airdates: NBC daytime 11/26/56-9/6/63 & primetime 9/23/57-9/6/63, ABC daytime 9/9/63-9/3/65 & primetime 9/18/62-9/11/64, CBS daytime 9/4/72-on, CBS primetime 8/14-9/18/86 and occasionally as of 2002, syndicated 9/11/72-9/79 by Viacom, 9/9/85-9/5/86 by Television Program Source & 9/12/94-1/27/95 by Paramount Television
hosts: Bill Cullen ('56-'65), Bob Barker (CBS '72-'07, syn. '77-'80), Dennis James (syn. '72-'77), Tom Kennedy (syn. '85-'86), Doug Davidson (syn. '94-'95), Drew Carey ('07-today)
announcers: Don Pardo (NBC), Johnny Gilbert (ABC), Johnny Olson ('72-'85), Gene Wood ('85-'86), Bob Hilton ('85-'86), Rod Roddy ('85-'03), Burton Richardson ('03-'04, syndie '94-'95), Randy West ('03-'04), Rich Fields ('04-present)
'56-'65, 30 min.: Four players, one a returning champion, took turns bidding on a prize. Each player's bid had to be higher than the previous one. If a player felt that the next bid would put him/her over the actual price of the prize up for bids, (s)he may "freeze." A player may underbid, but would be automatically frozen. When a buzzer sounds, those who have not yet froze made their final bids. After all players have frozen, the actual retail price was revealed. Whoever bid closest to the price without going over won that prize. Some prizes were one-bid items, played like in Contestants' Row on today's TPIR. Some items up for bids also featured bonus prizes included or would have the winner play a bonus game for additional prizes. The last prize was usually the most expensive one. At the end of the show, whomever won the highest total in merchandise returned on the next show.
CBS 9/4/72-8/29/75, 9/8-10/31/75, syn. '72-'79, syn. '85-'86, 30 min.: During the show opening, four members of the studio audience were called to "COME ON DOWN!" to Contestant's Row. At the start, an IUFB is presented, and the four contestants each bid once on the prize. After all four players have bid, the price is revealed and whoever is closest without going over wins the prize and gets to play a pricing game for additional prizes. This process is repeated twice. After three IUFBs and three pricing games, the two players with the highest totals in prizes played in the Showcase.
CBS 9/1-9/5/75, 11/3/75-on, 1 hr.: Starting sometime in the late '70s, bidding the exact price of the IUFB won a $100 bonus. As of '98, as well as the mid-'80s nightie version, that bonus is $500. As of 2001 on the primetime specials, it's $1k.
After three IUFBs and three pricing games, those three players compete in the Showcase Showdown for a spot in the Showcase. Each player is allowed a maximum of 2 spins at the big wheel. On the wheel are 20 numbers from $.05-$1 in 5-cent increments. Each player spins the wheel and if the value of the first spin is less than $1, (s)he may either stand on that number or spin again. If (s)he spins again, what comes up on the second spin is added to what came up on the first spin. If the total is less than a $1, (s)he's still in the game. If over $1, (s)he's outta there! Whoever scores closest to $1 without going over wins a spot in the Showcase. In case of a tie, those players each get one spin, and the highest number wins. If a player gets $1 on the first spin, or gets a total of $1 with 2 spins, (s)he wins a $1,000 bonus! As of 12/78, any player who got $1 on the wheel wins not only $1,000 but also a bonus spin in which $10,000 ($5,000 from '78-'08) can be won by landing on one of the green spaces on either side of the $1 space, or $25,000 ($10,000 from '78-'08) for landing on $1! After three more IUFBs, three more pricing games, and another Showcase Showdown, the two Showcase Showdown winners compete in the Showcase.
In the Showcase, the two top winners in the '70s/'80s syndie shows and the first 3 years of the CBS run, or the two Showcase Showdown winners on CBS from '75-on, are each presented a showcase of prizes to bid on. The player who has won the most loot up to that point is allowed to either bid on the first showcase or pass it to the runner-up and bid on the second showcase. After each player has bid on their own showcase, the player who has come closest to the retail price of their own showcase without going over wins it. From '74-'98, if the winner was <$100 away from the price of his/her showcase, (s)he won both showcases. As of then, both showcases are won if the winner's difference is $250-. The show which aired on 12/16/08 saw the first-ever perfect bid on a showcase! A similar win is believed to have occured on the nighttime edition from the '70s
For a short time in '75, the show featured a Do-It-Yourself Showcase, in which the player selected a secret prize for his/her showcase, one from each of three groups.
Syn. '94-'95: Hosted by Doug Davidson (Y&R's "Paul Williams"). When a studio audience member was called by The Arsenio Hall Show's Burton Richardson to "come on down", (s)he immediately came up on stage to play a pricing game. After three such games had been played, the three contestants competed for a chance to play the Showcase. The Showdown could either feature the big wheel, or "The Price Was Right", in which the three players watched a commercial from the past and bid on what the price of the depicted item was back then. If they all overbid, the bids were erased and they bid again. Whoever came closest without going over played the Showcase.
In the Showcase, the player was shown a Showcase of prizes worth $10k-$70k. During the break, the player randomly selected, in a blind draw, a red range finder from $4k-$10k. The range finder moved slowly up the scale. If the player felt the ARP was within the range finder, (s)he pulled a lever. If the ARP was within the range finder, (s)he won one heck of a showcase!
On the '01-'02 primetime specials, spinning $1 in a bonus spin was worth $100,000! On the Million Dollar Spectaculars with Bob, $1,OOO,OOO (!!) could be won by doing the very same, although each green space was still worth $5k. In '07, the bonus for scoring $1 increased to $10,000, with the green sections in the bonus spin being worth $20k Starting on the fourth MDS, whoever won their showcase, or both showcases, would spin for $1M. Originally, if the Showcase ended in a double overbid, an audience member would "come on down" and spin for $1M. As of 2/14/06, the overbidder who came closer to their showcase's ARP would still be allowed to spin for $1M. In the post-showcase spin, the green and black spaces became worthless. The $1M was never won under this format.
On 2/22/08, the first of another set of Million Dollar Spectaculars premiered with new rule changes. One pricing game at random is designated as the $1,000,000 Game. Another way to win the $1M was to win both showcases by coming within $1,000-. This spread narrowed to $500- by May 7. In addition, scoring $1 on the wheel wins $5,000 and a bonus spin worth $25,000 for a green space or $50,000 for landing on $1. On 2/22/08, Adam Rose became TPIR's first millionaire!
OTHER TIDBITS:
Original announcer Johnny Olson and successor Rod Roddy both announced on the current run until their deaths on 10/12/85 & 10/28/03, respectively. A weatherman named Rich Fields now handles those duties.
Mark Goodson Productions became property of All American Communications in the late '90s, which was later renamed Pearson TV and is now FremantleMedia of North America. After Mark passed away on 12/18/92, his son Jonathan took over Goodson Productions two months later.
TPIR was one of 3 game shows which premiered on CBS on 9/4/72. The Joker's Wild and Gambit were the other two. Joker lasted for 3 years, Gambit for 4.
The 30th anniversary special was taped @ the Harrah's (Oh, yeah!) Rio in Vegas.
Among the Barker's Beauties who have modeled the prizes over the years have included Janice Pennington ('72-'00), Anitra Ford ('72-'77), Dian Parkinson ('75-'93), Holly Hallstrom ('77-'95), Kyle Aletter (daughter of actress Lee Meriwether), Kathleen Bradley ('90-'00), Gena Lee Nolin ('93-'94), Cindy Margolis ('94-'96), Chantel Dubay Beck ('96-'98), Nikki Ziering ('98-'02), Claudia Jordan ('01-'03), and Heather Kozar ('01-'02). As of 2002, the episodes rotate between models such as Brandi Sherwood, Gwendolyn Smith and Lanisha Cole. On the mid-'90s syndie version, Doug Davidson was joined by Lisa Stahl, Julie Cialini, and Ferarri Ferris.
TPIR was not without its hilarious moments! The most memorable of which occured in 1977 on the same day that Secret X debuted. The incident involved Yolanda Bowersly wearing a tube top. When she was called to "come on down", her top slipped down en route to Contestants' Row! Yup, she "came on down" and they came on out!
Drew Carey began his showbiz career as a stand-up comic and starred on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, from 1995-2004. Drew also hosted Whose Line Is It Anyway? from 1999-2006. Both shows aired on ABC.
In 1980, Johnny Olsen called someone named Vanna White to "Come On Down!" However, she didn't win her way up on stage. Hmm, I wonder what she's doing now.
Future actress Linda Cardellini (ER, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed) won a fireplace in '93.
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