"New" Price is Right 1994 edition

[wdm1219inpenna]

About the only thing I genuinely liked at all about Doug Davidson's version of "The Price is Right" was their version of Showcase Showdown, by playing "The Price Was Right".  I know there were some episodes that the wheel was used instead.

What I disliked about the show was, in theory, you could watch an entire episode where nobody wins a single thing.  If all 3 players lose their respective pricing games, and then go on to lose the showcase, it's as if 30 minutes of time was almost wasted.

At least with Press Your Luck & Jeopardy!, if you get a 3 way tie at $0, you still were entertained by the questions, the answers, and with PYL, the reactions of the contestants.

The other 2 things that worked against "New" Price is Right for me, 1. It wasn't on very much, especially when it was scheduled to be on, something else would be on instead and 2. It seemed they played Switch? a lot...the few episodes I did see, Switch? was being played.

What other elements of this show did not work for you?

[Ian Wallis]

What I disliked about the show was, in theory, you could watch an entire episode where nobody wins a single thing. If all 3 players lose their respective pricing games, and then go on to lose the showcase, it's as if 30 minutes of time was almost wasted.

At least with Press Your Luck & Jeopardy!, if you get a 3 way tie at $0, you still were entertained by the questions, the answers, and with PYL, the reactions of the contestants.

I never thought of it as 30 minutes being wasted.  I could still enjoy the contestants and the pricing games even if it resulted in three losses.  It would have been nice if they could have guaranteed some sort of prize to the contestant who made it to the showcase though.  While it would bug me if it was common for nobody to win anything, it didn't happen very often.  If you could enjoy a PYL or Jeopardy episode where three players all tied at 0, you should be able to enjoy a Price episode where that happened too.

I didn't think the Davidson version was that bad.  I watched it on a satellite wild feed every evening and hardly ever missed it.  It was a neat take at trying to modernize the show a bit for a new audience.

[Jimmy Owen]

I prefer that the contestants earn their way on stage with the IUFB, rather than go directly from audience to the pricing game. Not that big of a fan of the show to care too much, but that bothered me a little.

[Dbacksfan12]

1. It wasn't on very much, especially when it was scheduled to be on, something else would be on instead

Seems to me that would be an affiliate problem.

I thought The Price WAS Right was a good idea, but executed poorly.  Theoretically, you could have a 1200-1201-1202 scenario.  That's not very satisfying.  I would have preferred they locked in their bids privately.  A tie for the same bid cwould go to the winner person who entered the bid first.

As a kid, I enjoyed it because I could at least get some kind of TPiR action during the school year.  I remember being disappointed when it was cancelled.

[clemon79]

Theoretically, you could have a 1200-1201-1202 scenario.

Theoretically, you could have a $1/$2/$3/$4 scenario today, if the players in the first three seats are idiots. Doesn't make the One-Bid broken.

A tie for the same bid could go to the winner.

Huh?

[JasonA1]

I share Mark's concern over TPWR. I realize we're getting into that "it's about the show sometimes, not the game" area, but doing a single One-Bid to determine who played the bonus round didn't seem fair. On the mothership, the players left behind from the previous IUFB would be given the advantage of sliding down in the sequence. The players on Davidson's version were simply put there in the order they were called. So just by virtue of being chosen third, you had the advantage of picking your range, in which there was one less variable than the daytime show. When Mark talked about the 00-01-02 scenario, I think that's what he meant.  From my producer armchair, I would have at least tinkered with the idea of secret bids before going to air.

Overall though, I found the show fun, and wished it had gone at least the full season. It allowed Price-o-Maniacs (brother) to have their cake and eat it too with regards to enjoying the "classic" show, and getting to try some variables at night.

-Jason

[clemon79]

I share Mark's concern over TPWR. I realize we're getting into that "it's about the show sometimes, not the game" area, but doing a single One-Bid to determine who played the bonus round didn't seem fair.

I'm not disagreeing. I'm just suggesting that citing an example that depends on the second seat being a complete moron as proof that the whole thing is broken is a logical fallacy.

I agree with the issues you raise (especially the one about turn order cycling during play in its original form, so that each of the First Four is at least likely to get the ginormous advantage of last bid during the show, if not win their way up on stage outright), and I see Mark's correction to my second point, which makes a little more sense, even if I don't agree with the overall idea.

(Except, Mark, here's one problem: What happens to that second person who got beat out on their bid? Do they get to bid again, or are they just out? Because the former option is a HUGE reward for their indecisiveness (because they can and should easily snipe it by a buck), and the latter one is way too harsh of a penalty.)

[BrandonFG]

I enjoyed it, and loved the set. However, I always found it odd that they went straight into the pricing game, instead of doing something similar to the prior syndicated (or early CBS) versions. I also found the Range Finder bonus round a bit strange at the time.

I always enjoyed "The Price Was Right" more, but never even realized the flaw Mark and Jason bring up. Secret bids would've been worth a shot...

[alfonzos]

I found this version to a stinkeroo from stem to stern. I remember one episode in which Davidson sped through the pricing games so quickly that the closing shot of the studio when on for about a minute after the credits crawl.

Keeping any familiar element from the daytime series (Contestants' Row, the models, Showcase Showdown, The Showcases, and (certainly) the host) would have been welcome.

[Dbacksfan12]

(Except, Mark, here's one problem: What happens to that second person who got beat out on their bid? Do they get to bid again, or are they just out? Because the former option is a HUGE reward for their indecisiveness (because they can and should easily snipe it by a buck), and the latter one is way too harsh of a penalty.)

What I had in mind was a reveal similar to the fastest finger on WWTBAM.

While I was typing this, I thought of a much better idea...do the round like Cullen's PiR did.

[clemon79]

While I was typing this, I thought of a much better idea...do the round like Cullen's PiR did.

The raise-or-drop system? I could see that, except I think it would result in too many all-overbids.

[Johnissoevil]

I never found any problem with this version, despite being more loyal to the traditional daytime version.  Considering some of the crap that's been on since the show was cancelled (CS2K1, Temptation, BTC 2002, and those crappy originals that were on GSN throughout the late 90s and early 2000s), this show was watchable and a great way to spend a half hour.

[chris319]

It seemed they played Switch? a lot...

There's a problem with this?

[Neumms]

One option: they could have kept one bids, then just have the top winner play the showcase. (Yeah, luck is involved, but it's TPIR.)

Another option for a showdown: offer a prize with three pricetags. Top winner (or at random) gets first pick, second winner gets next pick, third contestant gets the price that's left.

Price Was Right was kind of fun but an odd choice for such a central part of the show. It smacked of cheap because they didn't have to give away a prize. If it was a regular one bid, then someone will have definitely won something every show. It was odd staging, too, to send them back down the stairs to play it. Still, it would be cool to make a pricing game out of it (giving away cash or something).

I also thought it odd the Showcase was just the Range Game. They could have disguised it better, like a giant digital readout, going up as on a gas pump.

[JasonA1]

I also thought it odd the Showcase was just the Range Game. They could have disguised it better, like a giant digital readout, going up as on a gas pump.

Not a comment on your idea, but I couldn't help but think of another show when you said that...

-Jason