New Price Is Right Host

As you probably know, Bob Barker retired from his duties as host of "The Price Is Right" (TPIR) and Drew Carey was hired to replace him. Drew Carey built his career on comedy and a sitcom creatively titled "The Drew Carey Show" [Cleveland Rocks!]. He has hosted "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and this summer "Power of 10." I recorded his inaugural day on TPIR, not to criticize him, but to see how the show would manage without its signature element.

A host determines the atmosphere of an event. Perhaps I expect Drew to emulate Bob Barker, but I was not impressed by his first day. On "Power of 10," Drew maintained a relaxed environment as he chatted with the contestants, although he seemed to ramble just to prevent dead air. That same attitude is not appropriate for TPIR. Instead, it sounds awkward. Drew needs to command the games. I'll give him some time to develop his approach. In the meantime, I have a few suggestions:

1) Don't ramble.
2) Point at "the next item up for bid" with conviction.
3) Do not rely on cue cards to create suspense.
4) Maintain control of your contestants.
5) Contestants may be confused about logistics. Gently assist them--perhaps a tug on the elbow or a short spoken phrase.

Bob Barker was known for his greeting and his signoff. As the audience cheered at the beginning of the show, he would acknowledge their applause with "Thank You...Thank You...Welcome to The Price Is Right." Drew entered with "Hi. Hello. How's it going? What's up, man?" At the close of the show, Drew repeated Bob's signature phrase, "Help control the pet population. Have you pets spayed or neutered. Goodbye, everybody." Unless he holds the same stance on the issue, he should create his own signoff to make the show his own.

Was Drew's first day successful? From a gaming standpoint, yes. All six contestants won the top prize(s), two people spun $1.00 in the showcase showdown, and both of them guessed within $6,000 on their showcases.

I will continue to record the show and monitor his development.

(FYI, day 2 went much smoother. Those in charge seemed to select calmer contestants that could be controlled. My favorite was the lady playing PLINKO who had to pee really bad.)