Rod's Gone and Price just isn't the same.

[Skynet74]

This morning I watched The Price Is Right for the first time since Rod passed away. I was a little caught off guard by the total empty feeling I had while watching the show. I know that Rod hasn't been heard on a regular basis for months. I know that we've also had a little bit of time to get used to the fill ins. Burton and Randy have done a great job. However...... it's just not the same anymore. I can handle various people filling in on a temp basis since we know that our old pal Rod will be back soon. Well today while listening to Burton I started getting choked up knowing that Rod is never coming back again.

 I wrote Rod a note a couple of weeks ago telling him that he's been in my house for the past 25 years and I consider him more than an announcer. I told him that He is Like Family to me. Then I said I love him and wished him well. I'm very glad that I was at least able to say something to him before he passed. But it's very hard to watch the show now that he's gone.

 I'm sure I'm not the only one who had that empty feeling today...... but I just felt like writing about it.


Thanks,

John

[Timsterino]

I had a similiar feeling today when I watched the show. I mean absolutely no disrespect to Randy or Burton however. I just felt sad.

I wore my red "The Price is Right" t-shirt to my college class tonight and the professor asked me about it. Her words were "Didn't that nice man who announced just pass away?". I said "Yes" and she replied "How sad".

That pretty much sums up my feelings about Rod. I am sad that he passed but I am glad that he is no longer suffering.

R.I.P. Rod

Tim

[SteveRep]

Please know that this is in total respect to the previous posters and, above all, to Rod himself.

But the show IS the same. The show has been the same for 32 years. There's only one human being for which the show could even remotely not be the same without -- Bob Barker.

The show -- the games, the contestants, the fantastic prizes, Bob -- has been the driving force since Day 1.

Going on without Johnny Olson was, conceivably, a bigger "can the show continue" challenge that going on without Rod will be. (I know, I know. That's sacrilege to some)

I've been watching TPiR since I was 11 and spent sick days home from school relishing in the glory days of daytime game shows. I saw how the show moved on after Johnny without hardly skipping a beat.

It will do the same now.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'SteveRep\' date=\'Oct 30 2003, 09:40 AM\'] But the show IS the same. The show has been the same for 32 years. There's only one human being for which the show could even remotely not be the same without -- Bob Barker.


 [/quote]
 And that's even questionable. Tom Kennedy did a fine job on the 1980's nighttime show. A replacement CAN be found when Barker decides to hang 'em up.

I saw how the show moved on after Johnny without hardly skipping a beat.
It will do the same now.

I totally agree.

[urbanpreppie05]

I think that there will be an empty feeling for weeks, even months after Rod's death. It will take some time for things to heal- but clemon79 and SteveRep are right, things will settle back to 'normal' with a new annnouncer, and the show will, no MUST go on.

[SteveRep]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Oct 30 2003, 12:33 PM\'] [quote name=\'SteveRep\' date=\'Oct 30 2003, 09:40 AM\'] But the show IS the same. The show has been the same for 32 years. There's only one human being for which the show could even remotely not be the same without -- Bob Barker.[/quote]
And that's even questionable. Tom Kennedy did a fine job on the 1980's nighttime show. A replacement CAN be found when Barker decides to hang 'em up. [/quote]
I concur. Tom was as engaging and entertaining as Bob. I'm just saying that Bob is the only one for which the "will the show be the same" debate holds any amount of water.

[Matt Ottinger]

I'm of the mind that it's still WAY too early for there to be public discussion about the future of TPIR and the announcer's mike.  Naturally, I have no problem being in the minority and letting you guys make your points.  That is, after all, why we're here.

Still, my simple (and perhaps simplistic) take on John's original comment is of COURSE the show won't be the same.  But had this forum existed in 1985, I can assure you we would have been saying EXACTLY the same thing about Johnny Olsen, and some of us would be wondering in public how that guy who's never even done a Goodson-Todman game before could possibly have been picked to replace a legend.

TPIR will continue with someone new at the mike.  And it won't be the same.  But that doesn't mean it will be worse.  Or better, for that matter.  Just different.