The Price is Right: The Barker Era on Pluto TV

[actual_retail_tice]

I've told this story many times and I'm still hoping to see this come up on YouTube, but I'll re-tell it.

It's 1982 and Lucky 7 is being played for a Jeep Renegade, a fairly nice vehicle and more expensive than most cars seen on the show. But, they haven't started playing Lucky 7 (or many other games, for that matter) for 5-digit cars yet. As Bob finished explaining the game, the contestant seems not to completely understand, and the dialogue between him and Bob goes something like this:

Contestant- "Oh, I guess it costs about...$11,000."
Bob- "OK...well, then what do you think the first number in the price is?"
Contestant- "A one!"
Bob- (looks at studio audience and then into the cameras) "I hate this. I hate to do this to him, but now I have to show him. He says one. What's the first number?"

The first number is revealed to be a nine. The contestant has lost on the first guess, for the first time ever...something I'm sure Bob made a point of mentioning just then.

This playing is about to air on Pluto (10pm EST), so you can see for yourself.

[pricefan18]

This playing is about to air on Pluto (10pm EST), so you can see for yourself.

Well that was certainly interesting.....I see more why Bob didn't try to correct him as to it being a 4 digit price or 5, given he said "I"d say about $12,000", when asked for the first number. I assume he tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. But yeah that was something.....sorta was foreshadowed by the guy saying he was nervous before the reveal of the car, when asked why he had stood in Contestant's Row for a moment after winning the One-Bid.

[jlgarfield]

Whoops- this moment was already mentioned! XD

[PimpinJC]

I’m really surprised Bob didn’t stop him when he said “oh, about $12,000” and remind him that it was only 4 digits, seeing as how in the very next segment he didn’t want a contestant to bid $601 after they tried going with a repeat bid.  He must’ve been through with that contestant and let him dig his own grave.

[pricefan18]

I’m really surprised Bob didn’t stop him when he said “oh, about $12,000” and remind him that it was only 4 digits, seeing as how in the very next segment he didn’t want a contestant to bid $601 after they tried going with a repeat bid.  He must’ve been through with that contestant and let him dig his own grave.

Yeah I really thought he may have, but given how it happened......I can sorta see why he may not have. Not the easiest call to make on the fly necessarily I don't think in either case.

[jlgarfield]

This playing is about to air on Pluto (10pm EST), so you can see for yourself.

What's the OAD of the show?

[PimpinJC]

Very interesting Now...and Then segment with 3 “thens” instead of the “normal” 2.

[pricefan18]

What's the OAD of the show?

October 22, 1982 per the Calendar.

[Wayoshi]

Here's a direct link of the L7 moment (link probably won't last forever).

[JayC]

I do somewhat think Bob should've reminded the contestant the Jeep only had four digits in the price. I remember in his later seasons Bob would more often than not stop contestants from making bad decisions like that and walk contestants through games, but I guess that wasn't the case earlier on.

[pricefan18]

I do somewhat think Bob should've reminded the contestant the Jeep only had four digits in the price. I remember in his later seasons Bob would more often than not stop contestants from making bad decisions like that and walk contestants through games, but I guess that wasn't the case earlier on.

In the infamous Shell Game cheater incident just 4 years after this, he did that funny enough, when she tried to put a chip under the shell that she'd already revealed to have no ball under it. Different circumstance perhaps, but....still interesting to note here.

[SeaBreeze341]

I know that similar to Any Number, Lucky Seven usually has a ding instead of a buzzer sound effect for a loss, but I guess that a buzzer could've been used given the wipeout here.  I think the show used the foghorn in Season 21 when Lucky Seven was lost on the first number.  It might have been the second number for a five digit car.  I believe they used the buzzer for a piggy bank win around that time.  Just once, not all the time.

I really didn't have a problem here.  The price of the Jeep did begin with a 9 so he was doomed.  However, the show was still offering automobiles where the first digit was a 6.  To be fair, if there was a $6,000 vehicle offered, and a contestant guessed 1 as the first digit, he or she would still be in the game & have a chance.  Not that Bob was obligated to stop him, but he had several reasons not to, in my opinion.

While on the subject of Lucky Seven and the "historic moment", there sure have been several cases of the last digit being a one.  I believe the contestants that have lost on the last number guessed 5 and had four dollars left, but ended up getting unlucky.  Talk about brutal times ten!  I think I might have some sympathy for another Lucky Seven contestant from the other historic moment later on this season.

[Spmahn]

Bob seems to have a lot of leeway in guiding contestants into making more sensible decisions when they attempt to make silly ones, for whatever reason he chose not to exercise that here 🤷‍♂️

[Thatgameshowguy]

Here's a semi more permanent link.

[pricefan18]

2AM rerun has Range Game played first, for I am thinking the Backgammon Table (that Bob called the Pinochle Table before) that woulda been swapped out the last time it showed up for the Dining Room Set. Did that Range start at $1900 does anyone remember? It had a price of $2200 even, so sounds right. The table here cost $2162 for record.

It'd make more sense that this woulda been wanted before vs. the $2900 table referenced earlier here that was later seen otherwise IMO. Why? They'd have to have set a whole new pricing strip for the board to replace that one, and that woulda taken too much time I think to do. They woulda probably just switched games out at that point as they did once in the early 2000's for a car if people recall, or otherwise just given the contestant the table outright.

So yeah, I think this about settles the debate here about what happened. Could always be wrong, but nothing else would make a lot of sense realistically.

Sidenote too, Secret X had a rare wipeout loss following that game. How many other times can anyone recall that happening?