So, I started watching Price in the mid-90s when I was 4ish, or 5. But I wasn't really "hardcore watching" until Bob's final two seasons; but I did see the transition of Bob to Drew. Naturally, Drew was "tight" or "rigid" the first couple of years. I mean he's coming in on the heels of a legend that had cemented himself in our homes for 35 years, so there are big shoes to fill. I didn't like him at first, I'll be honest. I didn't want to see Bob go, and I didn't want to see the show change.
But, frankly, things got much better after Dob left and Mike got settled in. Drew was much more comfortable, he had picked up his own style, and the people generally seemed to love him. He had his quirks and humor that made him his own. The sad thing is that even to this day, as much as I respect Roger and his outstanding work along with Bob on the show, he can never say one positive thing about Drew or the show in general today. In his eyes, everything should have stayed in the 20th century; don't introduce new games, don't make set changes, and Drew is just terrible along with the rest of the staff. He doesn't like Drew's humor, but for God's sake, the man is a comedian! That was his life before Price and technically still is. And, of course, Dob has his band of "merry men" who cling on to his every word as gospel and he just has to be right no matter what.
Bottom line, Drew has definitely found his niche after 13 years and is doing an excellent job. He's no Bob, and rightfully so. Bob himself said he didn't want Drew (or whoever the choice was) to be a clone of him. He wanted them to be their own person and host their own way. I applaud Bob for that. If Price is around in 20+ years, will Drew still be there? I'm not sure. I could see him doing 35 years. It would put him at 85 years old, two years older than Bob was when he retired.
The problem is there are always going to be those who think Drew has always and will forever be just plain awful, whether it's Roger or his LFaTs. Yeah, the transition to Drew from Bob was not the best. Dob had no say in the choice and the suits already had their mind made up on Drew. But, I think that it was the best choice. And Mike's letting Roger go was a good decision because he knew it was going tp be nothing but headbutting on any changes no matter what they were. Roger is simply bitter and will never let it go. There's a reason Price is still going strong with Drew at the helm and he's retired spending his days drinking margaritas, traveling, and using Facebook to bash the current Price "administration." Just let it go, man; let...it...go...