The Price is Right

If Bob Barker didn't exist, television would've had to invent him. His folksy and highly-controlled approach is slick, witty, charming, disarming and utterly appropriate for the populist realm of game shows.

Until "Who Wants To Be Millionaire?," you could safely assert that there was no more populist a game show than "The Price Is Right." The cross-section of people who "come on down" to play the game is as culturally diverse a melting pot as you'll find on television. And because of this, it is easy for the viewer to relate to the contestants, and to feel for their ups and downs.

Skillfully facilitating all of this is Barker, who is refreshingly old-school in his across-the-board respect for the contestants. And he doesn't have to strain to "sell" the pricing games to the viewers -- most are clever, challenging and enduring.

One of the interesting elements about "Price" is that a contestant can be inept as a pricer, but if they're lucky enough, they could still advance to win the "showcase" at the end of the show. The "anything can happen" element this creates helps make the show even more interesting, if occasionally frustrating. (It seems unfair to disqualify an excellent showcase guest that is over by a few hundred, while the "winning" guest is under by several thousand. But those are the rules.)

Cheers to Mr. Barker, and to Rod and "the beauties."

I guess I am a Game Show fanatic! I have just finnished commentnig on Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! I love to watch the Price is Right on days off from School and over the summer. I like seeing the prizes and the reactions you get from people when they win something. It's a great show and I am so glad that CBS still shows it.

This is a fun game show to watch as contestants try to guess prices on merchandise, bid to get up on stage, and play various games. My favorite games include Cliffhangers, Gas Money, Carey's Car Club, Plinko, and Hole in One. It is fun to watch the models and host interact with the contestants and the contestants play the games. Bob Barker had to be a tough act to follow as host since he did it for so long and pretty much reached legendary status, but Drew Carey pretty much holds his own and does a good job. The phrase "Come on down!" has become legendary as well. Overall not a bad way to spend an hour watching television.

** 1/2 out of ****

After over thirty years on the air, this I think it is right to call this show an institution. The Price Is Right is one of the few shows on television that is loved by young and old alike and that can be attributed to Bob Barker and the production staff who have done everything over the years to keep it fresh and innovative as well as exciting for the viewers. This is truly one show that I am proud to say that I grew up with.

With those 3 little words, you know that you're in for a fun time every weekday, and even after over 50 years being on the air, it's not slowing down anytime soon!

When the show first debuted in 1972, it started off as a half-hour show before expanding to an hour 3 years later in 1975, and the rest is television history!

The late, great Bob Barker was the first host of the show, and hosted it with class, sophistication and quickness. He hosted it for the first 35 seasons of the show before retiring in 2007 at the end of the season.

Then, at the start of the show's 36th season, we get our 2nd host in the name of Drew Carey, who is still hosting it as of this year, and even though he was a little nervous when he first started, he quickly got comfortable in the role, and I liked him as the host. Even if Carey isn't as good as Barker, at least he's being himself and not trying to imitate him in the process. Alongside the host were the announcers, starting with the late Johnny Olson as the show's first announcer until his sad death in 1985, and after some guest announcers filled in for the late Olson, the show's 2nd announcer Rod Roddy, joined in 1986 and announced until his death in 2003, then Rich Fields would take over a year later continued to announce for the show after Barker left the show and Carey took over, and after Fields left in 2011, George Gray would become the show's 4th announcer and has since remained the announcer as of this year.

And of course, the show wouldn't be completed without the rotating models from Barker's Beauties to the current ones, like the lovely and elegant Janice Pennington, the beautiful and sexy Dian Parkinson (my favorite model of the Barker's Beauties era), the cute and adorable Holly Hallstrom (my 2nd favorite of the BB era), the equally beautiful Kathleen Bradley, the lovely Chantel Dubay, the equally beautiful Brandi Sherwood, and from the current era, Gwendolyn Osborne, Amber Lancaster, Alexis Gaube, and my personal favorite of the current era, the beautiful and lovely Rachel Reynolds!

So, if you love pricing games and winning big money or a brand-new car, then come on down and watch The Price Is Right!