TPiR Recap - 10/7/2013 (2013 PCH Week Day 1)

[JokerFan]

Honestly, Drew has made the putt more often than not from what I've seen. In fact, I can hardly recall a time when he's missed.

Drew's only made the putt twice (maybe three times) compared to the several times he missed.  I don't think you've seen that many playings, if you think he's made the putt more often than not.

[Swingbatta0]

I'm okay with the new camera shot in Hole in One (to me, it makes no difference). But I'm not okay with what happened in the first half.

Thank goodness for That's Too Much, especially when they're offering such a pricey Ram.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Recap up.

[wildbill0962]

My mistake at the beginning, spelling it as Raycroft, but it is Rycroft (as I like to bust Adam's stones :p)

I will say, I like the new angle for Hole in One. Like Jordan said, it's like watching golf on TV. I found it interesting.

[Nick]

Taping report, and I'm going on memory here since I didn't get to see the show today due to technical difficulties, but anyway...

The first big change from when I attended last November is the contestant release form has dramatically changed.  It's several pages long now and includes stipulations about, among other things, mentioning spoilers.  It's all legalese, so I don't know how they expect people to understand it all.  Anyway, they didn't say anything about anything you weren't allowed to mention after the show aired, so onwards and forwards.

There was a stopdown between the first and second games, different from the tapings I attended last year.  I don't know if that's an Adam thing or because they played Hole in One next or what, but they stopped.

Hey, Scott, did you take the "SHHH!!" sign with you?  They didn't hold it up during Hole in One.

Drew fumbled the explanation of Do the Math, so they had to do a pickup of him explaining the rules.

They reshot the presentation of the fourth One Bid item and George had to do a pickup on the plug.

If the deal with Publisher's Clearing House week is twenty grand to the first winner of the day, why would you schedule the now-nearly-impossible-to-win Punch a Bunch in the second half?  It's not helping prevent the very possible scenario that they've had no winners by the end of the show.

I couldn't believe That's too Much! was won.  That was my highlight of the day.

The low point was the Showcases, and while I don't know what's been the case with reshooting come on downs as has been said, but after the show, they did a whole bunch of reaction shots with Katie standing behind her Showcase podium alone on the Turntable.  They spent anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes until they finally got what they wanted out of her.  I don't know who the stage director is now, but he kept asking her to react to the home gym to get the "right" amount of enthusiasm out of her ("You gave me a ten.  I need a six!").

That did it for me.  If they're trying to engineer the excitement out of the contestants in this way, then perhaps there isn't much excitement left to the show in its current state.  Still, I had a ticket for a taping the following week.  That show airs next Monday.

Lastly, unlike the last tapings I attended, they didn't call a name for the door prize but drew for a number and George called that "number" down.

[Jordanar18]

If the deal with Publisher's Clearing House week is twenty grand to the first winner of the day, why would you schedule the now-nearly-impossible-to-win Punch a Bunch in the second half?  It's not helping prevent the very possible scenario that they've had no winners by the end of the show.

Yeah, I find it weird that they had Punchy in the lineup as well.  Not only is it almost impossible to win, but if the contestant somehow did win it, they would wind up with $45,000 (so long as they were the first winner of the day).

Not to mention, That's Too Much sixth.

[GoldenBulldog]

The constant shilling of the $20,000 for the first pricing game win seemed very tiring; just one plug for the gimmick is good enough.  Also...speaking of pricing games, was my vision going nuts or did One Wrong Price suddenly add a large sign that says "WIN ME DAMMIT! WIN ME!!"?  Seriously, that setup was nothing more than a throwaway gimmie.  Also, I know we're three weeks into the season, but...the show's just not the same without seeing Gwendolyn or Manuela (or a model rotation for that matter).

[sideshowPA]

Is it possible that they only changed the camera angle for Hole in One because it is PCH week?  If the putt is made, door 2 opens with the van, big-check and professional-balloon holder to present.  I agree that the angle is not great, but hoping it is just a one-shot deal, which missed out on its payoff shot today.

Why slot Punch 5th?  Because you are hoping, hoping and hoping that somebody actually wins a pricing game before then.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Question, apologies if this is asked, (looking at Steve or someone else).

When is the last time we've had 6 sponsored plugs? I'm not sure since I've taken over as a recapper that I've had one set of 6 grocery items and all plugged by George.

[MSTieScott]

There was a stopdown between the first and second games, different from the tapings I attended last year.  I don't know if that's an Adam thing or because they played Hole in One next or what, but they stopped.

It was because they played Hole in One second. That game requires too much setup time to be completed while the One Bid is in progress.

Hey, Scott, did you take the "SHHH!!" sign with you?  They didn't hold it up during Hole in One.

Well, odd post-production decisions aside, the audience seemed to know to be quiet during last week's Clock Game, so I'm guessing it's still there. Maybe they didn't realize they could use it for Hole in One, as well.


I don't understand the criticism of Punch a Bunch sixth during Publishers Clearing House week -- last season, all of the cash games wound up getting played fifth and sixth during that week, too. The only difference is that last season, I advised against playing Punch a Bunch for the sole reason that a model waving a $25,000 bill around at the beginning of the game was awfully similar to a contestant waving a $20,000 Publishers Clearing House check around.

(Hopefully they realize that Pay the Rent would be a bad idea this week, as it would dwarf the Publishers Clearing House $20,000 prize. Which would mean three weeks into the season, and still no Pay the Rent!)

[Cartboy]

Nice wins on One Wrong Price & That's Too Much!  Not too good other than that, IMHO.

As for Hole In One, I like the split screen shot better.

[Kev347]

I don't understand the criticism of Punch a Bunch sixth during Publishers Clearing House week -- last season, all of the cash games wound up getting played fifth and sixth during that week, too. The only difference is that last season, I advised against playing Punch a Bunch for the sole reason that a model waving a $25,000 bill around at the beginning of the game was awfully similar to a contestant waving a $20,000 Publishers Clearing House check around.

(Hopefully they realize that Pay the Rent would be a bad idea this week, as it would dwarf the Publishers Clearing House $20,000 prize. Which would mean three weeks into the season, and still no Pay the Rent!)

You are completely correct about these observations and I was not happy to see it show up today. Not to mention, if it's a winless show and someone pulls the 10k slip and wants to bail out, that's now an awkward forced situation where it could affect gameplay because it essentially becomes a 10k vs 45k decision. I do have to ask though - why was Plinko played last year? This seems to me to be even worse, because the game is winless, at least by Roger's definition, since it debuted. Or has that definition of a "win" changed?

[GuyWithFace]

Something else I am wondering, and I am reasonably certain I asked this in regard to the last PCH week -- is the $20,000 award only limited to the first half? Further, what happens if an episode this week goes without a pricing game winner?

{whole recollection of doing reaction shots with a Showcase player for 10-15 minutes to get the "right" amount of enthusiasm the stage director wanted in the first place}

Someone please post Nick's recollection in the "Mike Richards wants to hear from you!" thread, as he most certainly needs to see this.

[itonosato304]

WTF IS WRONG WITH HOLE IN ONE? I feel like Hole in One is supposed to be the closest thing to a winnable game for a car you'll see on The Price is Right, and yet contestants keep committing two cardinal sins by not knowing what products to pick and second they miss both putts, usually by a wide margin.

And, worst of all, when one misses both putts by a wide margin, it leaves me wondering "What if?", as in "What if Regina knew what products to choose in the first place?" Perhaps she would not have missed those putts by a wide, wide margin.

THE GAMEPLAY ON THE PRICE IS RIGHT HAS GOT BE A LOT BETTER IN THE FUTURE, AND YOU CAN NOT BE MAKING SILLY, SILLY MISTAKES ON SEEMINGLY EASY PRICING GAMES, AND EXCEPT TO WIN.

[wink87]

Someone dosen't like this game being lost.