# Thoughts on watching The Price Is Right **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810 "2010-01-13T18:25:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/21 "2010-01-14T03:14:50Z")
In a previous thread on the show, someone linked to a YouTube video showing that winning scene. Someone in that thread suggested that they had stopped the taping to investigate the bid and the reveal shot (Drew announcing the winner) was after some time, which would explain his calmness. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/22 "2010-01-14T03:32:50Z")
Yeah, but Bob had decades of data. Not so much for Drew. Saw that one. I was also surprised. ETA: I really should type faster. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/23 "2010-01-14T04:53:11Z")
> [@KennerTheGreat](#): > > In the showcase; if the first revealed bid is way under, the second bid usually went over. If the first bid was an overbid, the second bid usually got really close (maybe even close enough to win both showcases.) I thought the Showcase bids were revealed starting with whoever bid last? (Or maybe it was the the other way round? Whatever the pattern was, it was the same for every show.) ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/24 "2010-01-14T05:03:57Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I thought the Showcase bids were revealed starting with whoever bid last? (Or maybe it was the the other way round? Whatever the pattern was, it was the same for every show.) From what I have seen it is random on what bid is revealed. I think the producers tell Drew which one to read for maximum drama. If there are two close bids, the one that is further is revealed first. if there is only one over, then the other bid is generally revealed first, and the over second. if the first bid revealed is an Overbid, then chances are pretty good the other bid is an over, or it might be a double showcase winner. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/25 "2010-01-14T05:29:20Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > If you’re the last bidder and you think everyone else bid too high, the only sensible strategy is to bid $1. Trying to hit the price exactly is a fools game. :smack: D’oh! I was just focusing on “too high” vs. “too low” and not thinking about how to bid once you’ve identified where you think you need to be. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/26 "2010-01-14T06:42:44Z")
Yeah, the last person in Contestant’s Row should always either bid $1, or $1 over some other contestant. At least, if they’re playing optimum strategy, but then, contestants are picked based on how good a show they’ll make, not on how well they actually play the game. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/27 "2010-01-14T06:49:03Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > The contestants are generally very young and vivacious, but the ads skew old and decrepit. Is TPIR essentially porn for senior citizens? > > Speaking of which, do they deliberately select for contestants who aren’t wearing a strong bra? They must. > > Every time I see this show, they have uniformed servicemembers as contestants. I always said next time I go to this show, I am going to rent some military suit and get in line and make up whatever - they always pick a guy in uniform if there is one in the audience. I can see Drew now - “So, DMark, where are you stationed?” Me: “Oh, I’m not in the military - just wanted to get picked to play the game as otherwise, I’m not a 24 yr old woman with huge tits.” The one time I went to the show, they ONLY picked women and of all the women, only one was over 24. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/28 "2010-01-14T13:12:38Z")
I’ve always wondered exactly _how_ they choose the contestants. Is the entire audience eligible, or is there a smaller pool of potential players? Do the producers interview everybody and then decide who gets to play, or is there an element of randomness to it? Or, is the “Come on down!” bit just for show, and the players already know they’re going on? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/29 "2010-01-14T13:51:00Z")
I read somewhere they interview people who are waiting in line for the show and that helps them decide who to pick. Based on that it’s not random, not sure if they talk to everybody in line. They tape 5 shows per day, they used to only tape on Sat. and Sun., that might have changed when Carey took over. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/30 "2010-01-14T14:44:05Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I read somewhere they interview people who are waiting in line for the show and that helps them decide who to pick. Based on that it’s not random, not sure if they talk to everybody in line. They tape 5 shows per day, they used to only tape on Sat. and Sun., that might have changed when Carey took over. However many shows a day they tape (five seems high, since it’s an hour show – they tape five _Jeopardy_s a day, but that’s a half-hour show with little stage setup needed), they probably don’t swap out the entire audience for each taping – do two or three shows in a session. Plus the audience screening doesn’t have to be extensive – you go down the line, you chat with people, find the extroverts and the characters. Such a system would explain the large number of military, buxom, and t-shirt adorned – they stand out to the producers as reliable crowd-pleasers. (I haven’t watched recently, but aren’t college students – often with identifying T’s – a fourth regular category?) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/31 "2010-01-14T14:47:36Z")
Yes, they do not change the audiences during a day of taping from what I recall, but that was a while back so it might have changed (or my memory is faulty. ) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/32 "2010-01-14T14:54:54Z")
Missed the edit window here is their taping schedule, [http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the\_price\_is\_right/tickets/](http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_price_is_right/tickets/) They now tape during the week, in sets of 3 days. Guess maybe Drew did not want to work weekends. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/33 "2010-01-14T21:23:31Z")
They tape twice a day with a fresh audience each time. The entire audience is interviewed by producer Stan Blits, who has been doing it for several years and the process is known as “The Stanish Inquisition.” He takes about 15 seconds for a person who is an obvious dud to 30 seconds for someone who might be interesting. They have to get through about 300 people so he can’t spend a lot of time on chit chat. You also fill out a card before hand with some personal info about why you want to be on TPIR (or don’t) so that probably helps him narrow down some people ahead of time. Drew was also in the military; the Marine Reserves in Ohio. Re: working weekends, Drew also is also part owner of the Seattle Sounders so he spends a lot of time following them around. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/34 "2010-01-14T21:32:26Z")
I remember reading somewhere that large groups (I think 30+ people) automatically get one person from the group on the show. Can anyone confirm/deny that? ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/35 "2010-01-14T22:38:15Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I remember reading somewhere that large groups (I think 30+ people) automatically get one person from the group on the show. Can anyone confirm/deny that? Groups of 15 or more get guaranteed seating, but I’ve never heard anything about guaranteed playing. There are multiple groups at each show and that wouldn’t leave any slots for all the singles and members of couples we see. The odds are in your favor of someone from your group getting picked the larger it is, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/36 "2010-01-15T00:56:06Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I remember reading somewhere that large groups (I think 30+ people) automatically get one person from the group on the show. Can anyone confirm/deny that? I’ve heard the same from a friend of mine who was on the show. But I don’t know how authoritative that is. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/37 "2010-01-15T17:38:57Z")
Still sick, and watched again today. One woman squealed, “This is my best birthday ever!” Drew Carey replied, “Yes, they’re all gong to be downhill from here.” The second showcase was a promo for some crappy rock band called the Dolly Rots. The doors opened and these kids were playing live. They looked punkish, but what punk band would play TPIR? Or were they appearing ironically? The prize package was their album, their instruments, and a small Mercedes. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/38 "2010-01-15T18:31:43Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > The second showcase was a promo for some crappy rock band called the Dolly Rots. The doors opened and these kids were playing live. They looked punkish, but what punk band would play TPIR? Or were they appearing ironically? The prize package was their album, their instruments, and a small Mercedes. Weird. TPIR recently started featuring guests announcing part of the Showcase. I think The Verizon Guy was first then Wayne Brady showed up with a trip to Vegas and tickets to “Let’s Make a Deal”. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/39 "2010-01-15T18:53:55Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Lots of game shows have military people in uniform on. Bob Barker was in the Navy. And Drew Carey was in the Marines, FWIW. > [@Electronic\_Chaos](#): > > I think the viewers are basically split between college-aged people (who are generally home during the day and up early enough to watch), and retired people (who are generally home during the day and up early enough to watch.) I guess there’s a few stay-at-home moms (or dads in my case) thrown in, too. When I was a young’un, I watched TPIR and other daytime game shows on school holidays. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810/40 "2010-01-16T05:09:50Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Showcases seem to have been simplified. Actually, they’ve become more complicated. Now they offer stuff like limo rides and Porsche rentals for trips on some showcases. Most believe this was done as a reaction to last season’s perfect bid debacle. The rationale is that out-of-the-ordinary stuff like a week’s use of a Porsche in France is very difficult for a contestant to price accurately. > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > They should ban people from bidding $1 more than another person. Why prohibit smart players from using the best possible strategy? And if you’re not allowed to bid $1 more than someone else, why not just bid $2 more? > [@fusoya](#): > > I completely stopped watching TPIR when I saw a contestant get the price EXACTLY right in the showcase, and Drew didn’t even care. If Bob were still hosting, he would have made a HUGE spectacle out of it…I don’t think that’s EVER happened before in the history of the show, so it was pretty significant, and Bob kept tabs on those things. There has actually been one other perfect bid, in the first or second season. This was before the double showcase winner rule was instituted, so the winner only won his or her own showcase. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-watching-the-price-is-right/524810.md?page=3)