Peter’s Place

Today was the big day (well, technically yesterday since it’s after midnight): Drew Carey’s first show as host of “The Price is Right.”  And I hope Disney wasn’t watching when he came out of the big doors and proudly proclaimed the show to be “The happiest place on Earth.”  Isn’t that the slogan for Disneyland?  I’m sure news of a lawsuit would have been all over the place by now, so I guess they let it slide.

All kidding aside, there were pros and cons to Drew’s first day… read along, see if you agree, and feel free to leave comments at the end.

First, the good parts.  Carey seemed genuinely interested in being there.  He wasn’t just showing up to be the typical “handsome guy with a deep voice” kind of host.  Not to say Bob Barker was, but some of the other applicants probably would have been.  When contestants won games, Drew was right along with them, laughing and cheering.  Drew also sounded sincere in thanking the models, often by name, for demonstrating products.  Usually Bob Barker didn’t mention their names unless there was some sort of blooper, or if he was saying “here comes the lovely _____ with your Plinko chips.”

I also liked when Drew joked that Barker’s Bargain Bar was “named after the founder of The Price is Right, Ezekiel Barker.”  He just slipped it right in there, matter-of-factly, and it sounded like the audience got the gag.

It was almost weird, however, that EVERY contestant won on the season premiere, and someone hit a dollar on EACH of the Showcase Showdowns.  I was wondering if they purposely chose “easy” games to make that happen.  A co-worker of mine theorized that this could have really been the umpteenth show they taped, but CBS moved it up to give Drew a strong opener.  After all, the producers can purposely choose easier games to increase the odds of getting a perfect show (it’s happened only 77 times out of more than 7,000 shows) but you can never guarantee both Showcase Showdowns will have $1.00 spins… or contestants doing cartwheels on stage before they’ve even started their pricing game!

Overall, the only complaint I have about Drew Carey as host, is that he’s a little rough around the edges.  I don’t know how much rehearsal time they had with Drew, but he could have used some more practice.  He seemed a little nervous or something.  Maybe because it was the first “real” show, and hopefully the next episodes from here on out will be better.  After all, the guy’s been on the job one day, following a man who’s basically lived, breathed and slept the show (and allegedly with half of the show, if you believe the lawsuits) for 35 years.

One thing that annoyed me (not seriously annoying, but enough to mention it) was that Drew would ask a contestant if they drove to the show.  Then he’d suggest “maybe you’ll drive back home, too!”  Dead giveaway that there would be a new car behind the doors.  He did it twice in the premiere.  Part of the “excitement” of TPIR is that, no matter what the host says, you really shouldn’t be able to tell what the prize is going to be, until they open the big doors and Rich announces it.  But, having worked in a live “on the air” capacity, I know how easy it can be to lean on a “crutch” like that when you’re speaking off-the-cuff.  Hopefully they get Drew to break that habit before it really sets in.

Overall… I give Drew Carey a B+.  He held his own, but there’s room for improvement.  As Drew gets more shows under his belt, hopefully he’ll get more comfortable with it, and his performance will improve.  The audience seems to be supportive too, which can only help.

UPDATE: After watching day two, I can almost bump that B+ up to an A-.  Improving already.

Bonus Link for reading this far: An entire page of TPIR sound effects!