Game Show Marathon
 

Does anyone plan to watch this?

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/game_show_marathon/

Tonight they are doing "The Price is Right" and tomorrow will be "Let's Make a Deal".

Please discuss.:)

The Price is Right is NOT The Price is Right without Bob Barker. :(

Didn't Game Show Network just recently fail and get pulled from the air (or about to be pulled)?? So what makes them think that this is a good idea?? And who decided RICKI LAKE would be a good idea??

It's still on, haven't heard or seen anything about it getting pulled.

I haven't heard anything about GSN trying to pull the games. I wonder why since most (if not all) of these game shows are/were on CBS.

I also agree about TPIR not being the TPIR without Bob. And with Bob Eubanks and Monty Hall still alive, they could have brought on the orginal hosts of some of these shows (the Press Your Luck host just past away a few weeks ago). But at least Ricki's back on TV (I was a big fan of the talk show in HS).

I'm willing to give this show a shot. If it's not close to the orginals as possible, I'm going to be highly upset.

*paging Rainman for this thread, Rainman*:)

I could have sworn I saw a blurb about it getting yanked somewhere.

OK, I'm here
 

To say that TPIR isn't TPIR without Bob is IMHO one-dimensional and shortsighted to say the least. Remember, that there was an original version of TPIR that aired back in the 50s and 60s that was hosted by Bill Cullen that IMHO was a really cool game show on its own merits. For all you know, there could be some folk out there who don't like the current Price is Right because they though Bill Cullen WAS The Price is Right. But I digress somewhat.

During the Barker run of TPIR ('72-present) there have been three nighttime versions of TPIR that was NOT hosted by Barker and with the exception of one of the three incarnations, was still an entertaining show to watch. Let's review:

70s nighttime version--Hosted by Dennis James ('72-'79). James was just as good of a host as Barker and it was still an awesome show to watch. Now while Barker took over the nighttime version for its final season before it got cancelled in '80, it was NOT because James' hosting skills were subpar; weekly nighttime game shows were beginning to decline by that time anyhow.

80s nighttime version--Hosted by Tom Kennedy ('85-'86). Like James, Kennedy did a superb job at hosting, although he doesn't give himself enough credit in this venue. But again, good show, and just as fun to watch as the Barker version

(side note: while this was going on in the syndication circuit, during the summer of 1986, CBS aired special hour-long nighttime versions hosted by Bob Barker on Thursday nights at 8 p.m.--perhaps it was done as a test run for a nighttime show that upcoming season; at any rate it couldn't surpass Cosby's runaway ratings and the run ended once the '86-'87 season began)

90s nighttime version--Hosted by Doug Davidson ('94-'95). While like James and Kennedy, he did a decent hosting job, the shows format and familiar set was changed TOO radically (a new feature called "The Price WAS Right" and a showcase where a single player participated in a "Range Game"-like format alienated it faithful viewers and it was quickly cancelled.

Long story short: watch an episode of each incarnation of TPIR, THEN cast judgment. It is for that reason I am reserving comment on host Ricki Lake until I see her in action.

Now for the Game Show marathon: From what I have seen they are true to from in format, gameplay, and set design. The GS community is excited and highly anticipating its first show to air tonight (TPIR). Also from what I have heard, these shows are supposed to function as pilots for possible upcoming show series on CBS, so depending on the ratings and reviews of these shows, it is possible that you will be seeing them again soon.

I am in DC again on business, so I have to tape these shows, but I am quietly anticipating their arrival.

For more commentary on the Game Show Marathon, log on to:

TV Gameshows.net

LOL @ your knowledge of history about game shows.

^^^^
And that's why I asked him to "come on down"!;) :p

I do remember someone else hosted TPIR before Bob Barker and Ialso remember Paul from Y&R hosting the nighttime show. But CBS occassionaly still does the nighttime shows (and they give away the best prizes). They just did one on Valentine's Day. But for many of us who did not live in the 50s and 60s or don't remember, Bob IS TPIR.

RM, I'm shocked that you are entuistic about this. I thought you would be upset that they are bringing back these old shows and would be afraid that they would be messed up. But I'm glad you're keeping an open mind.

And BTW, Richard Dawson (Family Feud) is still alive too.:)

I am watching it.....Ricki Lake isn't the best choice. I actually think Paige Davis was better as a contestant than Ricki was as a host!

Last night's show drove me crazy!:mad: :o

Ricki needs to stay in the talk show world. It seemed like she had no control over the show. I still don't know how the Baywatch chick won.

The game is called Hole in One (or two)! She only had one shot and my mother even said Ricki needs to show how it's done (like Bob is the one that puts first).

And if Bob can do six pricing games, two showdowns and a showcase in one hour, Ricki can do the same. They only did a 35 minute game in an hour. And the way they determined who got to the showcase..:mad:

One thing I did like is that they did go over the history of the show. :)

I really hope they redemed themselves tonight with "Let's Make A Deal".

No, they can't pull the Game Show Network! I love that channel. Mr. Pi Phi and I are hooked! (Yes it's sad, anmd I feel like I should wear pants up around my boobs and retire to Florida, but I don't care!).

I watched Game Show Marathon, and I enjoyed it. It's stupid and probably won't last long. It's mindless entertainment like Deal or No Deal, but it's still fun.

That's the same thing I said :cool:

My mom, when I said that, however, reminded me that originally it was only Hole in One. But Ricki still needed to show Kathy how it was done. :p

If I catch it tonight, I catch it...if not, oh well. :D

No Whammies!
 

I have no idea why they picked Ricki Lake for this thing. I will definitely watch when they show Press Your Luck.

Jitterbug, Jitterbug, Jitterbug...

I am getting the notion that you are not fully hip to the full history of TPIR.

You are watching TPIR from the wrong vantage point.

Instead of watching it as if it should be an hourlong show, you should have watched it as if it was the original half-hour show, only with bonus features added. In the original half hour version, there was no Showcase Showdown; it was just the two highest winning players went to the showcase, so the showdown portion you saw was a first time "addition" to the "half-hour" format.

Ditto the poster who said that originally Hole in One was a one-shot deal. You missed, you lost. Simple as that. But I do agree that Ricki should have given that inspiration putt.

I am still undecided on Ricki's performance however. Once I see her in action on all the shows, then I can cast a verdict.

Oh, Jitterbug, if you want more discussion on TPIR, you can visit this message board exclusively devoted to The Price is Right:

Golden Road.net

^^^^
I understand what you are saying Rainman, but how do I watch the half-hour shows? Are they on GSN late at night? Until then, I'm going to go for what I know.

Ricki stil got on my nerves, but Let's Make A Deal was better. This one actually stuck to the orginal.:D

Paige, you really did reedemed yourself. Lance, you better hope that Justin comes back to *NSYNC.:rolleyes: :o :p I think they need more celebrities that the same 6.

Lady Pi Phi, they are not trying to pull GSN. Rumor has it that GSN was trying to pull the show from airing.

I would rather watch a game show than a soap opera any day (well, except ER), but can't seem to get into the nighttime format. Am I the only one?

I'm with you, Lady Pi Phi! I need my GSN!!

Tonight wasn't bad.:)

Tomorrow...The Whammys!!!!:D :D

Since GC was down Thursday...
 

I want to say that the Press Your Luck episode was the best one so far!:D It brought back so many memories!

This week is Card Sharks (another game show from the 80s).

It was the best so far. I just KNEW Tim Meadows was going to win.

Card Sharks SUCKED! They killed my favorite game show!
 

OMG, this was a freakin' disappointment!

Partially blamed on CBS, and partially blamed on Ricki Lake, but between the two of them, they took a show that I tuned in to see religiously as a 4/5/6-year old at 10:00 a.m. EST on NBC and killed it with a bunch of...nonsense.

Lemme explain:

The Card Sharks I knew and loved was a fast-paced, high-energy show full of surprises at every turn of the card. They slowed down the pace of the game and Ricki kept babbling off her mouth so much I lost patience. And hearing these celebs go on and on soliloquizing over the questions further compounded the problem I swear, I wished (now 69-year old) Jim Perry was at the helm, even at his advanced age, he could have ran circles around Ricki.

RICKI TALKED TOO DANG MUCH! STFU and just turn the cards, dangit!!

The only saving grace was that it wasn't the horrible 2001 Pat Bullard hosted abomination (oops..version) by the same name.

Another interesting note: they combined elements of both the Perry version and the Bob Eubanks (1986-89) version.

But I was greatly disappointed at what I saw.

I'm glad I wasn't crazy because I said "I remember this show but I remember Bob Eubanks hosting it". Thank you RM for clarifying this.

They had to slow the show down to make it last the whole hour. They had to do the same thing with Press Your Luck and Let's Make A Deal. All of those were 30-minute game shows. Ironcally, when they did TPIR, they only did (basically) a 30-minute game for a show that last an hour.

This one was pretty good (in my opinion). The Baywatch chick did a whole lot better tonight than she did on TPIR. And RM, now you know how I felt about Ricki in the first few shows.

Next week: Match Game (which I thought was RM's favorite game show). :p

Actually, I didn't really "like" Match Game until I was much older; while I remember watching the show as a kid, the humor was way over my head. Most of what I remembered about Match Game was the external factors ("spinny box" show opening and closing, "wank" think music, fill in the blank questions, Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, the Confederate flag set, etc.)

More info on this from my website:

My Website - The Game Show Years

Match Game wasn't that bad, except for them drawing it out for an hour.

Finale is next week with Family Feud!