So Long, Bob - November 1
If you
haven't heard by now, Bob Barker has decided that this
year will be his 35th and last as the host of
The Price is Right. A survey of various online
forums dedicated to game shows has shown reactions
ranging from "Meh" to "I feel like I've lost my
grandfather!"
Trust me, the earth is not going to
wobble off of its axis and hurtle out of the solar
system just because a game show host is deciding to
retire. Let's remember that he's retiring on his own
terms. Jack Barry died before he got to make that
choice...and, well, that's the only example I can come
up with right now. Anyway, let's be glad that Bob can
live out his remaining years having brought unbridled
joy to millions of fans. I think the man has earned a
break.
That said, this could be great news for
the show itself. Ever since Mr. Barker took over the
Executive Producer duties on the show, there has been a
static look and feel; we get the same camera setups,
same music beds, even new games on the show draw from
the same color scheme. This could be the chance the show
needs to experiment with some new ideas.
Since we're still months and months away,
there's no point in debating over who the new host will
be. If I were in charge, I would air a series of
"Special Guest Host" shows in prime time, as a sort of
tryout for six hosts. But then again, I'm not trusting
Fremantle to do much of anything right, after the choke
jobs they did with Match Game, Card Sharks,
Whammy!, and the casting choices of Louie
Anderson, Richard Karn and Rich Fields. Color my
skeptical. But if the production company does the right
thing, picks a good host, and makes some much needed
changes, The Price is Right might again be the great
daytime game show that it once was. That would be the
best send-off of all.
Travis Eberle can be reached at
traviseberle@gmail.com.
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