You know, it's been so long since I've done this, I'm not even sure what to say anymore. I knew for daytime we shouldn't expect too much in the name of clips due to ever-increasing time constraints, but the only reason I watched this was because I thought we might get some cool clips from Pamela's original appearance. With the number of mentions the Cullen version has received in the last five years, you think they could have mentioned Pamela appeared on a Price Is Right hosted by someone other than Bob. Just would have been kind of nice.
If Mikey really wants to befriend us, getting us clips of stuff unseen in decades would be a good start, but that's another conversation for another time.
Speaking of Mikey, again his lack of understanding how to budget appropriately really hurt today. You would have thought a show full of winners would be appropriate for a celebration show. Grand Game was more difficult than it should have been. Double Prices could have been less of a crapshoot. I'll give credit to Double Cross. Unless the first setup can be correct (which it shouldn't be, but I wouldn't throw it past them), it was pretty hard to lose.
Oh, and Double Cross was a bad pick for today. Clock Game would have been much more appropriate.
I wonder how many people were left wondering what that "first item up for bids on The New Price Is Right" was. It's not like Bob's on their good side or will ever be won over. It wouldn't have killed them to show the fur coat.
On the other hand, seeing Paul play Bonus Game a second time was a treat. I wonder how he answered Drew's question about what game he played the first time. Sure, "Bonus Game" was staring before him, but they weren't using names his first time around. I suppose it is possible he just knew, in which case, he's certainly a most loyal friend and true.
The Showcases were a big disappointment. Honestly, to write a coherent pair of Showcases recognizing "anniversaries" and "the 40th anniversary of the premiere of The Price Is Right" shouldn't have been that hard; but I can't comment on what caliber there is for writing Showcases nowadays. I won't get started on the "trip around LA."
Other than that, having an audience filled with former contestants being contestants again didn't really do anything for me. Granted, I'd guess (and I hadn't seen a show in three years before today) we had better contestants than your usual show since these all passed the much higher bar contestants needed to pass to be on the show. Every contestant was engaging and involved instead of aloof and inattentive, but I don't see anything gained by having deviated from the typical "large-budget show filled with classic clips" formula that's served anniversary shows for decades.
In fact, what would have been really cool would have been a half hour show 25th-Anniversary-Special-style, but watching Drew today reminded me of how he just can't do what Bob could do: carry the show. Drew still seems to be at a loss for words in places he really should know what to say by now. I'm referring to the simple things, like what you say after a contestant makes their pick in the Grand Game or Any Number, not just repeating what the contestant said in the same tone or saying nothing until the reveal is complete. Bob could converse. Drew can't or is unwilling, and they've tried to fill the void by miking contestants, having the models speak and have George play off stuff the contestant said, but none of it has a natural feel. The show seems way to structured now. They seem to have their responses planned before the contestant even say anything, and it doesn't come across as real.
And speaking of George, this is the first time I've seen him on the show; and I can't find any nice words to say about him other than he doesn't sound like Daniel Rosen. Why he feels the need to punctuate every insignificant word in a piece of copy is beyond me.
