TPiR Recap - 10/18/2011

[Todd]

Classy moves by Drew in recognizing Marty Wagner and also the CBS commissary worker who passed away. Whatever his faults as a host, there's no question Drew genuinely cares about people.

I agree as well. I thought that was really nice for Marty, and a very genuine gesture toward the family of the commissary.

Today's first showcase price was begging for a DSW, so I was glad to see that was won.

[wheelfan1991]

Matthew is playing Squeeze Play  for a baby grand piano. (w/ten 1hr lessons) (Manuela)

I assume that you meant Freeze Frame, right? At least that is what it looks like from your diagram. Just curious....

Except for the DSW and the nice comments from Drew about Marty, looks like a pretty bleh show.

[trytobecharming]

Isn't it odd that Drew gave all of the rules to the showcases today, just before a DSW?  Has he been giving the rules completely more often this year?  Then again, that ARP is just asking for a DSW.

I'm wondering if either Freeze Frame or Squeeze Play was a replacement for an SP game, like maybe BOnus Game or Cliff Hangers. THe DOb regime was IIRC fond of using Pick a NUmber and Double Prices as replacements, but maybe that isn't necessarily the case anymore. ALso, there was a full credit roll during the CBS promo at the end of the show, and Marty's name wasn't listed among the five camera people.

[Kev347]

Pretty blah show today, helped a bit by a DSW at the end. Today was just a lot of things that have happened often before - L7 lost on the last number, Grand Game lost on the nuts, Freeze Frame lever hit too early, etc. The lineup was just, as others have said, a bit short and uninteresting. It was nice to say goodbye to Marty though.

Drew just completely stopped hosting at the end of Grand Game, without revealing the prices or doing anything. He just moved right on and the whole thing felt awkwardly rushed. He REALLY should be over doing that by now. In fact, Drew seemed bored/depressed all day until Squeeze Play. Such a contrast from yesterday.

Speaking of Squeeze Play, Drew's beginning to have an epic struggle with that game reminiscent of Bob's!

Timings:
Grand Game (5) - 3:23
Lucky $even (4.5) - 4:18
Make Your Move (4.5) - 5:07
Freeze Frame (4) - 3:40
Any Number (5) - 3:33
Squeeze Play (3.5) - 3:24
Total (26.5): 23:25

[JokerFan]

$26 is the best difference all the time?

There was also a $5 and an $8 Showcase winner.  I think there was also a $1 DSW once before.

[tpirfan28]

There was also a $5 and an $8 Showcase winner.  I think there was also a $1 DSW once before.

$4 and $2 as well, I think.

This was the first time for the extended Showcase rules in what...years?

[Flerbert419]

I'm wondering if either Freeze Frame or Squeeze Play was a replacement for an SP game, like maybe BOnus Game

What could have been broken in Bonus Game?  A lightbulb?  A slider?  We timed out to 26.5 minutes, so the lineup is probably correct as is.

I think it was just a result of a quick Grand Game and Any Number playing that left us short today, as Kev has shown.

That being said, the games still weren't quite in the right order.

Nice DSW, though.  You could certainly say that the price was "begging" for it, but there's a 1/4 chance of the ARP ending up between --000 and --250 anyhow.

Doesn't matter if you are $26 away or $250 away in the end.

[leafsfan17]

Wow, nice DSW to close out the show!

[GuyWithFace]

Did anybody notice Drew's snide remark toward Barker after talking about Marty's retirement? I do not recall exactly what he said, but something like "Yeah, after 35 years, you just get tired of the show."

The plastic holder falling off Squeeze Play was just waiting to happen.

And a very good DSW saves this show from being almost completely worthless! (It is still a lot of blah, but some good stuff.)

[GameShowFan1987]

Do keep in mind that Kathy Greco also served 35 years so Drew could have also been referring to her since he was there for her retirement.

[Wayoshi]

there's a 1/4 chance of the ARP ending up between --000 and --250 anyhow.

I respectfully disagree... when Mike thinks people will actually bid well, usually it won't be in this range. Although this has fallen off since Greco's departure, so maybe it was her method

[tpiradam]

the show was kind of so-so up until the ending when all the winning was done. squeeze play saved the show and normally i would think that the zero being somewhat obvious in not fitting in anywhere in the price was done that way last minute to give the show a win, but i highly doubt that.

earlier i was thinking about how predictable drew is when reading the showcase ARPs and lo and behold a double showcase winner. when someone is over, drew reads it starting by saying only $xx,xxx which to me would make it seem like hes saying it was only so and so, why bid so much. on the other hand i do like when a contestant is $10K or more under their showcase and says 'you only missed it by that much' which more than usually gets a chuckle out of the contestant and perhaps makes them feel a bit better about it. when it comes to double showcase wins i still to this day miss the suspense bob had when he revealed it. drew gives it away when the first contestant is over by going on how he hopes there isnt a double overbid and this time he couldnt hold back a chuckle before even opening the envelope and the uhhhhhh right before reading the arp. bob wouldve done something where he would start with the 24,000 part and a slight pause for reaction THEN read the rest and that was regardless if it was a dsw (unless the show was in hurry-up mode). drew just read twentyfourthousandtwentysix. i know drew isnt bob and he probably never will be, it would just be nice to have some extra suspense (even if any) to revealing a double showcase winner. end of rant, my bad for it being so long.

speaking of showcases, yet another two prize showcase. and how do you go from a ferrari experience to a boat? a roadster or something like a mustang even i think wouldve been more appropriate.

on the note of closest differences, $19, two $20 and shaista's $26 from last season come to mind from recent seasons

[SteveGavazzi]

Oh my God...Drew actually hosted today!  Outside of the spots where he fell into what he seems to think are his obligatory routines, such as when he tosses to commercial, this was probably his best performance on a regular show since the end of Season 36.  If he could do this every day and extend it to the commercial tosses and such, the show would be much more watchable much more frequently.

I can't believe Drew actually explained the Showcase today!  There's a part of me that wonders if they had him go back and do that after the DSW...but there's too many elements involved in that that just wouldn't add up.

For what it's worth, I would have won Make Your Move.

Aw...Marty's last episode.  Even if we didn't usually see him, every LFaT knew about him, and things just won't seem right tomorrow knowing he isn't behind his camera.

I loved Drew's line about charging Jeffrey for breaking Squeeze Play.  That was a total Barker comment.

And holy cripes, where is all the hatred for this episode coming from?!  I thought this was one of the most enjoyable episodes in a while simply because Drew gave a damn today.

[88JRFAN]

Great DSW. It's been a while since a male contestant scored a DSW

[Wayoshi]

And holy cripes, where is all the hatred for this episode coming from?!  I thought this was one of the most enjoyable episodes in a while simply because Drew gave a damn today.

So what do you make of him falling off the cliff basically after Grand?

For me personally, a 1/6 and a poor lineup kinda brought it down.