Drew Carey Made the Show Easier
After the legendary Bob Barker left the show, “The Price is Right” producers worried about the future of the show’s ratings. Barker’s star power attracted loyal fans, so producers had to do something to make sure people were still tuning into the show.
That’s when they make the games a little easier to win. “It was extremely important for the first couple of months of the show to have plenty of winners,” producer Roger Dobkowitz. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the trick worked!
Winning via Error
One contestant found himself walking away with a prize he didn’t earn. So how'd he get it? The man was playing to win a “Dell computer and a computer desk.” During the game, he guessed way off, but he still won the computer. As it turns out, the announcer got the brand of the computer wrong.
Had he realized it later and tried to sue the show, it would’ve been more trouble to producers than it was worth. So, they decided just to give him the computer to cop up for their mistake. Hey, whatever works, right?
The Wide Array of Prizes
Nothing is ever guaranteed when it comes to playing "The Price is Right." You don’t know if you’ll make it to the stage, and if you do, you don’t know if you’ll win. Even if you do win, you don't have any idea what you’ll be going home with.
Most contestants dream of winning a car, a trip, or a large sum of money. Sure, there are all kinds of kitchen and home sets, and then there are things that just make you go, “meh.” Take their 1999 showcase that included a dining room set, jukebox, and 12 dance lessons. Or that time they gave away the soda fountain and dumbbell set!
Price is Right: The Board Game
The show debuted in 1956, and two years later, the original board game followed, created by Lowell. Nearly 20 years later, Milton Bradley released an updated board game to allow families to play along with Barker for themselves at home. Of course, there aren’t any prizes being given away – not unless you create them yourself.
The game has been credited with staying pretty accurate to the show. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have very high ratings on most of the game sites. There have been four board games made, with the final being released by Milton Bradley in 1986.
California-Based Prize Prices
If you’ve watched the show and thought some of the “actual retail prices” seem a bit high (or low), it may be because they’re only based off of one state: California. Producers decided to try and keep things simple by only using retail prices they’ve found on the products in the state where filming takes place.
Of course, there’s really no way of verifying those prices for yourself. Because they never release the names of the retailers where they get the prizes.