With the host spot on "The Price Is Right" now officially vacant, I feel that it's time to add my two cents worth as to who should be the new host.
There are literally hundreds of people here in America who possess the qualities to be a good game show host. However, "The Price Is Right" is not just any game show -- it is an American institution. It is without question one of the most sacred programs in television histotry. Therefore, extra special care should be taken in naming a new host.
When I covered Bob barker's final episode, I had the great pleasure of interviewing Roger Dobkowitz. I asked him what was taking so long to name a successor to Barker. He told me CBS wants to make sure they make the right choice. Assuming this is the reason (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), this is very admirable. It could have been a lot worse -- they could have named Dave Price as the new host months ago and watch the show take a nosedive.
As I write this, I edited a story about Rosie O'Donnell meeting with the CBS brass to discuss the "Price" vacancy. Would she be a good game show host? Absolutely. Would she be good on "Price"? Absolutely not. This year, it seemed that every time she opened her mouth on "The View," it made headlines, and usually not for good reasons. From her feud with Donald Trump to the "ching chong" incident to her spat with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, I believe she mortgaged any remote chance she had of being a bona fide candidate to host the show and maintain its solid ratings.
So who should be the new host of "Price"? While I will not give any one individual my full endorsement, it should be someone with extensive game show hosting experience -- one with solid name recognition. It needs to be someone who will let the show be the star and not try to overpower it, like many stand-up comedians may have the tendency to do.
I have maintained all along that Todd Newton would be an ideal candidate to succeed Bob Barker. He has hosted "Hollywood Showdown" and "Whammy!," and he currently hosts "The Price Is Right Live" in Las Vegas. He would be an excellent choice to succeed Bob Barker. Is the the only candidate? No. I don't know much about him, but I'm sure Mark Steines would be a fine host of "The Price Is Right." I'm a little concerned however about his lack of game show hosting experience.
Could "The Price Is Right" survive without Barker? In a word, absolutely. Remember, since September 4, 1972, three other people besides Barker have hosted the show -- Dennis James, Tom Kennedy and Doug Davidson. Kennedy has been self-critical about his performance on the show, but I have to disagree with him. like all the other shows he hosted throughout his illustrious career, I felt that he did an excellent job. If today's game show hosts would follow the example Kennedy established, the genre would be in much stronger shape today. "The Tonight Show" thrived after Johnny Carson's retirement; if CBS plays its cards right, "The Price Is Right" can continue to air for many more years to come even after Bob Barker.
In closing, I would urge CBS to continue to be vigilant in selecting a new host for "The Price Is Right." The show's very survival hangs in the balance. Make the right choice, and the show can last another 35 years or more. Make the wrong choice, and eleven dedicated employees, from Roger Dobkowitz to Fingers Greco and so on, will need to find work very soon. The stakes are too high to take this choice lightly.
Andrew M. Greenstein
