The Price Is Right: Sweeping Changes Are In the Air

[All My Shadows]

[!@#$%^&*] them.

The show died for me when Bob left, anyway. They should take a note from "Soul Train." When they realized that nobody was watching new episodes, they stopped airing them and just started airing random episodes from the 70s and 80s. The ratings must be good because they've been doing it for two seasons now. TPIR is the type of show where people wouldn't mind watching old-as-dirt episodes. The only major change would be some of the games and definitely the prices. But I think it'd be a bigger hit than Drew Bull-[!@#$%^&*] Carey has been.

[Roman]

Remember when ABC revamped American Bandstand?

That lasted one season before it was cancelled.

Stop [!@#$%^&*] with [!@#$%^&*] that works! Why is this so damn hard to understand?!

[EastMA2]

The link above brings an error. Can someone summarize what the sweeping changes are?

Has CBS NOT learned from the GL revamp FIASCO that it is not wise to fix something that isn't broken? What is wrong with these executives? They keep shooting themselves in the foot and then wonder where all the viewers are going. Stupid, stupid. I'm kind of shocked, even though I know I shouldn't be, that CBS would do something like this as they watch GL's ratings freefall each week because of their revamped format.

[dragonflies]

Yeah, I don't get it, what does it matter how old someone is that's watching? No offense intended, but if it were me, I'd court the older demo over a teen demo.

Where do most teens get their income from? Their PARENTS. It's their parents that are more likely to have the disposable income........

If it isn't broke, then don't fix it

[Roman]

It could be this......

The execs probably feel that older viewers are stuck in their ways, therefore they don't want to try and make programs for them. But they may feel that younger viewers will take anything that the networks put on.

It maybe wrong, but that is what they maybe thinking.

[dragonflies]

From what I've read in the past, networks feel older people are too frugal with their money and won't go out and spend money on the products that are advertised by their sponsors, but they feel younger viewers are more than likely to do the opposite

[Kwing42]

Two things

1) I can not get the link to work

2) Doesn't Barker run the production company in charge of the show???? Or isn't he a producer? Seems like he would have some input?

[Tishy]

The link now leads to an error page. Can someone please fill us in?

[Sylph]

An American Institution Is Dead

As of 5:15 Pacific time, July 3rd, 2008, a treasured piece of Americana took a bullet to the head.

Most viewers don't know this yet. but that was the time, "The Price Is Right" wrapped the last show of its 36th season, and ended the classic show as we know it.

Don't misunderstand the message here. "TPIR" will continue into its 37th season. However, sweeping changes are in the air at Beverly and Fairfax. If what I hear is correct, the longest, continuously running, game show, and 9th longest- running entertainment show in history, is looking at the beginning of the end.

It seems, FremantleMedia, or at least Fremantle's Cecile Frot-Coutaz, known around Television City as "The Ice Queen", put forth an edict last year, that the Drew Carey edition of "Price" would have one season in its current format, and then all traces of the Bob Barker era, would be erased from the show.

First to be erased, "Price" Producer, Roger Dobkowitz, who was with the show from its premiere on CBS in 1972. Word from those behind the scenes is, that Frot-Coutaz wanted to take the show, "In a different direction". Dobkowitz got the boot, after the season's final show taped Wednesday.

The scuttlebutt is that, Fremantle, or at least Frot-Coutaz, wants to make "Price" look like Fremantle's mega hit, "American Idol." That means, a number of revisions which are yet unknown. What is virtually certain is, the look of the show will change dramatically. Gone, are the three sliding "Price" doors on stage. Gone, is contestant's row as we know it. Gone are turntables which rotated to reveal game boards and prizes. Gone is the general feel of the show which millions have come to know and love.

From what we hear, emcee Drew Carey, is not at all happy with the events of the last 72 hours, and apparently he's not the only person on the staff who isn't smiling. It seems the staffers are despondent over the firing of Dobkowitz, as well as the plans to perform elective surgery on the show.

We have also heard that Frot-Coutaz and Executive Producer Syd Vinnedge, took former host Bob Barker to lunch Thursday, to tell him the news. Evidently, Bob was furious when heard plans for the show which he built over the last three decades.

From the looks of things, Ms. Frot-Coutaz wants to put her stamp on "Price". even if that involves destroying a show that has survived 36 years, without much change. Fremantle (and its predecessors) has a long, and stellar history in renewing classic shows. Remember how well "Card Sharks" did in 2001? How about the 1998 version of "Match Game"? Let's not forget the 2006 incarnation of "I've Got A Secret", and the complete disaster that was "Temptation" aka-"The New Sale Of The Century". So far, the only classic which Fremantle has not completely botched, is "Password", now called "Million Dollar Password". (Still, "Million Dollar Password" is a show with all kinds of format problems, which will continue to show up in the coming weeks, I'm sure.)

Is an overhaul of "Price" needed? Well, the ratings DID slip 15 percent over the last year. I have to figure that's not bad considering the man who emceed the show for 35 years retired. The fact that Mr. Carey held on to 85 percent of the "Price" viewers, is testament to the fact that he's good, his style is working with most viewers, and that the show was strong enough to withstand such a replacement. Oh wait! Here's why the show must change--the demographics for "Price" don't skew strongly enough toward the 18-25 year olds Fremantle and CBS seem to crave. Funny thing is, I don't see a whole lot of black holes in the commercial breaks, in either the daytime or primetime versions of the show. That means advertisers are willing to pony up the money to run their ads in the show, regardless of the relative age of the viewing audience.

CBS had better think long and hard about what is about to happen. Jump in the Wayback Machine, and set the dial for 1974. NBC hired Lin Bolen as V.P. of daytime programming. It's widely known that Ms. Bolen thought the number-one rated NBC daytime lineup was "old" looking, and decided to shake things up. Her first step was to begin killing off "Jeopardy!" by moving the show from its solid 11:00 Central/Pacific slot, to 9:30, then to 12:30pm. This was to make room for her pet project, "Jackpot", which she considered the new breed of shows, hosted by "young studs." The move, coupled with ABC's imminent cancelation of "Password" and "Split Second", catapulted CBS into the daytime ratings lead, which the network has held for more than 30 years. By the way, "The Price Is Right" has been the number-one or number-two daytime show, for a good deal of that time.

Since it looks like nobody around Television City had any idea what was about to happen on "The Price Is Right", I have to figure the miraculous change to the show has not physically started. "Price" is on hiatus for about three weeks, and is scheduled to begin taping the "New Price Is Right" in August. Ms. Frot-Coutaz and Mr. Vinnedge had better be as good as they think they are, if they are gonna pull off the transformation in such a short period of time. My guess is, they aren't.

Mr. Dobkowitz received his death sentence quickly. Frot-Coutaz should prepare herself for the same fate, though a longer, more painful execution. She's certainly gonna feel that noose slowly tightening around her neck, since viewers don't normally react positively to changes to an American icon. "The Price Is Right" is a television institution. An institution is where Frot-Coutaz belongs if she thinks she can reinvent the wheel. "Price" served CBS well for 36 years. Frot-Coutaz may not have 36 weeks to pull off her ill-conceived plan. I wonder if she'll get lovely parting gifts.

Of course, what do I know?

[TC]

Angela Landsbury was quite outspoken about how they set out to kill her rather solid "Murder She Wrote" for the very same reason. I believe they moved it from its well known spot on Sundays to opposite what was then a killer night on NBC's Thursday.

[Soapsuds]

Love her show. I have all of MSW on DVD. I remember the bad move to Thursdays. But the show did well after more than 10 years on the air.

[TC]

I've thought of getting the complete collection for my mother, she'd love it, but so would my significant other, so we'd probably end up keeping it.

Fun to see all the old stars, some I'd never really heard of until her show, but then went on later to recognize them in their earlier Hollywood Golden Age work.

[Soapsuds]

It's worth it whether you get it for your mother or for yourself and your bf. I am still waiting for news of Season 9 being released.

[TC]

Did you get it though A&E? And... is there much commentary?

[Soapsuds]

I've gotten several season through Amazon...others through FYE..and other places. I believe season 6 has commentary with producers, writers and Angela Lansbury. The other seaons have extras but dont recall what it is.