.The Price Is Right:

.This is an old article pending revision.

Even if you aren't that familiar with game shows, you probably still heard of The Price Is Right. At first, it started out as an ordinary game show with a 30 minute format beginning in 1956. Bill Cullen was the host until 1965. The game wasn't as complex at it is today, but the format remained very much the same to other game shows of that particular genre, such as "Let's Make A Deal", and of course "The Price Is Right" of today and more recent years (actually The New Price Is Right of 1972 format had combined itself from "Let's Make A Deal" and both shows are similar such as having 4 doors for example).

Before the 1970s, not many TV programmes were filmed in color. Occasionally there were movies that were filmed in color. Any programme, whether in cinema or television, was more likely to be filmed in color if it was animated. Almost everything else was made in color by the autumn of 1967. CBS wanted prime time shows in color by the autumn of 1965 and everything else by the autumn of 1966. NBC had experimental color processing as early as the 1950s and The Price Is Right is even more remarkable because it was released in color during a time period when color screens were rare. Unfortunately, these early color episodes of The Price Is Right no longer exist.

The original Price Is Right vanished entirely until 1972, and Bill Cullen did not host The Price Is Right ever again. He did however make occasional guest appearances but never mentioned his previous ties with The Price Is Right. The reason why he didn't host The Price Is Right anymore is because of the redesign of the studio to where it involved little sitting or leaning against a podium. If you look carefully through any episode since 1972, you can easily see that any host of this game show required a lot of standing and walking. Bill Cullen was unable to host any game show so demanding because of his limited mobility as a result of having polio.

Bill Cullen returned to being a panel member of other game shows and hosting several game shows himself. Bob Barker hosted the then-new version of The Price Is Right with Johnny Olson as the announcer until his death in 1985 and Dennis James as the prime time host until 1977. Bob Barker of course took over hosting afterwards for all versions in the 1970s. The daytime version was still 30 minutes until 1975. There were only two contestants and both of them got to compete in the showcases.

It was expanded to one full hour during a trial period where the game was doubled and the winning contestant from each half of the game show would compete in the showcase showdown. The Price Is Right then invented the Wheel, and even when it was a crude version of it, it was introduced to the game in 1975. Later, a much more developed (and much heavier) wheel was made. The goal was for the person that could with the highest total below a $1.00 amount would win and get to go to the showcases. 15¢, 80¢, 35¢, 60¢, 20¢, 40¢, 75¢, 55¢, 95¢, 50¢, 85¢, 30¢, 65¢, 10¢, 45¢, 70¢, 25¢, 90¢, 5¢, and $1.00 are the slots on the wheel. They each get to spin it and they have to remain with a higher amount than the other contestants and also be lower than $1.00 total. They have 2 spins and two of them could possibly tie with each other. Whenever somebody that spun after somebody else got the same amount (if they both had $0.50 for example) the person that just span the wheel could either keep the tied amount or get to spin again but would be risking the possibly of going over the $1.00 limit and lose the opportunity to be able to compete to win one of the showcases. Landing ON the $1.00 meant a series of bonuses beginning with usually $1,000.00. If the surrounding $0.05 or $0.15 was landed on, the common amount was $5,000.00 and the common amount for landing on the $1.00 AGAIN was double that amount.

Other parts of the game was for example Contestants Row. Contestants Row had 4 spots and at the beginning of the series the audience members were selected from an audition (NOT randomly) and one of them would get to play what is commonly called "Pricing Game".

There are many games, some of them retired, and some of them are based on other game shows (similar to how several musical compositions that are played on The Price Is Right were reused from other game shows, such as one of The Hollywood Squares themes) and some of them are very popular by themselves such as "Plinko", which is a game where the contestants have to guess part of the amount of the prizes and then drop Plinko Chips and watch them make their way to any one of the number amounts.

There were originally two contestants competing and they of course have to guess the same number or below it to be able to win the prize and to get to compete in a Pricing Game. Ever since The Showcase Showdown, nine contestants would get to compete on Contestants Row, 3 of them winning the same thing which are a few small prizes. Towards the very end, a bunch of prizes can be won "If The Price Is Right". These prizes are presented by the models who usually are setting up the Pricing Games are now seen in two well worded scripted sketches which are often cleverly comical. They are all in various costumes and the announcer tells a story and somehow these prizes are fit into the story.


People that have worked on The Price Is Right:


Bill Cullen:

He is the first host on The Price Is Right, but later became a panel member on other game shows and host of several others. He combines comedy into hosting game shows and wore very thick glasses.


Bob Barker:

Bob Barker ends the game show as to help control the pet population (talking about only dogs and cats) and brings them in that are up for adoption. He has hosted most of the episodes of The Price Is Right: all of them since 1972 until 2007, and much of the Prime Time versions. His hair was darker colored while he was hosting before it turned white. And Vanna White was featured on Contestants Row before co-hosting the modern version of Wheel Of Fortune. He hosted for 35 years on The Price Is Right. There have been numerous issues regarding fair treatment between Bob Barker and some of The Models.


Dennis James:

He was a candidate for host of The Price Is Right and became the host of the weekly prime time version until 1977.


Tom Kennedy:

Tom Kennedy was the host of a nightly version of The Price Is Right from 1985-1986.


Doug Davidson:

Host of "The New Price Is Right" from 1994-1995. It was also another nightly series.


Drew Carey:

He began hosting towards the end of 2007. Ever since then, The studio has been redesigned slightly with different colored walls and a few extra lights along with improved opening graphics. His experience in comedy and his thick glasses gives him resemblance to Bill Cullen, who also wore thick glasses and commented on everything and blended comedy into game show competitions. He does not have any nicknames for The Barker Beauties, and instead refers to them individually.


Johnny Olsen:

He narrated all United States versions until his death in 1985.


Gene Wood:

Gene Wood was the interim announcer in 1985. He is a well known announcer and substitute host.


Rod Roddy:

Rod Roddy became an announce for The Price Is Right beginning in 1985 and appeared on camera to talk about weight loss and other health issues. Then he decided to add color to his wardrobes. He is a well known announcer and appeared with Bob Barker on the game show for many years. His excitement and energetic announcing of the next contestant is well remembered. Eventually he stopped appearing on The Price Is Right due to Fremantle Media now producing the series and claiming that was against their policies (which now appears to have been revised since several Fremantle Media produced game shows have appearances by the announcers. He also stopped appearing due to many illnesses which spread to Breast Cancer. He died in 2003.


Randy West, one of the announcers for the revised "Supermarket Sweep", was the interim announcer during 2003.


Burton Richardson is the substitute announcer for The Price Is Right. He began doing this in 2001.


Rich Fields is the present announcer for the United States version of The Price Is Right.


Holly Hallstorm was a model for The Price Is Right off and on from 1977 to 1995.


Phire Dawson is a model that appeared ever since 2005.


Lanisha Cole is a model appearing since 2003.


Janice Pennington appeared from 1972-2000.


Amber Lancaster and Stephanie Leigh Schlund.


Shane Stirling and Brandi Sherwood appeared since 2002.




Anywhere else??:


Of Course!! In Asia, There is a version in China called "Shopping Street" hosted by Zhen Cheng.


In Europe, "What Does It Cost" is in Finland and hosted by Mikko Yoderson and Petri Liski.


Le Juste Prix airs in France, Veiksmes Cena in Latvia; and Atínale al Precio in Mexico, and Africa has had a version in Morocco.

In Oceania, there is also an Australian version and versions in New Zealand and The Phillipines. There are more versions in other countries.