Even though my former co-worker from way-back-when said that TPiR showcase skits were often corny & ridiculous, I thought they were often the best part of the show. That is, when they did still did showcase skits.
They kind of fell into different eras:
1972 - 1974 -- Showcases basically consisted of a few unrelated prizes. Usually a car in the second one. Not much fun in these.
1974 - 1979 -- Producer Jay Wolpert decided that showcases could be fun & funny. And they often were -- Johnny's Schoolhouse, movie parodies, TPiR Department Store, etc. etc. The best skits were during this era, IMHO.
1979 - 1986 -- Skits declined, often replaced with "themed" showcases (such as "Prizes that will keep you warm"). But there were still plenty of good ones.
1986 - 20XX (?) -- After Johnny died, they'd still do the occasional skit, with Rod. Gradually skits pretty much went away completely. (I remember watching the show every day during much of this era, thinking, "Will this be the day they finally do a skit?" Nope.)
20XX -- end of Barker's run into the early Drew seasons -- There was some attempt to bring back the zaniness & fun of the skits.
Recent years --usually (just like 1972): Throw a few prizes onstage and call it a showcase.
I know the shorter running time is a factor. Wolpert has been gone for decades. Attention spans aren't what they used to be.
But can't they do better than what we usually see today? And, why did interesting showcases start declining in the '80s when there was still time to do them right? A Barker edict?
