What if Bob had hosted The Nighttime PIR in 1985.....

[Alfonzo]

I wonder would a Nighttime version lasted if the Daytime version wasn't an hour long?


I could see it lasting a few years with Bob.

Well, Bob came in to host syndicated version later on in the 70s. It still didn't last much longer.

Daytime viewing habits don't always translate to nighttime. Price was more popular daytime, Wheel more at night. No reason why, it just is. I, honestly, was never bothered that the nighttime Price didn't succeed. After all, we still had the daytime show.

[pricefan18]

Well, Bob came in to host syndicated version later on in the 70s. It still didn't last much longer.

Daytime viewing habits don't always translate to nighttime. Price was more popular daytime, Wheel more at night. No reason why, it just is. I, honestly, was never bothered that the nighttime Price didn't succeed. After all, we still had the daytime show.

When Bob took it over (meaning at the point he did, not after he started hosting it), what were ratings like from when it started? I still wonder too how the original nighttime show woulda fared if the daytime show was an hour from the outset. Maybe at once a week it still woulda done as well, but maybe not.

[pannoni1]

My post isn't too much about Bob hosting, but here are a couple new thoughts about the 1985 nighttime version that have come into my head.

In the Cullen Era, the nighttime version was more popular than the daytime version for most of its run, even being a Top 10 show for a couple seasons. But of course, primetime game shows were out of vogue during the '70s, and part of what made the original nighttime version so great were the mail-in Showcase contests, which the '70s nighttime version certainly should have held on occasion to separate it from its daytime counterpart, simply by adding those in post-production. Speaking of sweepstakes, the 1985 version could have been a good opportunity to launch Play Along.

If the 1985 Nighttime show became a hit, I could have tinkered by adding a special Friday Finals episode. In these shows, the four Showcase winners of the week come back on Friday, starting with a One Bid, with the three contestants who didn't win playing in a single Showcase Showdown. PG #1 would be played after the One Bid, with PG #2 played in Act 3 after the Showcase Showdown in Act 2. I'd also make it where PG #1 would be played for a nicer prize, such as a large amount of cash or a luxury car than PG #2 since that player wouldn't have a chance to win money on the Big Wheel, meaning that games like Golden Road, 3 Strikes, and Plinko would often be played for PG #1. The budget would be slightly higher on Friday shows as well and I'd basically just make the Mon-Thu shows the same budget as daytime. This certainly would be possible in this version unlike the '70s version, since it was easier to make shows air sequentially in order, even if I'd still juggle the weeks out of taping order by focusing on airing big wins during premiere week and sweeps periods.

The thing about nighttime was it was still too similar to daytime and perhaps part of the reason why it didn't do as well as many hoped. It basically was just 1972-75 TPIR with some newer games.

[SeaBreeze341]

Pannoni, I think there was just nothing that could've been done at the end of the day to save it.  As much as it was nice seeing 1985 primetime Price with Tom Kennedy, I'm with Alfonzo in that it wasn't necessary or a big deal for the show to succeed given that we had Daytime Price. 

As far as nighttime and primetime being too similar that it may have been the reason for the latter's downfall, I have to disagree with that.  Not completely based on how we still had the show at 11:00 AM EST, but IMO the 1994 version and how it was not similar led to its failure.  It didn't even make a year, but to be fair, the era in which tNPiR aired was tougher than in 1985-1986.

I'm a little confused at your idea of a Price Finals.  At first it seemed that there would be one IUFB for the winners, with the IUFB winner automatically advancing to the showcase and then a normal first half would play out for everyone else, where the SCSD winner would face that first IUFB winner for the week champion.  I wouldn't mind that but that might've been too much for the staff.

TPIR is not known for returning champions.  Not in the show's first 36 years of the current version.  I like the idea of a Friday Finals, pannoni.  However, it wouldn't work; not everyone got the show airing at the same time, if at all.  I believe there were different episodes for different markets, and Price airs their episodes out of order every-so-often

[gamesurf]

Part of the magic of Price is Right is never knowing who is going to get picked next, and getting their genuine surprise and reactions. That's lost in a tournament format.

Even if they threw that out, so many Price contestants are tourists who have fixed travel arrangements. There's no way you can guarantee your Monday winner can come back when you tape your Friday show, unless you also kill the Come on Downs the other four days and switch entirely to choosing contestants before they enter the studio.

[imhomerjay]

Honestly, the idea of a Friday finals seems like a convoluted concept that offers no tangible benefit (and perhaps more headaches).

[pricefan18]

Honestly, the idea of a Friday finals seems like a convoluted concept that offers no tangible benefit (and perhaps more headaches).

Yeah, the whole thing seems like a mess and kinda hard to follow honestly after the first 4 players. I know the Australian version in the 80's (and even the 70's) tried returning champs, but it didn't last long in either incarnation that they tried it. I'd have to think this in conjunction with gamesurf's post is part of why. Not so convoluted mind but still. It just doesn't fit the show. Price was never built with that in mind, not the modern day version from 72 onward anyway.

[b_masters8]

Pretty sure a logo sign that had been on the set somewhere had been removed around 1984 or so, so you could count that, in a sense.

That is indeed what it was-- a huge version of the TTD title was in the middle of the set on the floor with a ring of lights around it, IIRC.

[Combs]

So Bob was offered the 1985-1986 syndicated nighttime series, but declined. Did they offer it to Dennis James?

[imhomerjay]

Yikes. Would there have been any business reason to?

[pricefan18]

Yikes. Would there have been any business reason to?

Speaking to Dennis I assume? I have to think, given Tom was already working for Goodson at this time with Body Language, and had established a relationship to him beforehand (despite Mark not liking him in the past, a fact Tom spoke to in an interview he did a few years ago) doing the final year and a half of Password Plus prior to this, hiring Tom was a pretty easy choice to make. Could be wrong, but it'd make sense.

[imhomerjay]

Tom was a still active presence who could nicely emulate the feel of the daytime show (still his own, but familiar enough). Just because someone did a gig before, it doesn’t make it the right decision, or even necessary, to consider them again.

[Alfonzo]

I have to think, given Tom was already working for Goodson at this time with Body Language, and had established a relationship to him beforehand (despite Mark not liking him in the past, a fact Tom spoke to in an interview he did a few years ago) doing the final year and a half of Password Plus prior to this, hiring Tom was a pretty easy choice to make. Could be wrong, but it'd make sense.

Mark's soreness at Tom more than like had to do with You Don't Say! Mark had threatened to sue the producers because he felt the game show was too similar to Password. I'm sure the 1974 revival having Match Game vibes didn't help Tom's case.

It wouldn't surprise me if Betty White helped Tom get in Mark's good graces. Working with Tom on both versions of You Don't Say! I'm positive she put in a good word for him when Allen Ludden had to leave Password Plus due to his illness.

[Combs]

Yikes. Would there have been any business reason to?

I'm not in the business to know, but it seemed to me that James did an admirable job during the original nighttime run. He certainly didn't suck and he wasn't fired for gross incompetence. Unless he was deemed "too old", I don't see why offering him the job would have been as outlandish as you seem to imply. What's with the "Yikes"?

Just because someone did a gig before, it doesn’t make it the right decision, or even necessary, to consider them again.

Correct, but it also doesn't automatically make it the wrong decision or unnecessary to consider them again.

[blozier2006]

I'm positive she put in a good word for him when Allen Ludden had to leave Password Plus due to his illness.

I'm not saying she didn't, but I'm guessing what clinched the Password Plus job for Tom was the fact that Allen himself personally recommended him for it.