Switcheroo (pricing game)

Switcheroo is a pricing game on the American television game show "The Price Is Right". Debuting on October 22, 1976, this game is played for a car, plus four small prizes (each worth between $10 and $99). It is also a game in which it is impossible to win exactly four of the prizes.

Gameplay

The prices for the five prizes are shown on the board, with the tens digit missing from each. The contestant is presented with number blocks showing the five missing digits, each of which is different.

The contestant is asked to fill in the missing digits with the blocks. They are given a 30-second time limit to ensure the game proceeds quickly. Once they have finished or time has expired, the contestant is told how many digits have been correctly placed, but not which ones.

If all five prices are correct, the contestant has played the game perfectly and wins all five prizes, although this is rare (the first perfect playing did not occur until 1985 on the syndicated nighttime version). Otherwise, the contestant has the option of quitting and taking whatever prizes have the correct prices showing or make a "Switcheroo" and try to correct any mistakes within another 30-second time limit. The contestant is then told how many prices are correct.

After deciding to stay with the initial placement of the blocks or after making the Switcheroo, the correct prices are revealed and the contestant wins those prizes.

On the $1,000,000 Spectacular airing April 30, 2008, Switcheroo was chosen as the Million Dollar Game. The requirement to win the million dollars was to get all five prizes correct on the first attempt.cite episode
title = The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular
titlelink = The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular
network = CBS
airdate = 2008-04-30
number = 0033SP]

Think Music

There have been three different pieces of music that have been used in Switcheroo's history. The first cue was a vaudeville-style song reminiscent of the one used at the time for Race Game. On the 1985 syndicated version, a remix of the theme from "Celebrity Charades" was used. The current cue, entitled "The Head Clown", has been in use since 1992; in addition, its final measures are heard when switching prices in Switch?.

References