TPiR Recap - 10/29/2010 (All Hallows Price 4)

[mrbrown2195]

I think that there should've been a pair of witches legs under the big wheel or PTR house.

Not very observant -- there were a pair of legs, complete with ruby slippers, under the Pay the Rent house.

[TheBigAK]

Golden Road and Pay The Rent in the same show.   Almost as if we had 2 of the big 3 in the same show.

Wonderful show.   Wonderful costumes.  I loved the disclaimer at the end that no animals were hurt during the show.

The contestants in costumes didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would have.

[Kev347]

Blah. I've grown to accept theme shows, but this theme didn't excite me as much as it could have. The black and white opening and entrance was great, but after that it almost seemed to become a bit overdone. In particular, I really hope they decide to never ever theme something like the prizes in Most Expensive or ESPECIALLY the groceries in Pay The Rent around a theme again. As others have pointed out, the groceries in Pay The Rent were needlessly obscure today. Now, maybe they do this intentionally because it's a good way to make it harder to win, but they need to STOP. Pay The Rent is hard enough as it is. Heck, it is hard enough when it is obvious what the most expensive and least groceries prizes are. Throwing random themed stuff into a setup turns a game that has a 2% chance of being won to one that has 0% and is just no fun. I just felt like TOO MUCH was themed today. Were details like having pages randomly stand around during Safe Crackers really necessary? Man, if they put ONE TENTH the effort into a regular show that they put into today, I'd have less to say about this. But as it was, it was just TOO much. There were some great ideas today (like the aforementioned opening, the 2nd showcase, and even Jeff's movie reference during Coming Or Going) but it just all felt TOO sickly sweet. Like swallowing 10 spoonfuls of sugar or something.

It doesn't help when gameplay wise we had yet another disappointing show. I suppose that is going to happen when contestants are picked based on their costume rather than on their ability to be a good contestant (though admittedly calling a contestant dressed as Waldo ninth was a brilliant and hilarious move!) Safe Crackers' $706 should have never happened. And as pointed out above, Pay The Rent and Most Expensive were too hard. And unfortunately, when you put Golden Road and Pay The Rent in the same lineup, you run the serious risk of having a show that is all sizzle and no steak. And that's what this turned out to be.

Timings:
Golden Road (6)- 4:54
Coming Or Going (3.5) - 3:15
Most Expensive (3.5) - 3:33
Safe Crackers (4.5) - 4:23
Squeeze Play (3.5) - 2:42
Pay The Rent (7) - 5:57
Timings (28): 24:44

[3StrikesFan]

Golden Road and Pay The Rent in the same show.   Almost as if we had 2 of the big 3 in the same show.

I think we ALL would have been happier if Triple Play or 3 Strikes had shown up instead of Pay The Rent.

[The Square]

A contestant in CR bid 911.  That begs the question:  "Too soon?"

Not when it's in response to a bid of 910.

I had read that the theme for today's episode would be The Wizard of Oz, so I immediately understood why the opening was in black and white. But I wonder how confusing it was for the majority of the viewing audience, who wouldn't have already known what the theme was.

Golden Brick Road was challenging, as I expect it to be. I wasn't thrilled with how Drew clumsily told the contestant that it was covered in crystals in order to get her to pick the 9... I can understand slipping the reminder about crystals in there, but it could have been done much more elegantly so as not to be so obvious that he was leading the contestant.

The third item up for bids was a two-day trip? Why even go through the hassle?

Did anyone else hear the skip in the music while Jeff was describing the tiki hut in Most Expen$ive?

I'm sick of hearing Drew ask the contestants who they want to say hi to every time I watch the show. It's the most boring thing about the Oscars, and it's the most boring thing that could be said while the wheel is spinning.

I'm proud to say that I would have won Safe Crackers. My initial instinct was that the stereo system was $760. Then I realized that the prize was a car, so I knew the answer would be the choice that I didn't think it was. And I would have won the car.

Once I saw Golden Road at the beginning of the show, I really wasn't expecting to have to see Pay the Rent show up. I was not happy when I realized that I'd be seeing it again. Pay the Rent is a bad game as it is, but this playing really didn't help its case. If this had been Hole in One, she would have had a tough putt from the third line. In this game, it gives her $5,000. And when the contestant does so poorly that she has to quit after the first level of the house, it is not appropriate to play a mighty winning tune while the dollar amount appears on the screen.

I was skeptical when they said they were going to do an entire Wizard of Oz theme for the Halloween show, since The Wizard of Oz isn't scary, but I have to admit, all of the costume and set elements worked really well. They even did a good job relating most of the prizes to the movie. For the most part, the setups were fair... with the obvious exception of the inherently unfair Pay the Rent. Like I said last Halloween, they do a really good job when they're focused on something other than The Price is Right. Somebody needs to find Drew and company a different show so they can do this kind of thing all the time.

[Kyle]

The Wizard of Oz isn't scary...

I wager that 4 out of 5 people were scared to death of Mrs. Gulch as a child.

[TPIRighteous]

I wager that 4 out of 5 people were scared to death of Mrs. Gulch as a child.

I won't take that wager, because I know I was one of the four.

Today's show was interesting theme-wise, but the lineup, as I expected, was crappy with Golden Road and Pay the Rent taking up almost half of it alone, and the contestants were, as usual, not up to par. After that Safe Crackers playing, my hair is a little bit grayer than it was this morning.

And I have to say, the more I see Pay the Rent, the less I think it belongs on The Price is Right. It's interesting, and it's fun to play along with, but it's frustrating that nobody knows how to play it at all, and who can blame them? I won't go as far as saying that Adam Sandler designed the game with the intention of deceiving his greater viewing audience, but the fact that it's a $100,000 game tells you that they knew people weren't going to understand it. I've tried not to hate it for a while because I think it's a fun game, but I doubt we'll see anybody play this game who comes close to winning the $100,000, even by accident.

Take, for example, how I placed the products today. I did a lot of second-guessing, but I ended up with this:

Attic: Nuts
2nd: WD40 and Seeds
1st: Water and Drink
Mailbox: Candy

The last two times I've seen Pay the Rent, I just had two items mixed up, so I was convinced that the game was perfectly winnable to someone who knows the strategy. But today, I only had the nuts in the right place. The water and the drink did go together, but should have been on the second floor, with the WD40 in the mailbox and the seeds on the first floor with the candy. This game is very, very difficult when you don't know the prices of the products, and pretty much impossible if you think in terms of lowest-to-highest. While we do see some trends across playings, like putting the second- or third-most expensive item in the mailbox, it's usually also been that another expensive item gets paired with the least expensive one on the second floor. Today, the third-most expensive item went with the cheapest one on the first floor, while two medium-priced items combined to pass them on the second floor. When these trends stop holding, the game becomes even harder.

Interestingly enough, I actually would have won $10,000 today, unlike the last two times, where close-but-no-cigar earned me a loss on the second floor and a $5,000 bailout. But it made me realize another thing: if you're playing this game properly, we know that there's supposed to be suspense on the first and second floors. But if you've won $10,000, you should know for a FACT whether you can win $100,000, because if your second-floor total isn't as low as it can possibly be, then it's going to be more than the price of the item in the attic. So you could stand around and think about those five items, and if you don't have the minimum second-floor combination, bail out with your $10,000.

The fact that I analyzed it for this long shows that I do like the game. I just wish that it weren't being used so deceptively. It could be a good game if they'd only do contestants the favor of explaining it properly, rather than leading them into the low-to-high trap by only telling them as much as they need to. I know that they won't retire the game for a while, if ever, so for now I just hold out hope that Drew starts explaining it a little more in-depth, like the way he's been hinting at the Cover Up strategy for a while now.

[coulsonc]

I wasn't thrilled with how Drew clumsily told the contestant that it was covered in crystals in order to get her to pick the 9

Given the numbskulls we've seen on the show recently, he wanted to make absolutely sure that it wasn't a wipeout on the first prize. I actually think they wanted GR won today... or at least they wanted to get to the last prize. They wagered that most contestants would choose the 9 for the second prize because it "looks" right.

They do a really good job when they're focused on something other than The Price is Right.

My thoughts exactly. Bottom line, Drew wasn't and still isn't a fan of The Price is Right. I think he feels it's hopelessly dated and corny. The over-the-top theme shows let him forget that it's "just" The Price is Right.

[SteveGavazzi]

The theme for this show worked pretty well.  They even came up with something cool for the second Showcase that got the whole cast involved.  I'm not sure how wise it was to have the show open with the entire safe area in black and white, but knowing about the theme already, it was pretty clever.

If they're going to bother having a reveal for Coming or Going, they should probably wait until they've actually done it to turn the theme on.

Safe Crackers for a car fourth was pretty cool.  Safe Crackers having a guess that ended in 6 wasn't.

There's nothing to bring a good episode to a grinding halt like Pay the Rent.

Pay the Rent will eventually be retired. It's a trainwreck. The sooner the better.

Unfortunately, Pay the Rent is accomplishing exactly what Mike wants it to -- it offers a huge-ass prize that's never going to be won.

I agree.  Jeff is doing a terrific job.  But, I do have a soft spot for Brad and am anxious to see how he performs once he has a few more shows under his belt.

You already have.  If I'm reading the schedule correctly, one of the shows they've aired with him was one of his last tapings.

I wonder how embarrassed and/or stupid the woman who yelled out "760" during Safe Crackers felt when the price turned out to be $670.

Probably not as stupid as the contestant!

I hate to break this to everyone, but a game that offers $100,000 as a top prize isn't supposed to be won with ease.  If they would stop listening to the peanut gallery and took a couple of seconds to think it through, they might give a good run.

I hate to break it to you, but you're actually the one whose analysis is faulty.  Pay the Rent's prize isn't supposed to be "not won with ease;" it isn't supposed to be won, period.  The entire point of the format is to keep contestants from understanding it.

I see you've been lurking for five and a half years.  This was not the greatest idea to use to finally make your first post.

I am sure that PTR will be won before it is 'retired'.

You're delusional.

I won't go as far as saying that Adam Sandler designed the game with the intention of deceiving his greater viewing audience

I'll be glad to do it for you!

[whinbaby]

The 7,332nd episode (30th for Season 39)

Showcase #1
Emerald Bracelet - $5,500
Trip to Dublin - $9,596
Hyundai Genesis - $26,250

My bid:  $38,000 (Difference of $3,346)

Showcase #2
Shopping Spree - $1,000
MacBook Air Laptop - $1,499
Trip to Zurich - $11,540
Dodge Charger - $25,140

My bid:  $35,299 (Difference of $3,880)

Your Modeling Scorecard for October 29, 2010
I'll get you, my pretty!

Rachel Reynolds
Total:  8/$36,299 (5/$30,784, 3/$5,515)
Cars:  1/$26,250 (1/$26,250, 0/$0)
Trips:  0/$0 (0/$0, 0/$0)

Lanisha Cole
Total:  7/$59,904 (3/$3,358, 4/$56,546)
Cars:  2/$48,209 (0/$0, 2/$48,209)
Trips:  0/$0 (0/$0, 0/$0)

Gwennie Osborne-Smith
Total:  6/$107,421 (5/$27,546, 1/$79,875)
Cars:  1/$79,875 (0/$0, 1/$79,875)
Trips:  2/$11,638 (2/$11,638, 0/$0)

This is Gwendolyn's new all-time high!

And for the season
Rachel Reynolds (40 shows)
Total:  408/$2,131,838 (248/$927,938, 160/$1,203,900)
Cars:  44/$1,055,446 (14/$329,957, 30/$725,489)
Trips:  34/$260,491 (17/$135,743, 17/$124,748)

Lanisha Cole (22 shows)
Total:  196/$1,088,575 (129/$464,247, 67/$624,328)
Cars:  24/$507,979 (6/$125,126, 18/$382,853)
Trips:  20/$170,950 (11/$91,825, 9/$79,125)

Gwennie Osborne-Smith (20 shows)
Total:  188/$1,033,019 (120/$523,414, 68/$509,605)
Cars:  17/$435,661 (8/$187,675, 9/$247,986)
Trips:  18/$141,114 (11/$83,960, 7/$57,154)

[MrPlinko]

The costumes and Wizard of Oz chronology were just jaw dropping amazing!!!!!  You could see the effort they put into this it was MAGIC!

For me, Drew could have been better.  Maybe it was hard to breathe through his Cowedly Lion costume, but he did not have the energy I expected.  And he usually does great on themed shows!

Pay The Rent had the most impossible setup of any grocery products I have ever seen in my life!  I would not have made it to $5000.  I say, keep the game.  I agree $100,00 isn't supposed to be won.  But neither was the Million bucks in Clock Game in the Specials or the Double Showcase Winner Million Dollars supposed to be won, but they were.  At least you can get to $5000.  Not do well, and still win some good money by winning on a low level.  Bail out at $10,000 on Pay The Rent is what I would do.

I bid $60,000 on Showcase #1 and $50,0000 on showcase #2.  Showcase number 2 was fairly cheap considering this was a special show!  I cannot believe she went over!

Joe

[heelsrule1988]

Not very observant -- there were a pair of legs, complete with ruby slippers, under the Pay the Rent house.

...and under the doghouse in Golden Road, as well.

[SteveGavazzi]

Pay The Rent had the most impossible setup of any grocery products I have ever seen in my life!  I would not have made it to $5000.  I say, keep the game.  I agree $100,00 isn't supposed to be won.  But neither was the Million bucks in Clock Game in the Specials or the Double Showcase Winner Million Dollars supposed to be won, but they were.

Neither of those was intended to deceive the contestant into making bad guesses.

I am astounded that so many people continue to defend this piece of designer accessories of a game.

[pete1974]

I`m with Kyle and coulsonc, let`s hire Jeff now, he rocked it today!!

[Wayoshi]

Neither of those was intended to deceive the contestant into making bad guesses.

How can you prove though that this game was designed to deceive?