Jonathan Goodson's 'Price Is Right'

[The Pyramids]

Do you think the syndicated, Doug Davidson-hosted edition of 'The Price  Is Right' in 1994 was a bad idea to begin with, or a good idea poorly executed? I say it was a good idea that deserved a better host and a more familiar look and feel to the daytime 'Price'.

[Vahan_Nisanian]

I didn't like it at first, but in retrospect, it wasn't that bad of a show at all. It did a fine job at differentiating itself from the daytime show, and Doug Davidson was great.

Plus, I loved the special game that they would play on occasion, The Price WAS Right.

[clemon79]

I say it was a good idea that deserved a better host and a more familiar look and feel to the daytime 'Price'.

The look was a great idea.

The host blew dog.

[TLEberle]

Plus, I loved the special game that they would play on occasion, The Price WAS Right.

On occasion? I thought they did TPWR about four times out of five.

[Chief-O]

I watched TPIR94 religiously when it ran [IIRC, it was after school]. My thoughts at the time---

1) The refreshed look was awesome.
2) Burton was a great announcer [of course, today, I think he was over the top----proabbly would rather have him over George Gray, though!]
3) Doug wasn't bad. He just---A) wasn't Bob, and B) didn't have as much experience as Bob. TPIR is a tough show to host, there's a lot to learn, and I'm sure that affected Doug's performance. Didn't seem to hurt Tom Kennedy, though.....

I bet the Richards administration could watch a few episodes as a suggestion on how to freshen the show. The set and theme, in the very least, could probably work today, especially if they do another nighttime special at some point.

[BrandonFG]

It was a fun show and I loved watching it after school. I actually didn't mind the lack of bidding, and it was a unique enough concept. I just thought Doug was a strange choice, even if he was just right across the hall at Y&R.

Did "Feud94" tape in 33 too?

[mparrish11]

Did "Feud94" tape in 33 too?

IIRC, Yes it did.

[Jeremy Nelson]

The look was a great idea.

The host blew dog.

Any reason why you didn't like him? Sure, he wasn't polished or anything, but he was far from bad- a 6 or 6.5 on my scale. I think he would have gotten better with another season or two.

[clemon79]

Any reason why you didn't like him? Sure, he wasn't polished or anything,

I think this is plenty.

(And I already see the followup from the usual suspects: "Neither is Drew." To which I respond: that's his act.)

I think he would have gotten better with another season or two.

Yeah, I disliked game shows being beta-tested on live air long before this decade.

[golden-road]

I loved every bit of it. Personally think it'd be neat if some of the grocery games switched to small prizes. That said, do you think the Range Game made for a good endgame?

[TLEberle]

I loved every bit of it. Personally think it'd be neat if some of the grocery games switched to small prizes. That said, do you think the Range Game made for a good endgame?

At which point they no longer become grocery games.

Was Range Game a good end game? Yes. Better than having two people bid against each other, which 9 times of ten gets you a winner? Meh.

[PYLdude]

3) Doug wasn't bad. He just---A) wasn't Bob, and B) didn't have as much experience as Bob. TPIR is a tough show to host, there's a lot to learn, and I'm sure that affected Doug's performance. Didn't seem to hurt Tom Kennedy, though.....

But then again, Tom Kennedy had 30 years of emceeing experience entering 1985 and the closest thing Doug Davidson got was his doing Family Feud during soap weeks.

On occasion? I thought they did TPWR about four times out of five.

Of the episodes that used the wheel, I seem to remember them all happening within the first two months the show was on. I did not enjoy The Price Was Right game.

I see a lot of you guys talking about what might have happened had there been a second season, and I'm of the belief that the show got cancelled when it did for a reason. It was just too much of a radical departure from the Price we all knew (in the sense of all the bells and whistles they added) and I don't think enough people caught on nor would they have. Some may say the OJ Trial had something to do with that but I said it before and I'll say it again- the OJ Trial didn't start until January 1995, which is when the high levels of coverage started. It wasn't as much of a factor as some might want it to believe. I mean, I don't know how many stations actually did this but the show got dropped in New York by the end of 1994- and that was on a station owned by the distributor. (Probably means nothing, but if Paramount is going to put a show it owns on a station it buys and is set to carry an affiliation with, that's not a good thing for them if the show fails.)

[aaron sica]

Plus, I loved the special game that they would play on occasion, The Price WAS Right.

It wasn't so much a "special game" as it was the game they played to decide who went on to the showcase. IIRC, when they ran out of old prizes to bid on, that's when the elimination method switched to the Big Wheel (and also that awesome overhead shot).

[JasonA1]

Some may say the OJ Trial had something to do with that ...

And I will reiterate the aforementioned some (and/or you) are confusing that anecdote with Feud '94. The trial was said to have postponed *that* show a lot in the past.

-Jason

[PYLdude]

Some may say the OJ Trial had something to do with that ...

And I will reiterate the aforementioned some (and/or you) are confusing that anecdote with Feud '94. The trial was said to have postponed *that* show a lot in the past.

-Jason

I've actually heard said anecdote applied to a lot of shows that aired in 1994, including Feud, believe it or not. Whether it be factual or not, I doubt.

Which, strangely enough, was unaffected in New York because they just simply moved Feud to the morning and cleared the whole hour after they did that.