For those of you interested in these that I had done in past seasons:
Season 32: The Best 25 ContestantsSeason 33: The Best 25 ContestantsAnd now, for the fifth season in a row, the best contestants of Season 34. As usual, this thread is not meant to be competition for Paul Miller's voting thread, but it may remind you of some contestants that you can't believe you forgot about. Some you'll remember. Some you won't. Some you'll be complaining because I didn't list the person. The list is very, very subjective, of course, but please feel free to make any comments you like on it. Just don't complain too much: a
lot of work goes into these yearly lists. It's a very difficult task, and I rewatch a lot of episodes for this. This year, it was cut down from a group of 70, to a group of 45, to this group of 25.
And now, counting down from twenty-five:
25: James--Bonus Game--October 12: He was a ham, and Bob just encouraged it! He said he wanted Bob's job during a commercial break, so Bob let him take over at parts, like with introducing the fourth item up for bids, the Bonus Game prize, and Bob's "There's more Price is Right coming up" line in the early days of the season after the fourth pricing game. And it was funny seeing him know Bonus Game, yet not knowing how it was played, and encouraging the audience to cheer him during the showcase showdown... all just wonderful!
CLASSIC QUOTE: We have all our contestants, and are waiting to bid. Will you please show us
the next bid!24: Dorothy--Check Game--December 12: She may not have known how to play Check Game, but at least she knew how to write a check! Bob could tell through her evil grin that she had no clue how to play. She eventually got it, and if nothing else, proved that she could indeed write a check with all the flair of the professional check writers of the world! She might not have won, but it was still great viewing! It was also pretty funny when Bob was trying to get the audience to quiet down to explain the rules to Check Game, Dorothy gave the audience a death motion! Ha! That quieted them down a bit!
CLASSIC QUOTE: Bob, I
know how to write a check.
23: Otessa--Lucky $even--February 15: Almost her birthday, and she certainly knew how to celebrate! She told of her sister flying all the way here to be there as well, and how happy she was to see the car... just holding onto Bob there. And while pretty loud, she was just shrieking when she recognized Lucky $even! It's really a shame she couldn't win, or get into the showcase, and while clearly disappointed, she was more clearly happy to have been there in the first place!
CLASSIC QUOTE: Lucky $even, it's lucky $even, I know Lucky $even!
22: Manohack--It's in the Bag--December 16: She was shivering coming on down. She was shivering getting up on stage, in a state of disbelief that this was happening to her! Nervous as she was, though, she played It's in the Bag beautifully... well, as long as you don't count bailing out with $4000 when she could've had $16,000. She did make up for it in the showcase, though!
CLASSIC QUOTE: I can't believe I see you in person!
21: Thomas--Bonkers--May 17: If nothing else, he
knew how to play Bonkers! But there is "else"--he was really excited at the chance to win, of all things, an electric vehicle! And he also surived an assault in contestants' row, though I don't think he's too scarred from that.
20: Jodie--Hi Lo--December 12: She may not have been bouncing around the whole stage, and she may not have been any sort of physical threat to Bob, but what she did do was play through and win Hi Lo quickly and impressively. It was more than just her playing a great game, though: her semi-shrieky self when she got up on stage, her constant pulling on Bob's arm, her worrying about one specific Lo-row product in Pass the Buck--which only encourages Bob to tease her about that one--just all classic!
CLASSIC QUOTE: My friends are afraid I'm going to hit my head.
19: Ernest--Pass the Buck--March 2: Ernest may not have had any idea why he bid $821, except that his grandsons told him to, but it got him up on stage, where he was great to watch! And you have to give credit to a guy who wanted to play Check Game! He was just really nice, and you had to want him to win the car... but he seemed happy enough with $5000! The showcase was particularly painful, though. He bid $42,000, and was less than $1000 over. Ouch.
18: Koroseta--Check Game--February 16: She was very excited dancing her way on down, and she didn't let up on stage, though she did scare Bob when he asked where she was from, admitting that she was Samoan. She kept insisting that she wouldn't hurt Bob, though Bob was quite wary. In the end, though, she kept her word, and hardly touched Bob even. Just too bad she didn't win much at all.
CLASSIC QUOTE: San Diego, but I'm Samoan, and I told them I wouldn't pick you up.
17: David--Money Game--January 11: Sure, he won Money Game in just two picks, but that's not what really makes him stand out. His excitment coming on down, and up on stage, often seeming to forget that it was a television show, as he'd always seem to wind up looking into the audience--not for advice, or to try to amuse the audience, but more out of bewilderment, out of just being kinda' out of it--Bob had to keep reminding him to pay attention, and refused to reveal what was behind the 56 until he was looking! He may not have known how to look for the camera, but then, that could actually be a good thing in a way!
CLASSIC QUOTE: Sorry, I'm here! I'm very here!
16: Corrina--It's in the Bag--June 15: She was excited getting up on stage, and while she didn't really know any of the prices in It's in the Bag, she had her husband to the rescue, telling her what went in each bag. And following his advice, she kept risking the money for more money, and kept winning more money, though nervous that maybe she shouldn't... and it turns out it was bad for her, losing $8000 when the Azo was not in the last bag. That hurt, but at least she did win her showcase at the end of the show!
CLASSIC QUOTE: Brian, if you're wrong, I'm going to kill you!
15: Pamela--Golden Road--May 11: Pamela was a lot of fun, happy to be on the show, and... fairly quirky. She just had a really bizarre sense of humor, from being presented all the prizes, be it cheap luggage or expensive Corvette, and she just continued with her quick wit for the whole game, coming up with a reply for anything thrown at her, from asking Bob for help, to commenting on how great a convertible is in snowy Alaska, to just all-around proving herself to be a loyal friend and true, and a pretty amusing one at that! So great that she won Golden Road!
CLASSIC QUOTE: What do you think it is, Bob?
14: Jetta--Dice Game--October 5: An obvious loyal friend and true, she recited the rules for Dice Game perfectly! And so excited to get up on stage just to meet Bob, and obviously more excited to possibly win a car, and rambling semi-coherently when shown that car! She may not have known whether the car was more or less than $14,000, but thank goodness she won it!
CLASSIC QUOTE: Daddy, I made it!
13: Betty--Pick a Number--November 3: When she came on down, you knew she'd be a blast, with a sign on her shirt saying she'd flip her lid for a hug. She does so, making her hat now look more like a plunger, and Bob kinda' tosses it around. Then up on stage for Pick a Number, where she and Bob have a fun little routine discussing the 6 and the 9, and it all makes for possibly Pick a Number's most exciting playing ever! Gotta' love Betty!
12: Anthony--Money Game--October 24: Just a really nice older gentleman who the audience just loved. He's never won a car before until today, but said the best thing he's won in his life was his wife, Lorena. And after winning the car, he said he'd give it to his wife, and just take her old car. Impossible not to like the guy.
CLASSIC QUOTE: I'll take the one she's driving now.
11: Sheila--Contestants Not Appearing on Stage--February 13: She was caffeinated coming on down: dancing a weird little karate-type thing the whole way down, and Bob said that she scared him. For good reason, too: when she lost the last item up for bids, she hit the winner! Bob really liked her though, since aside from talking with her a lot, he even talked to her
during the fourth and sixth pricing games! And we found out she was a nurse, though whether she actually helps her patients, or just injures them more, it's anyone's guess!
[color=009900]10: Hilda[/color]--Push Over--June 22: Hilda was pretty insane! She went up on stage right when she was called to come on down, seemingly confused. For the last chance for her to get up on stage, she was desperate, waiting at the foot of the stairs after the sixth item up for bids' price was revealed, 'cause she just
knew she'd be getting up on stage! And she did! She danced a bit, played the audience to get her a win in Push Over, and while she made it to the showcase, and even got passed a car showcase, she didn't win it. Ah well.
CLASSIC QUOTE: The truth is I need five cars for five grandchildren, but I'll be thrilled with that one.
[color=009900]9: Garnet[/color]--Buy or Sell--May 25: Screaming goodness was she. She was screaming and shaking coming on down, and she was doing a lot more screaming and shaking once she got up on stage: all Bob could do was try to calm her enough to get on with the game! And the double showcase win at the end... who the heck knows how Garnet survived it all!
[color=009900]8: Jordan[/color]--Check Game--February 27: Coming up on stage, she was jumping higher than most other contestants could ever dream, and she was still pretty excited to see she'd be playing for a piano, albiet not jumping quite as high, I guess understandably. When Check Game came around, she knew how to play Check Game, which impressed Bob, who couldn't remember it happening before (a few weeks ago, actually)... but once she hit the check, the fun started: she noticed that the check was not made out to her, but someone named Michelle Davis, who was actually the contestant who'd already played Switcheroo. Not that she or Bob knew who it was--Bob didn't even realize Michelle wasn't Jordan's first name--but they both just had so much fun with it, with Jordan agreeing to change her name, and all... in the end, it's too bad she lost; she looked so pitiful and exasperated after losing, but at least it seems she got to run off with the feather pen! On a semi-related note, this was the Check Game playing where we got to see the game come around the turntable!
CLASSIC QUOTE: I can be Michelle Davis as long as I get a check, I don't mind, I can change my name. I look like a Michele, I can pass, right?
[color=009900]7: Angela[/color]--It's in the Bag--November 11: Really fun, and a real gambler! She was just going to risk everything in It's in the Bag no matter what, and did it ever pay off for her! Bob's teasing her was great, and didn't even cause much break down on Angela's part... and when she revealed that final bag, just bam, at least a good three feet in the air she got!
CLASSIC QUOTE: No, but I might faint; you guys might have to pick me up.
[color=009900]6: Patricia[/color]--Shopping Spree--January 24: Patricia was so excited getting up on stage... not bouncing around, but in the "I can't even answer Bob's question of where I'm from" sort of way. And wanting to faint. Though when she saw the usual boring prizes she was playing for in Shopping Spree, you'd think she were playing for a car! She really wanted that motorscooter, and she really wanted that banjo, and she won them all, without fainting even!
[color=0000FF]5: Jennifer[/color]--It's in the Bag--February 17: She was happy to get up on stage, though seemed harmless enough at first, despite bouncing around a bit. Then she just blazed through guessing the products in the bags. Then the fun starts: she just kept shouting "Go!" over and over, not caring about Bob's warnings about losing money if she got a product wrong: she was just bouncing back and forth, screaming "Go!" over and over, no matter what Bob tried to say to warn her of the dangers of being so headstrong in the game. Except she had all the products right, and wound up winning $16,000, which had her bouncing around even more, though a little bit more quietly. She got into the showcase, and she seemed really excited about not winning her showcase! Seriously, as happy as she was that her opponent won, I can't even imagine how we could have gotten a better reaction if she actually had won!
CLASSIC QUOTE: "
GO!" About twenty or so times.
[color=0000FF]4: Francis[/color]--Money Game--February 16: The mayor of Mount Washington, Kentucky is insane! He was excited, for sure, trying to make fellow bidders deaf with his bellowing of his bids. And for an older gentleman, it was great seeing him rolling around on the floor after he got up on stage! And there was his giving Bob the key to the city, and his overall excitment during Money Game. He wasn't the best Money Game player, but still a shame he lost.
CLASSIC QUOTE: I am the mayor!
I'm the mayor![color=0000FF]3: Josephine[/color]--Check Game--February 3: She was happy to get on stage, declaring that she'd be gentle, despite not showing any signs that she would have--or could have hurt Bob. Once we got Check Game around the turntable, she impressed Bob--and me--declaring that she knew how to play Check Game, and all seventy games--a non-loyal viewer would not have come up with such a close number! And she proved she could play Check Game by just speedily writing out that check! It was too high unfortunately, but Roger wasn't really looking for a win, anyway. It looked like doom when she got only 30¢ in the showcase showdown, but miraculously won! And then made a really good bid on her showcase, winning that too, and it seemed she could've fainted there! She was in pure bliss winning the showcase, and I couldn't be happier for her!
CLASSIC QUOTE: I sure do, I know how to play all seventy games.
[color=0000FF]2: Stacy[/color]--Hit Me--February 6: Caffeinated. Very, very caffeinated... that describes Stacy decently, but even that doesn't really show just
how much energy she was releasing throughout her entire appearance, from coming on down, screaming constantly, to the showcase showdown, where she unfortunately didn't win, but would've probably been screaming a lot during the showcase. Despite all the warning signs, she caught Bob off-guard when she got up on stage and attacked him, then proceeded screaming and jumping around some more, then Bob got into the fun, mocking her screaming and jumping around, which was quite funny! And of course, more screaming for being offered a trip to Portugal, lighter screaming and jumping around getting help in Hit Me, playing charades with the audience to get advice on whether to take the drink mix, and becoming dangerous again, falling to the floor, then bouncing around the stage more after winning Hit Me--this time at least Bob had the forethought to move off to the side; he wasn't getting tackled twice!
CLASSIC QUOTE: Hi Bob.
BOB BARKER, EVERYBODY![color=FF0000]1: Martina[/color]--Pathfinder--June 20: She was screaming in excitment coming up on stage, and no matter how much she tried to calm herself down, apologizing after each outburst, she was sure enough going to go into another screaming fit: she couldn't seem to help it. And of course, she went into another one when the car was shown, but calmed down enough to play the game, though she went into a milder screaming fit after winning the game!
CLASSIC QUOTE: Oh my God, I'm sorry Bob.
