NOTICE: This post contains information about the set and graphical changes for Season 40 and features graphics depicting some things you'll see. If you don't want to see anything before the premiere, don't read further!
I arrived at the studio at around 5:45am to see 30-40 people in front of me. It seemed that the new ticket website caused some confusion. Instead of listing the taping times as "12:30" and "4:30" as the CBS.com ticket submission form used to, they're listed as "8:30" and "12:30", which is really the start times of processing. This led some people around us in line to believe the first show would be starting at 8:30, and some who got the "12:30" tickets thought they would be attending the early taping.
We were told that someone from OCA would be there at 7:30 to start checking our tickets. All morning prior to their arrival, security walked up and down the line and explained that ID's were necessary for admission onto the lot. Order of Arrival passes were not given out. We were told if we wanted to leave to move cars, put away belongings, etc. we'd have to have someone hold our spot in line.
Someone didn't arrive from OCA until a little after 8:00. They checked tickets by writing the number of people in our group on each ticket, then had everyone get into a single-file line. Priority numbers were handed out on the sidewalk in front of CBS. This was our "guaranteed" admission to the show, and at this time we were allowed onto the CBS lot. We received priority numbers 050 (appropriate since it was my boss's 50th birthday) and 051. As we entered the lot, we were told it was important to stay in order as the priority numbers would "determine where we would sit in the audience".
Nametags are still written by hand. Everything about the contestant processing routine after this point is the same as it was before. The only difference was that the green-screen souvenir photos are now printed and trotted down the line to show everyone their photo right away, in efforts to sell 8x10 copies for $20 each. They accepted cash and credit cards, and AFAIK, they're still available online.
When we entered the studio, the first few center rows were already filled. The people in them didn't seem particularly more attractive than anyone else. We were directed to the third row on the far left side of the audience, behind George's podium.
Now for the juicy stuff. The new set is gorgeous. The stage area is completely identical to Season 39, with the exception of two large, green pedestals with giant 5 or 6' silver dollar signs on them. Attached to these are lit numbers and letters displaying "40 Years", similar in type to the numbers on the LMAD doors up to this point. Here's what they look like:
The only difference to the doors themselves is that the colored light strips no longer just blink different colors, they change quickly in a wipe transition from left to right in the same way the light strips on LMAD do.
Contestants' Row was given a new look, as well. This can be seen on Drew's Twitpic, but I might help describe it a little better. As we know, previously, the monitors displayed black screens with white text and had colored fabric stretched over them. The fabric has been done away with, and the screens now display the individual colors, with white numbers. As per tradition, the yellow podium is pretty friggin' hard to read, with the bright yellow color and white text. The silver borders around each monitor were removed as well, and a long silver strip was added along the bottom... for some reason.
The audience logos have been moved from their traditional spots on the back walls and are now in the corners (caddy-cornered, if you will). They're also inexplicably redesigned to look like this:
The words "The Price is Right" are attached to the shapes, but the dollar sign is flush with the shapes in some sort of bizarre rectangular cutout. I don't know if this was an effort to make the logo look more 3-D, or if the guys in the shop just got bored, but I think they look odd - especially with the classic TPIR logo shoved to the right and not "centered" in the shapes.
Door #4 was not used for the entire taping other than to display the "40 Years" logo with the flying squares, and the countdown clock for time left during commercial breaks (which Drew and George seem to ignore and go over anyway if they're chit-chatting with audience members or each other). It does appear to be made out of the materials DiPirro described: 5x8 squarish monitors that will look seemless on TV. And it's big. Really big.
The light strips around the audience do not connect to the stage in any way. The strip on the left side curves down to the floor behind George's podium, and the strip on the right stays horizontal but curves behind "Door #5". As predicted, these strips behave in the same manner as the strips on the doors now do (and the entire LMAD set, for that matter).
The "podium" where the sound guy used to sit (had a large pink Goodson asterisk on it for years) has been done away with and replaced with a curved, DJ-booth looking podium in the back right corner, all in silver. This was not referenced during the taping or shown on-camera at all except for in wide audience shots. I don't think this is anything like what LMAD has planned, so don't panic.
A new silver wall around 2 feet high now surrounds the audience area at the bottom, adorned with Pricedown dollar signs and Goodson asterisks. This is predominantly seen during the wide shot of Contestants' Row along with Door #4.
The new light border is the Season 39 light border zoomed-in slightly (taking up less of the screen) and tinted silver. The opening shot is taken from the jib and focuses on a spinning silver Pricedown dollar sign in front of the audience (actually placed directly in front of George's podium). With the exception of this shot and some initial pricing game shots (which we've already seen are done wider), the vast majority of the DiPirro-inspired directing has stayed.
As previously described by another member, the opening logo again assembles on-screen, but below the TPIR logo is the Big Wheel "landing on" the number 40 with a red arrow attached to it, and the word "Years" in the Pricedown font, all encased by a rectangular shape filled with the square pattern and a silver border with flashing lights. I called it a "smashed" version of the wheel, as you can only see the 75 and the 20 above and below the "40". Here's my rendition. The actual dimensions of the parts of the logo are undoubtedly different, as this was done from memory. But this is basically the design of the Season 40 logo.
Now for a biggie:
Punch-A-Bunch has a new prize distribution. It goes like this:
1 - $25,000
2 - $10,000
4 - $5,000
8 - $2,500
10 - $1,000
10 - $500
10 - $250
5 - $100
The $50 slips are gone. Unfortunately, however, so are the Second Chances. At least, if they're still there, they aren't printed on the distribution chart. I'll post my thoughts on this new distribution later.
If you guys have any questions, I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability without gameplay spoilers.
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Topic: Season 40 Taping Report (Read 7750 times)