Author Topic: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right  (Read 6813 times)

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Offline tpirsuperfan99

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Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« on: August 12, 2017, 06:34:46 PM »
If this topic has been discussed before, mods may lock this up. But anyways, what are somethings Drew does better than Bob. And what are some things he could work on.
Some things that Drew does better are:

It's in the Bag - He really builds up excitement when you continue.
One Away - I like the sound effects bit with the contestants and when he gets to the last horn and has the contestant beg for the sound effect lady.
Switch? - Some may find this annoying, but I like the joke with the models running into each other.
Rat Race - I just know Drew has a lot of fun with this one because he created it. He always enjoys watching the rats race.
He always shows that he doesn't like it when contestants lose and gets very excited when they win.
He seems to enjoy communicating with the models unlike Bob in his later years.

Some things he could work on is:
That's Too Much! - Have the contestant yell out THAT'S TOO MUCH! when they want to stop.
Grocery Game - I get very annoyed when he always says they took a model from the grocery store (Rachel), brought he here, and got her teeth fixed, that has annoyed me ever since he started this.
Double Showcase Winners and Double Overbids - Drew needs to not go uhh or are kidding me because you know they are over, just reveal the price. And on DSWs, he needs to act more excited and say "YOU WIN BOTH SHOWCASES!" instead of Double Showcase Winner.

Thanks for reading, this took 20 minutes to write.

Offline JayC

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2017, 11:20:45 PM »
I agree with what you wrote, especially with how he handles overbids in the Showcases. Bob would read the ARP with a sad/disappointed inflection rather than saying something to give it away.

Does right: -Playing off of contestants and the models and George and coming up with a good one-liner when given the opportunity. Bob was of course the master of contestant interaction, but Drew does a great job also and his comedy background comes into play here.
-Drew's hosting of 3 Strikes is really good also, he adds in excitement when it's getting down to the end and he encourages the contestants when they get strikes or incorrect numbers by telling them they're eliminating options and taking out strike chips.

Could work on: Definitely how he hosts Switcheroo. I hate that he says the small prizes don't matter and the contestant should focus mostly on the car.
-Putting more build-up and excitement into Golden Road and Triple Play.

Offline Champ2399

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2017, 04:39:36 AM »
I like Drew's banter with Contestants' Row ... especially with the "one dollar more" bids ... or when a contestant bids $1 and then clangers for a perfect bid:  "Maybe those sunglasses are a quarter each."  If there's a big difference between bids, he'll say to the contestant with the lowest bid, "I want to shop where you shop". 

Cheerful during the showcase showdowns, really wanting all the contestants to hit that $1 target.  I'm still not a huge fan of the shout-outs, especially when they run long and here comes the wheel slowing down toward the $1 space ... kind of awkward.  Agree on getting the models - and George - involved in the show.  They feel like a family of co-hosts. 

I like his Vend-O-Price intro.

Things to work on: 
That's Too Much - easier way to explain is "first price greater than the actual price of the car" ...
Needs to be more strict on when contestants can change their mind ... we saw that issue a couple times, especially with Bag. 

Agree with Grocery Game -- he says it about the model every time the game's played.  With Pocket Change, he used to say "you'd have the quarter to buy the car, except you have to play this game first".  Hasn't said it the past couple times, though. Plus the "gotta pay tax, title, registration..." though he hasn't been doing that line recently.

-- Some things are just due to the format of the show ... you have an exciting win in the first pricing game, then we need to "get a contestant down here right away, George" ... sometimes the show should put the first break there, especially with a longer game.  -- Drew can't talk with contestants too much on stage ... because it'll get cut during editing ... so he has to use the quick 5-second sound-bite type interviews.  Feels rushed, but not Drew's fault.  Bob didn't have this issue. 

And I like that he's making the show seem fresh and still improving ... whether it was his own doing or production ... not playing with grocery items as much, or throwing things at the camera.  Not using phrases anymore like "We're trying something new, closest contestant not going over wins" ...

I'm just happy the show has a long-term host after Bob, now 10 seasons under his belt.  Compared with shows like Family Feud and Millionaire, that seemed to change hosts almost every season before finally settling on one.

Offline RedWing512

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2017, 12:20:34 PM »
I think the one thing that everyone should remember about Drew is that he is not a prototypical game show host. As I mentioned in another thread, he's improved greatly from his very first show, though there's always going to be things he does that maybe doesn't seem right, or that Bob never did, but that's Drew.

And that leads me to my next point--in my mind, he's doing everything right. And by that I mean he's following the advice Bob gave him and making the show his own. Yes, he has a few quirks, but that's Drew doing the show his way.

Offline PIRfanSince72

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2017, 02:07:11 PM »
Although I'm not a fervent watcher anymore, I do recall one Showcase Showdown where the player spun 70 cents which was added to 30 and he won $1,000.  In his excitement, the contestant hit the 7 and broke it.  Drew just downplayed it.  Bob would have said something like "Well, it's a good thing you just won $1,000 because that's precisely how much it will cost to fix this wheel which you just broke!" or something like that.  I was wishing Drew would have said something like that, but then that would not have been Drew being Drew either.

Offline SteveGavazzi

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2017, 05:45:45 PM »
Although I'm not a fervent watcher anymore, I do recall one Showcase Showdown where the player spun 70 cents which was added to 30 and he won $1,000.  In his excitement, the contestant hit the 7 and broke it.  Drew just downplayed it.  Bob would have said something like "Well, it's a good thing you just won $1,000 because that's precisely how much it will cost to fix this wheel which you just broke!" or something like that.  I was wishing Drew would have said something like that, but then that would not have been Drew being Drew either.

Actually, Drew did comment on it, and I think it was one of the funniest things he's ever said on the show -- "We'll have to use the purple wheel tomorrow!"
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Offline CBSpromoman

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2017, 07:36:03 PM »
I think the one thing that everyone should remember about Drew is that he is not a prototypical game show host.

I think all of us -- whether we like Drew's style or not -- understand that quite clearly. The problem is people who love Drew think people who don't care for his style need to be reminded of this fact. They don't.

As I mentioned in another thread, he's improved greatly from his very first show, though there's always going to be things he does that maybe doesn't seem right, or that Bob never did, but that's Drew.

I'm not sure that anyone thought when Bob Barker retired that they'd somehow find ANOTHER Bob Barker to do things exactly the same way.

What some of us hoped for was something more similar than what we have now, that's all.

And that leads me to my next point--in my mind, he's doing everything right. And by that I mean he's following the advice Bob gave him and making the show his own. Yes, he has a few quirks, but that's Drew doing the show his way.

I applaud Drew for not trying to copy Barker. Really.

But try to look at it this way: some of us who'd watched the show for a long time -- longer than some of the members on this board who think Drew is perfect have actually been alive -- were used to the "old school" of emcees who did not have stand-up comedy on their resumes.

Let me try to explain it in a different way: You've been driving long enough to have become used to driving a Mercedes-level automobile. Your Mercedes needs to be retired and you hope for another great car. You hope to find something at least at the level of a nice Lincoln if a brand new Mercedes isn't going to happen.

Then you're handed the keys to a station wagon.

That's what it felt like at first. Maybe, as he's improved over the years, it's more like he's a nice minivan now. But not a Mercedes minivan. Not even a Lincoln minivan.

I'm not knocking either a station wagon or a minivan in and of themselves. Each has their purpose and there are some really good ones out there.

But try to use the illustration to understand the difference some of us perceived in the quality of the two hosts and their own individual styles.

Maybe that sounds ridiculous to you. Maybe it is.

But your belief that it's a ridiculous way to feel does not in any way diminish those feelings for those who do have them.

Some of us are truly glad that there seems to be so many people who are genuinely enjoying the minivan so much. But for those of us who still feel that even with improvement, which no one is denying, the host and the show are a mismatch, and because of that, it's far less enjoyable to watch.

I don't fault anyone for thinking Drew is doing a great job now, and I don't know how anyone could possibly argue that he hasn't improved tremendously since his first season.

I'm glad the show is still successful and I'd love to see it hit its 50th, 55th and even 60th anniversaries and beyond.

If you think the magic is just as good as it has always been or is even better than it ever was, I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to argue that point with you or try to talk you out of your passion for the show. I'm happy you have so much love for the show as it is today. I hope you never lose it, in fact.

But for some of us, that magic just isn't the same, and watching often is too much of a reminder of how different it is. I sincerely hope none of the rest of you ever experiences a loss of the magic you feel in the program.
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Offline tpirfan28

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #7 on: August 19, 2017, 08:13:12 PM »
Actually, Drew did comment on it, and I think it was one of the funniest things he's ever said on the show -- "We'll have to use the purple wheel tomorrow!"
I remember this happening but never remember that comment.  Drew hated that purple scheme on the wheel.

I applaud Drew for not trying to copy Barker. Really.
I think this singular line is exactly what Drew is doing right.
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Offline Flerbert419

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #8 on: August 19, 2017, 09:04:39 PM »
I think Patrick's post is well written. I wanted to comment on one part in particular:

But try to look at it this way: some of us who'd watched the show for a long time -- longer than some of the members on this board who think Drew is perfect have actually been alive -- were used to the "old school" of emcees who did not have stand-up comedy on their resumes.

In looking at the current landscape of game show hosts, it's safe to say that "old school" experience will never be replicated again. Radio is no longer the place to start your career. Showrunners have gone to the comedy well over and over again for hosts with limited success, hoping to find individuals who can think on their feet. Also, there is a desire for a "big name" to attract viewers.

But not everybody has the ability to connect with the contestants, crowd, and home audience while still running the show. There is an art to emceeing that is underappreciated and underdeveloped, and currently no good way to get the experience required besides throwing somebody into the format and hoping they swim instead of sink.

The day of the career host has probably come and gone.
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Online htmlcc92

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #9 on: August 19, 2017, 09:35:11 PM »
I remember this happening but never remember that comment.  Drew hated that purple scheme on the wheel.

The video is not good quality, but his purple wheel comment is around 1:35 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS0Wtpgw-zM

It is true that he did not like that color scheme, he just said this line as a joke.
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Offline GobGlom

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2017, 11:05:53 AM »
Let's put it this way. There is no way anyone: Drew, you, me, Jojo the Hobo under the bridge, would host the show the way Bob Barker did. When I train DJs, I tell them that they will find their own way. They will do things far differently than I do. I can only give them the basics.
This holds true to this thread about Drew. The producers can only teach him so much. They have to trust him to keep the excitement up somehow.

Offline crazypackersfan

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2017, 06:53:44 PM »
10 years later and I give Drew a solid "C." That's a steadily improving grade; 7 years ago I'd give him an "F" for sure. But he's made the show his own. For that, I give him credit. I thought he'd be gone in 5 years and the show would be cancelled. He's done the opposite; he's kept the show popular. Now people think of him more for "The Price Is Right" than for "The Drew Carey Show." Think of him as a college student who started out with three "F"'s on tests, who now is putting up steady "B" work.

What doesn't he do well? Simple. He fails to add gravity to any situation. Bob Barker was the king of this. Barker could make every last situation feel like it was the most important thing in the world. "Wouldn't it be something..." "Hold on just a minute..." "This is a historic moment!"

And no better case of that was when the contestant broke the Plinko record this year. If Barker was host, the roof may have blown off Studio 33 because he would have played it up so much. With Drew, it was a quick "you just broke the Plinko record... more Price is Right next don't go away." I knew something historic was happening when watching, but when it ended, I just changed the channel. Nothing special there.

So Drew isn't a bad host, not anymore, at least. Maybe he was back in 2009, but not now. He's a solid game show host. He may be able to do this for 35 years, actually. But until he finds a way to make the show special, to make it important, to make it exciting, he's just going to be turning in "B" papers the rest of his career. I've been wrong about him before; I never expected him to make it this far. I hope I'm wrong again.

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2017, 11:04:00 PM »
This probably may not be everyone's favorite opinion, but if there's anything that I thought Drew handled pretty well, it was how he would reveal the correct price on certain games that required pushing a button, flipping a card, etc. Initially, during his early years hosting, Drew would make the contestants hold his hand and say "alakazam" as the correct price was revealed. For some reason, I always liked it when Drew did that; while it killed the suspense that Bob added, however, it was probably Drew's way of trying to be different than Bob. Though, I will agree with some of you that sometimes, a little suspense works.

I can't really think of anything Drew has yet to improve. It took some time getting used to his hosting style at first, but 10 years really do make a difference.
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Offline tpir7215

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #13 on: September 18, 2017, 01:21:16 AM »
I think all of us -- whether we like Drew's style or not -- understand that quite clearly. The problem is people who love Drew think people who don't care for his style need to be reminded of this fact. They don't.

I'm not sure that anyone thought when Bob Barker retired that they'd somehow find ANOTHER Bob Barker to do things exactly the same way.

What some of us hoped for was something more similar than what we have now, that's all.

I applaud Drew for not trying to copy Barker. Really.

But try to look at it this way: some of us who'd watched the show for a long time -- longer than some of the members on this board who think Drew is perfect have actually been alive -- were used to the "old school" of emcees who did not have stand-up comedy on their resumes.

Let me try to explain it in a different way: You've been driving long enough to have become used to driving a Mercedes-level automobile. Your Mercedes needs to be retired and you hope for another great car. You hope to find something at least at the level of a nice Lincoln if a brand new Mercedes isn't going to happen.

Then you're handed the keys to a station wagon.

Fun Fact: That station wagon very well could've been a Mercedes-Benz station wagon (the E400 is offered as a wagon along with coupe and convertible)

Offline CBSpromoman

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Re: Things Drew does right and things he doesn't do right
« Reply #14 on: September 18, 2017, 03:30:02 PM »
Fun Fact: That station wagon very well could've been a Mercedes-Benz station wagon (the E400 is offered as a wagon along with coupe and convertible)

Fun Fact: In my example, it wasn't.
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