December 13, 2000: Did they know it was coming?

[wheelfan1991]

I do not know if this has been discussed before. The episode that aired December 13, 2000 was Janice and Kathleen's final show. I just watched it and throughout it I could sense something amiss. Those two seemed unlike themselves. It was as if it were very tense. Did they know it was the end or did they know it was at least coming sometime soon? I haven't seen any other episodes leading up to this one, so I do not know if this was something that had been going on for some time. Again, that's just how I felt watching it. I really feel they, as well as Holly, were not treated fairly and were unjustly let go. Janice had been with the show from day one and was not even given a proper farewell. Same holds true for the others, also. Thoughts, anyone?

[Borusa]

I think October 17, 2000 was the day this show was taped. If I remember correctly on that day after the show was taped, Janice and Kathleen were taken into a room by themselves. They were told there that they were being let go. This is what I remember and how shocked I was when Chris Lambert's Game Show Page broke the news.

[wheelfan1991]

Wow. So harsh. Bob was really unfair to them. I've always hated how they were treated in the end.

[JayC]

This Los Angeles Times article from December 12, 2000 provides a little more info: http://articles.latimes.com/2000/dec/12/entertainment/ca-64263.  They were immediately dismissed following the October 19 taping. There was no notice given by Bob, and Janice and Kathleen had to sign agreements from Pearson that they would not provide any details on their firings.

[asd2001]

So this brings to mind what is probably a dumb question: For the remainder of Season 29, did CBS air any reruns featuring Janice and/or Kathleen?

I know that the 1975 episode that aired in Season 30 following the Pillsbury Bake-Off included Janice.  And during the Price-themed Gameshow Marathon episode (link below), there are multiple clips of Janice, and they even included video of when Bob shouted "Help me Janice!" while trying to escape from an excited contestant.

[SteveGavazzi]

The reruns at Christmas were from the last two weeks of Season 28 and the first week of Season 29, so yes -- but never again after that.

(Why do I remember this 15 years later?)

(Good God, Janice has been gone for 15 years.)

[JayC]

I believe the episode the following day had Janice and Kathleen on it also because it was an episode earlier in the season that was pre-empted.

[Nick]

I believe the episode the following day had Janice and Kathleen on it also because it was an episode earlier in the season that was pre-empted.

Correct.

While we're on the subject, there were several others staffers let go around the same time, among them Paul Alter (who, for some reason, had a temporary return before leaving permanently).  Who else was there?  I don't know how I don't know, but I've never known why there was this big shakeup way back when to begin with.

[blozier2006]

I don't know how I don't know, but I've never known why there was this big shakeup way back when to begin with.

Probably fallout from the fighting between Bob and Holly.

[MissesJanice]

I think October 17, 2000 was the day this show was taped. If I remember correctly on that day after the show was taped, Janice and Kathleen were taken into a room by themselves. They were told there that they were being let go. This is what I remember and how shocked I was when Chris Lambert's Game Show Page broke the news.

Yep Janice, Kathleen, Sharon Friem, Sherell Paris were all taken into a room (at separate times, as I understand from my contact) with a Fremantle Executive and a producer from the show and told simply "your services are no longer needed"

[JayC]

Probably fallout from the fighting between Bob and Holly.

This and I've also seen that Pearson wanted a younger demographic so they wanted to bring in younger models.

[priceguy]

I don't know how I don't know, but I've never known why there was this big shakeup way back when to begin with.

Probably fallout from the fighting between Bob and Holly.

If I remember correctly, Janice and Kathleen were asked to testify in court in Holly's defense and did so. Pearson and Barker took this as an act of disloyalty and therefore let them go.

[blozier2006]

If I remember correctly, Janice and Kathleen were asked to testify in court in Holly's defense and did so. Pearson and Barker took this as an act of disloyalty and therefore let them go.

Thus The Price Is Right became, for all intents and purposes, The Bob Barker Show, from 2000 to 2007.

[wheelfan1991]

From episodes after this time, it seems that Bob was not as close to his models as he used to be. I mean he allowed Heather, Nikki, and Claudia to introduce themselves on the S30 premiere, but after Nikki and Heather left, it was like the models talked no more until Drew came along. I always attributed that to the fact that he wanted to stay lawsuit-free.

[Mr. Weatherman]

From episodes after this time, it seems that Bob was not as close to his models as he used to be. I mean he allowed Heather, Nikki, and Claudia to introduce themselves on the S30 premiere, but after Nikki and Heather left, it was like the models talked no more until Drew came along. I always attributed that to the fact that he wanted to stay lawsuit-free.

This reminds me... As a kid, like 6 or 7, I thought the Barker's Beauties lacked the ability to speak, because they never spoke!