired until June 18), and on the game’s next playing on October 22, the sounds for the number moving were suddenly much more tinny than before. The original movement sounds were brought back about a year later, on October 10, 2005, and much later on, on February 20, 2008, the "stopping" sound effect was reinstated.
Contrary to a once popular theory, Magic #’s absence during much of the second third of Season 33 was not caused by the game being broken; Bob and Roger had simply decided to play it less frequently for a while.
For the first several years that Magic # was played, the number would automatically round itself to the nearest ten whenever it was stopped; this was actually not supposed to happen, and it was programmed out of the game once the staff discovered it.
Although Bob’s phrasing of the rules made it sound otherwise, if the magic number is stopped on the price of one of the prizes, the contestant does win.
Make Your Move
Debut: September 11, 1989; 18th Season Premiere; 66th game to debut.
For reasons unknown, after December 13, 1989, Make Your Move was pulled from the pricing game rotation and was not played again for the rest of the season. When it returned the next year on October 12, 1990, its rules were altered two use two 3-digit prizes and no 2-digit prize; under this format, one of the numbers on the board was part of two different prices. These new rules confused essentially everybody in the studio, including the contestants and Bob, and were only used two times; the game's normal rules returned on October 30.
Make Your Move once was rumored to have been played for a brief period in 1986 with slightly different rules; it was then supposedly shelved for three years before reappearing in 1989. This rumor probably stemmed from the events described in the above paragraph.
Incidentally, the first of the two contestants who played the alternate version of Make Your Move did somehow manage to win the game.
Until the mid-’90s, the contestant’s guesses in Make Your Move were lit up one by one at the end of the game as Bob read them off; the practice was stopped because the audience frequently mistook it as meaning that the guesses were correct.
Master Key
Debut: March 25, 1983; 54th game to debut.
Contrary to popular belief, the Master Key sign on the Turntable wall has been there since the game’s debut. The belief that it was added in 1985 likely stemmed from a GSN rerun from Christmas week of 1984 in which the sign was absent due to an abundance of Christmas decorations.
Each of Master Key’s locks, as well as four of the five keys, have magnets in them; the positions of these magnets determine which keys will open which locks. The three “single-prize” keys each have one magnet in them, with each one corresponding to the position of one lock’s magnet. The master key has three magnets in it, allowing it to open any lock. The dud, obviously, has no magents.
Money Game
Debut: December 25, 1972; 10th game to debut.
Contrary to long-held belief, Money Game actually debuted two days before Give or Keep. The episode long believed to feature its premiere is actually the January 4, 1973 episode, which contains both games’ second playings. The December 25, 1972 episode is unairable due to Bob’s fur ban.
Money Game was originally played at center stage. It was moved to the Turntable sometime in 1981.
When Money Game was played for 5-digit cars in the ‘80s (a time when 4-digit car prices were still common), it was called “Big Money Game.” The format was slightly different than the current 5-digit version of Money Game; the last number was revealed at the start of the game instead of the 3rd number, and the contestant had to find the first two numbers and the third & fourth numbers. While it was long believed that this format was only used on the Kennedy version, it is now known to have appeared at least twice on the daytime show, on October 8 and October 24, 1985.
Money Game contestants win any cash they’ve accumulated through finding dollar signs regardless of whether or not they win the car.
The second color scheme of the first Money Game board debuted in 1978; the game’s logo was also added at that time.
Money Game’s current board debuted on September 10, 1991 –- the second episode of Season 20. This was not, however, the day the game’s standard 5-digit format debuted -– the original board was modified to accomodate 5-digit prices on February 22, 1990.
Money Game is the all-purpose “substitute” car game. It doesn’t involve any electronics, so it’s very convenient to bring out if the game they’re supposed to play breaks down.
Since the start of Season 35, the season's number has been the top-center choice on every playing of Money Game (except on the October 11, 2006 show -- aired out of order on February 5, 2007 -- where it was the left-center choice). Since this practice began, the number has only been in the car's price twice.
More or Less
Debut: February 16, 2007; 102nd game to debut.
During Season 35, More or Less's prize reveal included a pause between the third prize and the car during which Bob would talk to the contestant. When the game returned to the rotation in Season 36, the pause was done away with.
Most Expensive
Debut: October 16, 1972; 9th game to debut.
Most Expensive has had three different sets. The second one debuted sometime in 1975 (after August 20, and on September 8 at the latest), and the current one was first used sometime in 1984, probably during Season 12. The first set consisted of three podiums from Five Price Tags with large numbers tacked onto them; the second had huge, white numbers on non-descript, black backgrounds. The price tags that go along with the third set did not debut until mid-to-late 1985.
Most Expensive’s staging varies depending on what it’s being played for. It’s usually played behind Door #2, but it uses all three Big Doors when it’s played for trips.
Thanks to its alternate staging, Most Expensive is the only pricing game during which Contestants' Row is intentionally visible on any sort of consistent basis.
Most Expensive has also been played for three cars a single time, on the Season 35 premiere on September 18, 2006. It used the same staging as it does when played for trips, albeit with the number signs positioned behind the cars.
There’s apparently a James episode on which Most Expensive was played with three furs coats; in a departure from normal practice, a winner on that particular playing would only receive the most expensive coat.
There is also apparently a ‘70s nighttime episode where the game was staged on the Turntable, with Janice modeling a mink coat, a watch, and a diamond ring.
Mystery Price
Debut: September 26, 1973’s show (aired on November 29); third show of Season 2; 17th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on February 21, 1974.
Mystery Price was retired because its rules were too confusing. Despite this, it was actually won 11 of the 17 times it was played.
Now....and Then/Now....or Then
Debut: September 17, 1980 (as “Now....and Then”); 47th game to debut.
Now....and Then’s name was changed to “Now....or Then” on December 2, 1986. The change was made to better reflect the question that contestants playing the game try to answer. Bob actually plugged the change on the air on November 19, the day the game was played under its original name for the last time.
Surprisingly, Now....and Then was actually played less times the year it debuted than in any other season; during Season 9, it only appeared on six episodes.
There’s been a nifty little unwritten rule in this game since about Season 28 that can make it much, much easier: there are always four “nows” and two “thens.”
The “then” prices are not taken from old episodes of Price; rather, Fingers finds them by looking through old newspaper ads.
On the Nose
Debut: September 14, 1984; 58th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on November 22, 1985.
On the Nose appears on planned lineups for two episodes after its last playing –- December 9, 1985 and January 3, 1986.
On the Nose involved a different sport every time it was played. Among the five sports used were baseball, basketball, football, darts, and tennis.
On the Nose underwent at least one set change during its life. On its early playings, the price tables were backed by red rectangles; by October 16, 1984, they were backed by triangular patterns similar to the ones on the tables themselves.
On the Spot
Debut: January 27, 2003; 95th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on November 5, 2004.
Except on its last two playings, which happened to be its only two playings in Season 33, the three paths in On the Spot always had the prices on them in the following vertical patterns:
A|B|C
B|C|A
D|E|F
The patterns were changed on the last two playings in an attempt by Roger to make the game easier; although it did produce wins, the staff evidently decided that they didn’t like the new format.
The patterns used on the last two playings of On the Spot did not use all of the small prizes’ prices, making some of them impossible to win. In fact, on the game’s final playing, two of the paths were identical aside from the prices appearing in different orders on each one.
On the Spot was retired after 26 playings because it was confusing and it had a low win percentage. It actually spent most of Season 33 on an “indefinite hiatus” before officially being retired.
One Away
Debut: December 4, 1984; 59th game to debut.
The people that the contestant must ask for horns changed from “gentlemen” to “ladies” early in 1995 (possibly on March 8); Drew expanded the routine to include begging the "mighty sound effects lady" for numbers when he took over the show in Season 36.
During the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, it wasn’t uncommon for One Away to be played for very expensive cars, such as Lincolns and Cadillacs. This practice seems to have stopped somewhere around 1995.
One Away stopped offering 4-digit cars during Season 17; it has been played exclusively for 5-digit cars since April 6, 1989.
One Away’s original neon sign with a cursive capital “A” was replaced with a larger, wooden one with a printed capital “A” late in Season 28. Although the sign was starting to flicker around that time, the change was actually made because Bob thought the red lights were reflecting onto his makeup.
For the purposes of this game, 0 and 9 are considered to be “one away” from each other. Those two digits are generally not used in the wrong price, but it has happened on occasion.
One Away served as the $1,000,000 game on the 17th MDS. To win the million, the contestant had to get the car's price right on the first turn.
1 Right Price
Debut: September 11, 1975’s show (aired on September 9); 24th game to debut.
1 Right Price did not enter the pricing game rotation permanently until November 6, 1975.
1 Right Price has had four sets of podiums over the years, more than any other game except Double Prices (with which it shared its first three sets). The second set debuted in the 1977 portion of Season 5; the third debuted on March 25, 1983 (after first appearing on March 21 in Double Prices); and the current one debuted on April 18, 1988.
Oddly enough, 1 Right Price didn’t stop using the props it shared with Double Prices until over a year after Double Prices did.
At least twice -– on the last episode of the ‘70s nighttime run and on March 18, 1992 -– 1 Right Price was staged using two doors; one prize was behind Door #2, the other was behind Door #3, and the podiums were onstage in front of the doors. The prizes on the nighttime playing were a boat and a 3-wheeled electric car; on the 1992 episode, the game was played for two trips.
1 Right Price is one of only two games to debut without a logo after 1973; the other is 1 Wrong Price, which didn’t appear until over 23 years later.
1 Wrong Price
Debut: October 23, 1998; 86th game to debut.
Aside from 1 Right Price, which originally shared its props with Double Prices, 1 Wrong Price is the only pricing game since 1973 to debut without a logo.
Although it usually isn’t noticeable on television, the prize backdrops in 1 Wrong Price light up to indicate which prize a contestant has chosen, similar to the number props in Most Expensive.
1 Wrong Price has occasionally been played for three trips. The game has not been staged consistently when this happens: Sometimes, it uses its standard staging with the secondary trip displays; other times, it uses Most Expensive's trip staging with the main trip displays. When the latter staging is used, the game's prize backdrops are absent.
1 Wrong Price has been played for three cars twice, on the 7th and 25th $1,000,000 Spectaculars. The first time this happened, the game used all three of the Big Doors, with one of the game's prize backdrops behind each car; the second time, the game's normal staging was used.
Pass the Buck
Debut: October 4, 2001; 14th show of Season 30; 93rd game to debut.
Pass the Buck was played slightly differently during its first three months. The contestant had to win all three picks (as opposed to getting the first one free), and the board had eight numbers instead of six. The two additional cards were “$2000” and a third “Lose Everything.” The game’s normal format was first used on January 10, 2002.
Pass the Buck’s debut aired during the same week as Bonkers’s debut; however, that only happened due to the 9/11 attacks screwing with the airing schedule. The debut of Bonkers was actually supposed to air the previous week.
Pathfinder
Debut: April 7, 1987; 62nd game to debut.
Pathfinder’s price display is the same one that was used in Add ‘em Up; for a year or two in the ‘80s, both games were using it. As can be seen on MDS 26, the entire prop is still stationed behind the Pathfinder board.
Pathfinder was victimized by a cheater on December 1, 1992; the contestant that day briefly touched his foot to a number and then moved it back, obviously to see if the number would light up (which it did).
Penny Ante
Debut: January 25, 1979; 43rd game to debut.
Retired; final playing on June 14, 2002.
The first five times it was played, Penny Ante had completely different rules than the ones we’re used to. The two prices could each be anywhere on the board, and the goal was to find them both before your wrong guesses totalled a dollar or more (i.e. 100 pennies). Instead of the contestant having gigantic, fake pennies, real pennies shot down the board into catchers at the front whenever a wrong guess was made; a Sportstype-font scoreboard at the top of the prop kept track of how many pennies had been accumulated. The board also had a very different color scheme in this era, explaining at last why the game’s name was originally in red.
Penny Ante’s normal rules debuted on its sixth playing, on March 30, 1979.
Penny Ante presumably changed to the original version of its green-and-blue color scheme when its rules were redone. The more sleek version of this color scheme that was used up through Season 30 was introduced around ‘83 or ‘84.
Penny Ante was retired because of a series of mechanical problems that flared up throughout the 1990s and became considerably more frequent during Season 30. It was actually scheduled to be played in Season 31 on October 9, 2002, but it malfunctioned before the taping, was replaced by Pick-a-Number, and was subsequently removed from the pricing game rotation. The staff decided to retire it, but they reversed that decision later in the week; unfortunately, by that time, the game’s board had been placed outside by the garbage, where it was damaged beyond repair in a rainstorm. The show had long intended to rebuild the game, and although the process of doing so never really got off the ground, it was not officially declared as being retired until nearly five years after its last playing.
The Phone Home Game
Debut: September 12, 1983; 12th Season Premiere; 55th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on November 3, 1989.
The Phone Home Game is the only game besides Double Bullseye that involved two people; however, in The Phone Home Game, the contestants were working together.
On August 22-26, 1983, in the midst of Season 11’s summer reruns, TPIR did a special week of new shows for the sole purpose of advertising The Phone Home Game.
The Phone Home Game was only ever played in the first half of the show. The home contestants were called before the show began taping and were kept on hold until the game was played; playing the game in the second half would have required keeping them on hold for much longer than could be considered polite.
The Phone Home Game is the only pricing game whose name actually begins with the word “the.”
Playings of The Phone Home Game were always plugged on the previous day’s episode, with Bob telling the viewers to stay home at watch the show because “I just might be calling you.” Of course, this was in reality a ploy for ratings, as the show was never aired live.
The Phone Home Game had its own contestant plug, which was read by the announcer at the end of the game before the show went to commercial.
The Phone Home Game holds the distinction of being the only pricing game in which a win was intentionally not accompanied by the show’s theme. Instead, the game’s intro would play along with the “clang/whoop” sound effects. In fact, this occurred any time the contestants won the $10,000 award (which was always revealed last). The show’s theme would not start playing until Bob threw to Johnny or Rod for the game’s contestant plug.
The Phone Home Game was routinely taken out of the game rotation early in Novmeber, around the time of the annual Home Viewer Showcase, and generally didn't return until sometime in January or February.
Until the Big Doors were rebuilt at the start of Season 36, one of their frames still contained a jack for The Phone Home Game’s phone to be plugged into.
Although they were not physically at the show, home players on The Phone Home Game were on-air and were thus ineligible to be in-studio contestants through the beginning of Season 36; however, the show amended its rules in November, 2007, to make ineligibility expire 10 years after a contestant's appearance, so this distinction is now irrelevent.
Despite the enormous luck factor involved in such an occurrence, The Phone Home Game was completely won at least two times, on April 17, 1986, and June 30, 1988.
The Phone Home Game was retired because the staff felt that it took too long and didn’t draw enough interest (nor enough ratings) to justify keeping it around.
Pick-a-Pair
Debut: April 12, 1982; 52nd game to debut.
Pick-a-Pair currently holds the record for longest time between playings -- one year and 339 days. Its last playing with its ferris wheel set was on October 10, 1988, and its first playing with its table set was on September 14, 1990 (the fifth show of Season 19). It was only played two times in Season 17 and was out of the rotation for the remainder of that year and all of Season 18.
Pick-a-Pair’s current set originally had much more red and many more lights on the front of its table than it does now; they were replaced with the current dark blue stripes after only a few weeks.
Pick-a-Pair’s name used to be written as “Pick a Pair”; the hyphens weren’t present in the game’s ferris wheel incarnation.
Pick a Pair’s ferris wheel set had two different color schemes; the parts of the sign and the grocery platforms that were originally orange changed to a sky blue sometime in 1985 or early 1986.
During the later years of the ferris wheel set, carnival music played during Pick a Pair. It was added sometime in 1985, before the set’s color scheme was changed.
Pick-a-Number
Debut: January 31, 1992; ceremonial 4,000th episode; 70th game to debut.
The show on which Pick-a-Number debuted was actually episode #3,992.
Pick-a-Number is occasionally used as a substitute when other games played for a single prize break down.
Plinko
Debut: January 3, 1983; 53rd game to debut.
Plinko was first played for $50,000 (instead of $25,000) on the 25th Anniversary Special in August, 1996. The change carried over to the daytime show a little over two years later, on October 15, 1998.
Plinko’s current, pastel color scheme debuted on February 1, 1991. At the same time, the fonts of the game’s money amounts were changed, both on the board and on the sign.
The Plinko sign was not used on Plinko’s debut; instead, a disco ball with “$25,000” circling around it was lowered from the ceiling in front of the audience while Grand Game’s intro music played. Once the sign did debut, it was set in the back of the audience at least through the first week of Season 12 before it was finally moved to its usual location on the Turntable.
The Plinko sign was used for the last time on December 5, 2002. It was retired in favor of a “$50,000” graphic.
Plinko’s intro has had three different harps over the years. The first one, the same one used in Punch a Bunch, was used from the second playing through April of 1995. The second harp debuted on May 3, 1995 and was used for somewhere between one and three years. The third harp, which was in use by January 21, 1998, is still used today.
To keep chips from flying off the board, a solid plexiglass cover was added to the Plinko board in the early ‘90s. During Season 22, probably to make it easier to remove stuck chips, it was replaced with the current cover, which simply places thin barriers over the gaps between the pegs in the board. As of September 20, 2005, there is also a cover over the slots at the bottom of the board.
By the official definition of a “win,” Plinko has never been won.
On a related note, if anyone ever does win Plinko, the clangs and whoops generally associated with huge wins will be played.
The closest Plinko has ever come to being won was on November 30, 1990. The contestant playing that day won $21,000 by putting four chips in $5,000 and one in $1,000. It is not possible to play the game better than that without completely winning.
Since increasing the value of the center slot, Plinko's biggest winners have acheived scores of $30,100 in daytime on December 25, 2007, and $40,000 in primetime on the Army Special on June 13, 2002; with the original values in play, though, these scores would only have been $15,100 and $10,000, respectively.
On the Davidson version, Plinko used a different set of slot values than on the daytime show –- the $100 slots were replaced with $2500. There was also a second layout used on that version of the show with a distribution $100, $500, 0, $5000, 0, $5000, 0, $500, $100. It is interesting to note that if this pattern had been used on the daytime show, there is a contestant in Season 24 who would have won the game.
In addition to the above-mentioned changes, the Davidson version also used the “higher or lower” format for small prize pricing, since they wanted to use three-digit prices in the game. Also, the Plinko sign was placed in the back of the audience, because the show had no Turntable, and the sting from The Cats was replaced with the intro cue for It’s in the Bag.
The version of Plinko’s logo seen on the game’s board has considerably different dimensions than the version seen on the sign and the small prize podiums. The latter version is somewhat “squished,” for lack of a better term, and the i’s fallen dot is more in front of the letter than next to it; this has led some people to mistakenly believe that the game’s name is spelled “Pl!nko”.
Plinko served as the $1,000,000 game on the 21st and 25th MDSs. To win the million, the contestant had to put at least three chips in the center slot, thereby earning an extra "golden Plinko chip" which would also have to be put in the center slot.
Plinko holds the distinction of being the only $1,000,000 game in which it is possible to win the million dollars without completely winning the game.
Pocket ¢hange
Debut: January 10, 2005; 99th game to debut.
Pocket ¢hange’s board has a frequency chart for its envelopes, but it’s very hard to read. The game has actually had three different distributions during its life. On its first playing only, the listing was as follows:
- 0¢ - x3
- 5¢ - x5
- 10¢ - x5
- 25¢ - x4
- 50¢ - x2
- $2 - x1
On the game’s second playing, the distribution was changed thusly:
- 0¢ - x3
- 5¢ - x3
- 10¢ - x6
- 25¢ - x4
- 50¢ - x2
- 75¢ - x1
- $2 - x1
Sometime between the second playing and February 7, 2007, the distrubution was slightly altered once more, to the following:
- 0¢ - x2
- 5¢ - x4
- 10¢ - x5
- 25¢ - x4
- 50¢ - x3
- 75¢ - x1
- $2 - x1
I honestly do not know when the second change happened; however, if I had to guess, I would say it was probably when the appearance of the frequency chart changed to resemble a patch, which occurred on the game’s 2nd, 3rd, or 4th playing of Season 34. Keep in mind that this is only a guess.
The first time Pocket ¢hange was played, the contestant had to guess all five digits in the car’s price, thereby giving him five envelopes instead of four; this was changed in order to make the game take less time. The game’s regular rules debuted on its second playing.
Despite the game using the concept of accumulating pocket change, Pocket ¢hange contestants do not actually win any money.
In case you’re wondering how to type a cents sign, hold the Alt key while typing “0162” on the numeric keypad.
Poker Game
Debut: September 9, 1975’s show (aired on September 12); 23rd game to debut.
Retired; final playing on May 10, 2007.
Poker Game did not enter the pricing game rotation permanently until October 14, 1975.
Contrary to popular belief, Poker Game did not debut on the first permanent hour-long show. In fact, it first appeared on the second trial hour episode.
Poker Game technically survived into Season 36; it was not permanently removed from the rotation until that winter.
Poker Game is by far the longest-lived pricing game ever to be retired, having been in the rotation for 32 years.
Early on, Poker Game was played slightly differently; the contestant could make his hand with any five of the six digits from the two prices he'd chosen, and he didn't have the option of passing his hand to the house.
Poker Game’s original rules weren’t used very long; the latest the regular rules could have debuted was October 27, 1975.
Poker Game has had only two set changes during its life -– the background on the number lights was white until the show expanded to an hour permanently, and a flashy dollar sign graphic was added to the price reveal prop sometime in 1989 after March 3.
Straights do not count in Poker Game; as such, the worst achieveable hand is 12345. A hand of 01234 is impossible, as the sixth digit from the selected prices would inevitably create a pair and/or bump the 0.
On a side note, if straights did count, the worst possible hand would be 12356.
The entire time it was in the rotation, Poker Game never offered a prize worth more than $999.
Professor Price
Debut: November 14, 1977; 36th game to debut.
Retired; final playing on November 21, 1977.
Professor Price is the shortest-lived pricing game in history; it was only played two times and was only active for six episodes.
Professor Price is the only pricing game besides Double Bullseye with a 100% win record.
While many games on the show involve some element of luck or skill in addition to pricing, Professor Price is the only game that involved general knowledge questions...something that probably contributed to its quick retirement.
Since GSN only reran a single episode on which Professor Price was played, it is not known what would happen if the answer to the second or fourth question in the game -– the two questions that dealt with the price of the car –- was “no.”
Professor Price holds the distinction of being the only pricing game with no luck or skill elements in which you could know the price of everything and still lose.
Punch a Bunch
Debut: September 27, 1978's episode (aired on September 26); 41st game to debut.
Punch a Bunch had very different rules on its first 11 playings. Brad Francini's Punch a Bunch page now has a much more detailed description of this format than was available before mid-2005. Apparently, each punch occurred immediately after the small prize that won it, and the board contained 20 slips that said “dollars,” 20 with “hundred,” and 10 with “thousand;” additionally, it seems that the contestant chose a different hole from the “PUNCHBOARD” spaces for each punch.
Punch a Bunch’s normal rules debuted on its 12th playing, on December 1, 1978.
The current Punchboard debuted on September 10, 1996 -– the second show of Season 25. That was also when the game’s reveal changed.
Starting in Season 30, Punch a Bunch’s top prize in primetime was $25,000. The game also had a different slip frequency in primetime than in daytime -– 15 each of $100, $500, and $1000; three $5000; and two $25,000. Additionally, there were no Second Chance slips.
Starting in Season 36, Punch a Bunch's primetime top prize was increased to $50,000. The slip frequency was also altered -- 12 each of $100, $500, and $1,000; 10 $5,000; three $25,000; and one $50,000. Additionally, four of the slips have a "Second Chance" on them; it is not known at this time which slips they are on.
On some Davidson playings of Punch a Bunch, contestants punched out their holes one at a time instead of all at once.
Although it’s perfectly acceptable to call this game “Punchboard,” “Punch a Bunch” is its real name.
Punch a Bunch’s slips used to have a much more plain look to them; the current ones came into use sometime between late 1983 and mid-1985.
Punch a Bunch’s $10,000 bill has had several different pictures of the hosts over the years. The original photo of Bob was used until some point between December 1983 and the start of Season 14; it seems possible that it could have changed at the same time as the punchboard slips. The first white-haired picture of Bob debuted shortly after he stopped using dye in 1987. On the first “white hair” episode, the game was played with the second picture still on the bill, and Janice colored in Bob’s hair on it with a piece of chalk. The Price Is Right Salutes and $1,000,000 Spectaculars have a $25,000 bill with a full-color picture of Bob on it; a monochrome version of this picture was placed on the $10,000 bill on October 18, 2005. A full-color shot of Drew was placed on a more authentic-looking $10,000 bill when he took over the show in Season 36. Tom Kennedy had his own picture for the $10,000 bill on the Season 14 nighttime show.
Davidson’s show used a completely different intro for Punch a Bunch. The $10,000 bill and the harps were absent; instead, a “$10,000” image flashed on the video wall, and the music used was the extended version of the Fortune Hunter intro cue heard on early playings of It’s in the Bag.
Because of the “Second Chance” slips, it is actually possible for contestants to more than $10,000 in this game, and it has indeed happened a few times over the years. If all four “Second Chances” were found one after another, a contestant could win as much as $10,900; however, the most anyone is known to have found in a row is two.
Punch a Bunch's top prize on the daytime show will be increased to $25,000 at the start of Season 37; this will be accomplished by replacing one of the $10,000 slips with a $25,000 slip.
Punch a Bunch served as the $1,000,000 game on the 24th MDS. To win the million, the contestant had to find the $50,000 slip on the first punch.
Push Over
Debut: March 3, 1999; 87th game to debut.
Push Over debuted on the final show with padded walls on the Turntable.
Early in Push Over’s life, Bob frequently joked that when the blocks were pushed off the table, they went directly to China.
Push Over’s box has a microphone in it; that’s why you can clearly hear the blocks falling into it.
Never in Push Over’s history has the first price in the line been correct –- at least one block has always needed to be pushed off the table. Amazingly, only two contestants –- on October 13, 2005 and July 17, 2008 –- have ever chosen the first price.
Race Game
Debut: August 14, 1974; 20th game to debut.
Race Game has had three different “think musics” over the years: the original Vaudeville-style piece (not the same one used in Switcheroo); the current music, named “Early Happy Days,” which replaced the original in the first half of 1992; and The William Tell Overture, which was used on the Kennedy version (and at least once on the daytime show right after the original cue was retired).
Race Game is the oldest pricing game that has never offered a car.
Range Game
Debut: April 3, 1973; 12th game to debut.
The current Range Game board debuted in 1976.
The rangerfinder has almost always been $150 long (on a $600 scale), but very early in the game’s life, it was only $50. When the game proved next to impossible to win that way, they quickly increased it to $100 and then again to the familiar $150. The James version even used a $200 rangefinder, covering 1/3 of the scale, for a brief period!
If the rangefinder reaches the top of the scale, it automatically stops.
Since the rangefinder is manually operated, it moves about an extra $2 up the scale after the contestant hits the button. That may not seem significant at first glance, but it’s actually caused a couple of people to lose the game who perhaps shouldn’t have. In close cases such as this, the determination of the game’s outcome is made by Bob (before his retirement) or Roger.
Sometime between late 1984 and October, 1985, the diagonal stripes on the Range Game board were changed from red to gold; this change definitely occurred while Johnny was still alive. After this change, but still before Johnny died, the game’s original button and rangefinder holder were replaced with the current ones.
Range Game’s first button had the word “STOP” written on it in white capital letters.
The Item up for Bids offered immediately before the first playing of Range Game was a range. It’s hard to say whether this was done on purpose; if it was, the joke was probably lost on the viewers, as the pricing games’ names were gene