'What if' game show thought

[The Pyramids]

I wonder if the '85 syndicated 'Price' could have beendn differnent if they had hired Peter Tomarken, or if Ray Combs had been 'discovered' for that show.

Both probably would have stood out more than Tom Kennedy (no disrespect intended). Maybe the show could have gotton a renewal, then another,  and Bob Barker would have retired one way or another and given the CBS show to its syndicated host a few years down the road.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'PaulD\' date=\'Mar 29 2005, 08:39 AM\']I wonder if the '85 syndicated 'Price' could have beendn differnent if they had hired Peter Tomarken, or if Ray Combs had been 'discovered' for that show.

Both probably would have stood out more than Tom Kennedy (no disrespect intended). Maybe the show could have gotton a renewal, then another,  and Bob Barker would have retired one way or another and given the CBS show to its syndicated host a few years down the road.

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I don't think the person who hosted it(and Kennedy did not do a bad job with the show) had much to do with the show's less than stellar ratings. It was either up against WOF or the then-growing in popularity Jeopardy! or New Newlywed Game in a lot of the country, and aired at 2:30AM on WNBC in the key NYC time slot. A game show airing in late nights in NYC in those days was not a likely candidate for renewal. Street Smarts in this era has squeaked through five seasons with a lot of late-evening or late-night time slots, however.

[aaron sica]

In 1985, WoF and J! were hot commodities - nothing against those two shows (which I enjoy very much!), but if those two weren't around, I think that TPiR85 might have had a better chance to survive.

In some markets (Harrisburg being one of them!), J! was actually supplanted from its 7:30pm slot on WHP to make room for TPiR85 (moved two hours earlier to 5:30pm). It actually aired for a year on there, before J! returned to the 7:30 slot.

[Jimmy Owen]

Tom was fine as host.  The only thing I would have done as syndicator was to have made it an hour-long show that would be designated to run between 4pm and 8pm on network affils and no later than 11pm on indies.  Reasoning behind the hour format is familiarity and that on the markets where it did have a good time slot, it usually had an incompatable lead-in or out; a WOF and J! block would prevail.

[PYLdude]

I seriously doubt that running the Nighttime PIR as an hour would have made much of a difference. Besides, a lot of the affiliates wouldn't have been able to find a spot for the hour show, and if you basically tell the station that you're trying to sell the show to that it HAS to air in this certain time slot, you're going to have problems selling the show.

I gotta agree with everyone who says that the time slot was the problem though. I don't think Tomarken would have been a good syndie TPIR host, and Ray Combs doesn't float my boat either.

[Neumms]

I think the trouble with syndicated TPIR is that it pales next to the daytime show. The nighttime versions of, say, Dawson's FF and WoF are the same or better (with the $5000 space, Vanna's ritzier gowns and cutting out shopping).

Kennedy's version was just a shorter, not as good version of Barker's. I agree with the original sentiment that TPIR isn't Tom's kind of show. Tomarken might have brought more youth and enthusiasm to it, but that probably wouldn't have saved it either.

I think Jay Wolpert had the right idea with making changes for Davidson's version, although "The Price WAS Right" and the Range Game showcase should have been better. By that time, though, the programming climate was dreadful, worse than the mid 80's. Tomarken might have been better than Doug, too, but to no avail. Or, wouldn't it have been a nice idea to not fire Ray Combs but just slide him over to TNPIR.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Mar 29 2005, 12:25 PM\']Tomarken might have been better than Doug, too, but to no avail. Or, wouldn't it have been a nice idea to not fire Ray Combs but just slide him over to TNPIR.

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Yes. Yes! I believe Ray would have been THE choice for Price Is Right PM in 1994. Peter Tomarken in 1985 was in the running for a potential hosting gig on a syndicated Press Your Luck which never happened plus he was within a whisker of getting the co-host spot with Leeza Gibbons on Entertainment This Week, so with all that seemingly on the horizon, being at the helm for Price Is Right would not have worked out in 1985. As a replacement for Ray after his accident if Ray had gotten that assignment in 1994, Peter could have done quite well. Alas, we shall never know. And, of course, multiple pre-emptions for coverage of a certain double murder trial didn't help either as far as acquiring viewers.
One comment made by a friend while viewing Tom Kennedy's PiR: "Where's the wheel?".

[aaron sica]

I regret not watching that version more when I was a child and it was on originally. (I was about 11 during that season)

Tom Kennedy has always been one of my favorite game show hosts and I thought it was so neat to see a familiar show with another well-known host. He added his own lingo to the show (i.e. calling the TPiR train a "choo-choo").

The opening for some reason is also one of my favorites; I would love nothing more than to have a video opening. It looks like that might be a possibility at Page O'Clips for April.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Mar 29 2005, 12:25 PM\']I think Jay Wolpert had the right idea with making changes for Davidson's version, although "The Price WAS Right" and the Range Game showcase should have been better. By that time, though, the programming climate was dreadful, worse than the mid 80's. Tomarken might have been better than Doug, too, but to no avail. Or, wouldn't it have been a nice idea to not fire Ray Combs but just slide him over to TNPIR.

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I honestly liked Davidson's TPiR, but I still think Wolpert kinda shot himself in the foot with the changes. Yeah, the pricing games are what made TPiR so big in the 70s, but the IUFB is still the backbone of the show, and having The Price WAS Right segments was clever, but didn't fill the void. Would've made an interesting Showcase idea, though...

However, if you're gonna change a show, Wolpert had the right idea. Don't even wanna know what Fremantle would do with a new syndie version. "It's Primetime Plinko, so I'm DOUBLING THE DOLLARS! Glory glory hallelujah!"

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Mar 29 2005, 12:46 PM\']Yeah, the pricing games are what made TPiR so big in the 70s, but the IUFB is still the backbone of the show, and having The Price WAS Right segments was clever, but didn't fill the void.

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Price WAS Right was kind of fun, but it seemed like an odd thing to do everyday, better as a pricing game. I also thought it odd they'd send them back down to contestants' row once they're on stage, and it's kind of weird to bid on something you can't win.

I think having the three players do a one-bid on stage would have been a better choice. Call it the Price Is Right Playoff. The top winner could get the right to bid last. Or show a prize with three different prices, the top winner gets first choice.

[dmota104]

One comment made by a friend while viewing Tom Kennedy's PiR: "Where's the wheel?".

Let me apologize in advance if this sounds morbid. But, a friend of mine watched the syndie TPiR from '85 and asked if Bob Barker died.  He'd never heard of Tom Kennedy (and he barely remembered seeing NTT with "that Dating Game guy").

Tom did a fine job with TPiR.  But I truly believe Barker should hosted the syndie version.  I know Barker was reluctant to "work nights", save for primetime CBS specials. But by '85, TPiR was (and still is) synonymous with Barker.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Mar 29 2005, 12:44 PM\']One comment made by a friend while viewing Tom Kennedy's PiR: "Where's the wheel?".

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That's what I thought, too, when I first saw the syndicated version, which by the time I saw it (1978 or 1979 or 1980), had Barker at the helm. And I always assumed that there was no DSW rule on that version since it was ever mentioned.

I have 3 responses on this thread, it seems - you just happened to have touched upon one of my favorite syndicated game shows. I always request to see some episodes at GSC's, and no one has let me down yet.

[whewfan]

Here are a couple things I remember Kennedy did to add his own touches to TPIR...

When playing One Away, he asked the player if he wanted the number to be "One Away Up or Down"

When playing Double Prices, if the price the player chose was at the bottom, Kennedy would move the price to the upper position "for good luck"

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Mar 29 2005, 05:05 PM\']Price WAS Right was kind of fun, but it seemed like an odd thing to do everyday, [/quote]
I didn't like the fact that they were lined up in order of calling down.  Even if someone had won at 3 Strikes as player 2; some moron who managed to botch Hit Me was player 3; and they had the advantage.

I personally thought if they were going to line them up in order of call down, they should have down it ala Match Game.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Mar 31 2005, 02:06 PM\'][quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Mar 29 2005, 05:05 PM\']Price WAS Right was kind of fun, but it seemed like an odd thing to do everyday, [/quote]
I didn't like the fact that they were lined up in order of calling down.  Even if someone had won at 3 Strikes as player 2; some moron who managed to botch Hit Me was player 3; and they had the advantage.

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They wouldn't have botched Hit Me, as that was never played on TNPIR94. THey could have botched Clock Game.