The Price is Wrong B***h!
Blog by Sean Gehon, Monday, June 25, 2007
As a child I remember being fascinated with the idea of a game show. Everything from Wheel of Fortune to Family Feud just made my eyes light up. All you had to do to win fabulous prizes, vacations and amass a fortune of thousands of dollars, was spin a wheel, guess a price, or call out the right answer to a few simple questions. Life was much simpler before the age of eighteen when I realized that game shows weren’t all they're cracked up to be. However, the longest running game show on North American television is about to see a drastic change as the retired Bob Barker gets replaced.
After fifty years on television and nineteen Daytime Emmy Awards under his belt, Bob Barker has solidified himself as a legend in his own time. With CBS determined to keep The Price is Right on the air, it’s time to find someone to fill those large shoes. Frontrunner Rosie O’Donnell has turned down the gig. Rosie says on her blog that although she’d love to have the job, she wasn’t willing to force her family to make the move from New York to Los Angeles. The former talk show titan may have made the right decision for both herself and the show, but the question now remains… who’s going to host The Price is Right?
Picture right now a show that you’ve know for more than thirty years, hosted by the same gentle, light hearted, and almost adorable man. Change that picture for a moment by keeping the show the same, but change the host. I don’t know if I’d be able to deal with the drastic change. The question on my mind is about the future of The Price is Right. Will people be able to continue to watch a show without the presence of Bob Barker? Anything in television is possible. Many people foresaw the demise of Live with Regis and Kathy after Kathy-Lee Gifford chose to depart the talk show. Kelly Ripa however has turned Live with Regis and Kelly into one of the most talked-about talk shows on the air today. If Kelly leads by example, maybe I can help find the next host for The Price is Right.
John O’Hurley is one of my two choices to replace Bob Barker. To host a show like The Price is Right or any game show for that matter, you have to have a certain something, let’s call it the game show it factor. Take a look at successful hosts like Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek. What makes these two men stand out as hosts of very successful game shows? I can tell you that a large part of their show's success, has nothing to do with the show itself. Pat and Alex are very charming, funny, light-hearted people, and to replace them, you have to share that same sentiment. John O’Hurley is currently hosting the less popular game show Family Feud. From watching John on shows like Dancing With the Stars and Family Feud, you really get a sense that he’s capable of sharing the same friendly, quick-witted, and confident demeanor that The Price is Right needs to survive. Unfortunately, John already has a job… but I think if he really wants to make it big on the game show circuit, The Price is Right should be in his future.
Should John not be chosen as the new host, I have a feeling I know the perfect candidate for the show. She’s cute, she’s sassy, she’s about 5’4 and has a beautiful head of beautiful blonde hair… she’s Star! Daily’s very own Danielle McGimsie! For those of you who don’t know, Danielle is probably the biggest fan of The Price is Right. On a recent trip to Los Angeles, Danielle decided that with Bob Barkers departure only a few days away, this was her chance to become a contestant on the show. Unfortunately Danielle didn’t make it to contestants row, but she did manage to get her pretty face in the audience and on camera for one of Bob’s last shows. I say, if you’re going to change a show, change it drastically. You’ve lost Bob Barker, so if you’re going to replace him, why not take someone like Danielle who is the complete opposite. Danielle has the kind of high energy personality a show like that demands, not only that, she’d probably kick my butt if I didn’t at least suggest her for the job.
With The Price is Right on hiatus for the summer, we probably won’t know who will replace Bob for a few weeks. Rosie turned it down, and there are probably hundreds, if not thousands, willing to take it from her. The Price is Right will probably last a few more seasons simply due to it’s success over thirty five years. Unfortunately, without Bob Barker it’ll more than likely never be the same again. What I do know for sure is that I’ll be tuning in to see someone’s first day on the job.
Sean (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXorJFLM-E8 good luck Bob. )
