Amazing Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Price is Right

For 42 years avid game show lovers have been entertained by the Price is Right. Here are the interesting, revealing behind-the-scenes facts you’ll be surprised to learn about one of America’s most beloved game shows!

Best Prize

Almost all contestants hope to win a big ticket item, most often a shiny new car. The studio actually has at 37 to 45 cars waiting in the parking lot. The show films 6 episodes a week, each one featuring at least 3 cars. The show never features the same car twice so at least 37 are on standby to be featured as a potential prize.

Prizes aren’t What They Seem

The cars that are won are not always the cars the contestants get to take home. Instead of having to drive their four-wheeled prize back to their hometown, the show sets the winners up with a local dealership. The often get to pick their own car of the same value!

Taping Gone Wrong

A host of beautiful women have been featured on the show, one notable face was the gorgeous Janice Pennington. During a taping of the show, she was knocked unconscious by a camera and went on to have two corrective surgeries in order to mend her injuries. One surgery actually left her shoulder inches shorter than the other. The model later said she believed the incident ruined her career.

Cheating Scandal

In 2008, Terry Kniess was picked to “come on down” to the Contestant’s Row. He made it all the way to the Showcase Showdown, where he made history: He guessed the exact price of his prize package. He correctly bid that his prize package was worth the exact number of $23,743 dollars. Taping was halted for almost an hour, producers were convinced Kniess had cheated. But the win was legitimate. He had watched the show every day for years, memorized all the prize values, and added them up in his head during his time on the show. Kniess won a karaoke machine and a pool table, among other prizes.

No Cash Here

Most game shows offer their winners the option of taking home the cash value of their won prize if the object in question is not to their liking. But the Price is Right demands that the contestant either take the prize or decline. Contestants who win something unappealing often go on to sell their prize. Perhaps winning a boat when you live in a land-locked city is not ideal occurrence…

Host with the Most

In 2007, the search began to replace long-time host Bob Barker. The search proved more difficult than expected. George Hamilton, Ian Ziering, Mario Lopez and John O’Hurley were all rumored to have auditioned. Rosie O’Donnell also publicly claimed to have been offered the position. The role ultimately went to funnyman Drew Carrey.

Rare Design

The famous Plinko chips used in the game are actually incredibly rare; there are only 10 in existence. Five are used on the show, while 5 are kept as back-up. They’re apparently expensive to make and are locked in a box once the show has concluded. The chips got their name from the ‘plink, plink’ sound they make as they make their way through the board.

A Serious Mistep

In one of the most embarrassing moments in the show’s history, Daniele Perez won a treadmill. One slight problem was that the contestant was in a wheelchair. Perez told People Magazine, “I just thought, ‘Oh this is perfect, you cannot write this, you cannot make this up.’ It’s not even that I’m in a wheelchair, it’s that I literally don’t have feet.” Her appearance on the show went viral.

High Pressure

There is one man who decides which audience members become a contestant; Stan Blits is the crew member you need to impress. He told The New York Post, “I am looking for energy, sincerity, and potential humor. And if they can equal my energy or exceed it and maintain it, they are at the top of the list.” Blits says those who know exactly who he is, often offer up some high-quality bribes – all of which he turns down, of course.

Lucky Numbers

There are often high-priced items featured on the show. One of the highest winning contestants featured on the show was Sheree Heil who won an Audi priced at $157,300. Heil also won $10,000 in cash and a pair of Prada shoes worth $3045. But the all-time biggest win happened in a 2008 episode, a man won $1,153,908 during “The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular” special.

Long Legacy

The Price Is Right debuted on CBS on September 4th, 1972. The show has aired nonstop since its very first showing, producing over 8,000 episodes. The show entered its 46th season in September 2017. It stands as the longest-running series of any kind on network television in the USA. In 2007, the show was named by TV Guide as the “the greatest game show of all time.”

Gray Goodness

In 1987, Barker had to get approval from the head of daytime programming to stop dyeing his hair. he became one of the few TV hosts with gray hair. Barker went on vacation and stopped tinting, and people complimented his gray locks so much so that he decided to keep the look.In a strange correlation, the ratings actually improved after the host made the change.

Skinny is Better

The iconic skinny microphone is actually made with a special reason in mind. The microphone is supposed to be less intimidating to shy contestants. The producers believe that the usual, larger microphone might be overwhelming for hesitant participants.

Tax Highs

You might think that the contestants walk away with the cash advertised but due to some pretty steep federal taxes, that’s not the case. ABC interviewed a few contestants about how much they had to pay in taxes, with one former winner claiming he won $57,000 in prizes but had to pay close to $20,000 in taxes. Another contestant turned down his $10,000 cash, because he didn’t want to give half to his ex-wife.

Fashion Faux Pas

In 1977, one contestant revealed a little more than usual to the TV audience and the studio crowd. The female contestant, Yolanda Bowersley, was so excited about being plucked from the crowd that she experienced a wardrobe malfunction with her tube top slipping down as she ran towards the stage. “She began jumping up and down and out they came,” Barker told Larry King of “the most talked about single incident in the history of the show.”

Bad Reputation

Barker’s exit from the show was abrupt, leaving many fans wondering exactly why the host departed so swiftly. Apparently, many of the swimsuit-clad women who were featured on the show filed lawsuits against Barkey citing inappropriate misconduct by Barker. Other’s sadly claimed they were unfairly dismissed or discriminated against on the grounds of their age and weight.

Missing Out

 
Many contestants have revealed that TV audiences are actually missing out on the very best part of the show. Carrey is known to like to keep things high-energy in between takes. He makes giggle-inducing jokes, performs skits and dances in order to entertain the studio crowd.

Legal Troubles

 
In 2012, a jury decided to award former Miss USA and Price is Right model $7.7 million in damages. Brandi Cochran said that producers had refused to rehire the model after her maternity leave, resulting in her being wrongfully dismissed and clearly discriminated against.

Famous Face

 
Actor Aaron Paul is most well known for his role on the dramatic series Breaking Bad, but the actor once went on down to the Price is Right stage. Video footage surfaced showing the actor’s enthusiastic appearance and promptly went viral.

 

Carrey On

 
Once Barker left the show and was replaced by Carrey, producers were nervous about keeping the ratings up. They devised a few changes to the show’s formula, making the game just a little bit easier, ensuring that contestants would come out on top. Producers also introduced a new game entitled Drew Carey’s Million Dollar Spectacular, which was won in 2008 by Cynthia Azevedo. Contestants should be thanking the funnyman for taking the job!

Former Frontman

 
Bob Barker was the face which became synonymous with the show but few might remember that another man had the hosting gig. Bill Cullen hosted the show during its first year in 1956. Sadly, Cullen was replaced after being diagnosed with Polio.

Age is but a Number

In 2013, Barker made a memorable return to The Price is Right stage. Fans were delighted when the iconic presenter returned to co-host alongside Carrey. Barker was as charming and effervescent as ever despite the show coinciding with his 90th birthday!

On-Camera Fail

Almost anything can happen when the cameras are rolling, one particularly memorable moment involved an ex-Brady Bunch star and a $100 000 car. Florence Henderson was so overjoyed to be on set, she actually crashed the car she was driving into the set wall. Luckily, there was no damage to the shiny new prize.

Wheel of Fortune

Each episode features two Showcase Showdowns, to determine who goes on to bid on The Showcase. Contestants must spin the ominous Big Wheel, which displays different values from five cents to up to $1. If the wheel does not make a full rotation, the contestant must spin again. In two spins, whoever has the highest total value (which doesn’t go over $1) gets to ultimately compete for the Showcase.

Wheel Won’t Work

In 2003, Bob Barker himself spun the wheel for a contestant who was in a wheelchair. The big wheel failed to go all the way around, and the studio audience actually booed the host himself. Barker later said that the unfortunate blunder was the most embarrassing moment in his hosting career.

Pucker Up

The show boasts some impressive statistics. Throughout its time on the air, the show has given away 8550 vehicles and $600 million in cash. It’s also been estimated that Bob received 22 000 kisses from grateful female contestants. Lucky, him!

Popularity Contest

The game show is an undeniable worldwide cultural staple. There have been board games, casino slot machines and computer games all based off of the famous show. The Price is Right has also won 7 Primetime Emmy Awards. There are multiple foreign adaptations of the show, airing in Mexico, the UK and Australia.

Barking Mad

In the 1980s, Barker, who is an avid animal-lover, started signing off with, “Have your pets spayed or neutered.” In 1987, when Barker hosted the Miss USA pageant, he reportedly demanded all those wearing fur change outfits or he would pull out of the taping. After he retired, he donated $2.5 million to renovate a Los Angeles building to become PETA’s west coast hub. Barker also generously donated $1 million to Columbia Law School to fund the study of animal rights.

Missing Persons

In 1976, Patricia Bernard was invited to “Come On Down!” by announcer Johnny Olson, producers simply couldn’t find Bernard in the audience. She had actually momentarily left to use the washroom, her frantic husband had to run and fetch her to tell her to join Contestant’s Row. Barker cited this as one of the funniest moments in the Price is Right history.

The Price is Consistent

The show asks contestants to guess the prices of regular household items — but in the real world, prices do vary by location. Prices differ depending on the availability of the resource of the density of the city the item is found in. To keep all the pricing consistent, the show relies on information from the same group of retailers (which are mostly based in California).