I haven't chimed in yet. I agree with the majority that Poker Game or Joker is more likely get the axe. I lean towards Poker Game, in part because of the "clue" posted in another thread. It also seems to me that in more recent playings, the contestants don't really grasp what is going on and how the hands are made; this was apparently an issue with Hit Me, and look what happened to it (despite its respectable win-loss ratio). With Joker, although similar in concept to Shell Game and despised by many of us here, I think the concept of the game seems a bit more straightforward to the average contestant.
On another note, I would rather see something like Pick A Number or Step Up retired,
if some game
had to be retired.
It surprises me b/c they let the studio remain the BBS and BBB remain the same, why not just leave this one alone? I didn't like it renamed for TPiR '94 either...
Well, TPiR didn't "let" the Bob Barker Studio name remain. That is a distinction that CBS bestowed upon Television City's Studio 33 due to the longevity of the show and having their home in one studio for so many years--a distinction very few long-running shows in TV history can claim. If TPiR were canceled tomorrow, the name of the studio would remain.
As for Barker's Bargain Bar, it was mentioned in another thread (and confirmed by John) that the show thought it fitting to have the first game named after Barker retain its name as a tribute, but thought that two namesake pricing games might be a bit intrusive on what is now Drew's territory.
I think mentioning the BBS and having one game named for Barker (with a Drew acknowledgment/joke on every playing) is appropriate enough to honor Bob. The show could have gone the route of removing the BBS reference from the opening and renaming BBB to "The Bargain Game", "Drew's Discount Den", "Carey's Clearance Corner", etc., but they have made a conscious decision to honor Bob in these ways.
I hope that the show is around long enough for a game or two to be named after Drew. And in many years when he retires from the show, I would hope they keep the first pricing game they name for Drew and change any others once a third host takes over. Of course, I would expect BBB and the BBS studio reference to remain as well.
