The Price Is Right broadcast history

The American television game show "The Price Is Right" has appeared in some version for 44 years, although not consecutively, between its premiere in 1956 and the present day (2008).

NBC/ABC, 1956-1965

(All times Eastern Time Zone)

Daytime (Monday-Friday)
*November 26-December 28, 1956: NBC, 10:30-11:00 AM
*December 31, 1956-September 6, 1963: NBC, 11:00-11:30 AM
*September 9, 1963-March 27, 1964: ABC, 11:00-11:30 AM
*March 30-December 25, 1964: ABC, 10:30-11:00 AM
*December 28, 1964-September 3, 1965: ABC, 11:30 AM-12:00 PM

Nighttime (weekly)
*September 23, 1957-June 16, 1958: NBC Mondays, 7:30-8:00 PM
*June 26-September 4, 1958: NBC Thursdays, 10:00-10:30 PM
*September 17, 1958-September 6, 1961: NBC Wednesdays, 8:30-9:00 PM
*September 18, 1961-September 10, 1962: NBC Mondays, 8:30-9:00 PM
*September 17, 1962-January 21, 1963: NBC Mondays, 9:30-10:00 PM
*February 1-September 6, 1963: NBC Fridays, 9:30-10:00 PM
*September 18-November 20, 1963: ABC Wednesdays, 8:30-9:00 PM
*December 6, 1963-September 11, 1964: ABC Fridays, 9:30-10:00 PM

CBS, 1972-Present

The most recognized incarnation of the show premiered September 4, 1972 on CBS and was hosted by Bob Barker for the first 35 years of its broadcast run. Drew Carey took over at the beginning of Season 36. The show was first called "The New Price is Right" to distinguish itself from the earlier Bill Cullen version, but the show proved so popular that on June 26, 1973 the producers dropped the word "New".

The revival of "The Price is Right" began as a half-hour show. It featured three pricing games and the Showcase with the top two winners of the day participating in the Showcase.

During the week of September 8, 1975, CBS experimented with a one-hour version of the show to celebrate its third anniversary.cite web
url=http://www.tpir.tv/vintage/vintage.htm
publisher=TPIR.tv
title=Vintage Price is Right
pages= pp. 1-8
accessdate=2007-04-30] The ratings for the week were strong enough to convince the network that the arrangement would work well permanently. CBS made the move on November 3, fitting the show to its current six pricing game/two Showcase Showdown format.

CBS Daytime (Monday-Friday)
* September 4, 1972-March 23, 1973: 10:30-11:00 AM, Eastern (9:30-10:00 AM, Central)
* March 26, 1973-August 15, 1975: 3:00-3:30 PM (2:00-2:30 PM)
* August 18-September 5, 1975: 10:30-11:00 AM (9:30-10:00 AM)
* September 8-12, 1975: 10:30-11:30 AM (9:30-10:30 AM)
* September 15-October 31, 1975: 10:30-11:00 AM (9:30-10:00 AM)
* November 3, 1975-January 28, 1977: 10:00-11:00 AM (9:00-10:00 AM)
* January 31-November 4, 1977: 10:30-11:30 AM (9:30-10:30 AM)
* November 7-December 16, 1977: 10:00-11:00 AM (9:00-10:00 AM)
* December 19, 1977-April 20, 1979: 10:30-11:30 AM (9:30-10:30 AM)
* April 23, 1979-Present: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM (10:00-11:00 AM)

CBS Nighttime (Weekly)
* August 14-September 18, 1986 - Thursday nights, 8:00-9:00 PM ("The Price is Right Special")
* August 23, 1996 - Friday night (25th Anniversary Special)
* May 17, 2002-Present - Various nights from Monday to Saturday, 8:00-9:00 PM (7:00-8:00 PM)

yndicated Productions

A weekly syndicated version of the show aired from September 10, 1972 to September 13, 1980.cite web
url=http://www.j-shea.com/TPIR/nighttime/nightTPIRstations.htm
publisher=j-shea.com
title="The Nighttime Price Is Right" Station List
date=2006-03-10
accessdate=2007-04-30] Distributed by Viacom, the nighttime "Price" was hosted by Dennis James from 1972-1977 and by Bob Barker from 1977-1980. James, a figure from the early days of TV, was originally intended to host both the network and syndicated versions of the program, but CBS executives preferred Barker for the daytime show. It was only when James' contract expired and the long-running "Truth Or Consequences" ended production that Barker added the evening version to his duties.

Most of the stations that carried the syndicated "Price" did so as one of five (or seven) different programs every night of the week in one of the available timeslots created by the 1971 FCC Prime Time Access Rule.cite web
url=http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/G/htmlG/goodsonmark/goodsonmark.htm
title=Goodson, Mark and Bill Todman
publisher=Museum of Broadcast Communications
accessdate=2007-05-25
author=Mark McDermott] Usually, the slots were one of two half-hour slots between 7-8 p.m. in the Eastern and Pacific time zones and 6:30-7 p.m. in the Central Time Zone (Mountain Time Zone stations' practices varied).

Two daily syndicated versions were attempted:
* In 1985, veteran host Tom Kennedy starred in a version cite web
url=http://www.gameshowutopia.net/kennedytpir.htm
publisher=Game Show Utopia
title=The Price Is Right
accessdate=2007-04-30] cite web
url=http://www.tpir.tv/kennedy/kennedy.htm
publisher=TPIR.tv
title=The Nighttime Price Is Right with Tom Kennedy
accessdate=2007-04-30] which was faithful to the traditional half-hour format.
* In 1994, "Young & Restless" stalwart Doug Davidson hosted "The New Price Is Right", which used more modern elements and changes to several distinct aspects of the program.cite web
url=http://www.tpir.tv/newprice/newprice.htm
publisher=TPIR.tv
title=The New Price is Right (TNPiR'94)
accessdate=2007-04-30]

Neither version was successful, however - Kennedy's version was canceled after a full season while Davidson's got a mere 4 months.

CBS, Primetime Specials

CBS attempted to break NBC's dominance of Thursday night primetime by "The Cosby Show" and "Family Ties" with a six-episode experimental run beginning on August 14, 1986.cite news
url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF50F85916EE994&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
title=Will 'Price' Be Right for a CBS Win in Ratings Battle Against 'Cosby'?
date=1986-08-14
publisher=Daily News of Los Angeles
accessdate=2007-05-29] In these episodes, host Barker and announcer Roddy wore tuxedos, and colored spotlights surrounded the Big Doors. [cite web
url=http://www.tpir.tv/special/special.htm
publisher=TPIR.tv
title=The Nighttime Price is Right Specials
accessdate=2007-04-30]

On August 23, 1996 CBS aired an hour-long 25th Anniversary Special, using the half-hour gameplay format with a number of retrospective clips.imdb title|0323701|The Price Is Right 25th Anniversary Special|(1996)] A 30th anniversary special was recorded at Harrah's Rio in Las Vegas in 2002.cite web
url=http://www.cbs.com/daytime/price/behind/specials/showdown_in_vegas/index.shtml
publisher=CBS Daytime
work="The Price Is Right" official site
title=Showdown in Vegas: Special Features
accessdate=2007-04-30] This one-time road trip enticed 5,000 potential contestants to line up for 900 available tickets, causing an incident that left one person injured.cite news
url=http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2002-01-18#tv7
title=Game Show Producers Pay A Price For Free Tickets
publisher=Internet Movie Database
work=Studio Briefing
date=2002-01-18
accessdate=2007-05-29]

More primetime shows were planned back at CBS Television City. Six nighttime specials saluting various branches of the United States armed forces, police officers, and firefighters aired during the summer of 2002, as a tribute to the heroes of the terrorist attacks of 2001.cite web
url=http://www.cbs.com/daytime/price/behind/specials/price_primetime/
publisher=CBS Daytime
work="The Price Is Right" official site
title=Behind the Scenes: Special Features
accessdate=2007-04-30] During the Military Specials, getting the $1.00 on the bonus spin in the Showcase Showdown was worth $100,000 instead of the usual $10,000; this prize went unclaimed.

On May 17 2007, CBS aired an hour-long special, "A Celebration of Bob Barker's 50 Years in Television". The program featured several interstitial elements including a cameo by Adam Sandler with the actual gameplay consisting of only three pricing games and the Showcase round.

"$1,000,000 Spectacular"

Since 2003, CBS has broadcast 22 primetime specials titled "The Price is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular"; the most recent show aired on April 11, 2008.

From 2003-2007, the bonus spin payoff for the Showcase Showdown was again increased, this time to $1,000,000. Beginning on the fourth Spectacular the winner of the Showcase earns a million-dollar spin if there was no bonus spin during either Showcase Showdown; during these post-Showcase spins, hitting a green section didn' earn any money.

In 2008 a Million Dollar Game was implemented, where a player could win the game by winning a pricing game and also following it with an even more stringent standard, to win $1,000,000. Also, coming within a certain range during the Showcase (originally $1,000 and later $500) will also win $1,000,000.

Bigger and better prizes are generally offered on the Spectaculars: Contestants' Row frequently offers pricing game-caliber prizes; many pricing games, including those played for money, offer larger prizes than on the daytime show and the Showcase will frequently offer multiple or very expensive cars.

The 2008 series also saw the return of tuxedo-clad hosts and evening gown models.

"Gameshow Marathon"

"The Price Is Right" was the first of seven classic game-show formats set to be played on the CBS "Gameshow Marathon"; its episode aired May 31, 2006. Ricki Lake served as host, while celebrities played as contestants.cite web
url=http://www.cbs.com/primetime/game_show_marathon/
publisher=CBS Primetime
title=Gameshow Marathon (official site)
accessdate=2007-05-25] The show didn't take place on the current set, but on a specially-designed smaller set in CBS Television City's Studio 46; however, the episode did use props from the then-current "Price" set such as the Big Wheel and the Plinko board and featured appearances by the Barker's Beauties and announcer Rich Fields. [cite video
url=http://www.cbs.com/innertube/player.php?vid=108732&cat=108728
title=Video: Rich Fields Moves the Big Wheel
format=streaming RealMedia file
publisher=CBS Primetime (Gameshow Marathon" official site)
accessdate=2007-05-25]

References