FULL RECAP - TPiR 10/23/2008

[tpiradam]

i just want to say my two sence worth on how the show has been going. the showcases do seem like theyre put together randomly, but i like the interaction (kinda) with the host and the announcer (no fried chicken though, that was terrible) and i enjoy hearing the models announce the prizes. i thought adding the kids was kinda cute and the past 2 episodes have actually managed somehow to put a smile on my face. not everyone may like it, but i thinks some of these changes are ok, we just need some time to get used to some of them, and hope they dont overdo it

[heelsrule1988]

Race Game was incredibly frustrating. Drew was trying to tell Emily not to look at the audience.

BEST CONTESTANT OF THE DAY: Kammi
SHOW GRADE: 2

[PaladinTornado]

Just a note...
My roommate, who has never really seen the show until recently starting to watch occasionally with me (he didn't know the rules of the SCSD!) caught the second Showcase and thought it was dumb.  During the show, he said it was "unnecessary" and afterward said the models "don't need to talk."  I should also note that my roommate usually likes Drew Carey-esque humor.

Still, it was better than the first "talking models" showcase; it was just confusing at first why they were using big words.

I also think that if they are going to show the lengthy shots of the audience, they should restore the midshow bumper.  A small part of me expects "Stay tuned for more pricing games..." when they do the shot after Game 4.

[Mallory16]

First, the "are those actual words?" showcase was a lot better than "the models can speak!" but that isn't really saying much.  It was relatively tolerable, anyway.

Kammi was the most enjoyable contestant we've seen all season so far, with a level of excitment I've been missing lately.  Kinda' like a memorable contestant last season, Kammi was also having some trouble understanding how the whole Plinko SP-pricing thing worked.

On another note--and I never thought I'd say this--yay, Plinko !

I would like to know how anyone was supposed to make any sort of reasonable guess on the price of the dresses that were the first items up for bids.  $400 and $3000 would've both been equally reasonable considering the complete lack of any description they got!  Reminded me entirely of the Flintstones Price is Right parody where they wouldn't tell the contestants what they were bidding on, other than some sort of "sports package."

Race Game and "virtual forced win" Squeeze Play were both played about as badly as I've ever seen.  Well... actually, I do remember one worse Race Game playing.  Those were both absolutely pitiful.

[PriceRox]

I have begun to figure out some things.

First, the show has decided that making fun of it's self will prove to be successful.  The sign off "If the cost is appropriate" in place of "If the price is right" is a prime example.  This is kiddie humor.

While I don't look at the games as some religious figure, (it's ok to say Yodelly guy or whatever) but I can tell that Drew think's it'll be funny to poke fun of the games.  Bonkers and Race Game two days in a row referred to as "run around like an idiot" -- HOW ORIGINAL DREW!!!  Both games, same description.  Again, poking fun of it's self for a quick laugh.

They are offering prizes which they feel will appeal to that treasured demographic they are looking for.  I didn't realize it until I read the posts here, but they offered a "Coach handbag" on Tuesday (I'm not a female and don't have a girlfriend to tell me what handbags are the best), then they offered a "Ferragamo tote bag" on Wednesday (again, I've never heard of Ferragamo nor would I want $2,550 worth of purses!), and today they made a big deal out of "BCBG dresses" that I've never heard of.

Now, my question is are these companies sponsoring prizes now?  I find it near impossible to beleieve that since the ratings have gone down that some of these companies would want to sponsor their items on the show. We've learned here that even Bob Barker had trouble getting sponsors in late years so there is NO WAY that Drew is getting them with even weaker ratings.

I guess they think turning the show into a frat house style program will help.  What cracks me up is that the show has worked FINE as it was.  There's no need to change ANYTHING.

I am fully convinced that these changes must be at Drew's request.  He laughs at things that no one except him finds funny, he's shown on camera for HIS reaction rather than the contestants, and there is NO WAY that Kathy "Fingers" Greco, Stan Blitz, or any of the other people who have been there for so many years are THIS STUPID.

When this show goes off the air, Drew Carey should get all the credit.

[Todd]

What cracks me up is that the show has worked FINE as it was.  There's no need to change ANYTHING.

According to the ratings there was.

[heelsrule1988]

On another note--and I never thought I'd say this--yay, Plinko !

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

[SteveGavazzi]

Yay!  Plinko!!!  I never thought I'd be so excited to see that game -- it hasn't been aired in over a month!  God knows a lot of us like Plinko to get some time off once in a while, but seeing it this infrequently is kind of depressing, just like for any other pricing game.

Okay, Drew, let's review this again:  You have a game called "Bonkers."  You have a game called "Race Game."  You DO NOT have a game called "Running Around Like an Idiot!"

...although honestly, that wasn't entirely uncalled for today, because Emily played Race Game pretty badly.  She only got two turns, and she didn't even change the right number of tags.  I can't say I was disappointed when she didn't win anything.

Holy cripe, they showed Squeeze Play coming around on the Turntable!  (...sadly, though, that was probably the best moment of the whole episode.)

Why the hell was the living room in the first showcase outside?

The second showcase wasn't going to win any Emmys, but at least it was better than "Barker's Beauties Can Talk But Don't Say Anything That Matters."

The green screen appears to be having yet another unexpected side effect:  I can't put my finger on why, but the images they've been showing on it are downright boring.  They may look crisper and sharper than the actual trip skins, but there just isn't anything interesting in them to grab your attention.  I honestly couldn't tell you what was on almost any of the old skins, but they damn well caught your eye while they were on the screen -- and that's kinda the whole point of having them.

It sort of depresses me that Drew hasn't done anything to stop these changes.  I have no reason to think he doesn't read these boards, and if he does, he's got to have seen how much we hate what's being done to the show...and you'd think he'd be able to relate to that, given the stories about what ABC did to the last few seasons of his show and how much he hated having outside influences messing with it.  You'd think he'd feel our pain and try to fight for the version of Price we've watched for the past 36 years...but sadly, and a bit frighteningly, that doesn't appear to be happening, and every day it continues not to happen, the show just gets harder and harder to watch and feels less and less like The Fabulous, 60-Minute Price Is Right.

[Nick]

Drew started off today with some real potential, hosting Lucky $even fairly well; but everything went on a downhill slide from there.  From the harsh insult against Plinko's first SP, to calling Race Game "Run around Like an Idiot" too, to slamming Jennifer's parents in the Showcase Showdown, Drew churned out another less than spectacular performance.

Drew was doing so well not doing the "wanna say hi" bit this week and finally had to break it out in the first Showcase Showdown.  Thankfully he did not in the second Showcase Showdown.

Emily played Race Game so terribly, and even Drew was making an effort to communicate to her to stop looking to the audience and hurry up.

Speaking of Race Game, the clock window needs to be repositioned down and to the left slightly.  It was cut off a bit in SD.

The new prize introductions are out of control and need to stop immediately.  I don't care how much face time Rich gets.  The introduction to the language study books was just plain dumb.

And, you know, if Rich is suddenly allowed to appear on camera all the time, why not show him while calling at least one contestant during the show?

So, who the heck were those kids?  Obviously not SAG card holders.  Price can't afford that these days since they don't even have enough to pay people to fill the audience.  Were they a staffer's kids?  Who were they?  Asking for some sort of mention as to why they were there isn't asking too much because it's something they've hardly ever done, so it's not like they'd do it without reason.

Yay!  We got to see Squeeze Play finishing spinning around the Turntable!  Somebody, please take a hint and let us see the Turntable spin around with game on it much more often.

"Say hi to everyone in Canada"?  What kind of understanding of the population of Canada does Drew have?

My DVD recorder screwed up on my aging disc, so I did not get to see the first part of the Showcase; but I found I really didn't care because I expected the Showcases to suck again anyway, and judging by the responses here, I was exactly right.

[PIR85]

Loved seeing Rich during the 4th onebid.  Awesome.

Anyone notice they had 50000 displayed on the scoreboard for Plinko right after its introduction?  (Don't know if that was done previously, but it's the first time I noticed it).

The models talking in the showcase was fine by me.  

You know what's funny, everybody went ga-ga when Gwendolyn did the news in season 36.  But, when the models speak in season 37, because everyone is SO fired up, it is all of a sudden despicable?  Again, so many people (within the past month or two) have COMPLAINED about every single change on the show.  I would be willing to bet that if some of the same changes occurred while Roger was still producing, people wouldn't complain.  (Yes, I know some of these changes wouldn't even be happening if Roger were still around, but you get my point).  Conversely, if some of the changes that DID occur under Roger's watch (Hi Lo staging, Half Off bonus) happened today, I'd bet there would be an OUTCRY about them.  Again, its all about perception, and since everyone's perception seems to be really negative right now, so goes their perception of every little change on the show.

[rob79]

According to the ratings there was.

So the ratings warranted changing Price into "The Madcap Comedy Hour with Drew Carey" (with the Price is Right along for the ride? I do not think so, nor do most people that I know of who watch Price that i'm friends with and who have commented on how disappointed they have become in the show. These are just your ordinary viewers, but even they don't like what is transpiring on the show.

Face it everyone, the Price is Right right now is a train going out of control, sad to say, and I have a feeling that train is gonna crash and it ain't gonna be pretty.

[PIR85]

Face it everyone, the Price is Right right now is a train going out of control, sad to say, and I have a feeling that train is gonna crash and it ain't gonna be pretty.

I'm not too naive to believe the show will never reach its end at some point, all shows do.

But you make it sound like the show is just SO much different overnight.  I would say that the most obvious, noticeable, recognizable change in the show's history occurred on October 15, 2007.  Since then, changes have been implemented gradually.  Lately, we've seen some more changes, both obvious and subtle. 

TPiR is still a ratings-grabber, even if they are not what they once were.  CBS is not going to cancel a daytime show that gets good ratings.  Until the show reaches poor ratings, which I don't believe will happen as suddenly as some of you may think, I am not going to be placing my chips on "imminent danger".

Call me what you want - optimist, idealist, flat-out foolish.  But, even if you think I may be way out of the ballpark, some of you on the other end of the spectrum may be just as far out as well.

[SteveGavazzi]

You know what's funny, everybody went ga-ga when Gwendolyn did the news in season 36.

Yes, because that was a well-written showcase and a classic theme that hadn't been seen in decades.

But, when the models speak in season 37, because everyone is SO fired up, it is all of a sudden despicable?

Yes, it is, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the girls talking.  It has to do with what they're saying.  The scripts of the showcases this season don't make any damn sense.

Conversely, if some of the changes that DID occur under Roger's watch (Hi Lo staging, Half Off bonus) happened today, I'd bet there would be an OUTCRY about them.

I don't recall a whole lot of people being very happy about Hi Lo.

[JayC]

You know what's funny, everybody went ga-ga when Gwendolyn did the news in season 36.  But, when the models speak in season 37, because everyone is SO fired up, it is all of a sudden despicable?

Because the showcase with Gwendolyn was creative, well written, had an actual theme, and didn't have just 3 random very interchangable prizes.  Today's showcase with the models was well... the opposite.  A showcase about the models taking over for Rich is a good idea, but they needed to expand on it more.  It just felt like they forced a showcase where the models speak rather than doing it with purpose like Gwen last season.

I kind of liked the intro for the language tapes, but I think a better idea would have been for Rich to say "It's a set of language tapes" in a different language followed by saying it in English.  It isn't necessary for Drew to be involved in the introduction of a prize.

[saturn93]

Whoever said that it will be tough to choose a winner for the model search, you are right.  I can't wait until we see the final one tomorrow.

PIR85, I did notice the $50,000 on the scoreboard at the start of Plinko, which was really strange to me.  Also strange was having the kids on the stage, and not knowing where they came from. 

It's bad enough to have the Rich/Drew conversations during the showcase, but for the one-bids???  Yeah, and the opening of the spiel for each prize is starting to get to me now.

However, when Rich came on for the one-bid, I thought he was going to show off a man's watch from his perch as the prize.  Then, he started talking in a foreign language, Drew came in, and I had to roll my eyes at that.

Notes about showcase 2:  Remember in the last several years of the Barker regime, we almost always ended up seeing the "Things that have to do with (fill in the blank)" or "Home Improvements" showcases, which have almost always have been boring.  Now, even though many have been off the wall and bizarre, at least it has brought back my interest.  I'm starting to wonder, when I'm coming home, what are the showcases today.  Returning to the original showcase 2...I felt like it came out smoother than last time.  At least the models finished up the pre-description before Rich took over. Actually, there have been as many "talkies" (never thought we would use the word again) in one week (from Thursday to Thursday) than last season.  I thought I had that feeling that it was going to be a "talkie" when there was no dialogue for about five seconds, and then Brandi started.  Think of this in your head while watching the showcases...no dialogue with model standing for five seconds, they're going to talk. We'll see how many more we can get the rest of the season.  

All I could say is to mix in the bizarre showcases with the normal showcases and it would not be much of a worry for us...or at least have an actual THEME to the showcase.