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The Price is Right

Seven's new branded-entertainment game show cuts corners and fails to live up to our memories of a trusty format.

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It began with a tribute to the late Ian Turpie, but from there the new-look Price is Right came on down to a pale imitation of its former self.

Sorry Larry, I was really looking forward to this but I found it hard to see beyond the short-cuts made by this reboot.

First to go was the opening gambit where four contestants bid to compete in a game. Blokey new voice-over guy Brodie Young simply called the first contestant, Tricia, to “come on down” and we were into the first round: a Big W sponsored round of Hi-Lo with the prize being a $1500 shopping voucher at Big W. When the prize doors opened a model tried to look excited beside some video screens. Tricia lost the game.

Next game saw contestant Sammy compete to win an outdoor living package from Big W behind more prize doors where two models barely had enough room to swing a cat. Sammy played the popular Cliff Hangers game (complete with new yodel) and managed to win the prize (value unknown).

Final contestant Lin played Squeeze Play for a washing machine and gold pendant from Panasonic and Showcase Jewellers. She lost.

During the commercial breaks I could hear John Deeks telling me Price was sponsored by Big W. I already knew that, but hearing his perfect diction did make me somewhat sentimental.

The biggest disappointment was the Showcase, comprising champagne set, bed, golf clubs, TV / Bluray, Jukebox (but not the sofa the models were sitting on) and a car: a tiny Nissan Micra (no double Subarus here).

The total prize package was worth just under $25,000. According to YouTube there were Showcases worth more than this in the show’s last incarnation in 2005. I realise we have had a recession, but we’ve also had GST and inflation. So what gives?

My memory of Price is that it was an aspirational show. You could practically fit out your first home with the prizes they used to give out.

Seven and FremantleMedia told me the Showcases on this series top $20k each night and declined to comment further when asked by TV Tonight. I say phooey to that. Give me game show greed! Give me the car, the lounge suite, the fridge, the holiday, the jet ski and the Encylopedia !

Larry was smooth as Larry always is, but make no mistake. This is a branded entertainment revival just as McDonald’s attempted with It’s a Knockout. It’s not hard to see why Seven put this on at 5pm instead of moving Deal or No Deal (a show with a studio bigger than a postage stamp).

Apologies to Ian Turpie. We still love you.

The Price is Right airs 5pm weeknights on Seven.

40 Responses

  1. @bettestreep2008, Larry only said that to the female contestant not the male one. Out of the 12 contestants so far 11 have been female and tonight 2 of the 3 prizes were Big W vouchers. I know they sponsor the show but it’s getting ridiculous. They need more variety in the prizes. Every night so far the first prize has been a Big W voucher.

  2. Reckon Nine should replay their old episodes of The price Is Right with Larry Emdur. Now when could they show them. How about Monday to Friday at 5PM……wouldn’t that be interesting

  3. sorry that last comment was meant to read 80% of females to 20% males which I think is totally unfair. On the night that I went there were 7 females called down and 2 males the entire night.

  4. I think its disappointing.

    I was in the audience one night and they gave away 2 big w vouchers on the one night. All they give away is the Micra and never change cars. They tell you that channel 7 is right behind it and have the crappiest prizes ive ever seen – remember back when it was on 9 when larry used to say your only putting the golf ball for a $40000 motor vehicle – well now on 7 your putting for a $1000 Big W gift voucer – well big deal If channel 7 dont read peoples comments on here they willl lose audience numbers quickly.

    The showcases are hard to predict so why not give away a $50000 – $70,000 showcase (they used to be $50,000 each night on channel 9) and when someone wins it is fantastic. Dont let the show become a walking advertisement for Big W. Have some prizes from other places.

    Also the ratio of females who appear on the show is 80% to 20% females – what ever happend to the days of equality channel 7??? Men are shoppers too you know.

  5. John Deeks doing the “This Big W commercial brought to you by Big W. Big W!” bit is kind of hilarious and depressing at the same time once you remember he was the announcer on Ian Turpie’s (first) version.

    If we’re trying to find game shows that would work better, how about Jeopardy?

  6. Good lord.

    Watched a bit of it last night and couldn’t believe how cheap and tacky it looked.

    Hate the Brodie guy being in the audience – and his voice is grating.

    And Larry diving into the camera every few minutes was off putting.

    However I finally switched off when he remarked to the two showcase contestants that they too busy looking at the male model rather than the prizes. I’m sure the male contestant appreciated the implication that he was gay.

    They’ll have a Celebrity Price is Right soon and then it’ll be yanked off the air.

  8. For the amount of money they spent on this.They could have put on a Double How I Met Your Mother and gave Deal the Boot as a News Lead In for a fraction of the cost.It could have been worse 7 going back to gasp Horror old Recycled Mash Reruns Hello It’s not 1971 to 1983 anymore and the Korean War is Long Gone.

  9. The reason Seven has put this at 5pm makes so much sense now. I cannot believe how the life and soul that was TPIR I used to love has been sucked out and butchered to pieces. I feel sorry for Larry for hosting such a shamble of a game show. The advertising for Big W is over the top, the games are blatantly horrible and boring. The lights and neon do nothing to help, the more sparce and empty looking audience reduces the excitement, the bidding rounds being axed is a massive disappointment. I like to see contestants earn their way through, even if it is still mostly chance. The studio is way too small to fit hardly any prize sets in, so they settle for tiny TV’s instead. I can ramble on for ages but ultimately, it’s cheap, nasty, doesn’t make me connect emotionally which is a massive fail in my book and I will not be watching again. I’m gonna say it, the revival of It’s A Knockout was far better!

  11. @David Knox: I don’t think this studio has enough room for 2 cars, a boat , jet skis, dining suites etc. We will have to settle for whatever is in the Big W catalog.
    Also, I bet priceisrightshop.com.au which they advertised tonight is just a front for BigW, and the whole back end of the online store is run by Big W with minor exceptions.

  12. @ TasTVcameraman – I couldn’t agree more. I refused to watch Rush and Rescue beyond episode one as I was getting motion sickness with athe camera being unable to keep still, so obviously I won’t be watching this!! Thanks for the tip!!!

  13. I caught the end of this last night and i cant believe how cheap the showcase was the last time it was around this price was in the 1980s when Turps was hosting. the last time this was on the showcase was worth a lot more and even with your very own apartment on the gold coast thrown in from time to time

  15. I think people are being a little unfair. I also think people are allowing their fond memories to distort reality a bit. The last version of the Price is Right featured “average” prizes and showcases worth around $20k – $30k. It was only now and then they had a really big showcase.

    Personally, I liked the new version. It should also be noted that this was the pilot episode, chances are the format will be tweaked slightly over the next few weeks – so don’t give up on it based on 1 episode!

    1. YouTube shows average Showcases much higher than last night’s. I remember Subaru cars (sometimes x2), boats, jet skis, dining suites, fridges. The really big ones you are referring to were rare yes but they were $500,000 in primetime specials. This version is cheap.

  17. I missed The Price Is Right last night, forgot to record it, and was hoping to see it on Plus7 but last time I checked it wasn’t there.

    Although it seems like I didn’t miss much although it would have been nice to see the Ian Turpie tribute.

  18. Sorry Channel 7 but you lost me with your first shots with all your fancy swirling seasick camera shots, same reason I can not watch most live music shows, all filled with stupid swirling camera shots, a tip for directors look at the SBS coverage of the world music show, excellent different camera work without resorting to the “making you feel sick” camera motions that 7 and 9 seem to inflict on us, I just turn off and if a movie has that I will walk out, it really affects me to the point if I watch too much it makes me physically sick.

  20. I just saw promos and noticed contestants getting really over excited- jumping over Laz etc, the good old days :). I guess it was first day nerves, and change of format..

  21. Yeah agree with everything said… But I’m sure it will get better. Larry is an awesome game show host.

    Now bring back Wheel of Fortune!

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