Author Topic: The Old Price Is Right (Read 11074 times)

Neumms · « **on:** March 06, 2005, 11:22:20 PM »

The other TPIR discussion makes me wonder. . . is there a way Bill Cullen's bread-and-butter version would work today?

Granted, the New Price Is Right seems to have worked. But what if there was a prime time show, four contestants for half an hour, doing rounds of bidding on splashy prime-time level prizes, perhaps with the addition of a bonus game? The pace and tone would be less Plinko, more Wheel of Fortune. Maybe it's what Doug Davidson's version should have been--if they're going to depart from Barker's version, make it a bigger departure.

Would it float?

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #1 on:** March 06, 2005, 11:23:49 PM »

I doubt it. Doesn't sound too exciting.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #2 on:** March 06, 2005, 11:31:56 PM »

What whoserman (or is it Kevin?) said. Something that basic was cool for the 50s, but it's too simple for 2004.

And besides, the G-T staff prolly thought the same thing back in 1972, otherwise they might have used the 50s format then as well.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #3 on:** March 06, 2005, 11:56:09 PM »

It's Kevin. And it's Foster for you, right?

BrandonFG · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2005, 12:07:14 AM »

Brandon will work. :-)

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2005, 12:17:16 AM »

Somehow, I knew it wouldn't be that simple...

Well, I won't forget YOUR name again, that's for sure.

Neumms · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2005, 12:23:52 AM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Mar 6 2005, 11:31 PM\']What whoserman (or is it Kevin?) said. Something that basic was cool for the 50s, but it's too simple for 2004.

And besides, the G-T staff prolly thought the same thing back in 1972, otherwise they might have used the 50s format then as well.

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One big issue then, though, was they couldn't afford terribly interesting prizes on a daytime budget. I believe Goodson is quoted as mentioning "four rounds of bidding on a dishwasher."

Sometimes there's a healthy bit of conflict down in Contestants' Row, and with the old format we'd see more of it.

chris319 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2005, 07:09:01 AM »

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One big issue then, though, was they couldn't afford terribly interesting prizes on a daytime budget. I believe Goodson is quoted as mentioning "four rounds of bidding on a dishwasher."

If TPIR gave away a Rolls Royce in every game, how long do you think it would take for the novelty to wear off? Sooner or later the monotony would put the audience to sleep.

I'll say it again: you can't buy ratings. If all it took were big-money prizes, state lottery games would be the biggest thing on television. How many years have TPIR and LMAD been around giving away Broyhill dinette sets?

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2005, 07:46:29 AM »

Some shows have progressed by going backwards, though. Look at J!. They discarded the innovations made on the Burbank Fleming version (two player double J!, solo bonus round) for a return to "classic" J! in 84. Veering, for those of you who thought "Plinko" wouldn't work as a standalone show, think again. "The Tony Danza Show" has been renewed.

zachhoran · « **Reply #9 on:** March 07, 2005, 08:58:55 AM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Mar 7 2005, 07:46 AM\']
Veering, for those of you who thought "Plinko" wouldn't work as a standalone show, think again. "The Tony Danza Show" has been renewed.

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I'm not so sure a two or three minute segment of a daily talk show based on Plinko would necessary mean a half an hour show with a Plinko-based format would fly.

JasonA1 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 07, 2005, 09:07:01 AM »

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I'm not so sure a two or three minute segment of a daily talk show based on Plinko would necessary mean a half an hour show with a Plinko-based format would fly.

Not a big shocker, but WHOOOOOOSH. I always wanted to do that.

More on-topic, TPiR wouldn't work in its old format not only for the reasons described by the other posters, but because the daytime version set a precedent with viewers. You'd have to have a whole new name, which on top of the dull format, would give the show even less hope of winning in the ratings.

-Jason

cmjb13 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 07, 2005, 09:11:55 AM »

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Mar 7 2005, 08:58 AM\']I'm not so sure a two or three minute segment of a daily talk show based on Plinko would necessary mean a half an hour show with a Plinko-based format would fly.

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And what would that Plinko-based format be?

Maybe playing some sort of mini-game before hand to determine how much the center slot would be?

zachhoran · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2005, 09:49:12 AM »

[quote name=\'cmjb13\' date=\'Mar 7 2005, 09:11 AM\'][quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Mar 7 2005, 08:58 AM\']I'm not so sure a two or three minute segment of a daily talk show based on Plinko would necessary mean a half an hour show with a Plinko-based format would fly.

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And what would that Plinko-based format be?

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IIRC(I've only seen this once) the Plinko-esque segment of the Danza show has a contestant answering a question for cash or a prize determined by placing a chip or ball down a mini-Plinko board.

cmjb13 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 07, 2005, 10:11:53 AM »

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Mar 7 2005, 09:49 AM\']IIRC(I've only seen this once) the Plinko-esque segment of the Danza show has a contestant answering a question for cash or a prize determined by placing a chip or ball down a mini-Plinko board.

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I actually meant the CBS 30 minute Plinko show that the Professor mentioned some time ago.

I've seen Danza's Plinko-like device. It looks smaller in person. It was sitting out in the hall when I went to Millionaire last year. Danza tapes next door.

DjohnsonCB · « **Reply #14 on:** March 07, 2005, 10:16:09 AM »

Maxene Fabe covered this in her book. Bud Grant of CBS called Mark Goodson and told him he was interested in bringing TPIR back as part of a new AM GS block in Fall 1972. But Goodson eventually discovered the original format wouldn't work "these days"--too boring and too slow. He contacted Grant and told him that "unless you want a whole new show, we're going to have to cancel our deal", to which Grant replied "No, go ahead, I trust you. Overhaul it from top to bottom if you have to." And the rest is history.

Lucky thing I was a 17-year-old high school senior at the time and not in Grant's position. If I'd been in the CBS honcho's position then, and Mark G. told me that I'd have had to agree to a whole new SHOW, I might have turned him down, assuming as I likely would have that Goodson might have meant a new, NON-TPIR show instead of a whole new TPIR, and the world would have been deprived of a future classic. There'd have been no Bob Barker Theatre at CBS.

I can't completely agree, though, with Fabe's assumption that I'd be bored to tears if I were to watch the original version today. I'd love to see the old Cullen shows today, and on the off-chance one or two color tapes ever survived to today, that would be anything BUT boring to watch.

As for Plinko as a stand-alone game, four words: big plastic home version.