Friday, June 15, 2007

I'm kind of sad...


I just watched the final show of The Price Is Right with host Bob Barker. I've been watching his show on and off for so many years now that I find it a little sad to know that he is hanging up the microphone. He's had a heck of a run though, hasn't he. 50 years in the business, 35 years on T.P.I.R. You can't wish for more than that.
My Grandma and Grandpa Slater were big morning game show watchers. I remember watching with them and hearing Johnny Olson announcing for Bob. When I was older, I watched T.P.I.R during summer vacation. It was a morning staple. When I grew up and didn't have time to devote to the show everyday, I caught it when I could. Chris Leach used to watch it...Sam loved watching it too. Tonight he was yelling at one of the contestants, "It's a 4!" "IT'S A FOUR, PHILLIP!" "A FOUR!" Then when Phillip picked a three to lose, he yelled, "A three! A three, no, no, its not a three, its a four! Then when Bob made his call...it turns out that both Phillip and Sam were wrong, it was an eight. I brought that to Sam's attention and pointed out that if he doubled his prediction he would have been right. Sam said, "well I knew it wasn't a three." Ah good times. How lucky was Denise.... the final Showdown winner ever. She was wearing this bright shirt that said she was born 9 days after the show started. The lucky duck won two convertibles, a thousand dollars on the wheel for landing on the $1.00 and on a spin off. She also walked off with a Cruise to Greece and Turkey and a new grill.
Well, I will have to live vicariously through Denise....I never made it to the show. I never got to experience the excitement of hearing, Annette Kaster, COME ON DOWN, you are the next contestant on The Price Is Right!" I never got to high five strangers and jump around like a nut case and make bad bids on the items they displayed. I wanted to bid One Dollar when the other contestants seemed to bid too high. I wanted to run up those steps and plant a big wet one on old Bob's cheek. I wanted to play Plinko, Hole in One, or Cliff Hangers. I wanted to have a chance to win a new car or walk away with a clock radio or a bedroom set. Dang it!
My friend Susan Goracke waited in line to see The Price Is Right a few years ago when her daughter was living out there. She got up at some ridiculous hour to stand in line for tickets. She made it in there, she watched the show, she wasn't called down, but she got to yell out what she thought the lucky people should bid. That is as close as I will ever get to the being there myself. Oh well, I have memories of Grandma and Grandpa making their bids. Hopefully Bob **has** a great retirement.
**Please note that I fixed the grammer issue I had...thanks to my Mother. **

11 comments:

Desperate Housewife said...

I just wrote a post about how sad I am, too!

Netter said...

Awww...we are on the same wave length. Bob's the man!

Now I feel old. If Sesame Street goes off the air, people will not see me for a while. I'll be in my room sulking.

Millie said...

Netter: I assume you meant "has" instead of "had" a great retirement. The poor guy hasn't croaked yet!!!! lol love to catch your English bloopers!!!lol

Netter said...

Welllll Mother! There sure are a lot of English bloopers in my blog. Perhaps its because I don't blog in Spanish or French...just to name a few languages. I'll fix that. I should probably proof read but that's no fun.

Anonymous said...

OMG! Johnny Olson! Man, that's from way back! I remember watching Bob on a show called Truth Or Consequences. It was on tv so it wasn't a drinking game. I watched a lot of game shows on tv - that was before cartoons were on 24/7! My favorite was Let's Make a Deal, I wanted to be Carol Merrill! Anywhoo, for a game show replacement, check out Cash Cab!

Anonymous said...

He will surely be missed. Any rumors on who will replace him if the show goes on?

Netter said...

Sue! I love the Cash Cab....we are huge Discovery channel fans around here.

Anonymous said...

Farewell, Bob. Huge PRIR fan. Plinko will never be the same. The network may as well hang the show up now that the king of game shows has retired. Hard worker 'til the end. He will be missed!!

Rockstar Mom said...

The first guy I ever kissed was named Jason. He looked me up about 4 years ago and he is a struggling actor out in Hollywood. He was on T.P.I.R. TWICE! He won a microwave on constestants row, but lost the yodeling game and didn't win at the wheel either. The second time he was on, he never got past contestants row.

I learned from him that this is how struggling actors pay their bills. They go on game shows.

I did not get to see Bob's last show. Like you, it was a morning staple in the summer. The end of an era.

Anonymous said...

Bob's mic was for sale on ebay:

http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/06/07/bob-barkers-microphone-for-sale-on-ebay/

Personally I think it should go in a museum of some kind.

denise said...

oh i love that show. i dont think it will be the same with out bob.