Jonathan Goodson's 'Price Is Right'

[aaron sica]

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).

I'm gonna go ahead and call shenanigans on this, because I distinctly remember Big Wheel and TPWR being interspersed during the run of the series, like sometimes they would play TPWR, and then for variety or because they happened to schedule three fast games that day, they would spin the wheel.

I don't remember exactly where I read that (which of course doesn't hold a lot of weight), but that was my belief based on what I read. I don't even remember how long ago it was. If possible, it would be neat to have a definitive answer to this from someone "behind the scenes". I do realize I could be wrong on this one...

[Dbacksfan12]

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).

I'm gonna go ahead and call shenanigans on this, because I distinctly remember Big Wheel and TPWR being interspersed during the run of the series, like sometimes they would play TPWR, and then for variety or because they happened to schedule three fast games that day, they would spin the wheel.

I don't remember exactly where I read that (which of course doesn't hold a lot of weight), but that was my belief based on what I read. I don't even remember how long ago it was. If possible, it would be neat to have a definitive answer to this from someone "behind the scenes". I do realize I could be wrong on this one...

Tony Harrison's site is where this was.

[Steve Gavazzi]

I don't believe the '94 version of TPIR was taped and aired in anything close to the same order.  Trying to determine when they brought in the Big Wheel based on when it appeared on TV probably isn't going to lead to a lot of useful conclusions.

[clemon79]

Tony Harrison's site is where this was.

Fair enough. I'm willing to accept that "they ran out" and "they knew they didn't have enough for the number of shows they needed to produce" is an issue of semantics.

[Mr. Armadillo]

1) Yes, the point is to get to the showcase. But the showcase is my least favorite part of the show because it's not like your two best players are in it. Some people get up on stage with a half wit bid and get to the "bonus round" with a lucky spin on a giant wheel of numbers. I just feel a small disconnect when they get to that part of the show because I'm used to the best contestant (usually) making it to the bonus round of a given show. That's the way Price has always been for me.

When each of the six contestants who have won their way on stage are given entirely different tasks to accomplish, how do you define 'best'?

[TLEberle]

When each of the six contestants who have won their way on stage are given entirely different tasks to accomplish, how do you define 'best'?

Height.

[BrandonFG]

1) Yes, the point is to get to the showcase. But the showcase is my least favorite part of the show because it's not like your two best players are in it. Some people get up on stage with a half wit bid and get to the "bonus round" with a lucky spin on a giant wheel of numbers. I just feel a small disconnect when they get to that part of the show because I'm used to the best contestant (usually) making it to the bonus round of a given show. That's the way Price has always been for me.

When each of the six contestants who have won their way on stage are given entirely different tasks to accomplish, how do you define 'best'?

Well, wouldn't it be the way the other half-hour versions (since 1972) worked: highest scores? I get that 1) the wheel breaks up monotony on the hour-long show, and 2) picking the high score from both halves is not the best TV, not to mention leaves a pretty big gap in the show if you eliminate the Showcase Showdown.

IMO, that's one thing I liked about The Price Was Right: it eliminated the luck element Jeremy speaks about, and still had contestants using a little bidding skill. Most of the pricing games are skill/pricing knowledge-based, so while you could be the top winner of the half by winning a car, all it does is let you spin last. And honestly, that's not much of a benefit considering it got you in the "bonus" round in prior versions. Not a flaw or anything, but I see Jeremy's point.

Now my question, and it's one I've thought about before...does anyone think a half-hour syndicated TPiR could work today? I know syndicators like double runs, so I doubt Drew would do that and the CBS version...

[TLEberle]

IMO, that's one thing I liked about The Price Was Right: it eliminated the luck element Jeremy speaks about, and still had contestants using a little bidding skill. Most of the pricing games are skill/pricing knowledge-based, so while you could be the top winner of the half by winning a car, all it does is let you spin last.

That's not how I remember it. Once again, going from "some guy's webpage," and this could be easily verified by watching an episode, the players did their TPWR bids or spun the wheel in order of when they were called up to play their pricing game.

[PYLdude]

IMO, that's one thing I liked about The Price Was Right: it eliminated the luck element Jeremy speaks about, and still had contestants using a little bidding skill. Most of the pricing games are skill/pricing knowledge-based, so while you could be the top winner of the half by winning a car, all it does is let you spin last. And honestly, that's not much of a benefit considering it got you in the "bonus" round in prior versions. Not a flaw or anything, but I see Jeremy's point.

Considering that you're bidding on something as it would have cost in a certain year, I don't think the luck element was eliminated at all in that case. As a matter of fact, I'd even argue that it enhanced it because you're not bidding on anything current.

Now my question, and it's one I've thought about before...does anyone think a half-hour syndicated TPiR could work today? I know syndicators like double runs, so I doubt Drew would do that and the CBS version...

I said a couple posts ago that TNPIR could have worked in today's day and age, but I also say that if the producers of TPIR were so inclined to put the show back into syndication they would have done so in the eighteen years since the last attempt.

[BrandonFG]

I actually meant the daytime show, but that's still a relevant point, if nothing else, an exception to the rule. For some reason, I want to say Davidson's version indeed used calling order.

[BrandonFG]

Considering that you're bidding on something as it would have cost in a certain year, I don't think the luck element was eliminated at all in that case. As a matter of fact, I'd even argue that it enhanced it because you're not bidding on anything current.

True, and unless you're old enough to remember the product or seeing an ad (Internet was still a relatively new concept), it's more or less blind guessing. Forgot about that element.

[clemon79]

Well, wouldn't it be the way the other half-hour versions (since 1972) worked: highest scores?

Only when all players are given the opportunity to score the same amount of points. Which they aren't, so the whole thing is inherently unfair from the start. So I have absolutely zero problem with deciding by lot (effectively) who plays in the Showcase.

[Jeremy Nelson]

1) Yes, the point is to get to the showcase. But the showcase is my least favorite part of the show because it's not like your two best players are in it. Some people get up on stage with a half wit bid and get to the "bonus round" with a lucky spin on a giant wheel of numbers. I just feel a small disconnect when they get to that part of the show because I'm used to the best contestant (usually) making it to the bonus round of a given show. That's the way Price has always been for me.

When each of the six contestants who have won their way on stage are given entirely different tasks to accomplish, how do you define 'best'?

Well, wouldn't it be the way the other half-hour versions (since 1972) worked: highest scores? I get that 1) the wheel breaks up monotony on the hour-long show, and 2) picking the high score from both halves is not the best TV, not to mention leaves a pretty big gap in the show if you eliminate the Showcase Showdown.

IMO, that's one thing I liked about The Price Was Right: it eliminated the luck element Jeremy speaks about, and still had contestants using a little bidding skill. Most of the pricing games are skill/pricing knowledge-based, so while you could be the top winner of the half by winning a car, all it does is let you spin last. And honestly, that's not much of a benefit considering it got you in the "bonus" round in prior versions. Not a flaw or anything, but I see Jeremy's point.

Now my question, and it's one I've thought about before...does anyone think a half-hour syndicated TPiR could work today? I know syndicators like double runs, so I doubt Drew would do that and the CBS version..

And like already said, Price is a big giveaway party, and fairness is kinda thrown out of the window- after all, even in the half hour days, you could win your game, but if it was a perfect show and you won the lowest valued prizes, then you weren't in the showcase by no fault of your own.

I don't think syndication would work today, just because they wouldn't want to cannibalize the show- although I would be curious to how the producers would work the show's format. One thing I thought would be neat would be to save the show's top tier games and use them in rotation for the showcase round.

[PYLdude]

One thing I thought would be neat would be to save the show's top tier games and use them in rotation for the showcase round.

WHY would you even CONSIDER that?

[clemon79]

WHY would you even CONSIDER that?

WHAT'S the DIFFERENCE between that AND playING Range Game?