What were the golden days?

[Mr. Weatherman]

I think it would have been nice if they had done a 20th Anniversary and 35th Anniversary nighttime special (throw in Seasons 40 and 45, too), in tune with the 25th and 30th-anniversary specials. I know they did a lot in Season 35 for Bob's retirement, but nothing specifically related to the shows 35 years on the air.

To be fair, once Bob announced his retirement, that completely overshadowed the show being in its 35th season.  Had that decision not come until a season or two later, we may very well had been treated to a primetime anniversary special, probably sometime during the latter half of the season.

As much as we would have loved to have seen S40/45 milestone anniversary specials in primetime, I would argue they wouldn’t have been seen as all that special to the average viewer given Drew’s relatively brief time with the show at those points.  Perhaps we may get a 50th anniversary special, but of course that remains to be seen.

[someguy23475]

As I have said before, I do not watch anymore. I have not seen a full episode in years. The only time I see anything from the show is in a waiting room or something along those lines- and it’s terrible. I’ve given my thoughts on why Drew is awful; I am sure people don’t want to see it again.

The set is also way too flashy and ugly (even uglier than the brown set from Barker’s first few years). The contestants are annoying (that started near the end of Barker’s run)... I could go on.

[LarryC]

I always wondered why they decided to add a fourth model in 1990. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Kathleen, but four seemed a little much.

One reason for adding a fourth model (I think) was that the relationship between Janice and Dian was quite strained at that point (and that's putting it mildly).  You'll notice those two rarely appear side-by-side in those early '90s episodes.

When I visited the show twice (in 1991 and again in 1992), Janice and Dian really kept their distance from each other on the stage.  Adding Kathleen meant more flexibility on how they could pair up the models (in showcases, in games like Danger Price and Bump).

[wheelfan1991]

Adding Kathleen as a fourth model and as the first permanent African American model was a good call; but I think Kyle Aletter would have been excellent, too; considering she had worked on the show before. I've always thought she was beautiful and very talented.

[imhomerjay]

Ask my kids, and the answer is now. Tweens in formative years, the future if the show is to have a long one. They see clips of the '80s, '90s and early '00s and generally register a mix of bemusement and boredom, sprinkled with incredulity that the show made it (continuously) to its current incarnation (perhaps best not to show then 1972 clips). And truth be told, there are times when I look at the business realities of television and can't say I disagree with the assessment, even if we're coming at it from different angles.

Let's say the show has decades left (just for kicks). Will they look at Price circa 2039 and say it stinks compared to 2019? Certainly possible. The golden years of just about anything are in the eyes of the beholder.

[JT]

One reason for adding a fourth model (I think) was that the relationship between Janice and Dian was quite strained at that point (and that's putting it mildly).  You'll notice those two rarely appear side-by-side in those early '90s episodes.

[JT]

One reason for adding a fourth model (I think) was that the relationship between Janice and Dian was quite strained at that point (and that's putting it mildly).  You'll notice those two rarely appear side-by-side in those early '90s episodes.

All of the models who auditioned in 1990 were African-American so the goal was to make the cast more diverse which was the right thing to do.  Once Kathleen started, Dian took her under her wing to gain an ally.  So at the end of the showcase/during the credits, you would always see Dian stand next to Kathleen and Janice stand next to Holly.  (Read Kathleen's book for more juice 90s details!)

[ThomHuge]

As I have said before, I do not watch anymore. I have not seen a full episode in years. The only time I see anything from the show is in a waiting room or something along those lines- and it’s terrible. I’ve given my thoughts on why Drew is awful; I am sure people don’t want to see it again.

The set is also way too flashy and ugly (even uglier than the brown set from Barker’s first few years). The contestants are annoying (that started near the end of Barker’s run)... I could go on.

I have to ask this question then--why do you remain active here if you dislike the show so much? Every post I see from you reads like "it's so awful, I don't watch anymore, I hate everything about it." I don't understand it. Continuously bashing something you don't even watch isn't productive for anybody.

[someguy23475]

I usually hang out in Left Field. Most of my comments not in that sections are about the Barker days.

I am sure I am not the only one who thinks Drew Carey is awful and the show is unwatchable.

[urbanpreppie0004]

I usually hang out in Left Field. Most of my comments not in that sections are about the Barker days.

I am sure I am not the only one who thinks Drew Carey is awful and the show is unwatchable.

The point he's making is why even comment? Why comment about a host that you don't like when clearly quite a few people do?

[Gerald78]

Ask my kids, and the answer is now. Tweens in formative years, the future if the show is to have a long one. They see clips of the '80s, '90s and early '00s and generally register a mix of bemusement and boredom, sprinkled with incredulity that the show made it (continuously) to its current incarnation (perhaps best not to show then 1972 clips).

Very interesting imhomerjay, do you think that is because of the more leisurely pace of the show back then? or perhaps the "look" of the show?

[imhomerjay]

A bit of both. Now to be fair, it’s not like they’ve lived through the shrinking of show time to the extent many of us have, so the pacing is understandably a bit foreign. And on the one hand we’re talking about entertainment consumers who have no problems with something like the original Star Wars, but find the general design of a TV show from a decade or so later to be very dated.

But there is also the different energy level. The overall look matches an overall higher energy level, and the pacing seems to likewise reflect that. Could they maintain the energy level with a few more minutes? I think so, but it’s purely hypothetical.

Bob, even in what could by consensus be called his prime, just leaves them “blah.” It’s just one of those fairly common generational things. Of course there are exceptions, but in many pop culture areas, golden years tend to align with youth.

[someguy23475]

Clearly quite a few people don’t like him.

[Casey]

Clearly enough do to keep him in the job for more than 10 years.

[ThomHuge]

Clearly quite a few people don’t like him.

Again, I challenge this on the basis of dubious credibility. "I don't like him" doesn't translate into "quite a few people don't like him." And in order for you to say "clearly," there has to be a concrete and definable basis in fact.