The Price is Right

The Price Is Right is a popular game show based on contestants guessing the retail prices of featured prizes and other promotional products. The modern United States version, which premiered on September 4, 1972 and is hosted by Bob Barker, still airs today on CBS. The original 1956 version of the show was hosted by Bill Cullen. The show is known in pop culture for phrases such as "Come on down!"

Overview

The 1972 daytime incarnation of The Price is Right (hosted by Bob Barker) has the distinction of being the longest-running game show in North American television history (and perhaps the world). It has surpassed the previous record of 17 years and 7 months set by What's My Line?. Still airing today, it continues to extend its record, and has aired more than 6,000 episodes. Notably, it is also the only daytime game show that has aired regularly on United States network television since January 1994. Many believe The Price is Right has lasted so long because of Bob Barker's refusal to make significant changes to the show's look or format. (For example, when his microphone broke, CBS didn't have an old style microphone to replace it, so a new microphone was simply put in an old-style casing.) Much of the music, written by noted composer Edd Kalehoff, has been around since 1972, as has Sheila Cole's main theme.

Related Topics:
What's My Line? - Edd Kalehoff

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Johnny Olson was the Barker version's original announcer. Olson was the first to call contestants to "Come on down!" which became the show's catch phrase. Olson passed away in 1985, and shortly afterward, an on-air audition of several other announcers (Gene Wood, Rod Roddy, Rich Jeffries and Bob Hilton) was held, and Rod Roddy was chosen to replace Olson. Roddy continued to do the show until two months before his death on October 27, 2003. After another on-air announcer audition, including Burton Richardson (who announced the 1994 syndicated version) and Randy West, both of whom sat in for Roddy during his cancer treatment in 2001-2003), Rich Fields was named the show's third permanent announcer on April 4, 2004.

Related Topics:
Johnny Olson - 1985 - Gene Wood - Rod Roddy - Rich Jeffries - Bob Hilton - October 27 - 2003 - Burton Richardson - Randy West - 2001 - Rich Fields - April 4 - 2004

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The show unexpectedly garnered younger college-age viewers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Barker theorizes that they acquired these fans from his appearance in the Adam Sandler frat house favorite Happy Gilmore. He also suspects that these viewers remember the show from when they were children and their parents watched the show.

Related Topics:
1990s - 2000s - Adam Sandler - Happy Gilmore

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It should be noted that Bob Barker has hosted every episode of the daytime version except three – Dennis James subbed for him briefly in December 1974 because of an illness. Today, in the event Barker is unavailable, rather than using sub-hosts, the scheduled taping is postponed, and CBS airs reruns if need be until taping can resume.

Related Topics:
Dennis James - CBS

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The catch-phrase Come on down did not become popular until the mid-1970s. In fact, for the first few episodes taped, Johnny Olson announced the names of the first four contestants and told them to "stand up," and then said, "Come on down and play The New Price Is Right!" Olson also originated the daytime show's two famous opening lines:

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(30-minute version) A fortune in fabulous prizes may go to these people today if they know when The Price Is Right!

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(60-minute version) Here it Comes! Television's most exciting hour of fantastic prizes! The fabulous, sixty-minute 'Price Is Right'!

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(In 1998, after Studio 33 was renamed in the emcee's honor, the line From the Bob Barker Studio at CBS in Hollywood! was added after "Here it comes.")

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Bob Barker also serves as the show's executive producer; Roger Dobkowitz produces, while Kathy "Fingers" Greco is associate producer. Frank Wayne was the show's original executive producer; previous producers include Jay Wolpert, Barbara Hunter, and Phil Wayne Rossi.

Related Topics:
Bob Barker - Roger Dobkowitz - Kathy "Fingers" Greco - Frank Wayne - Jay Wolpert - Barbara Hunter - Phil Wayne Rossi

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