TPiR Recap - 2/1/2023 (TPiR at Night: Superfans)

[Thatgameshowguy]

Jacob, there were many, many awesome things about this show, but one of my favorites, and one the staff couldn't possibly have anticipated, is that you freaking made a Give or Keep logo.  It even looks like something that could legitimately have been used on the gameboard.

Major props to you, sir, and to everyone at the show who brought about this incredible episode.

I was waiting for someone to notice that. I probably spent an hour tracking down the right font, color, and era appropriate asterisk to put together the logo. Here's the full quality artwork I made.



Was it worth the hour I spent on this tombstone alone? Probably not. Was it worth the two weeks of off and on work making the entire shirt? 100%. Special thanks to 9821 for making the Crane Game logo, which is why the date listed on its stone is 9/8/21. Fun tidbit, After the show I was talking with one of the members of The Barker Era channel social media team and I told them one of the games on my shirt was made up. After thoroughly looking at it, they decided that Mystery Price was the fake game. Take that as you wish.

[sayingsorry]

What an maaz episode!

I noticed on that shirt Magic number, did anyone ask Drew if it was officially retired even though we can only assume it is at this point?

[GuyWithFace]

During the second Showcase: "the very first prize ever won on this stage" was a car? I believe that honor in fact belongs to a fur coat.

After the show I was talking with one of the members of The Barker Era channel social media team and I told them one of the games on my shirt was made up. After thoroughly looking at it, they decided that Mystery Price was the fake game.

You corrected them, I assume. Did the person give a reason as to why they had thought Mystery Price was fake but Crane Game was not?

[TPIRfan#9821]

If this is the one thread reminiscing about how this show felt like a love letter to the superfans and how this show was awesome, I'm not going to let my only post here be a complaint about Bullseye not having hidden rules (which it probably does, just like how 1-2-3 for 3P games isn't a hard rule, 2-3-4-5-6 is similar).

The thing is, as a kid, I had unbridled to the internet. I had an iPod Touch that I won at a grade-school speech meet, a Nintendo 3DS (and later XL), and most importantly, an iPad mini. Although my parents peeked over my shoulder whenever I was using the family computer, unless I was caught at midnight with a screen illuminating my face, my parents didn't really check what I did on the internet.

Out of all the communities to end up in, it could have gone a lot worse than the game show sphere of YouTube and Dailymotion. I remember my favorite video growing up was this montage of million-dollar winners - it just felt awesome seeing people winning and freaking out. Our grandmother also lived with my family at the time, and because we didn't have the foreign language channels, she loved watching The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and GSN in general. Although I do have faint memories of 20Q, Lingo (both Woolery and Engvall), and Catch 21, she didn't tune into those shows every day (or more accurately, I probably didn't insist to change the channel to Cartoon Network early in the morning or later at night lol).

So, a more-than-casual fan of The Price is Right and Wheel of Fortune I became. I remember watching whatever clips were available on YouTube. Does "That's Two Ninth!" actually matter in the grand scheme of things? No, but I thought it was interesting to see producers pull the same trick over and over again. One channel, however, I recall watching many of the clips on was "WayoshiM" - they kept track of both big Wheel and Price moments, and although it didn't seem like any of them were new, it was still enough to watch it all, forget half of them in the process, and watch it all again.

Sometime during finals week during a semester in middle school, I rewatched his clip about the exacta bid. He gave links in the description to some odd message board. I peaked, and seeing that this was where people congregated to talk about The Price is Right, I signed up for an account. I explicitly recall looking at a CSS sheet, seeing TPIRfan2000's name, and wanting to have an even bigger four-digit number. With little thought, my fingers mashed "#9821".

I think the rest is history over both here at GR and the adjacent Buy a Vowel Boards. The only story that isn't publicly available is Wayo calling me an idiot the first time I joined the Flash chat after I messed up saying what coast I was on. I don't know why I remember that, but it's lost in the annals of time, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The breakdown of the prizes, pricing games, and all the easter eggs have been discussed earlier in this thread. I don't need to go over them again, nor do I think it would be productive to do so. I just want to talk about one ten-second moment: when Jsach got out of the row and onto the stage.

(fast forward to 3:05)

In the same moment when he realized he made it, JJ pointed at him, gamesurf threw his arms up in victory, jubjub started happily swaying, and Tris, despite awkwardly standing up and sitting down after the reveal of IUFB4, clapped and jumped hard enough to get a couple people behind him to get out of their seats.

That tight bond between strangers who never met before (or maybe awkwardly said hi after the first taping got cancelled) is why I'm proud to be part of this community. Despite being on opposite sides of the nation, the sense of togetherness even in something as simple as the daily live chats is something hard to find online nowadays. However, I'm glad I found it, I'm glad the current regime is willing to allow it, and I'm glad that it came off well on TV. I'd like to thank everyone on this board for contributing to that interwovenness and making this cranny of the World Wide Web so comfortable.

I've had the pleasure of meeting up with Jacob once in person - on the whim of me asking him about a local-to-me Six Flags, he convinced his family to take a four-hour detour coming back home from Dollywood. He beat me to the amusement park... only to find out that it was closed due to inclement weather. To not waste any more time, I took an Uber and met him in the parking lot. There was nothing we could do but take a dumb photo with a piece of Wheel of Fortune memorabila and say goodbye, but from probably days of Discord DMs to his patience given the circumstances, I can tell that's he's an awesome dude.

So just imagine the smile on my face when this exchange happened:



I've said it privately, but I'll say it once more publicly: congrats! I'm also curious to see what the hell is going to happen with the camper, but I know it'll work out for you in the end. Whatever happens, the IRS can't impound the experience of hearing that "COME ON DOWN!"

[JT]

This show had everything.  Congrats to Jacob and to all the other Superfans.  I absolutely loved Jacob's shirt.  The minute I realized it was tombstones, I also knew what he did. Loved seeing the contestant named after Anitra Ford - how I wish she had said she was named after one of the 'original' models!   In terms of the games, El Cheapo really is not an unspoken rule but I understand why it needed to be edited out.  It is an aspect of Money Game that comes up from time to time.  As Bob always used to say "Did we get them on the old El Cheapo?"  The card with the season # on it - now that is an unspoken rule of the game!  Also absolutely loved the "zero" themed Ten Chances prizes and how superfan Joezen, and Barker Era alum, nailed the game with his superhero pride cape and won the night!  Having flown to LA in the late 80s just to see the show, I can truly say it is like a pilgrimage for a superfan to travel to see The Price is Right!  Congrats to the everyone associated with this special show!

[gamesurf]

All right, LOOONG post incoming. This may be the single best-documented episode of the show in the past ten years, but I want to make sure this is recorded so I never forget it.

For as long as I can remember, ever since I was three years old, I have been completely in love with The Price is Right. I was devastated when I started elementary school because it meant I would miss the show. I got up early and watched every day during summer break. I didn’t know they were reruns. I didn’t care.

A few years later I was fooling around on a search engine and discovered tpir.tv. As a young kid without cable this was an incredible resource for a kid without cable who didn’t know what the show looked like in the 70’s, 80’s, early 90’s. I owe so much to people like Tony Harrison & the tape traders that kept that era of TPIR alive in the early internet. It kept me falling in love all over again as I kept discovering clips and historic moments I would never have been able to see otherwise.

Tony’s site included a link to Brad Fracini’s Game Show Central. Pics of every pricing game from every era. Every set from every game in one easy to read place. I was in heaven. I read that thing for hours and hours.

From Brad’s site, a link to the alleged motherlode of Price is Right pictures, golden-road.net. I remember discovering this at school one day in a computer class. The first thing that popped up on the home page Joe Capitano’s recap for the show airing THAT DAY, less than an hour ago. Finally, I can keep up with The Price is Right even when I can’t watch The Price is Right as it airs!

Armed with this newfound knowledge, I staged little home versions of the show with anybody I could get to play. I built a Plinko Board and Big Wheel we used for neighborhood carnivals. I built games out of butcher paper and ads clips out of the newspaper and played them at family gatherings. It was a hoot. When I grew up I told people I wanted to be a cameraman on The Price is Right.

I grew up. Became a teen and an adult. The show’s staff turned over and hit a rougher patch. I went to college and got an actual job working in TV. I didn’t quite work so hard at keeping up every week, but I checked the board regularly and stayed tuned with the highlights. Eventually, I said “screw it, I need to know what it’s like to be in the studio”, took a weekend off, and drove down to LA to see a taping. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen in my life. I came back the next year and wouldn’t you know it, had the time of my life. I intended to make the pilgrimage one weekend every year until the end of time, but COVID threw a wrench in that.

The audition process

I was very bummed I missed the first superfan taping in 2018, so my ears perked up when I heard they were doing another one. I wasn’t too keen on the casting/interview process because it meant I had to work around their schedule instead off mine, but if there was ANY taping to attend, it had to be this one. An audience full of people who are fanatics about the show? That sounds like Price is Right valhalla! Worst they could say was no, right?

I filled out the form, started the process, didn’t hear anything for a while.

Even though it was a superfan special, I was a bit hesitant to mention it publicly. I remember back in the day relations between members of the site & the show’s staff were… prickly. With hindsight there may have been too much unjustified paranoia (reading old threads about people afraid Stan was on to them is kind of a hoot all these years later) but I didn’t want to risk it. But I privately kept in touch with jsach & a few other members. It was helpful to know somebody else was trying out & going through the same process. One of the best parts of attending a taping is meeting people in line and finding out their stories & bonding over watching the show and trying out together. This community helped bring some of that magic back.

Unlike Jsach, I was not quizzed on the show. I was asked what made me a superfan in the Pitman Casting interview, and I showed him some memorabilia (a signed copy of Come on Down from Stan, a couple of shirts) and said I knew how to play every game backwards and forwards. He asked me what my favorite game was and I said Ten Chances (wasn’t played on the last superfan special, but fit the theme). He asked why, and I said it gets me screaming at my TV more than any other game when people make bad guesses.

Weeks later I get contacted for another interview with Hannah. I’m not able to zoom at the time she requests, so we end up doing an email interview. She uses the clips of my mock Come on Down from Pitman Productions as a baseline. She asks about the Big Wheel and Plinko board I’ve built. I send pics and a video, and cross my fingers. Golden ticket came later that week.

The Taping Day

I was asked and re-asked if I could be in LA November 9. I make sure my schedule is clear. I fly out with family. We stay at the Beverly Inn. I go to bed that night ready to be up for an 8:00 AM taping.

I hear a notification on my phone go off around 11:30 at night. Groggily, I reach for my phone, and see…



It was like a bad dream where you’ve shown up for the final exam only to find that you’ve missed it all. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep well that night.

We got up and headed to the studio anyways. We met Richard and his family outside, and Theodora. The pages tell us the taping is cancelled and somebody will be contacting us as soon as they have an idea of what’s going on. We reason that the only thing that can cancel a taping on that short notice is a positive COVID test from somebody they can’t possibly do the show without.

At around 9:30ish I get a call from Hannah. She apologizes profusely for what happened. She says that she knows we have LOTS of questions, and she does too, but she’ll be in a meeting with the execs at such and such a time, when she’ll find them out.

I cannot sing the praises of Hannah enough. She went above and beyond to keep in contact with the contestants. The day everything went down, she kept 20 people connected. In 24 hours she went from contestant coordinator to travel coordinator/press secretary/customer service in a very sticky situation where time was of the essence and good communication was paramount. It all fell on her to answer our questions and keep us in the loop and she did an amazing job at it. Like everyone, I’m going to miss Stan, but the show is in good hands.

I take the family on a trip to Hollywood Boulevard and a tour. I’m not terribly focused, but, lemons out of lemonade.

I told all my coworkers that I was flying out to see the special. They knew that I wouldn’t be able to talk about the taping. They were very skeptical when I got home and told them that it hadn’t taped.

“That’s exactly what you would say to cover for the fact that you got called!”
“No, it’s true. Here’s Drew’s twitter saying he has COVID.”
“How do we know that’s really Drew’s account? You could have made that!”
“Well, it's real because it has a blue check—oh. Touché.”

Anyway, three weeks pass. To make up for the cancellation the first time, the show is paying for our airfare, lodging, and is sending a car from the airport to pick us up. We check into the Farmer’s Daughter and there’s a swag bag waiting for us with 50th anniversary memorabilia.
I sleep MUCH better at the Short Stories than at the Beverly Inn. We get up. CBS has breakfast for us in the lobby at 7:45. Bagels and coffee. Hannah meets us at 8:00 and we walk across the street together. Then the paperwork, then the interviews.

EVERYBODY had an outstanding interview. They picked the cream of the crop.

I can't remember everybody that didn't get called down, but I have a few highlights I'd like to shout out:

Melissa, from Missouri, possibly the most positive person I’ve ever met. Had Big Wheel earrings.
Casey, who was in the front row on the left side of the audience, was a YouTube streamer, who plays BigJon’s TPIR on stream.
Doug has a tattoo of the show’s logo on his leg, including the Big Wheel, Drew’s glasses, Yodely Guy, a Secret X, a Goodson daisy.
Nate watches every day, and messages his friends back and forth with mock CSS bids. Also had the flashiest shoes ever seen. He came on down later and played Master Key, which aired before the special.
I geeked out when I met Tony Harrison. This guy was singlehandedly responsible for opening the door to Price outside of the first run S30-35 episodes I had grown up with. I owe so much to his site. Hannah mentioned during his interview that Tony’s site “predated the golden-roaders”

JJ and I had never met in person prior to this but he was wonderful to talk to during the taping, so happy he was able to make it as part of our group. Same for Tris and Thupa. We had a fun little chat before the show where we speculated about what the color of the floor would be.

We were asked to bring memorabilia to the show. Quite a few people had brought home games, DVD sets, etc. I couldn’t bring my mock Big Wheel so I printed out a photo. We weren’t quite sure what to do with them and TBH it sounds like the production staff wasn’t either, but they wanted to be prepared for the eventuality they could do a bit with them on the air or on social media or something.

After we had done our interviews with Hannah, we got pulled aside by a PA after we had rounded the corner. We were given little blue cards that had one or two brief talking points on them for us to bring up when Drew asked us why we were superfans. Mine read “I’ve made a homemade Big Wheel and Plinko board” and “I’ve hosted the show with friends and online.” It also had a reminder not to discuss the hidden rules to the games on the air. We were told to throw these away before we entered the studio, so I have no pics of it.

So many good T-shirts for this one. My favorite set may have been the group of four that had black 90, green 5, red 100, and green 15 T-shirts from left to right (as seen by the viewer). Too bad none of them got called down.

I’m glad you liked them!

We actually got them backwards— on camera they read 80, 15, 100, 5. There’s a reason for that. JJ was able to join our group for the second taping date, and I had a 5 shirt specially made for him. I had intended to have him on the left, then me, then my family members on my right.

We get led to the studio and we find out that we’re going to be placed right next to Jsach’s pod. PERFECT. And right next to them, Tony Harrison’s pod. As soon as I found out we were being placed in the pod with Jsach to the right (on screen), I saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a very special taping with board members, so I flipped the order so all the GR.netters would be next to each other and we could chat more easily. I figured most of the people who would notice or be bothered we “got it backwards” were people I could explain myself to here.

George does his warmup. We start the show. Drew comes out. We’re going nuts. We show him some love. We’re loud.

Caroline wins. I haven’t talked to her yet. Money Game spins around. It takes about half a second before you realize it’s $53,405—El Cheapo plus the ol’ Front and Back trick. Exactly the same thing from 2018.

I still can’t believe we got her to pick 05 first. It felt like the entire audience was yelling “EL CHEAPO! EL CHEAPO!” And she trusted us and went with it. As as amazing as the experience had been to this point, that was moment we knew things were going to be very special. I won’t bore you with recapping everything, but the audience was MUCH louder than what you hear on the air. I have never been in an audience that was so loud or so unanimous. When George went around the wheel in Now or Then we all loudly yelled “NOW!” and “THEN!” while he was describing every product. You can hear a little bit of it on the tape.

I didn’t see 10 Chances get loaded in. But I did see the board game and zero gravity chair get brought out when Joezen was talking with drew onstage, and I went “oh my goodness, the nerve on these people.”

Drew does a Q&A during the break after Richard’s game. He says that since we’re super fans, we can ask anything we want about the show. To the best I can remember, this was what was discussed.

Jsach: “What happened to Magic #?”

“We still play Magic #. Sometimes games take a break for a while. It’s not retired, like Credit Card. That’s more of an Evelyn question.”

Somebody: “What happened to Back to 72? Did you have a Wicker Man party at the end of the season?”

“Oh, boy, I’ve got good news for you!

See, I get a rehearsal sheet with the games being played on it, but I don’t typically study it very closely because I like to stay in the moment and not get too memorized. Well, one day I look at the sheet, and I’m shocked. There’s ‘Back to ‘73’ listed on there. So there’s going to be somebody at CBS who will keep it ‘Back to ‘74”, and look up old episodes and find the prizes on ebay.”

Somebody: “Do they win the prizes in Back to 72?”

“You mean, do they win the old encyclopedias? No. You wouldn’t want them, you don’t know where they’ve been. I don’t know what they get, but I know they don’t get the prizes.”

Somebody: “Why did you turn down hosting TPIR the first time?” (I think this question took Drew aback somewhat)

“Well, I was at a point in my life where the Drew Carey Show had ended, and Whose Line had ended, and I was at a crossroads in my career and I genuinely didn’t know what to do next. I know, woe is me, feel bad for the millionaire who’s set for life. But I enjoy working and staying busy. So I had thought I might be an actor. I started taking acting lessons. Nothing huge, no lead roles, just bit parts on the side, guest roles on TV shows, things like that.

One of the shows I did was Pepsi’s Play For a Billion. I met Michael Davies on that show. He became a great friend and helped me out quite a lot. Well, he calls me up, and says that he’s doing another primetime big money show for CBS called Power of 10, and says he thinks I’ll be perfect for it. So I say, yes, I have nothing else going on and I owe this guy a huge favor.

Around this time, there’s a huge media circus about Bob Barker’s retirement. I’m still trying to get into acting. I do the first show. Michael says I’m great. I’m happy with it, but it’s TV and anything can change, there’s no guarantee the show will get picked up, and even if it does I can’t guarantee that the show will last, so I’m still looking for acting gigs.

One day I’m driving up to Cracker Barrel with my girlfriend at the time. I go on the restaurant, get my iced tea or whatever. I realize I’ve left my phone in the car. I head back to go get it. There’s a missed call from a CBS casting agent. I think, ‘great!’ They want me for a side part on CSI or something. I call him back there in the parking lot. He asks me, “How would you like to replace Bob Barker at the host of the Price is Right?” And in my head, I’m disappointed. In that moment, I was bummed. So I told him no. And then I went back in to Cracker Barrel to get my country fried chicken. Obviously, they talked me out of it. But in that moment, on that day, I didn’t see myself as a game show host, and there’s a quote I made that got kind of taken out of context and people ran with it. I love being here and I love what the show’s become. I hope that answers your question.

Somebody: What’s your favorite game?

“I don’t really have one. I do have a least favorite, though. It’s Stack the Deck. People never win Stack the Deck.”

George: “I kind of like Stack the Deck. When they get all three grocery products right, it’s fun to see everything come together. But when they miss the grocery products, then it’s no fun to watch.”

Me: “Do you play along with the contestants in your head? And how often do you win?”

“Oh, yeah, I play along all the time. And I win a lot.”

Somebody: “Have you picked up on some of the tricks to the games?”

“You bet. I can’t talk too much about it, because some of those games might be coming up. But, Cover Up, for example. You want to miss one of the digits on purpose the first time to get extra tries. If they’re offering two of something and a choice ends in 98, it’s usually right. That sort of thing”

A few people asked Drew/George/Rachel to sign stuff they had brought, since we had all these board games & merch brought to the studio that we still didn’t know why we had it. Stephanie asked Drew to sign her Bill Cullen ticket between the fifth and sixth breaks, immediately before she got called down. Drew agreed. He took it and put it in his pocket and said he'd return it to her after the taping. When her name got called it was a nice moment.

After the sixth come on down, George told us that we were the best audience they had since COVID had started. He begged the 11 of us who weren’t selected to PLEASE come back soon. We got an email from Hannah later confirming that. I took them up on that offer and taped another episode earlier this week. I’d love to share stories and compare and contrast the two tapings… but they’ll have to wait until April 5th.

After the show Tony, Tris, Thupa, JJ and I (Jsach was still backstage processing paperwork for his vehicle) went out to lunch at DuPar’s and just nerded out about everything for a while. Tony asked me if I was disappointed not to get picked. I said “No. Well, obviously a little. I would have preferred to have dinner with Drew and an Alfa Romeo and a signed Yodely guy. But being in that studio for that episode was one of the biggest blessings I’ve ever received in my life.”

To anybody who is considering attending a taping… DO IT! The interview process and zoom interviews are a hurdle, yes. I wish it were possible to reserve tickets at will or walk in off the street without having to go through a “casting” process. I also wish it were possible to attend multiple tapings in a week because it’s the best audience in the business and I wish somebody flying out could get maximum bang for their buck. But seeing the show live is so, so much better than seeing it on TV. And seeing it on TV is already pretty great. Give the new process a shot.

To Jsach: You absolutely killed Now or Then. I'm so glad that you got the chance to go up on stage. Enjoy the trailer! THE CHEESE IS NOW!

To the community here: I can't thank you guys enough for brightening my day by making a great place to come here and discuss the show. If this site doesn't exist, I probably fall off around high school or college. Like 9821 said, this community is something special and thanks for making it that way.

To Drew, George, Evelyn, Hannah, anyone else at the show who may be reading this: Thank you, thank you so much for putting this together. What you did was incredible. To have been in the studio and to have been able to play a small part in this was something I will never, ever forget. My grandkids are going to hear about the time I helped somebody win an Alfa Romeo. And I’ll be watching the show with them.

[LiteBulb88]

gamesurf, you might just be the most eloquent writer on this website. Between your review of Double Prices, your host your owns, and your many other contributions to this site, we are blessed to have you here and I'm so glad they picked you to be in the audience for this show, because you definitely deserved it. I do hope they called you down on the April 5 show . Now on to a couple of specific thoughts...

• Coincidentally enough, you found this site the same way I did, except I found Brad's site by Googling The Joker's Wild, reruns of which were airing on GSN in the early 2000s and got me curious what the Internet had to say about that show. But from his website, I found golden-road.net first for the pictures and then for the community.
• I know it's only because Drew got COVID that this happened, but having Hannah and crew fly you out, meet with you at the hotel you all stayed at, and take you to the show must have only improved the chemistry between everyone. One of my favorite parts of the show is that you don't really have to root against anyone except faceless producers, and it showed in the way the audience was like a big family for this episode.
• I'm glad someone asked if Drew knows the tricks, because I've often wondered that myself. He has gotten a lot smarter about the show, but I don't know if that's just from hosting or if producers sat down with him and explained some of the unwritten rules.
• Interesting to note Magic # has not been retired! I'm curious to see if we'll see it this season.

Thanks for your post (and to everyone else who posted their experiences in this thread that I haven't responded to), and thanks for helping to make this episode so special!

[bonkers77]

Amazing Show! Superfans Contestants was better then Genius Contestants!
Money Game: HIgher prize ever?
Cliffy: Great Idea "signed Yodely Guy" Souvenir
10 Chances: Finally a Contestant that knows a rules!!!

[gamesurf]

• Interesting to note Magic # has not been retired! I'm curious to see if we'll see it this season.

I definitely wouldn't take this as gospel--it's possible Drew was misremembering or was misinformed or thought it had been played more recently than it had. It had been over a year since its last aired appearance. But that's what he said.

• I'm glad someone asked if Drew knows the tricks, because I've often wondered that myself. He has gotten a lot smarter about the show, but I don't know if that's just from hosting or if producers sat down with him and explained some of the unwritten rules.

I think he mentioned picking them up after playing them for a while. George as well. You watch every day, things like the $5,000 PG limit become clear.

Also, he was asked which game he would want to play if he was a contestant and one of the games he said was Pay the Rent--it's the easiest $10,000 you can make!

[Thatgameshowguy]

NOTE: I wrote a majority of this back in November shortly after the taping but have gone back and fixed details such as when things happened during the taping after seeing the finished product on-air. I may have already mentioned some of these things elsewhere, but I think putting all of them in their own big post would be beneficial.
 
 
 A lot of people have had questions about what it’s like being a contestant on The Price is Right now with all their new COVID protocols. I have had the wonderful fortune of appearing on one of the most recent The Price is Right at Night specials, celebrating superfans, and I figured I would take this opportunity to share my experience from beginning to end. The story isn’t anywhere near as straightforward as it should have been, but that made it more exciting and unforgettable.
My story begins on September 8^th, 2022. The show put out a release stating they were looking for superfans to apply to be on a special episode of the show. I applied on a whim, not expecting to get chosen at all, but since I’ve applied for numerous other shows and I’ve already turned down an internship at my local combined NBC/CBS affiliate to keep my eligibility for a majority of shows open, I decided that if I didn’t get on anything this semester, that I would push forward with my career plans and not get the experience of being a contestant. On September 26^th I received an email from a casting assistant from Pitman Casting, the third-party casting agency that has been handling contestant applications since COVID began, asking for my phone number and if I was available November 9^th for taping. I of course agree, even if I’m not quite sure if I could swing the cost of flying out and back, mainly because when else am I ever going to get this opportunity again?

A few days later on September 28^th, I get a phone call from a Chattanooga, TN area phone number. At this point in time, I’m on vacation with my family in Dollywood, just up in Pigeon Forge so I ignore the call thinking it’s a local spam call. Except it’s not. It’s another casting associate with Pitman wanting to talk over a quick phone call and to schedule a Zoom interview. Once I get a voice mail and text message telling me who called, I immediately start freaking out trying to figure out a quiet place to make a phone call and if I’ve just missed my one and only opportunity. A quick game of phone tag leads to me talking with him in a corner by the fitting rooms in a gift shop called Dolly’s Closet. Make your own joke about that one. While on the phone I talk briefly with the casting associate who gives me some tips on the process, sends an email with a brief 2 minute long video on how to make the most out of your audition Zoom call and a bunch of tips on how to make yourself look good, such as lighting properly, what to wear (business casual), how you should be over the top excited, making sure your camera is eye level from you and is horizontal if you’re on a phone, and other good Zoom tips.

The next morning, I was the last person to enter the waiting room for my respective interview block, mainly because I was super anxious about the interview and just keep panicking every time I went to join, so I waited about an hour and got to watch the end of The Young and The Restless (what can I say, I like CBS’ daytime lineup?) before starting my interview. The interview was rather easy and a smooth experience. I explained who I am, what I do for a living, since I’m a student what my major is, and why I consider myself a Price is Right superfan. The person I was interviewed by gave me a few tips as they could see I was a little nervous and wanted me to come out of my shell a little bit to bring the big excitement. I was asked some questions that are known to be some of Stan’s old “tells” such as what’s your favorite pricing game, and with my answer of Ten Chances (and explaining why) I took it as a really good sign. By the end of the 2- or 3-minute interview I was bouncing around, jumping up and down, and overall, fairly confident that I had a decent shot at it. I was told that the recording of that Zoom call would be edited down to a 30- to 45-second-long video clip and shown to the casting team for Price and the network.

About a week later, on October 6^th, I received a text from another casting assistant, this time with the show itself, once again confirming that A: I’m available to travel out for the tape date, and B: I’m fully vaccinated. After a quick confirmation, I take a risk. After going through some other casting processes for some slightly less coordinated shows, I double check to make sure that this is the “next step” and not another casting assistant reaching out to schedule an original Zoom interview. After a confirmation from the casting assistant saying that this was indeed the “next step” I was told that a list of names was being sent to the network producers for them to decide who is in and who is out.

Another week goes by, October 13^th. I get an email from an @priceisright.com email address asking me if I can schedule a quick Zoom interview to actually test my knowledge about the show. This time there’s no pressure for me and I spend maybe 5 to 10 minutes talking with a member of the show’s actual casting team. She asks me several questions that I would consider basic knowledge for anyone who would like to call themselves a Loyal Friend and True. I won’t list all of them, but some of the more basic ones included “Name a model from a previous decade” “What’s the first item during Golden Road?” or “What does 37 hours represent?” I get every single one of the questions correct and we chat briefly about the show and what it means to me. I mention the fact that I picked my major (Media Communications) because of the show and because I wanted to one day be the executive producer of The Price is Right. She asks me who the EP is, and I answer with Evelyn. She seemed a little impressed about that. One of the questions is about naming a retired game and after that question I bring up Magic #. This is where all the rumors about Magic # started back in mid-October. I had mentioned that I enjoyed the game and she had said that it hasn’t been played in studio for a while, leading to me speculating whether or not it was retired. She said she wasn’t involved with the lineup and games part of the show, but she had noticed its disappearance as well. Overall, the entire interview went really well, and she told me that while she couldn’t confirm that I would be selected for this episode, I would know if I would be invited to the studio no later than the end of the next week.

On the next Monday, October 17^th, I get a text message stating that while it’s not a booking confirmation at that step, I was still in consideration for the superfan special AND if I don’t get selected for that specific special, they will still reach out to me to get booked for a daytime episode! So, no matter what happened after that point, I was going to be on The Price is Right! Alright, while I might not have had a guaranteed spot in bidder’s row, I’d like to think that they wouldn’t have me fly out 3000 miles just so I get a seat in the far back corner and never get to see myself on TV. I’m asked to confirm yet again that I’m still available for the 9^th of November, which I do, and I’m told that no later than the end of the week will I know if I’m selected. At this point in time, I begin watching the show a little more carefully, trying to find trends between items, what do they repeat often enough, and what’s most likely to come up.

Thursday, October 20^th, 2022. 2:31pm.  I receive the email. The subject line says CONGRATULATIONS SUPERFAN! A mixture of shock, nerves, and awe run through my body almost completely paralyzing me in the moment. My Apple Watch warns me of an abnormally high heart rate. I begin to scream. I’ll admit I caused a bit of scene where I was, but after a few seconds people just ignored me and carried on with their day. I get my booking letter telling me where to send my vaccination card, what to bring and not bring, what to wear, what to avoid wearing, and that I’m allowed up to three guests. I quick send a message to a friend of mine who’s in the SoCal area and ask if she’s interested in a Price taping, double check with the casting producer that a shirt with retired game logos is ok and book a flight out and a room at the SureStay across the street from TVC.

On November 3^rd, I’m asked to complete a form for setting up a COVID test to be done the morning of, double check my phone number, and bring along any of my Price memorabilia or pictures of it. I flex a little bit in my email back by namedropping The National Archives of Game Show History at The Strong Museum of Play (they need a shorter name, lol) in my email back as some of my Price collection is permanently “on loan” to them.

November 8^th: I land at LAX and head over to the hotel. I run over to a Target to grab some Gatorade and Skittles to overdose myself on sugar the next morning and that combination usually gets my hyper at my job. I’m a roller coaster ride operator so being excited is part of my job description. I’m super jetlagged and tired after a near full day of flights, delays, cancellations, rescheduling, and the hassles of renting a car. I ended up setting an alarm for 6am, early enough to get breakfast and get a shower before my 8am call time, and hopefully get over early enough to get number 001. I fall asleep at 9pm Pacific time, unaware of what’s about to unfold the next morning.

6am Pacific time rolls around. My alarm goes off, and the first thing I do is look at my phone. The unimaginable is the first thing that pops up on my screen. It’s an email and a text from the casting producer telling me that due to a “production issue” they had to cancel the taping at the 11^th hour, literally. The email and texts were sent out shortly before midnight. I’m sitting in bed, half awake, 100 feet from Television City, 3000 miles from home, and I just burst out into tears. I’m not an emotional person, but this was my entire life’s dream.  I figure there’s no use moping about and I quick call my friend who was driving up from San Diego for the taping about the news and tell her to turn around and head back home, get my shower, and head down to the hotel’s breakfast area. I threw one of my Price shirts on, not the one I made for the taping, but a generic 30Years shirt. The first thing said to me as soon as I walk in the breakfast area is “You too?” There were 4 or 5 people in the breakfast room who were supposed to be at the taping. We talked a bit about the show, where we were from, and why could they have possibly cancelled so late. The prevailing theory was that somebody really important got COVID, probably Drew or George. Unfortunately, we were proven right a few days later.

I decide the best thing for me is to take a walk around outside and clear my head. The sun is shining and it’s a nice warm morning in Los Angeles. I pass by the gate on Fairfax and while there’s a few pages around the gate, nobody from the show or anyone who looks like they were supposed to be on the show were around. I keep going and decide to walk all the way around the facility. I end up meeting a few more people who were supposed to be at the taping, two flight attendants from Calgary, Canada. One of them was on the show a little over 10 years ago and was in consideration for the redemption special but was asked if he’d be interested in the superfan special instead. We had ended up bumping into each other around the secret back gate by The Grove where Rich Fields once snuck in and had remarked that it was identical to how he described it and if we wanted, we could theoretically sneak in the same way. We decided against it simply because we didn’t want to get banned from TVC before the taping.

I continue on my lap around TVC and end up seeing where the prize warehouses are through the fence. I noticed they had 5 cars pulled out up front, each of ranging value. I take pictures of them to make notes on them for later. I take I notice a few more people with Price memorabilia on them as I finish up my walk and get pictures of the Bob Barker mural and time capsule on the 36/46 building. By that point it was around 8:00 and so I figure for the heck of it I’ll walk down and see if anyone’s there. I end up talking with the head casting guy with the show who said that there’s no chance of them doing the taping for the next few days and they won’t let anyone in even just to see the studio. They were however talking with the executives from both the network and Fremantle to see if our travel could be reimbursed and/or we get flown out for the rescheduled taping.

By this point I head back to me room a little depressed but feeling better than I was in the morning and I go around doing some touristy stuff like the Walk of Fame and Hollywood Sign, and I end up winning two free tickets to see Wheel of Fortune Live which happened to be in town that night and I described how that experience went over at BAV.

That evening I get a phone call from the show that says while they unfortunately won’t be able to reimburse me for my travel expenses for this trip, they will fly me out and pay for my stay for the rescheduled taping date, which will now be on November 29^th. The casting director mentions that this show was her baby, and she was twice as disappointed that we couldn’t tape. She mentions that unfortunately they would only cover my travel and not the travel of any of my guests, but they would be trying their best to make it up to all of us.

I finish out the rest of my stay in LA making the most out of it, visiting touristy areas, spending a lot of time in The Grove and Famer’s Market, and overall, just trying to have a good time. I end up going to the top of The Grove’s parking structure only to find out that from that angle you have an amazing view down into the prize storage area, and while you can’t see anything specific like what kind of a car they have out there, you can see a wide variety of prizes. I noticed a trampoline or two, a 1950s style travel trailer, and some old prize backdrops that haven’t been used in a long, long while.

Not much happened in the 20 days between the original taping and the rescheduled one. I had to fill out some forms, one specific one being a W-9 for my travel reimbursement, and I also celebrated my 20^th birthday and Thanksgiving over the little break between tapings.

Monday, November 28^th. I once again land at LAX and instead of renting a car, Price has sent a car for me. After a quick drive to the Short Stories hotel across the street from Television City, I check in and am handed a swag bag from the show. With a nametag with my name on it attached to a special 50 Years tote bag containing 50 Years hat and a generic newer TPiR shirt I think I started to tear up a bit in the lobby. That was the beginning of the experience officially starting. The hotel was super nice and there were some prospective contestants mingling in the lobby area. I decided to head right up to my room at settle in and take a nap ahead of the early morning and long day coming up. After a quick nap I make a run to a Target not that far from TVC to pick up an 8-pack of Gatorade and some sugary snacks to keep my energy levels high in the morning. Overall, I probably get to sleep by 11pm or so.

The next morning, everyone’s down in the lobby chatting about the show and having breakfast provided by the show at 7:45 am. Breakfast wasn’t much to write home about, just some bagels and danishes, but I’m not one to complain about free food. My guest, Marina, joined me at the hotel to have a bite to eat before the taping.

At this point in the day, I visibly recognized maybe 5 or 6 people and talked with probably 10 more. I could tell that the show was actually looking for real superfans, and it was nothing like the 2018 superfan special. We were given quizzes about the show and were truly dedicated people to come out to Los Angeles twice. A lot of us brought memorabilia and pictures of the memorabilia they couldn’t bring with them. I specifically remember seeing the 2000s tabletop game and the Best Of DVD set, but I know there were also autographed pictures of Bob Barker and DVD games and photos of so so so much more Price memorabilia.

At about 8:15 the contestant coordinators called us out by name to make sure we were all present and walked us all across the street to Television City. A quick security and ID check to get us in the building and we were directed to a table where we were given a mask (if you didn’t have one) a nametag, and an order of arrival number. The process from this point onward is quite similar to the original process as it’s been for 50 years. I got OOA number 24 as there was a group of 20 or so people who drove up and arrived at TVC for 8am flat. I was hoping to get number 1, but I can take 24. The numbers have no bearing on where in the studio you sit anymore nor have they for at least a decade, but it’s still a pride thing to get 001.

After being given our nametags and numbers, a quick COVID test was administered. I ended up getting my COVID test taken twice because the first time the person administering it was unable to get a large enough sample. Lucky me. After the COVID test we were given contestant releases, a W-9, a social media release, and various other paperwork to fill out. After filling out my paperwork I took a quick stop at the Television City gift shop and bought some pins and a postcard. Little did I know that wouldn’t be the only piece of Price related merchandise I would receive that day.

Once our paperwork was handed in, our phones (and smartwatches) were taken away from us and we were placed on a second set of benches to wait for our in-line interview. Despite everything else we’ve had to go through we were still given an in-line interview with Hannah, the casting producer. Marina and I were joking a bit back in forth on the bench to pass the time, talking about big wheel strategies and even trying to see if there was a way to sneak references from other show moments into the show. (I wanna say hi to my friends Mike, Richard…) Each interview takes place is groups of 8 or so and being number 24 meant that I was the first person in group three. In my head it felt like group one got about two minutes per interview per person and group two got about one minute per interview per person. I noticed some of the usual tells like “What’s your favorite game?” and “Hope you enjoy the show!” getting spread around during the interviews and hoped for the best as my turn to speak began.

As our group was called down to the interview area, I ran on down while keeping the energy up, pumping my fists, and giving a little woo. We were allowed to take off our masks for this small period of time, and after a quick introduction of everyone, I was the first to go. I was shaking rather heavily and very very nervous for the interview. I brought pictures my virtual set recreation and many pictures of my Price memorabilia including the part of it that is currently in The National Archives of Game Show History at the Strong Museum of Play. (They really do need a shorter name) I remember being asked what my favorite game was, to which I went with Race Game, not Ten Chances, because everyone else had already said Ten Chances and it felt like a cliché at that point. Overall, the entire interview felt like it last maybe 30 seconds before she moved onto the next person in the group, which in my mind began setting off alarm bells because I thought I blew it.

The rest of the group’s interviews felt like they were about a minute and at that point in time I thought that was it and I wouldn’t be called down. After the group finished, we were asked to go around the corner to another set of benches where an episode of Price was playing (8172K) and the rest of the groups were. Before we had made it to those benches however, a few of the superfans were separated from their guests and given blue notecards with their name on them telling them what information Drew would be asking about. There was also a little note saying, “Don’t mention any game strategies on-air.” I took it as a very good sign as I hadn’t seen too many of those out, so I stuck it in my bag right away and grabbed a snack at the snack table they had out for us and enjoyed the show. I had mentioned the notecard to Marina and how I thought I blew my shot in the interview and she said that it just felt fast to me, and I actually did talk for a considerable amount of time. I had no clue at that point what was going to happen. At this point I noticed at the end of all the benches parked next to the entrance to Television City was Drew’s multi-colored Mini Cooper and George’s 1950s convertible. This was really happening!

The superfans got to mingle a bit in line, and I got to speak with Tris and a few others, talking about the blue cards and how many of them there were, what they meant, all that. I got to meet a lot of great people, including Melissa, from St. Louis and wrote into the show back in the 80s when she was a kid for them to do a “kids version” of the show. She had a letter from Mark Goodson productions saying that they’d “consider it” and also an autographed picture of Bob. We spend a few moments talking and then we “meditate” a bit to calm nerves and just get into a fun mood. She had such a fun positive vibe to her.


After the episode finished, a video of George which was very obviously nearly a decade old at this point began to play, before the pages quickly paused it to make an announcement. No food and drinks in the studio, masks have to be worn until George tells you you’re allowed to take them off, and if you were given a blue card, please throw it out before you enter the studio. I had taken a few notes about the episode they had played on my blue card (hence how I was able to tell you it was 8172K) and really didn’t want to throw it out, and I had a two spare Gatorades in my bag, so I decided to chug a Gatorade and stick the spare in the bottom of the bag with the blue card and not make a big deal out of it. If anyone noticed I would of course throw them both out right away but with the Gatorade being sealed I really didn’t want to toss it.

After the announcement from the pages, the video was resumed with George giving a jokey monologue about the proper Price is Right behavior featuring clips from 2009-2013 and a few very obviously edited in clips from 2013-2018. Perhaps it might be time to update that video again, guys? Once the video finished, there was still another 10 minutes or so before the doors to the studio were finally opened and the pages gave another announcement of make sure to throw out your food and drinks and especially your blue card if you had one because you certainly won’t need one! The pushiness towards making sure that we all threw them out made me want to keep mine and talk about it in this report. I probably would’ve forgotten about it if the pages didn’t make a considerable number of announcements towards making sure they were all discarded. Anyways I still have mine. Here’s a picture of it.

As we were entering the studio, we went up a flight of stairs to a mural of the TPiR logo from 2003. I for whatever reason felt the need to pull my mask down and sniff it while also run my hands up and down the wall to feel it. This while being highly strange, is not the strangest thing I did that day. Once up the steps we passed by a sign with our airdate (2/1/23) our episode number (54SP) a neon version of the CBS eye, and a replica plaque dedicating the studio to Bob Barker. While peaking through the curtains I could very clearly see the stage and I started to freak out a little bit. Once we walked through the curtains into the studio properly, I just started looking around and taking in the sights. Everything is a hell of a lot smaller than it looks. I’ve known for years that the place was small, but words cannot communicate just how actually tiny that place truly is. There are two pages at the top of the aisle with a map of pods directing people where to go. Once Marina and I get to the end of the line we say our names and how many are in our group. We get ushered to Pod EE, which is located on the stage left side of the center area. We had a great view of the stage and after setting our stuff down along the backside of the pod we started clapping along with and dancing to the music they were playing in the studio. A page came over and stressed the importance of that if either of us got called down, to go to the aisle and walk down. Whatever you do, do not just go down the steps in the center of the audience, walk out to the aisle and then walk down. Very important.

Another ten or so minutes go by before the generic hype music fades out and the S.Y.B. radio edit of Crystal Waters’ Come on Down kicks into high gear and a disembodied voice comes over the PA system introducing George Gray!!!1!11!!!!1!!!! The energy in the studio at that moment in time was absolutely electric. I noticed that I wasn’t the only one singing along to the words of Come on Down and that’s when it hit me. I was home. I finally made it. 20 years. Two trips to LA. A lifetime of dedication to the show. And there I was. I didn’t need to win any prizes. I already won. I was there. Of course, I wanted to win prizes. I wanted to hear George call my name. I wanted to shake Drew’s hand. But at that very moment? I was fulfilled. I’ve heard the phrase “religious experience” be used in context of what it’s like to be at a taping of the show, and I didn’t quite understand what that meant, until then.

George comes out and tells us that we can rip off our masks, and we all do so and take a big deep breath. My blood is pumping. I truly don’t remember much about his warmup, mainly because I was already warmed up to begin with. The fourth Gatorade was starting to hit my body, I was visibly shaking, and that’s when I notice it. There’s a camera pointed directly at me. I try not to look directly at it, but just glance at it from the corner of my vision. I discreetly try to tell Marina about it, but mainly try and pay attention to George. For those not in the know, before the show they will give the camera operators a map of who’s getting called down and where they’re seated so they can get to the action every time. With the camera being pointed directly at me, I take it as a very good sign and prepare myself for the taping to begin.

One last thing we’re told, don’t stand up during the first four call downs, but once Drew comes out of the doors we can stand. Fair enough. George runs behind his podium and quickly reads the slate. The Price is Right at Night! Show number 54SP with an airdate of February 1^st 2023! There’s a quick pause and then HERE IT COMES! George says the first four names, one of them pops out from directly behind me, I try and go for a high-five, and then immediately disappointment hits me because what if they weren’t pointing the camera at me but at him?

That disappointment quickly subsides because OH MY GOD IT’S DREW CAREY LIVE AND IN PERSON! The entire studio leaps to their feet clapping and cheering, George says hi to Mamma Mai, and out comes the first item up for bids! Everything is moving so fast I can’t believe it. I shout out what I think are some good bids on IUFB1, and when Drew reveals the ARP I react thinking that I might have helped somehow. Drew walks up to the turntable and then everything stops. They quickly put microphones on the three in Contestant’s Row and on Caroline and have her go back to the area by the steps to run towards Drew at Mach 1. She runs up and they open up the door to reveal A BRAND NEW CAR!!!! One of the crew members holds up a cue card saying the year, make, model, and trim of the car, but not any options, and shows it to the entire audience before pointing it towards the contestant. As Money Game starts to spin around the turntable, the entire audience all at once begins screaming EL CHEAPO!!!! as loudly as possible, causing Drew to crack a bit of a smirk. Once Drew explains the game and she begins looking out into the audience for help, everyone, and I do truly mean everyone in the audience, begins screaming 05!! at her, which seemed to cause some confusion, but she agreed with us and pulled 05 first. Of course, it was right. I, along with a few other people in my area begin screaming 53 because we know not only was it El Cheapo, but it was also front and back. Sadly, her group doesn’t get that memo and tells her to pick 74, which she does and is wrong. Thankfully she listened to the rest of us on her second pick and she wins the car!

George calls down another name and we keep going! Live-to-tape you know! The Race Game curtain is dropped, and they begin setting up Act 2 during the IUFB. As soon as Cliff was revealed and while George was still describing the trip to Switzerland the entire audience began shouting 20-30-40! simultaneously. When Richard originally said $35 for the second prize there were some boos. Drew asked if it was right, the buzzer sounded, and we were ready to see Hans ascend… and then he didn’t. Drew asks for it again… and he goes up without music! The audience still claps along in-time with the music going through their head, and Drew starts to continue. Over the PA we hear someone say “hold, please” and they have to reset the game because the music didn’t play. I guess they didn’t rehearse it since they thought it would be played perfectly. Drew and George start riffing a bit, eventually Drew goes off on a tangent and starts singing some classic love songs. You have not been loved until you’ve been serenaded by Drew Carey. They get everything ready to go again, Drew asks “is it right?” the buzzer sounds, and the game continues as normal. Richard said $42 for the third item because “he wasn’t sure” about it being $40, which honestly is fair if it wasn’t the superfan special. He wins the prize and runs over to door three. Drew calls him back over and grabs the metal yodely guy off of the game, autographs it, and gives it to him. I got to speak with him after the taping and I can tell you that was a real yodely guy. That wasn’t a cheap recreation they placed as a prop. That was the real deal.

We go into a little stopdown as they setup the next act. Drew says that normally he’ll go back to his dressing room between acts but today he’ll answer some audience questions. My hand shoots up first. He points and me and I ask “What happened to Magic #?” He responds by saying “They still play it from time to time, they just don’t like it as much. It’s not like the Credit Card game that we don’t play anymore, but that’s more of an Evelyn question.” Drew answers a few more questions, Rachel signs someone’s DVD set, Drew talks about Back to ’73, and we get the signal that we’re good to start the next act. George says another name, which is not me, and the show continues.

The train comes out and scares the bejesus out of everyone. It was really freakin’ cool to see in person. The fog machine was super loud, and I probably jumped a smidge when it first appeared. There were some oohs and aahs as it came out. Dean wins this IUFB and I am very happy that he did. We ended up chatting with each other on the original tape date of November 9^th by the rear gate of Television City, he’s the flight attendant from Calgary I mentioned earlier. There were a lot of unscripted moments between George and Drew that didn’t make it to air from this segment. After Drew had mentioned that the dinner prize was at “his favorite restaurant” George threw in a quick remark of “Hope you like Hardee’s!” which was rather funny. They bantered quite a lot and it’s a shame there’s not enough time during the show to watch them go back and forth. While George is describing the products, Tris (or someone from Tony’s pod) shouts to Dean to get two of the hot sauces, which he does and immediately wins with. One thing I found interesting during this game is that while George was describing the products, the trip screens changed from the prizes to a “Secret X” X, a Bullseye graphic, and the matte for the grocery item wipe. After the descriptions were over they went back to being the prizes. Perhaps some sort of technical limitations only allows them to have so many computer graphics displayed on-screen at a time?

After Dean is done celebrating they quickly reshoot a few pickups, one of which being the train with slightly less fog (I think this is the take that made it to air) and other random things they needed to reshoot. Drew pops away into his dressing room at this point and George takes a moment to explain to the superfans that “after 50 years, the old dog has found a new trick.” I think it’s been mentioned in other places across the site and Discord, but I’ll mention it here. The show is no longer done in order. After the first three games, they play the next three games, and then both big wheels. It saves time, it saves energy, and they only have to set the wheel up once. I hear a few gasps from the audience, but once everyone closes their jaws Drew comes back out and mentions that they now no longer need to send a stagehand back to retrieve Drew from his dressing room, he has a vibrating pager like they have at fancy restaurants to alert him now. George makes a comment along the lines of “Do you wear it like that chess player?” and after a second and a half of everyone thinking about it, the studio bursts into laughter. Drew says something like “What I do in my time is my own business.” and someone (I know who, but I won’t say who) in Contestant’s Row says, “I have one in now.” Such a fun little moment that would never make it to a television screen ever.


 We start back up and Theodora, come on down! By this point I was starting to get a little worried, she was in the pod directly in front of me. Is it possible that I was just imagining that the cameraperson was focused on me, and they were actually focused on people around me? A million questions pop in my head but I don’t have the time to start doubting myself because out pops Alexis with a turntable package! I yell out some decent numbers, somewhere in the $1,600 range, and Anitra gets lucky and pops up on stage. While on stage Anitra mentions that she was named after Anitra Ford, one of the original models, but unfortunately the name drop got cut from the broadcast. After that, I see the cameras sweep the audience, so I turn around and see Rachel behind me. As CoG spins around, the entire audience begins screaming GOING! as loud as possible, so loud in fact that it made it into the final edit. It was such a fun moment, and I was genuinely fulfilled by this point. I didn’t even need to be called down; I was that proud.

They have Drew record a quick pickup of “$11.98” at this point. He first forgot the context and said it in a rather solid tone, before being reminded it was for a win, and then shouted it out with excitement. He went from 0-100 as soon as he said it and it caught me and a few others off guard, generating some laughter and ruining a take. ‘Twas a funny moment to see him randomly shout “$11.98!” While that was going on, we could see them set up the next game, which was seemingly Ten Chances. Nothing of the prop was shown but by what was played already and by the staging it was the only game that made sense. Nothing could prepare me for what was about to happen. Drew asks for another name and then I see it. My name. On a cue card. I didn’t hear George; you can’t hear a thing in there. I see my name and I leap to my feet. I was in pure shock. There’s this phenomenon called “Third Man syndrome” in which an unseen presence like a spirit will provide support during traumatic experiences, and while being on Price isn’t a traumatic experience, I lost all control of myself. Genuinely I think the only reason I made it down to contestant’s row is a small voice in my head telling me “You need to walk over there now.” And so I did.

The designer accessories swing around the turntable which generate an “aw fudge” from me, only I didn’t say “fudge” because I hate designer accessories with a passion. I barely hear the description and from what I see there wasn’t a lot involved with it. I look over to Tony/Tris/Derek for help and I get a “$2700” to which I consider for a while. I threw $38 at the end of it because I remember designer accessories seemingly ending in $19 for some reason, and I saw two pairs of objects over there. There’s zero real logic behind it but that’s how I felt. Bidding goes around and Drew says “$4-“ and I immediately zone out. I look over at Joezen and I see him freaking out and he quick runs up the stairs and then I process that I will be bidding 4th in the next round. And then it processes that I’ll be bidding 4th in the final round. I start getting in my own head again, wishing that I would be able to win more than $300 and actually get to go up on stage. But again before I can get too deep into thought, they open up the doors and reveal a BRAND NEW CAR!! The first thing I noticed was just how small the Ten Chances board actually is, watching it on TV makes the board look massive, but the entire prop is actually rather small. I meme-shout a few 479s into my CRow mic hoping I’ll survive the edit and you can just about hear me as Drew’s revealing the numbers for the chairs. The entire game moves so fast because Joezen knew how to play, and I’m absolutely pumped up by this point.

While there wasn’t a commercial on-air, there was a stopdown between games 5 and 6 so they could clear the stage and set up the next act. An audio person comes down at this point and gives me a lavalier microphone and I walk over to the first pod on the stage left side where Melissa is seated, and we “meditate” again for a bit because I was absolutely off the charts, and I needed to be brought back down to reality if I wanted to win anything. I was somewhat hoping that they’d call her up next so that she’d win something, but I have no doubt she’ll be back on the show soon. Drew starts to interact with the audience again. He takes a few more audience questions and then Stephanie gets Drew’s attention and hands him a ticket to the 1960’s Bill Cullen show and asks him to sign it, he refuses to sign the ticket itself because it would ruin the value and since nobody has a sharpie on hand, he sticks it in his pocket and promises to sign the plastic casing after the show. We get all set up to start the next act and what do you know, Stephanie is next to get called down!

Out pops George running backwards on a treadmill, and I immediately start pricing them in my head. I turn back to Tony/Tris/Derek again to see what they say, and I hear an “It’s Bowflex so at least $3000!” and keep that in mind. Darry says $3050 and in my head I start debating if I really wanted to do it or not. They cut quite a lot out but I spent probably a good 30 seconds of me just apologizing to Darry for $1-upping him, but when else will I ever get the opportunity to do that? Plus, he had plenty of chances to get up there before I got there. I say $3051 and Drew reveals the ARP. I hear Drew say the number and I process that I win but then I immediately shut down and freeze. I don’t know what to do, where to go, and at that exact second I probably wouldn’t even be able to tell you my name, even with it being on my shirt. Drew says my name and that “third man” guide pops in my head again telling me to walk up the steps and follow Drew. If only it was that easy. I trip going up the steps, almost faceplant into the floor, and then to recover from it I kiss the daisy. I don’t notice it at this point but as I tripped I ended up slicing the inside of my left arm rather badly leaving a decent six-inch gash down my forearm. I was so pumped up on adrenaline I didn’t even feel it, but it is somewhat visible if you know what to look for. I go to stand up again, my legs are completely hollow, I am unable to stand up, so I bend down and kiss the floor again. By that point I had enough blood in my legs that I could push myself up, so I run over to Drew but as I go to walk I feel as if I was wading through Jell-O. You can see it on the playback how I can’t quite get over to Drew without walking oddly. I say “my legs stopped working” because it genuinely felt like they did. Drew asks me to explain why I’m a superfan and I completely lose every single thing about myself. I stammer a bit about watching The Barker Era channel and a spreadsheet before apologizing for being so nervous and go to hug Drew. After I hugged Drew I felt so much better and was ready to go back and actually explain what makes me a superfan but he kept moving on with the game so I never got the chance to.

George starts talking about the camper and Now or Then spins around the turntable, as it spins around I give an O.K. hand signal to Tony/Tris/Derek/Marina/JJ/Chad and a good ol’ fashioned shrug because I knew at that point the camper was mine. The list of options just goes on and on and on and George keeps describing it and I was expecting something like $15k or so, so when George says “$49,950” I exclaim “holy designer accessories!” and while I am not a swear-y person, there’s something in that studio that just strips you down to your most basic elements. The editors definitely had to work overtime to make me broadcast presentable. As George describes the grocery items, what started as just Tony’s pod yelling “NOW!” quickly became the entire audience shouting a suggestion after each description. You can hear it if you listen very closely at the end of every description. After the fifth description George made a remark like “or we can just have the audience play the game!” and I let out a good laugh at that. I start with the seasoning because I knew that was most likely then, so getting a then product out of the way early would be beneficial to me. I then move upward because I was very confident in the dryer sheets and the cheese being now. When Drew asked me to guess on the other products for shiggles, I originally wanted to go down to the Advil before he said “win first” because I wasn’t quite sure about the Advil being the second “then” product. But he wanted me to win, so I said THE CHEESE IS NOW and the rest is history. Drew’s quick “NOPE YOU’RE WRONG” about me screwing up the beans and rice has lived in my head non-stop since it happened, and I think he got so much joy out of that one moment because it was the first time someone actually screwed up on something all day.

I win the camper and Drew says “GO GET YOUR PRIZE!” which then sends me running at Alexis at full speed. Unfortunately I don’t realize I’m running at her at full speed until a few seconds before I crash in to her, I see her eyes go wide and recognize on her face that she’s about to get hit, that’s when I realize I’m running entirely too fast and will crash into her, I go to slow down but by that point it’s too late. I crash into Alexis and hug her a bit before running into the camper. They had a teapot and a toilet brush in the camper for some reason, which was visible on air during the prize description. For whatever reason, I grab the teapot and the toilet brush and come out of the camper and just start waving them around! I notice out of the corner of my eye one of the stagehands giving me one of the most disapproving and confused looks I have ever received in my life, so I quick go back into the camper and put the teapot and toilet brush down and the shot of me coming back out without either item in my hand is what made it into the final edit. Drew walks over after he tosses to break and congratulates me, I mention to Alexis that I loved her on Card Sharks and then I mention to Drew that I actually saw the camper in the CBS parking lot the first time I was out in LA two weeks prior. He congratulates me again and some stagehands wave me over off the stage for the rules of the big wheel to be explained to me. At this point I hear George talking to the crowd about them being the best audience they’ve had since COVID and the consolation prize of $300, and then the showcase showdown is explained to all six of us playing. Nothing out of the ordinary, I’m pretty sure all six of us could’ve explain the showcase showdown to the person explaining it to us in just as much detail. We were told if we wanted to say hi to anyone to do it directly into camera three. There’s a red light on top of camera three and also two stagehands pointing and flailing at camera three indicating where to look.

I get escorted back to my pod and start to freak out a bit with Marina and JJ being on both sides of me, and chat a bit with Chad and JJ about the episode. The first showcase showdown goes by in a flash, and I’m quickly summoned back up to the stage for the second showcase showdown. They line us up and Joezen and I talk a bit while Anitra spins. Joezen and I wish each other well when she stays with an 85, and I get to watch Joezen spin the wheel. I wasn’t aware that I was in the shot at this point, so I was definitely mumbling to myself when he tied her. As I approached the wheel I was overtaken by its inherent glitteryness. I have never seen such a shinier object. I wind up the wheel for good luck and then start saying hi to everyone on my pre-prepared and rehearsed list. My family, my “online friends” in general, and then a specific shoutout to Wayo, 9821, and a few other people I consider good friends. I got cut off at the last name by Drew pointing out the wheel was nearing a dollar, and I apologized quite profusely to the one person who’s name I didn’t get to say on national television after it aired. Once I landed on 80 I had a feeling my time on the show was over, but I had to give it one more shot. I wind that sucker up one more time, and I give it my all. I nearly fall over and without realizing just begin chanting at the wheel like a Wheel of Fortune contestant in the 90s.

After the wheel lands on 65 and the over horn sounds, I’m a little confused on where to go, but there were a few stagehands over by the side of the turntable who motioned for me to walk over there, so I do. I get to watch the rest of the showcase showdown from the stage, right along the side of the turntable, next to a monitor. It was rather cool seeing the show both live and in person in front of me, and also on the television screen right in front of me. When Joezen hit the dollar the energy in the studio was absolutely electric. Price is one of those few shows where everybody truly wants everyone to win. Yeah we’d all like to win big ourselves, but seeing other people win big is just as nice. After the showcase showdown is over I’m escorted back to my pod where I finally start to wind down after having the fastest twenty minutes of my life. I talk a bit more with JJ and Chad about the show and I finally realize there’s a massive gash on my left arm. The showcases happen, they’re a bit of a blur, I just remember thinking “Hey that’s the first one of those we’ve seen in a decade!” and “There’s no way it’s a fur coat… is it a Vega??? Oh, it’s just a car.” during Showcase 2.

During the break between the showcases and the reveal a social media person comes over to my pod and has me explain why I’m a superfan and wanted me to talk all about the shirt. I showed off all the games and mentioned Hit Me as my favorite mainly because it was right next to Crane Game and I wanted to see if I could get that onto one of Price’s social media accounts in addition to the show itself. After the reveal they bring out a big lottery style hopper with ping pong balls with numbers on it to draw a winner of a $100 door prize for those who attended the show but didn’t get called, that prize ended up going to Joezen’s husband, so not only did he win, so did his husband. They were very lucky that day.

As soon as the show ended they had the nine of us who won brought down into a little green room which had the same vibe as the little room from The Good Place where the people wake up in. There were bottles of water and little cardboard holders for our nametags on chairs waiting for us. We were greeted and congratulated many times over. There were some generic things that were told to all of us, such as how we’re responsible for a 7% CA state tax on all of our winnings and those of us from out of state (which I think was all of us except Joezen) were required to pay those within 30 days of the airdate and how we weren’t allowed to tell anyone we were on the show until it aired and the only thing we were allowed to say was we “attended a taping of The Price is Right and had a fabulous time.” The show does not provide copies of episodes to contestants so you should DVR it or tape it, if you can’t it’s on CBS.com, available on-demand through most cable providers, and streaming on Paramount +. The prize coordinator also mentioned that “some guy will inevitably upload it to YouTube” to which I wanted to respond with “I’m that guy!” before realizing that maybe outing myself wouldn’t be the best idea. Since paperwork is processed from lowest winnings to highest, I ended up being one of the last ones in the green room and I got to overhear many different things that contestants were being told one-on-one with the prize coordinators, which I mentioned in this thread earlier.

Once our paperwork was finished we were given our cue cards with our names on them and asked if we were willing to stay and go back into the studio to tape a few promos for The Barker Era streaming channel. All of us happily agreed to do so and were escorted up in groups. The contestants for the second taping were waiting out on the benches to enter the studio so they had us sequestered from everyone else so that we wouldn’t spoil anything. Dean, Richard, and Anitra were escorted up first and then after they were finished, Joezen, Caroline, and I were escorted up into the studio, through a passageway behind the audience and along the side of the stage, past the production table and where the mighty sound effects lady is located, through a small hallway, past Drew’s private dressing room, out into the main corridor of Television City and around a corner to where the turntable games are stored. I noticed a whiteboard with partially filled in lineups for 0094L, 0095L, and 0101L on a wall, and was absolutely thrilled to be in the warehouse. There were a lot of things recognizable from previous shows, art cards saying CLIFF SURFERS and ONE RIGHTOUS PRICE, the mannequins from April Fools the one year, the windmill used in Hole in One during Big Money Week, and even the range finder used during The New Price is Right 1994’s pilots. The entire time I spent up there was absolutely insane as every place I looked I recognized something else. By the time all three of us are done taping, lunch is over and rehearsal for the second taping is starting, so they can’t escort us back out through the studio, so we go out through the main corridor, passing Pay The Rent and Punch-A-Bunch in the hallway, along with other various cars and things, before descending down an elevator and through a rather long hallway decorated with poster from various Television City productions such as All in the Family and Cher before finally exiting the building through the Carol Burnett Artist’s Entrance. There’s another group of people seated by the gift shop filling out forms and we’re told to not make a big scene about it to not spoil the show and then finally I am reunited with Marina after an hour and given my phone and smartwatch back.

The first thing I do is message 9821 the following messages. “Blue Floor” and “Fabulous time.” “Blue Floor” because there was speculation on the color of the floor as word had gotten out that they were changing the color of the floor and updating the big wheel carpet and people were curious about that on the site. “Fabulous time” being code for “I was called down” without flat out saying it. It’s what you’re allowed to tell people, and so in the nine weeks between taping and airing, I probably said the phrase “I attended a taping of The Price is Right and had a fabulous time” a solid two to three thousand times.

So that’s it, that’s the whole thing. From start to finish. Please ask questions, I know I’ve forgotten things and skimmed over things, if you have a question please ask it and I will answer it to the best of my ability. As for one specific frequently asked question:
 
 What are you doing with the trailer?
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[TinoStar11]

Did any of you guys ( or other audience members ) do a CSS in studio and if you did , how close was any of you guys to DSW either showcase?

[gamesurf]

George has hosted an in-studio CSS for several years now, since at least 2018 when I went to my first taping. George tells you during the break to tell your bids to your friends and if you get within $250 to let him know. Never seen it happen so I don’t know what happens if you do.

JJ had a pad of paper we wrote our bids on. I don’t remember I did exactly but I wasn’t close to a DSW. I think JJ beat me on both in our pod.

[mechamind]

That was worth the 40-minute read for me, and it just makes me love watching the show even more.

I gotta give you two thumbs up for mentioning both Race Game and Hit Me among the pricing games. I probably would've said Race Game in the moment, or maybe Cliff Hangers if Race was already named (I'd think of something).

-

By the way... "Calgary, Canada"? It's "Calgary, Alberta" (though Calgary, Alberta, Canada might also be fine). Imagine how confusing it would be if someone just said "Portland, USA". Even Wheel of Fortune would name the province with the city when they had "Canadian" puzzles. But I digress, and this is most definitely among the least of our worries, so...carry on.

[SuperSweeper]

Since everyone else is chiming in, I might as well join them.

The Price is Right has been my favorite TV show since I started watching it 22 years ago. Despite that, prior to this episode, I had never been to a taping. I really can't pinpoint why, but I know that the show's hostility towards LFATs after Roger's departure played a part. In my younger days, I wasn't as extroverted and personable as I am now, so I also think I didn't want to attend a taping if I didn't have a good chance of being called down.

Unfortunately, the bar for future tapings has been set REALLY high for me now.

I think others have covered the pre-taping experience pretty well. It was indeed pretty disappointing to come all the way out to LA for nothing the first time. However, the second time around was probably a better, more inclusive experience due to the extra gestures the Price staff did for the group of 20. Seeing that, and how the actual taping went, it's pretty hard to complain.

I am probably biased, but our pod is probably one of the best seats in the house - if not THE best. I'd like to think that we contibuted at least somewhat to the perfect show, but of the four games on the Turntable, only Bullseye was one where we made a quick, immediate impact. Tris and I were chatting pretty quickly about which GP was the 2x item, and while I initially thought it could the bread, Tris steered me to the hot sauce, and we were able to get Dean's attention pretty fast. Luckily, he took our advice and won on the first shot.

I believe the third IUFB was reshot in part due to one of the purifiers losing its front panel as the train was making its way onstage. Jacob was right, as well, that the train was LOUD and scared the crap out of everyone in the audience. 

The audience was quite loud during the CoG trip description, which was a very good thing. As Anitra was making her way back to her seat after her win, we chatted with her a bit - and she didn't know the hidden rule for the game.

I was the person who had Rachel autograph his DVD set (thanks again, Drew and Rachel!) and asked about Back to '72/'73. It was, however, quite late in the taping. I was starting to get a little annoyed because I was sitting right in Drew's line of vision, and he never called on me! 

I will take some credit for getting Jacob to bid $3000+ for IUFB6.   It did hurt a little, though, as Derry was a really nice guy who sat next to us. If only there was one more IUFB...

Tris and I did play CSS in studio. I thought Joezen went over, though no one else in our pod did. Caroline did take my bid of $35,000, which was a little on the low side - both to be safe (in general) and because of Joezen's higher bid. If you notice some booing and Caroline looking at the audience after her bid, we were a little upset that she didn't add -250 to her bid. 

Drew was absolutely on his A-game during this taping. My opinion of him has really gone up after this experience. It's a shame that so much of the taping experience can't make it on television.

All in all, this was a truly incredible experience. I have been encouraging friends who have interest in going to a taping to go! This is a great time to be in Studio 33, no matter if it's your first taping or your 100th.