Well, I never thought the day would come that I would be the one writing a taping report in the day's recap thread, but it was my first visit to the show. There's not really much to say about everything before getting in the studio. I'm sure it's been said more than once what the differences are in the experience between now and six years ago.
Let's just start with the moment I passed the replica Bob Barker Studio plaque and set foot in the famous theatre. My goodness! The set really is smaller in person than on TV. Wow, even with all the backstage pictures I've seen over the years, it still looks smaller in person!
They're blaring tunes through the house PA system
way louder than they need to be, alternating between current hits and gold tunes. Once most of us are seated, a montage consisting of the bell mixed in with Crystal Waters's "Come on Down" plays as George says something to introduce himself. I couldn't make out what it was. Out from behind the Turntable he walks and everybody jumps to their feet.
I know it's been mentioned before they now play a clip montage introduced by George when you're on the final set of benches. This is the warmup now, I guess. George had Ryan Polito come over the PA and say we were going to be ready to roll in two minutes.
So what's the "actual" warmup now? "Stay with Drew." That's apparently the only rule George gives us. Nothing about using Winners' Stairs, making up your own mind, listening to the descriptions of the prizes. Ouch, no wonder people don't know what to do at the show anymore. They don't tell you these important things!
Highlights? Well, pickups I took note of included the various shots behind door number one of the first Showcase. They also did a pickup on the laptop in the second Showcase. They reshot the second One Bid as we exited the studio with George also redoing the plug. He told us to hush up because they needed to reshoot because he slurred some words in the description.
There was a part of Drew's conversation with Rachel at the beginning of Pick-a-Pair that was edited out. Nothing significant, but I do remember Drew specifically saying "Rachel is pregnant" and we cheered and so forth.
As far as the stopdowns, When Drew wasn't telling lame jokes he was making fun of the various occupations of various audience members, although he didn't make fun of the Marine sitting a couple of rows back from Contestants' Row when he talked to him. He got to talking about Thanksgiving at one point and said Canada doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, a fallacy he failed to correct after a few other Canadians in the audience piped up and said, "Yes we do!"
I was surprised to find out there was no stopdown between the first and second games. No edits there. Didn't they do a stopdown in the double segment when Bob was still hosting? Here's something I haven't seen mentioned before: All contestants' names are on cue cards now. This, I feel, results in a lost part of the PIR experience that going to the show is all about.
Nobody actually hears their name called to come on down. You can't hear a thing over the cheers, and since they have us cheer for literally everything, the first time you really hear yourself called to come on down is when you watch the show. The moment was always supposed to be hearing that invitation, not reading your name off a cue card.
The one other note I have is before the second Showcase Showdown, Drew consoled the three leftovers in the Row by letting them know they each won $300. George also had Rob do the door prize draw, and according to George, it was the first time he did that. I've never heard that this was part of the practice before, but when they do the door prize draw, you basically get "your own come on down" as George puts it. They'll pull a name. He'll call it. That person comes on down and wins $100.
I'm kind of curious as to what caused the MASSIVE edit during Justin's greetings in the first SCSD. Did he shout out to telephone pole screamers or something?
No, he didn't do anything out of the ordinary as far as I can remember. For whatever reason, they had us all standing during the Showcase Showdowns, even though you didn't see the audience on camera at any point; and again with all the cheering, it was difficult to hear anything.
Although I will say this, I found this episode much more enjoyable to see in person than to watch on TV. Perhaps because when you're in the studio, you can block out Drew's mediocre hosting, and everything else they're doing wrong, amongst the indecipherable cheering surrounding you, and focus on the games themselves.
