Author Topic: Silly post from Roger...  (Read 22230 times)

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Offline SamJ93

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Silly post from Roger...
« on: January 21, 2019, 11:20:30 PM »
Brace yourselves, as I know criticizing the Dob is tantamount to blasphemy 'round these parts. But I saw this comment on his Facebook page and I had to offer a rebuttal.

This is his response to a poster asking how he thinks the show is able to afford things like Dream Car and Big Money Weeks:

Quote from: Roger Dobkowitz
As I have mentioned before, I believe the show is no longer making a profit (we were struggling during Bob's final years, having to cut back every year on our production budget to make sure the show was profitable).  I would wager that since Price is sold all around the world in other countries, it is important for the company to keep the main version on the air, even if it is losing money (it would be emabarrassing for the original version to be cancelled!).  I believe they are pumping money into the show, feeding gimmicks and rebuilding games and sets, in the belief that these superficial actions will help the show.

I'm sorry, but this is just absolute nonsense.
1)If CBS wasn't making money off of TPiR, they would cancel it. Things like “prestige” and “tradition” mean very little in the TV business, the bottom line is everything. The show is currently doing very well ratings-wise and no one has given any indication that it isn't profitable, so the speculation that it isn't is completely baseless. 2)Nobody in other countries with their own version of TPiR gives a damn about what happens to the US version. I doubt most people who watch TPiR in, say, Thailand or France are even aware that it is based on an American show, and even if they were...they're going to stop watching because the American version is cancelled? Huh???
3)So now updating and refreshing the set is a bad thing? What was the point of creating a new board for Any Number in 1986, then, or bringing back Pick-a-Pair after a nearly two-year absence with an entirely different set in 1990, then, to give just two examples of set changes that occured under Roger? The current staff updates the set for the exact same reasons--it keeps the show from feeling stale and gives frequent viewers a bit of a surprise.

Posts like this just demonstrate how out-of-touch Roger is. I respect how he ran the show in Barker's day, but the fact is, for better or for worse, the TV business has changed.

Offline SonicWhammy

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2019, 12:50:26 AM »
No sooner do I ask my questions and make a possible point over in Left Field today than this comes up. And to be honest, it feeds into what I asked over there. "Does the show work in today's world?" For everything I've seen, it does, and I don't think they would be doing it this way if they weren't getting the numbers and weren't in the black when the accountants finished their book balancing.

To refute something else Roger said, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, which is now suddenly in danger of being cancelled after 20 years on the air here in the U.S., outlasted the original British version and numerous other countries by several years. But last I checked, the Brits weren't complaining of feeling "embarassed" that our version kept going when theirs stopped. Hey, on the flipside, their original version of Gladiators went on another 3 years after ours stopped. Didn't hurt the franchise in my eyes, either. Bottom line: Every country will do with it what they do with it and to the best of their ability, and just because the originator stops doesn't mean that everyone else stops with it.

So to hear Roger saying all this... I'm a bit stunned. I don't know what to think. Either we're blind to the truth, or he is. Maybe we all are.

Offline Off_trak

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2019, 02:09:22 AM »
These days the networks don't hesitate to cancel what isn't working in daytime. You only need to look at ABC, who has turned over several shows since dumping the soaps, which were once considered untouchable. Even if CBS did cancel Price tomorrow, they'd have a huge problem filling that hole, because how do you replace an icon (Susan Lucci is loookin' at you, ABC...)? As an hourly series, Price does have to remain on a network, because syndication is not 60 minute friendly. So CBS would have a problem, Fremantle would have a problem, and most likely they are greasing each other's palms to keep Price exactly where it is.

Plus you also have to consider the industry is completely different since Dobkowitz left. The era of the viral video has exploded in the last ten years, and Price has had several, which turn eyes towards viewership numbers. As long as CBS has a stable viewership for the show, they won't consider any changes, unless The View suddenly explodes again (and the Meghan / Joy "feud" is nothing compared to the Rosie / Elisabeth feud).

The fact that Dobkowitz is still bitching about the show after all this time, only proves his ego thought he was more important than he actually was.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2019, 02:11:49 AM by Off_trak »
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Offline RedWing512

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2019, 10:50:36 AM »
The fact that Dobkowitz is still bitching about the show after all this time, only proves his ego thought he was more important than he actually was.

I wholeheartedly agree. I believe he's still bitter over getting canned, but honestly...I feel like it was the best thing to happen for Price. If he was still a part of the show, it would not be doing as well today.

The fact-of-the-matter is that they've done a great job of updating the show to fit modern entertainment trends. They aren't redoing sets and game props just for S & G, it's a necessity since the show is now in HD, and many old parts running the props are either hard to come by or are horribly inefficient by today's standards.

Not to mention, social media is a thing now. Dream Car Week, Couples, Kids Week, Big Money Week...all those things help generate buzz. Sure, there's nothing wrong with a good spontaneous moment, but there's so much more competition out there for our eyeballs, and they have to do something on occasion to keep people talking about the show.

I've said it before--I grew up watching Bob & Dob's version of the show, and they both did a great job then. But the times have changed. Roger needs to realize that and get over his beef with the current regime.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2019, 10:54:49 AM by RedWing512 »

Offline Axl

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2019, 07:01:31 PM »
I'm sorry, but this is just absolute nonsense.
1)If CBS wasn't making money off of TPiR, they would cancel it. Things like “prestige” and “tradition” mean very little in the TV business, the bottom line is everything. The show is currently doing very well ratings-wise and no one has given any indication that it isn't profitable, so the speculation that it isn't is completely baseless. 2)Nobody in other countries with their own version of TPiR gives a damn about what happens to the US version. I doubt most people who watch TPiR in, say, Thailand or France are even aware that it is based on an American show, and even if they were...they're going to stop watching because the American version is cancelled?

I don't think Roger is speculating that CBS is losing money.  He's speculating that Fremantle is losing money and licensing it to CBS at a loss to keep it on the air.  While Roger may be completely wrong about this, I don't think it's necessarily "absolute nonsense."  Fremantle makes a great deal of virtually "free" money franchising the show to other countries, using most of the artwork, props, concepts, and other intellectual property that already exist for the US show.

Maintaining this and freshening it requires a staff.  It probably would cost less to let the US production take the lead on that at a small loss than it would to keep an off-air development staff around solely for that purpose whose expenses are not being defrayed by any US revenue.  Without a US show in production, such development costs would effectively be a 100% loss, vs., let's say, a 10% loss if the American show is deficit financed.

Anyone who watches the show can tell that the non-host costs of the show have increased dramatically in the past decade.  All those new props and screens and non-sponsored prizes cost money.  Not to mention the explosion of credited producers and editors behind the scenes.  The only noticeable cut has been the loss of one model, and those savings were probably eaten up entirely by introducing the jib camera.


All that said, I agree that Roger's gripes are tiresome.  Who cares how Fremantle chooses to keep its books?  Lots of shows are deficit financed, and it doesn't make the quality of the show one bit better or worse.  I know the Dob is always looking for ways he can claim to have been a better producer than the current regime, but this is pretty weak sauce.

Offline blozier2006

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2019, 07:06:29 PM »
All that said, I agree that Roger's gripes are tiresome.
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Offline Wayoshi

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2019, 07:35:19 PM »
S5x... the show's stabilized into something decent now, I guess...

Offline Roadgeek Adam

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2019, 07:39:26 PM »
Yeah, I'm sorry, that is not staged. (Despite the fact that it's happened 4 times as we found a 2000 video of this exact thing occurring.)

This is just being absurdly cynical. Today's show didn't need to be spiced up by someone being in the bathroom.  The show was weird on its own.

However, things are different now. This isn't the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, or 2000s anymore. The target demographic he worked with is different from today's target demographic. People still treat him like a god, and while he probably deserves a lot of that, I think he's really out of touch.

Roger is a great man with a great history, but the jealousy is reeking. 
« Last Edit: January 22, 2019, 08:04:09 PM by Roadgeek Adam »
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Offline silverice878

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2019, 08:07:04 PM »
I love Roger to death, but when will he face up to the fact that's he's just a bitter relic?
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Offline urbanpreppie0004

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2019, 08:32:08 PM »
I was wondering when this would come up...

I respect Roger for all that he's done for the show. His legacy and style will likely always be with Price- even if the show is cancelled and brought back or changes networks. I believe if the show had gone with the makeover that was proposed a few years back (he and others said-think American Idol) the show would not have survived the change in host./

That being said...

Its apparent that he is bitter. He constantly looks for fault in the current production in the show, even when things are done well- and there's a LOT to like these days. Yes, some things have changed. Yes, its not 100% the same. Yes, there's some new elements. But its STILL the same show. It still does well for CBS/Fremantle, because if not it wouldn't still be on (or we would see some drastic cuts in production).

What sucks about his attitude and his page is that his posters for the most part are all so anti-mike Richards/Drew Carey that not only do they not see how the show is doing pretty good, but they frequently WATCH the show and then TATTLE to him about what they did today and how its "wrong". On top of that, there's no actual conversation or even reasoning with these posters-even with actual facts, they either A- repeat how "you're wrong/us LFAT wouldn't like that/Stop being a drew apologist/Roger is right" or B- block you, and wont engage in conversation.

On an aside, its why I like this forum. For the most part, even a poster doesn't agree, there's an solid explanation on why.

Offline ThomHuge

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2019, 08:38:44 PM »
One thing I do think is getting overlooked here:

Yes, Roger is clearly bitter, even 11+ years later. But I wonder how easy it would be for us to simply move on if we lost our career of 36 years the way he apparently did. Roger was one of the people who helped make the show as successful as it is, and if I were in that position, after investing so much of my life to it, I'd struggle with it for a long time too. Especially after some of the things that have happened since the end of season 36. It would be hard to watch, harder knowing I'm not there to be a part of it, and harder still to know they apparently didn't care what I thought.

I'm not taking sides on the actual issue. I just think we should try to focus less on slamming him for being bitter (he is), and try to show a little more empathy into why. For the record, I think he's bitter with good reason.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2019, 08:41:07 PM by ThomHuge »

Offline Roadgeek Adam

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2019, 09:06:35 PM »
I think your points are all extremely  valid and accurate Thom.

The problem is this, and pardon my broken up writing here. It's now 11 seasons since Roger was in charge. To his credit, he has been absolutely open to watching new episodes when fans have asked.

He doesn't have a voice of reason except for the fanbase who still treats him as god. It's kind of the same status we give to those who are still mad Drew Carey is in charge and continues to complain about it.
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Offline gamesurf

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2019, 09:07:16 PM »
Roger's wonderful about interacting with his fans. The access given in the Golden Gallery to Marc and John is a permanent testament to that. I respect that he doesn't HAVE to take the time out of his day to answer questions on FB, and bless his heart, he has the patience of Job for dealing with some of those people.

But it’s the same… five… people. Every time. And… how do I put this charitably… the level of discourse leaves a LOT to be desired. Commenters believe Roger is important, and because Roger is interacting with them, they must also be important. So it becomes this groupthink pit full of people who "know better" with nobody ever pushing back.

It’s not always a dumpster fire. I love reading questions about production minutiae. Sometimes they spark production war stories and provide a fascinating look into the man’s mind. But I hate having to wade through the mountains of “Roger, this thing happened on the show today. Tell us why it’s bad!” in order to find them.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2019, 09:09:54 PM by gamesurf »
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Offline shell_game

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2019, 09:27:40 PM »
Yes, Roger may have a stilted perspective at times, but a couple of things to ponder regarding his response to the contestant in the bathroom:

1.  Roger doesn't watch the show.  Most of the information he has is coming from the fans on Facebook who are anti-the current version of the show.  He mistakenly takes their mis-information as fact (sometimes because they present it as fact).  This is further distorting his perspective of the current show.

2.  That clip was heavily edited for broadcast.  Roger is not considering that in his analysis, which is why to him it might look staged.  This makes sense, because they did things live-to-tape in his day.  (BTW, I think those fans who follow him on facebook have told him that most things are staged now)

I think one of Roger's biggest faults is that he is taking of the word of the fans that interact with him.

As for his post on the show operating at a loss, who knows.  It sees like he would know better than the rest of us if that were possible.

Offline JayC

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Re: Silly post from Roger...
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2019, 11:00:37 PM »
As for his post on the show operating at a loss, who knows.  It sees like he would know better than the rest of us if that were possible.
I doubt he's incorrect about the show losing profitability in Bob's final years, he would definitely know that. We started seeing a lot more unsponsored items and prizes in that time and it's never really changed. Of course he could very well be incorrect about the show not being profitable at all now though.

While I do think some of the gimmicks and special shows are unnecessary (like the supped up Plinko playings), the set upgrades are necessary for today's TV and there's definitely several other games that could use a set upgrade because of how dated they feel in 2019. I don't know if Roger is bitter or he just thinks he knows everything and he's entitled to his opinions as we are, but things are working for the show and I don't see anything they do as desperation moves.