Big news on the TPIR front...

[Jimmy Owen]

Well, who's to say they won't change the contestant selection process to limit it to pre-tested people, like every other game show.

[chris319]

First, they're not going to implement all of the changes you anticipate they will in two weeks.

Second, how do you suppose they would test, score and rank 300 audience members, and then match the test results with the interviews? It would sooooo complicate the selection process.

Everybody go find a hot tub and sit in it.

[PIR85]

Aren't contestants "pre-screened" anyway?  That's Stan's job.  It is not and never has been a random selection.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'bandit_bobby\' post=\'189801\' date=\'Jul 5 2008, 01:38 PM\']
I personally have been wanting to see digital scoreboards for a long time on this show.
[/quote]
No. Absolutely not. Call me a purist, but the one thing I love about TPiR is the fact that they are one of the only current game shows (daytime, primetime, or syndicated) that does not resort to some sort of television monitor for its scoring displays. It's one thing that helps keep the retro kitsch alive without being TOO kitschy.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'Card Shark\' post=\'189944\' date=\'Jul 6 2008, 10:18 PM\']
 Do we really need to hear the life story of every college student on spring break, every senior citizen who trecked across the country, or illiterate piece of trailer trash that wants to bid 420?
[/quote]


Fixed.

[Chelsea Thrasher]

[quote name=\'PIR85\' post=\'189969\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 07:19 AM\']
Aren't contestants "pre-screened" anyway?  That's Stan's job.  It is not and never has been a random selection.
[/quote]

There's a monumental difference between the quickie interview process that Price uses vs. the casting agency-style of, say, Deal or No Deal.

[PIR85]

[quote name=\'Seth Thrasher\' post=\'189978\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 08:55 AM\']
[quote name=\'PIR85\' post=\'189969\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 07:19 AM\']
Aren't contestants "pre-screened" anyway?  That's Stan's job.  It is not and never has been a random selection.
[/quote]

There's a monumental difference between the quickie interview process that Price uses vs. the casting agency-style of, say, Deal or No Deal.
[/quote]


Besides that, Deal uses how many contestants per week?  Compare that to a potential 30 on Price.  It is outlandish to think TPiR would do any Deal-esque contestant screening.

[Mr. Armadillo]

[quote name=\'PIR85\' post=\'189969\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 07:19 AM\']
Aren't contestants "pre-screened" anyway?  That's Stan's job.  It is not and never has been a random selection.
[/quote]
The draw of The Price is Right is that anyone can show up at the studio (well, with a ticket) and win big prizes.  You select your contestants more than an hour or so in advance and that's pretty much dead.  And I really hope Fremantle knows better than to kill the main draw of the show.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'PIR85\' post=\'189979\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 10:18 AM\']Besides that, Deal uses how many contestants per week?  Compare that to a potential 30 on Price.  It is outlandish to think TPiR would do any Deal-esque contestant screening.[/quote]
From everything I'm hearing, "outlandish" is really an irrelevant concept.  A relevant concept is that modern game show producers like to control as many aspects of their shows as they can within (and I mean just barely within) the laws and regulations covering this stuff.  With those brief in-line interviews, and for that matter, the whole Contestant Row bidding process, contestant selection is one of the things that has always been a TPIR wild card.  I would not be at all surprised if, at the very least, they're planning on longer and more in-depth interviews with the people who show up.  And casting people in advance?  Wouldn't put it past them.  At all.

[whewfan]

What I am wondering about is if they might be making slight changes to make the show more suitable for Drew's talents. Drew has done a fine job of making TPIR his own show, but I am wondering if Freemantle is just trying to slowly and gradually take away some of the "Barker" elements of TPIR (prize music, maybe remodeling the pricing games and the big wheel, redoing the set, and maybe even a new theme... but let's hope that doesn't happen. Of all the previous mentioned, I think the one element of TPIR that absolutely NOT be changed is the theme music.)

In any case, if Fingers is now the producer, that MIGHT be a good thing, someone that's had a long association with the show is still producing, so she may not make any drastic changes that would make TPIR unrecognizable and alienating so many fans.

I wouldn't be too surprised if the video wall is used for the new pricing games, but it should NOT replace any of the existing pricing games (a la Clock Game for Davidson's TPIR) It could also be used to announce Plinko (imagine a computer generated version of the classic Plinko sign)

They could also reintroduce elements of TPIR that have been lacking, like giving Rich more face time.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'190021\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 02:21 PM\']
They could also reintroduce elements of TPIR that have been lacking, like giving Rich more face time.
[/quote]
Only if they use subtitles for the single-syllable words that he adds two additional syllables to.

/Like a NUU-EU CAW-HH-RRR!
//I keed.

[chris319]

And casting people in advance? Wouldn't put it past them. At all.

Are you kidding? One of the biggest trademarks of TPIR is surprising people in the studio audience with the call of "Come on down!" and getting them pumped up to play the game. Every time I've seen the show in Las Vegas, where there is no screening and the contestants really are chosen at random, the number of dull contestants far outweighs the number of what we would consider good contestants. The Las Vegas show really is a testament to the skill of the people who pick the contestants in line outside studio 33. Not only do you want contestants who are lively and wear their emotions on their faces, you want contestants who have some idea of what to do if they win One Bid and not just stand there disoriented, or who won't bid four hundred ninety eight dollars and seventy five cents on an item. Yeah, Stan needs to get better at filtering out the "420" jokers, but there is still a night-and-day difference between the TV show and the Las Vegas show.

[TheLastResort]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'189988\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 10:15 AM\']I would not be at all surprised if, at the very least, they're planning on longer and more in-depth interviews with the people who show up.  And casting people in advance?  Wouldn't put it past them.  At all.[/quote]

I don't know about advanced casting, but I can definitely see the interview process being formalized...and of course videotaped for insertion in the show when the contestant's name is called.  I can also see post-game/"backstage" interviews with winners and losers being taped and added before commercial breaks.  Bottom line, I suspect the whole "as-live" style will be all but gone.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'190041\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 05:12 PM\']

And casting people in advance? Wouldn't put it past them. At all.

Are you kidding? One of the biggest trademarks of TPIR is surprising people in the studio audience with the call of "Come on down!" and getting them pumped up to play the game. Every time I've seen the show in Las Vegas, where there is no screening and the contestants really are chosen at random, the number of dull contestants far outweighs the number of what we would consider good contestants. [/quote]
You're preaching to the choir, and if anything I said made you believe they would go to a more random selection process, then I didn't make myself clear.  I'm saying that it wouldn't surprise me at all for Fremantle to take much greater pains to make sure they get the type of contestants they want, up to and maybe even including advance tryouts.  *I* know and *you* know and everybody here knows it's a ludicrous notion. But it's how every other game show gets its players.  Can we be absolutely sure that Fremantle wouldn't consider it?

[joker316]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'190047\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 05:24 PM\']
[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'190041\' date=\'Jul 7 2008, 05:12 PM\']

And casting people in advance? Wouldn't put it past them. At all.

Are you kidding? One of the biggest trademarks of TPIR is surprising people in the studio audience with the call of "Come on down!" and getting them pumped up to play the game. Every time I've seen the show in Las Vegas, where there is no screening and the contestants really are chosen at random, the number of dull contestants far outweighs the number of what we would consider good contestants. [/quote]
You're preaching to the choir, and if anything I said made you believe they would go to a more random selection process, then I didn't make myself clear.  I'm saying that it wouldn't surprise me at all for Fremantle to take much greater pains to make sure they get the type of contestants they want, up to and maybe even including advance tryouts.  *I* know and *you* know and everybody here knows it's a ludicrous notion. But it's how every other game show gets its players.  Can we be absolutely sure that Fremantle wouldn't consider it?
[/quote]
If Fremantle goes the "casting route", and does it the same way they cast players on the last two MDPs, then God help us all!!