Final opinions on the Mike Richards Era

[sayingsorry]

Now that the Mike Richards Era is complete how does everyone think he did? Please try to give honest feedback and not just "he's not the Dob so it was garbage."

I know everyone was freaking out about all the rumors of the love band/price variaty hour/changing formats etc but I must say he did a really good job of taking the show to where it is today and I think did what needed to be done to keep it relevant in the social media world we live in.

Also, off topic, but if you haven't gotten a chance to watch the 1 minute tribute clip he did for Alex Trebec tonight you should go watch it. Very well done by Mike and I think he truly cares about every show he's ever done and has left price in good hands.

[JayC]

As you said, he did a great job with modernizing Price and bringing it into the social media world. The first three seasons were pretty rough, especially season 37 with the Drewcases and that horrid green screen among other missteps, but ever since season 40 he righted the ship and brought the show new life. I could've done without some of the excess theme shows/weeks and celebrity appearances, but Big Money Week and Dream Car Week at least brought some exciting wins and were a good replacement for the Million Dollar Spectaculars.

[b_masters8]

I know everyone was freaking out about all the rumors of the love band/price variaty hour/changing formats etc but I must say he did a really good job of taking the show to where it is today and I think did what needed to be done to keep it relevant in the social media world we live in.

And as John Teti explained in that comparison of Bob's and Drew's host entrances, Mike Richards made it to where today's TPIR has a lot of what had it great when I was a boy, modernized for this day and age (like Drew's entrance, where after Drew comes out, the camera pulls slowly away from him, lets him come toward us, and then tracks around and follows him to where he reaches his mark and gets the mic from Rachel; Richards then lets the jib give George Gray some of the spotlight as Drew introduces George [at least that's how I remember what was said; I might be incorrect]).

[Timotheus]

I think he's done a great job making the show vibrant, engaging, and modern, without losing its essential qualities. Sure, some of the show is a bit sanded-down to fit the time slot, with some of the fun rough edges cut out or re-shot, but I think shows from the last couple years are an easier watch than the last couple Bob seasons, hosting change notwithstanding.

Strong agree on the Alex Trebek statement.

[Archviler]

He did quite well once the show got past the post-Bob growing pains. I think he did a good job with what he had to work with. I won't say I like the changes, but that's not his fault. He largely made the correct choices, I merely prefer older eras for a variety of personal reasons.

Like I'd give him a B+ to A-? Somewhere around there. He did a fine job and Price could've had far worse choices to lead it into a new era.

[mrbrown2195]

Richards clearly cares about the shows that he works on and keeping them modern, while true to themselves. I'd give his time at Price a "A-", given his missteps in the first couple of seasons and some of the needless special episodes.

And his tribute to Trebek was masterful.

[therealcu2010]

I think once he got into his groove he did a great job moving the show into the 21st century.

His first few seasons were rough, yes, but he seemed to learn from his mistakes, and by the time Season 42 came around the show had found what worked and what didn't. Continuing the show as it was during the Barker era would have never worked, mostly because Drew is an entirely different beast entirely, and Mike built the show around Drew and helped make it Drew's show, as opposed to Drew hosting Bob's show. He modernized the show while keeping the spirit of the show largely alive, and while the presentation of the show has changed significantly, the format itself hasn't.

His heartfelt Alex tribute literally made me cry. He clearly cares about the shows he now runs too.

[Teddy]

Mike Richards knew what he was doing all along, and because of that, TPIR is even better than it was the first time Drew was handed the baton...er, skinny mic from Bob. Kudos to Mike for modernizing the show while keeping the same magic that made it a great show decades ago. Also, I know he'll make Jeopardy! and Wheel even better than they've been in recent years too.

BTW, that was a very sincere tribute to Alex to open last night's J! Sure, the man will be missed, but Mike gave him a proper sendoff, and hopefully he'll find a great host to carry on the legacy that is now left behind.

[GobGlom]

He did just fine.
The show desperately needed to be brought up to date visually. Some updates went a little too crazy (the sea of asterisks) but overall it's not bad.
There have been a few misfires on guests and guest models.
Gimmicks seemed to be a big thing early on, which quickly got annoying. A balance appears to have been found.

No one is perfect and it takes experimentation to find exciting new things. That's what he did.

[newesttpirfan]

I'll never forgive him for completely abolishing every single classic music cue that made the show what it was (yes some were very old and needed to go but majority would absolutely fit in current shows) For sure, the show needed to be revamped visually but there were some changes made that took away the originality of it. I'm happy this era is over.

[Plinkoman]

Ten years ago, I hated the man. Now, I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. As stated previously, a lot of the gimmicks and celebrity guests didn't pan out so well; I'm glad those days are over. I don't mind an occasional appearance of a celebrity, but they overdid it back when Mike first started. The games are set up much more fairly, the show looks modern while still paying respects to the show's history, and, for me, the show feels like it did back in the 90s. I enjoy watching the show more now than I did even during Bob's final couple of seasons.

When I went out to the show, I actually got to meet Mike and thanked him for keeping Price awesome. I think he will do well with Wheel and Jeopardy!, just as he did with Price and LMaD.

[jhc2010]

The upgrade from offering grandfather clocks, cribs, and dinette sets to prizes that nearly every contestant would be able to use and enjoy has been the best change instituted during the Mike Richards era. Many of those late-Barker years had some laughable prizes, particularly in the 1-prize games.