FULL RECAP - TPiR 01/04/2010

[Joe_Capitano]

Production #4981K - Taped Oct. 21, 2009 Drew: stage entrance First Four lineup: left to right Handoff: Amber Models of the Day: Manuela Arbeláez, Lanisha Cole and Amber Lancaster Wearing: Jaymy 1   (Samsung) 52" LCD HDTV (M) CHERYL 1695 GISELLE **1999** THOMAS 1700 VERNELL 1650 ($1999) Giselle, who just laid claim on the $500 wad, prepare thyself. IT'S THE $50,000 PL!NKO! MONDAY!!! Free Chip (8) 0R (Braun) Rechargeable Toothbrush 8/7 7 $ 57 * (4) 1000R (Power Boost) Mini Generator 8/0 0 80 Money Drawer Flip Flops 3/6 3 46 Total Michael Coors Perfume 7/0 7 75 * (6) 1500R $1500 LOSS 2   Stairmaster Freeclimber Home Stepper (M) +Cheryl 901 CYNTHIA *1799 +Thomas 900 +Vernell 1550 ($2579) Cynthia from Riverside, CA - who appeared on Price 31 years ago, plays ANY NUMBER Picks: 7 4 2 5 3 1 0 9 Ford Focus S (Std., RKE, AirBag, Mesage, Stereo, Mats, Prot)(L) $1 7,5 4 9 WIN! Corona Gardening Equipment $– 2 3 ( 8,23) That Damned Piggy Bank $–.1 0 ( 6.10) Interestingly enough, in her first appearance she played this very game for a Chevy Vega. Unfortunately, she won the piggy. 3   SportsStuff Pool/Beach Loungers (A) +Cheryl 1276 REBECCA 599 +Thomas *650 +Vernell 1275 ($845) Thomas from Vallejo, CA plays DOUBLE PRICES for a trip to Vienna (6n)(M) $9773 ($9773) LOSS $8954 PICK SHOWDOWN #1 $ 845 Thomas 10 + 95 OV Through to Showcase Round 3,671 Giselle 55 + 35 .85 20,128 Cynthia 45 + 85 .OV During Cynthia's spinning of the wheel, a clip from her first appearance was shown. We know now she won at least $6.80. Maybe they'll throw that clip up on priceisright.com. 4   Ligna Nouveau Architect Desk (L) +Cheryl 920 Rebecca 555 GERALD 895 +Vernell *360 ($500) Vernell successfully employs the "Smeghead Gambit" to play RANGE GAME for a Little Guy Camping World Cruiser Travel Trailer and a 5 Burner Stainless Gas Grill (M) Setup: $8600-$9200 Range: $8770-$8920 Price: $8915   WIN BY $5 5   (Panasonic) Blu-Ray Home Thater System/iPod (A&L) +Cheryl 999 Rebecca 1000 Gerald 500 BRENDA *1200 ($1249) Brenda plays STACK THE DECK for a Chevy HHR LS (Std., OnStar, AT, PSeat, Mats, Prot)(M) Numbers:   1 2 3 4 5 8 9 (Blistex) Lip Balm $ 2.99 $ 2.99 * (2) 1 (Hawaiian Punch)(64 oz) (Mr. Olive) Kosher Dill Spears Clorox Bleach (1 gal) 3.19 2.19 Soft Scrub Scrubby Pads (12 pk) 3.39 3.39 * (4) 8 (Pillsbury Funfetti) Cake Mix PICKS: $21,485 PRICE: $21,584 LOSS So here we are in a new year. Some things don't change, like the consequences for being a leftover in the Row. Cheryl is getting the look from ol' Mimi right now. She's got one last chance to leave the Row behind. Will she find the way or will she be banished to the "First Four" Breakfast Club? 6   (Maytag) Washer/Dryer (M) +Cheryl 2020 Rebecca *2399 Gerald 1900 MARILYN 2000 ($2740) Cheryl heads off to the clubhouse while Rebecca plays STEP UP (4) Nintendo Wii Video Game Package $ 444 (2) 14 pc Home Accessory Package 1753 +$500 (3) Honda CRF100 Offroad Motorcycle 2449 +$1000   BAILOUT (1) Michael Kors Handbags/Wallet 1222 SHOWDOWN #2 $ 1,249 Brenda 35 +  20 .55 Through to Showcase Round 8,442 Rebecca 25 +  85 OV 9,415 Vernell 45 +100 OV SHOWCASE ROUND Giselle has the honor. SC1-Brenda His/Hers Ski Equipment (L) Inflatable Tropical Water Slide (A) Trip to Dubai (6n)(M) BID $15,000 PRICE 18,576 DIFF –3,576 TOTAL $19,825 SC2-Giselle Sushi Making Equipment Trip to San Francisco (6n @ Argonaut)(L w/somebody who makes sushi for a living) Toyota Tacoma (Std., 2.7l, AT, Lights, Mats, Prot.,XValue)(A) BID $23,000 PRICE 22,920 DIFF OVER Today's Pricing Games: 2 for 6 (with 1 Bailout) Total Winnings: $70,326 THIS IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL GOLDEN-ROAD.net SHOW RECAP. REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT AUTHOR PERMISSION.

[joeyboy]

I see we're back to tougher Plinko setups again.

Cynthia was definitely the contestant of the day. To get back on Price 31 years later, play the exact same game, and win more than before had to have been an amazing feeling. 

Double Prices in front of contestants row still looks too weird. DiPirro had some interesting camera angles though.

I'm stunned. Range Game was actually set up for a win. We had a close win as well! 

The set up in Stack the Deck was pure evil. If only Brenda had reversed the 4 and 5.

Step Up last was a very nice treat. Originally I would have bailed after picking the Wii and the accessories. But then I would have taken the bike as well. She did the right thing as well.

The inflatable water slide in SC #2 looked so cool! 

Now, since they insisted on having a trip in SC #2, why was it a trip to San Francisco instead of Japan? Isn't Japan a more logical place to get some of the best sushi? 

[Off_trak]

I'm wondering, out of 7000+ episodes, how did they manage to locate Cynthia's episode during the course of the taping? Are all 7000 episodes stored at TVC? I'm wondering if this was a case of the producer's doing a little "producing" and purposely picking Cynthia to appear solely for her previous appearance status?

[leafsfan17]

Nice car win in Any Number. And to joey: Yes, it would be more logical for someone who makes sushi to be offered a trip to Japan instead of San Francisco.

[goldroadfanatic]

It's the first show of 2010 and it was kind of fitting for Plinko to show up today because yesterday was its 27th birthday.  It's a shame that Giselle didn't win more than $1,500 because she was fun to watch the entire time she was on the show.

Cynthia was also a blast to watch when she came on down and informed Drew that she played Any Number on her previous appearance on the show, but only won the piggy bank and said the car she was playing for was a Chevrolet Vega.  It was awesome to see her come back from a Triple Implication and win the car on her second appearance.

However, I will say that Drew could have done a lot better hosting in that segment.  Either there was a lot of editing or he was just going through the game, he didn't have some good interaction with Cynthia and we've seen he can create a buildup for a situation like the end of Any Number; he could have made a point to say that it was Cynthia's second appearance and now she had the chance to redeem her piggy bank win from over 30 years earlier or he could have played up the fact that she could win the piggy bank again if she wasn't carefully.

It was awesome to see a clip of Cynthia's first appearance on the show in a little window during the first showcase showdown.  Yeah, they could have made it bigger and have audio from that clip, but there really wasn't time to devote to the clip because the show is so rushed these days and also I know it'd be weird to hear Bob's voice and him hosting on what is now Drew's show.

I will say that Vernell wasn't the best bidder in the show, but he was lucky to come up on stage and win Range Game in a close call.

It was a heartbreaker to see Brenda have all the correct numbers in the car's price in Stack the Deck, but she transposed the third and fifth numbers.  Also, hopefully this is a sign of things to come when it comes to setting up numbers, but all the numbers in Stack the Deck, from left to right, were in the right numerical order.

Step Up came out of nowhere, but it was sure great to see that game again and Cheryl was smart to go on and pick the motorbike to net herself three prizes and $1,500.

Showcase #2 had some problems.  First, you have a sushi chef in there, but he wasn't going to be in a prize that involved him making sushi for Giselle and her friends for a dinner, or something, and it was very bizarre to have Rich say that San Francisco was the place with the best sushi, instead of Japan, which is the first place most people think of when they hear "sushi."  With the Toyota Tacoma at the end, it seems that, if properly written, it could have been a showcase about Sushi or something.  Steve, if you don't mind, I'm going to try my hand at rewriting this:

Giselle, your showcase takes a look at our girls as they try to open up their own Japanese restaurant!  First, Amber helps them out by bringing in something that will fulfill the appetite of many of their customers, this sushi-making equipment!

(Sushi-making equipment plug)

Next, to put the equipment to use, Manuela will need to go and buy their supplies.  Since the girls are on a tight budget, they can't fly to Japan, but they will go to a nearby place to buy their fish, San Francisco!

(San Francisco trip plug)

Finally, since their restaurant announces deliveries for home and business.  The girls will need something to haul their food to their customers.  Lanisha has just the thing, coming to the restaurant right now, this new truck!

(Truck plug)

And Giselle, this showcase, where the girls have to deliver me some California Rolls in 20 minutes or it's free, can be yours if the price is right!

[Joe_Capitano]

I'm wondering, out of 7000+ episodes, how did they manage to locate Cynthia's episode during the course of the taping?

They didn't. They searched it out after the show taped and inserted it accordingly (making sure to keep it from under the Eye Bug).

[tpirfan28]

They must have gotten all the contestant records computerized somehow?  Because I don't see the crew hunting through paper records for a season to find a contestant.

The second showcase was a mess.  If I was high-quality Sushi, I'm heading for Japan, not SF (apologies to them).

[Roadgeek Adam]

Out of the first show of 2010. I give this a B

Cynthia had to be the best contestant of the day. Its amazing how she came back from 31 years ago to appear on the show again, and played the same pricing game again. Good for her for winning the car.

I don't think this could've been worse, but there is room for improvement. The number one is problem the Greco-losivitius that is going on.

OUCH on the 2nd Showcase, $80 over

[PimpinJC]

Oh joy, someone only got 3 chips in Plinko again.  Didn't see that one coming.

Good job for Cynthia winning her car the 2nd time around in Any Number.  That came down to the wire.

Nice camera work by DiPirro during Double Prices.  The first shot reminded me of how Triple Play was shot with Bob.

I'm amazed they actually put Cynthia's clip in during her spin; that was rather neat.

Wow, Step Up last!  Rebecca played it really well.

Showcase 2 was pathetic.  You start out with sushi...ok, that's fine, there's maybe a sushi theme going on.  Then you offer them a trip to enjoy the best sushi ever...and you give them a trip to San Francisco? ABSOLUTE FAIL.  Then, after the trip, you just decide to drop the whole sushi theme and give them a car.  Very poorly written showcase.  If they spent hours trying to write this showcase and this is what they got, then that is pretty sad.

Other than that, a decent first show of the new year.

[Wayoshi]

Really good start to the year...no frustrations from Greco or the contestants, although Stacky continues to be impossible

[Macsen]

Can we call her "Any Number Cynthia"? She's not the first repeat player, but she's the first repeat player to play the same game both times.

[Cartboy]

Plinko:  Nice to see this game, too bad Giselle didn't win more money than she did.
Any Number:  Way to redeem yourself, Cynthia!
Range Game:  What a close win!
Stack The Deck:  Right numbers, wrong order - rats!
Showcases:  Over by $80 - maximum bummer!

Pretty good show to start 2010, IMHO.

[mrbrown2195]

Yeah, they could have made it bigger and have audio from that clip, but there really wasn't time to devote to the clip because the show is so rushed these days and also I know it'd be weird to hear Bob's voice and him hosting on what is now Drew's show.

You wouldn't have heard Bob's voice anyways - they cut it in a way where all shots of Bob were missing.

Before the purists complain, I understand the man was on the show for 35 years, but is it really good PR to keep going back to and showing clips of the guy? Preferably, you want viewers to identify with the new/current host of the show - I can't remember a time where Pat Sajak or Alex Trebek referred to their respective predecessors later than their first few seasons on their respective shows.

[rob79]

Whoo hoo first show to comment on in a while!!! Feels good to be back.

There is no doubt in my mind that Cynthia was the best contestant today hand's down. What made things even better was she got another shot at the same game she played 31 years ago. I'm sooooooooo glad that Cynthia won that car. Take that you ol' mean piggy bank.

I love seeing Double Prices in the first half of the show. It just seems to spice this game up somewhat.

The 2nd half slotting was crazy--but a good kind of crazy. I'd have slotted Step 4th; Stack 5th and then Range. Step Up sixth was pretty cool.

That 2nd showcase theme was ok, but offering a trip to San Fran instead of say Tokyo was bizzare in my opinion.

[JT]

Seeing the clip from 31 years ago was cool but I still don't know how I feel about allowing contestants to return to come on down even if decades have passed.

I have a slight tweak to Stack the Deck to perhaps increase the winners slightly... Instead of 7 numbers to choose from, just make it 6 - so the contestant has slightly less choices.  It's a minor set modification and doesn't even need an explanation.   It would probably lead to 1-2 winners per season which would help the win/loss ratio.    What do we think?