[quote name=\'cmjb13\' post=\'182716\' date=\'Mar 28 2008, 08:19 AM\']
-Awful set (Looks like it's built out of Lego's. What's with the metal around the doors? And why do they have stars above the doors? It's so obvious to have $ there.)
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I can agree, or at least see where you're coming from, with a lot of what you said. But this seems awfully minor to me. The more you watch, the more you realize how same-old-same-old the show really is. When they moved the big wheel to a new spot last week, I remarked to somebody it was the probably the biggest overall aesthetic change to the show in ages. It's not like they went for two big doors flanking a turntable center stage when Drew took over. They kept the basic gist.
But it would've been a big detriment, IMO, to change as little as they could. For the show to successfully live on, they needed to show it didn't need Barker. Keeping his set could have served as a reminder that it's his house. In contrast, when you saw Drew's set for the first time, you knew change was afoot. It wasn't just a new logo on the doors, it was new everything. Things like the music updates only strengthened this. Todd Newton would've been BarkerBot, IMO, and would've opened things up to a lot of unfavorable comparisons.
Drew's lack of polish is getting to me a bit, although he's a hard guy to hate in any respect. The biggest gripe I have is the showcase reveal. It often comes down to mourning the loser's loss rather than congratulating the winner. They almost seem like an after-thought, and Drew sounds like he's giving a eulogy.
-Jason