It's a good thing I had waited to work on this post...

I had planned on writing up a lengthy post, detailing my frustrations over how golden-road.net member Voltron was treated in May by the staff of The Price Is Right. While I'll still touch on that, that clearly was more a sympton of what's going wrong with The Price Is Right, rather than being the biggest problem with the show.

We'll start with what happened with Voltron first, and go from there.

His saga began when he had his fifteen minutes of fame back in February, when millions of people saw him run up on stage and celebrate with Adam Rose to close out the first Million Dollar Spectacular of the Drew Carey era. Thanks to Voltron's help, Adam missed his Showcase by just $880, winning not only two Showcases but a million dollars.

It'd been all downhill for him ever since.

He had been in the audience for at least one other MDS, and was forced to sit in the back of the audience to try to keep him from assisting contestants - which, with this being an audience participation show, isn't the audience supposed to help the contestants and participate?

Well, after that, Voltron decided to take a chance and returned in May to attend two more tapings, this time bringing his family along. He had figured with it not being an MDS, and with his family there, there is no way they would put him through that again.

Think again.

Despite being the first people in line, Voltron and his family found themselves being told (just before entering the studio, no less) that he and his family would need to sit in the back. After raising a stink, they finally reached a compromise where they would be able to sit near Rich Fields and his podium, where they would not be seen as easily by contestants who were up on stage.

Needless to say, he and his family were not happy in the least. Despite that, though, Voltron still found ways to help contestants - which while I can't say I blame him, it may not have been the best thing to do under the circumstances.

Already having the trip planned, and already having tickets for the next day, they figure despite their frustrations to attend another taping (which aired, of all dates, June 2). At the least, they were hoping they would get answers...

Did they ever.

Roger Dobkowitz spoke to all of them, letting them know there were concerns over him helping the contestants - especially after being seen on TV, celebrating with Adam after he'd won the million dollars. And that there would be certain conditions that would have to be met for him to attend future tapings - among them, being seated in out of the way spots, not assisting contestants, and not even speaking to people while waiting out in line.

In other words, he had effectively been gagged.

Needless to say, he was deeply upset by the situation, and he nearly decided to not go through with the taping, though he did anyway. He was not only upset for his own situation, but that his family had to be punished over it as well. His relatives left feeling like this was not something they would want to do again, and at this point, I'm not so sure Voltron would like to, either.

I can't blame him. After all, the policy on the issue always has been that nobody should have a physical price list on them. I don't blame them for not wanting audience members coming in with several pages, listing the prices for Beachcomber hot tubs and Senakot laxatives and what-have-you. But this is punishing someone for having a great memory.

Bob Barker's old line about how it pays to watch The Price Is Right everyday? Apparently, not anymore.

Instead, it's now a situation where everyone else in the audience is encouraged to shout out prices and help contestants - except for people who might just know too much, and might just be too damned good. Those who might just foul up the precious budget because they give GOOD advice - instead of screaming "ONE DOLLAR!" or messing their pants when they see they are about to play Plinko need not apply. We don't need people like Voltron participating. Or...

People like me?

That was the second thought that went through my head after I became aware of what had happened.

The first was that this never would've happened with Bob Barker still there. Not because of any difference between Bob and Drew as a host, but the difference between Bob and Syd(iot) Vinnedge, who replaced Bob as the show's executive producer last summer.

Say what you want about Bob, but he always went out of his way to show appreciation to the loyal fans and followers of the show (Loyal Friends And True, as he'd call them). That mentality and believe is exactly why he'd be genuinely thrilled whenever he'd get a contestant who'd been watching for decades and already knew the rules to pricing games, or why he'd be estatic when a contestant watched everyday and knew the prices (like the woman who played Hole In One several years ago, and when saying which order to put the grocery items in, would follow it up by telling us all the exact price of each one - well before any of those prices were revealed!).

And, yes, I truly believe that is why he went out of his way to have Dennis' helpers put on camera last May. There is no doubt in my mind Michael and I had already earned a reputation around Television City by that point - we were loud, enthusiastic, had fun with the staff, knew our share of stuff, and even turned Chuck Dukas into a celebrity. Maybe it's possible that if had been two other "people in that corner right there" helping Dennis, Bob might've put them on camera like that. But I can't help but to think that upon realizing it was us two loudmouths guiding Dennis, Bob decided to reward our passion and loyalty by getting us on camera.

The only major changes that had taken place since then have been the host (Drew taking over for Bob), and the executive producer (Syd taking over for Bob). Roger Dobkowitz? There this May, there last May - hell, been there since August, 1972.

So, while it was Roger who delivered the bad news to Voltron, I never once thought "Yep, this is Roger's bright idea". My feeling the whole time is someone higher up decided to bust Voltron down, and sent Roger to do their dirty work.

How many people are there above Roger? Yeah. You guessed it. One. And that one person had no real authority with the show until Bob Barker rode off into the sunset last June.

Steve Gavazzi had put it quite well in October of ***6, when he said he was far more scared about who would replace Bob as the executive producer of the show than who would take over the hosting duties. Of course, we were all hoping they would do the right thing and promote Roger to the position, knowing Roger would stay the course and keep things as they were, since he'd been around the show long enough to know what made it work.

Sadly, no such luck. We got the Sydiot.

So, now, where do I fit into this, you ask?

During my eight trips to Game Show Mecca, I had been put on camera while helping a contestant - though, that was a disaster (also, that was the second time that had happened with Michael - as he was put on camera helping a contestant play Push Over in a previous taping), I had helped a contestant win a nearly $10,000 boat on Bullseye (and no doubt everyone caught my loud ass talking her into taking ten soups after she only wanted to take five), we'd given advice that would've given contests a new car in One Away (one contestant listened, another did not), I've shouted out more than a few bids that would've gotten someone a $500 bonus had they listened ($999 JBL sound systems, $3,495 hot tubs, etc. etc. etc.), and had given at least two bids that came extremely close in the Showcases (the $15,500 that would've given Dennis both Showcases, and the $16,700 that would've gone over by just $56 on Robert's Showcase last October). We've held court out in line, grabbing people's attention because of our knowledge of the show, told some of the tricks to some of these games (like all prices in Ten Chances ending in 0), and had more than one person out in line say "If I get picked, I'm looking to you!".

In other words, have the higher ups looked at us as a potential threat, like Voltron? That our memories and big mouths could lead to destroying the budget if a contestant were to listen - or, worse yet, if one of us wound up a contestant ourselves?

Because the second thought I had once Voltron shared his trials and tribulations with us? "We're done. We're finished. We're fucked!"

If I had to guess my odds of ever being a contestant on the show? Pretty damned close to ZERO now. All the lucky boots and caffeine and energy in the world wouldn't help at this point. They're not going to pick me because they see me and think I could blow up the budget - nevermind the fact that I would likely forfeit anything I won, because I'd have no use for most of the prizes, and probably couldn't pay the taxes unless I won a ton of cash to go with all of them.

Michael had expressed these same feelings and thoughts on G-R.net, and was blasted by some people for it. They thought we were overreacting, and the way he expressed himself was overboard. But how can I not think I'm in the same boat as Voltron (at least as far as chances of ever being picked), and damned close to being in the same boat as far as being seated in the audience? The only differences between us at this point is Michael and I have shown ourselves as being imperfect (see: Dennis playing Lucky $even), and we haven't helped a contestant win a million dollars.

But, you'd have to think they are thinking the potential for such damage is there.

That alone took a great deal of the wind out of my sails when it came to TPIR. Little did we know the worst was yet to come...

As of late last week, the number of people involved with The Price Is Right who had been there since 1972: ZERO.

Roger Dobkowitz, who began with the show as a production assistant, later becoming the show's producer, the man who was the glue that kept The Price Is Right together for many years now, and the man who should've been promoted and put in charge of leading TPIR into it's post-Bob years, was DISMISSED last week.

36 years of hard work, loyalty, and genuine love for the show and it's fans, all rewarded with a boot to the ass.

To many people, Roger is a name in the credits, and that guy we'd see 5-6 times a year or so, anytime something extrodinary happened and Bob would ask "When is the last time that happened, Roger?" or "How many times has that happened, Roger?". But to those of us who have treated this show like a religion, we knew Roger was the crew chief of the best pit crew in television, the conductor who helped bring it all together, the guy who would go out and shake hands with people in Camp Barker last spring, and the guy who would congratulate or console contestants after they had just won or lost their pricing game.

Bob (and now Drew) may have been the high-profile "captains" of the team, the guy the cameras and lights focused on, but neither one would look anywhere near as good without all that Roger did behind the scenes to keep the "fastest hour in television" running so smoothly.

If Bob (and now Drew) were the show's wings, Roger was the wind beneath them. Often unseen, and severely underrated, but so much of what this show is is thanks to Roger's 36 years.

Roger should've been in the same position as Bob - where he had a job as long as he wanted it, and he could walk away on his terms. He earned it.

But, I get the feeling that is the problem - that he had been there TOO long, and understands the show TOO well. According to some people who had attended tapings last summer, The Sydiot wanted to American Idle-ize the show - totally re-do the set, the music, EVERYTHING. And time and time again, Roger would speak up, telling them you can't do it, that radical change will KILL The Price Is Right because the very thing that makes the show work is how it has remained the same for so long.

Or, in other words: If it ain't broke, don't fucking fix it.

Despite that, of course, we got "minor" changes (ones which I never totally grew comfortable with, by the way). Re-composing the music. Changing some of the music cues. The altered turntable and door frames. All of which I felt was too much, especially since we'd be turning on the show and seeing someone not named Bob Barker up on stage after 35 years.

No doubt, though, Sydiot and the rest of the morons at Dismantle have been dying to do more - much more - and have wanted to since day one (see: The god-awful Hollywood mural we briefly had on the turntable several years ago). Sydiot has been dying to bring in a new theme song for years. And he and the rest of his goons have been going on and on about wanting to "modernize" TPIR, with their major resistance being Bob and Roger.

Well, they lost one obsticle last summer, when Bob retired. Now they just unceremoniously shoved the other one out on his ass.

Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.

The disgraceful treatment of Roger alone has me so pissed off that, as far as I'm concerned, The Price Is Right is going to end on July 17th (the finale show of season 36). Anyone who follows this blog knows the respect and appreciation I have for Roger, and you're damned straight I'm pissed off at the way he's been fed to the lions.

But it gets worse...

So far, it has been confirmed that they will introduce a video wall to the show next season. No word on how it will be used (behind one of the doors? Replacing the turntable?). That alone is enough to have LFAT's asses tighter than a walnut - because the one thing that stood out the most with that god-awful, prime-time TPIR in 1994 (that was hosted by Doug Davidson and lasted a whopping 16 weeks) is the video wall that dominated the set, and was used far too frequently.

But, then, you get to some of the rumored changes we might see for season 37: A new theme song. A totally redesigned set. The show being cut down to four pricing games and only one Showcase (where the contestants bid back and forth until someone wins it).

And... NO MORE "COME ON DOWN!", because the contestants will already be down in Contestant's Row before the cameras start rolling.

That is a piece of Americana, as big as (if not bigger than) Big Wheels and Plinko and new cars. Johnny Olson's legacy to the show, a catch-phrase so ingrained into our culture that it made TV Guide's list of greatest catch phrases. And, like Roger, it too may find itself a part of TPIR's PAST.

If I'm Rich Fields, right now I'm plotting how to give Sydiot Vinnedge a boot to the head - not only for taking away part of his involvement with the show, but for spitting all over the memory of the great Johnny O. like that.

Even if ANY of these rumors turn out to be true (and it would not shock me if all of them did), the show will never be the same for me. Modernize The Price Is Right? More like castrate it! And, for what? Who says the show needs to be modernized?!

Talk to people waiting out in line. Talk to people who watch the show regularly. Most of them will tell you (and definitely would've told you before season 36 started) that they love the show the way it is. Don't change ANYTHING. Don't change the set. Don't change the music. Don't do anything insane with the show. It's great as it is.

Ratings are down 18% from this point last season? Well, guess what. That was to be expected. Ratings were WELL up last season compared to season 34, thanks to everyone tuning in for the Bob Barker Farewell Tour. I would imagine if you compared season 36 ratings to season 34 ratings, you would not find such a drastic difference.

Have some people quit turning in? Of course. To some people, Bob Barker WAS The Price Is Right, just as Johnny Carson WAS The Tonight Show. Wouldn't have mattered who came in and replaced them. They were not going to go on without Bob. There was nothing you could've done to fix that, outside of cloning Bob Barker.

This is not the solution, though. As rough of a future as I thought the show would have without Bob, I always felt it would have a tougher time surviving without Roger.

Now, it's without BOTH.

So, this is what I see happening to the "new and improved" TPIR that will live on in the 21st century, if these changes all go down:

I expect people to tune in and see how it will go, and ratings to stay the same for a couple weeks... Okay, maybe a week... Maybe a day... Maybe about 25 minutes... The changes will succeed in alienating everyone who has followed the show over the years, which is understandable when you take a show that people love and change EVERYTHING about it. The ratings will speak. The letters will start rolling in. They'll have to pay more and more people to sit in the audience. They'll probably cave in, and change SOME of it back to where it was.

But, by then? Too late. The damage has been done. The show will probably get beaten by The View everyday of the week. Ratings will probably wind up 50% of where they are now (MAYBE). And if the show makes it to season 38 (which I would not bet on at this point), I fully expect Drew Carey (who also has spoken out against change to the show, but sadly lacks the power or influence of Bob and Roger) to be the scapegoat for the terrible ratings. He'll be fired, and replaced by Sydiot's boyfriend Ryan Seacrest.

That's right. Watch your ass, Drew. You're next. We all know it. And the sickest thing is, you deserve better...

Just like Roger did.

I will sit down on Thursday and watch season 36 - and The Price Is Right as we knew it and loved it - come to a close. In some ways, that is going to break my heart worse than watching Bob Barker say goodbye, because despite the sadness, there was always a chance of finding the right host to take over and the show living on.

But this? This is the end of a true American tradition. Everything that made the show special and unique is about to blown up in the name of progress. The show's identity and charm is about to replaced with modernization. What will exist in it's place is a show that may be called The Price Is Right, but will no longer truly be The Price Is Right. The house that Bob, and Roger, and Frank Wayne (the show's first producer), and Johnny, and Janice Pennington, and Mark Goodson, and so many others built is crashing to the ground as we speak. In it's place will be a fraud that may as well be named The Price Is Right '08, or The Price Is Wrong.

Whatever the hell you want to call it, it is not The Price Is Right. Because in five days, we will say goodbye to that.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. But, what a ride it was...

Thank you for 36 priceless seasons.

Thank you, Roger, for all you've done for all of us. We will forever be grateful.

Labels: Barker Worship, Camp Barker, Corporate Assholes, The Drew Is Right, The Price Is Wrong... bitch, You Will NEVER Stop The Dob