The Price is Wrong
Word is leaking out of 7800 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles that CBS Early Show weathercaster Dave Price has been selected to replace the irreplaceable Bob Barker as host of The Price is Right.
Dave Price???
Technically, this is still a rumor, but the source is fairly reliable. But... Dave Price?? I'm not really sure what CBS is thinking in its casting of
Dave in this pivotal role. In Dave’s defense, at one time in his career even Bob Barker was an inexperienced non-entity. He didn’t jump right out of the gate one day as the revered figure that he is today. But when you think about an institution as venerable as The Price is Right, you expect the selection of a new emcee to be inspired one… to be a selection which invokes images of grandeur and gravitas. Does Dave Price, the CBS morning weatherman, bring to mind such images? Sorry Dave, but I think not.
If I’d known that CBS will willing to hand over its flagship daytime game to such an inexperienced selection, then I might have auditioned for the job myself! After all, I once hosted a game show pilot. What? You mean that I've never told you that story? Well, it’s true – I was once hired to host a game show pilot.
It was back in the early 90s, and I was tapped by a local producer to helm his game show pilot, a show entitled Destinations. The game was a traditional question-and-answer format type of game show, with the questions built around the concept of world travel. Sounds plausible enough, doesn’t it?
Well, in execution, the pilot taping went quickly from being an event with the potential of making for a nice entry on my resume to an event of full-blown, oh-what-have-I-gotten-myself-into epic absurdity. As soon as I entered the studio and spied the set, I knew immediately that I was in for trouble. Looking as if it had been designed by a fourth-grade remedial class, the cheesy set pieces were barely able to stand on their own. And the contestants? Well, let’s just say that this bunch would never be mistaken for “the cream of the crop.” As for the game’s electronics (buzzers, scoreboards, etc.)… well… they were all completely non-functional. So as we taped the show we had to PRETEND that buzzers were sounding and scores were tallying. Yeah, it was about as sad as you’re imagining it to be. I’ve enjoyed more realistic game play with the home version of Match Game.
Somehow, someway, we made it through the taping. Shortly thereafter, the pilot was edited and packaged. Presentations at major networks followed, with (surprise surprise!) no takers.
In virtually no time at all, my game-show career was over even before it had started. Oh, the pain... the pain. After the failure of the ill-fated Destinations, it became apparent that I would never follow in those esteemed, prize-laden footsteps of Bob Barker and Bill Cullen.
Oh, well... at least I still have that home version of Match Game to comfort me.
Dave Price???
Technically, this is still a rumor, but the source is fairly reliable. But... Dave Price?? I'm not really sure what CBS is thinking in its casting of
Dave in this pivotal role. In Dave’s defense, at one time in his career even Bob Barker was an inexperienced non-entity. He didn’t jump right out of the gate one day as the revered figure that he is today. But when you think about an institution as venerable as The Price is Right, you expect the selection of a new emcee to be inspired one… to be a selection which invokes images of grandeur and gravitas. Does Dave Price, the CBS morning weatherman, bring to mind such images? Sorry Dave, but I think not.
If I’d known that CBS will willing to hand over its flagship daytime game to such an inexperienced selection, then I might have auditioned for the job myself! After all, I once hosted a game show pilot. What? You mean that I've never told you that story? Well, it’s true – I was once hired to host a game show pilot.It was back in the early 90s, and I was tapped by a local producer to helm his game show pilot, a show entitled Destinations. The game was a traditional question-and-answer format type of game show, with the questions built around the concept of world travel. Sounds plausible enough, doesn’t it?
Well, in execution, the pilot taping went quickly from being an event with the potential of making for a nice entry on my resume to an event of full-blown, oh-what-have-I-gotten-myself-into epic absurdity. As soon as I entered the studio and spied the set, I knew immediately that I was in for trouble. Looking as if it had been designed by a fourth-grade remedial class, the cheesy set pieces were barely able to stand on their own. And the contestants? Well, let’s just say that this bunch would never be mistaken for “the cream of the crop.” As for the game’s electronics (buzzers, scoreboards, etc.)… well… they were all completely non-functional. So as we taped the show we had to PRETEND that buzzers were sounding and scores were tallying. Yeah, it was about as sad as you’re imagining it to be. I’ve enjoyed more realistic game play with the home version of Match Game.
Somehow, someway, we made it through the taping. Shortly thereafter, the pilot was edited and packaged. Presentations at major networks followed, with (surprise surprise!) no takers.
In virtually no time at all, my game-show career was over even before it had started. Oh, the pain... the pain. After the failure of the ill-fated Destinations, it became apparent that I would never follow in those esteemed, prize-laden footsteps of Bob Barker and Bill Cullen.
Oh, well... at least I still have that home version of Match Game to comfort me.
posted by TV Boy at 12:25 AM
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