DrewTube: Carey rocks as "TPIR" star
He's not just the host of "The Price Is Right," Drew Carey is the star. And in his own understated way, Cleveland's finest is proving to be the replacement for Bob Barker that many of us hoped he would.
I've always thought the people behind the scenes — the producers, the contestant pickers, even the announcer — were well aware of how campy "The Price Is Right" seems. The show plays it straight, but it always seemed to be winking to the audience, or at least some of them. The difference is that now the show has a star who feels the same way. Bob Barker was doing the same shtick he'd done since "Truth or Consequences." He hadn't changed. But Drew Carey knew exactly what "TPIR's" street cred was (which is probably why he initially turned down the gig).
So what do you do with a job like this? You can take over the show and run it into the ground by making it even campier and self-knowingly ironic ... or you can love it and leave it just as it is. That, for the time being at least, seems to be Drew Carey's plan.
Anyway, he's got other things to worry about, like reading the scripted lines without tripping. He'll memorize every word of the game soon enough. In the meantime, he ad libs a lot more than Barker did, and it seems like someone's even writing lines for the announcer.
It's been funny watching nervous contestants calling him "Bob," then immediately correct themselves. My favorite was the dude who had a SHIRT with the letters D-r-e-w plastered on the front calling the host "Bob." But in a great sign of what's to come, Carey just giggled and seemed genuinely to enjoy it. When's the last time Bob Barker really seemed to be having a good time hosting "TPIR"?
The PR from CBS is below, confirming that viewership upticked a little for Carey, who took over Oct. 15. The first broadcast was pretty obviously not the first one actually taped since (a) he was a lot rougher on this Monday's, Oct. 22's, broadcast and (b) the Oct. 15 telecast just happened to be one of those rare "perfect games," where all six contestants won AND both prize wheel spinners hit $1.00 on the nose. What are the odds that happens to Drew his very first taping?
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DREW CAREY'S FIRST WEEK AS HOST OF "THE PRICE IS RIGHT" POSTS RATINGS INCREASES IN KEY ADULT DEMOGRAPHICS VERSUS THE SAME WEEK LAST YEAR
Price Ranks as the Week's Number One Daytime Program Among Men 18-49 and Men 25-54
Drew Carey's first week as host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT posted across-the-board increases in key adult demographics versus the same week last year, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending Oct. 21.
Compared to same week last year, PRICE IS RIGHT was up +8% in adults 25-54 (1.3 from 1.2), +10% in adults 18-49 (1.1 from 1.0), +7% in women 25-54 (1.6 from 1.5), +8% in women 18-49 (1.3 from 1.2), +11% in men 25-54 (1.0 from 0.9) and +14% in men 18-49 (0.8 from 0.7).
PRICE IS RIGHT ranked as the Number One daytime program among men 18-49 and men 25-54 last week.
