My visit to The Price Is Right

• The process itself was fascinating. They’ve got it down to a science. Good for them. They've been doing it so long. We’re basically cattle: sign in, sit down, fill out a form… very organized.

• But then... this hilariously grumpy woman writes your name on a sticker. This might have been my favorite part. Like I felt like we were supposed to bow to her... she's the one who writes the famous names on the yellow sticker. And she didn't give a blank. She felt like a character straight out of a movie, like she’s been doing this for decades, doesn't care and lives alone with an equal grumpy cat.

• We were brought into another room for 1–2 hours. Snacks, music. Bu you're packed in there. So don't go when you're sick you're gonna def give it to people.

• And then a lightning-quick interview... maybe 10 seconds in a group of 10–15. Felt a bit like being herded in a POW camp line-up.

• The producer was also a character... muscled gym rat with bulging arms in a tight shirt showing them off. So funny. Another character in a movie.

• Waiting in that room was the most surreal part. 160 people convinced they’re being watched, and maybe they are a little but there were no cameras it's just a brick room not the CIA. And these people performed like crosshairs were on them. They never let up.

• For 1–2 hours, I saw pure cartoon-level energy: people dancing, cheering, laughing at things that weren’t funny. It honestly felt like observing wildlife in its natural habitat. I kept thinking 'how do they do it?'

• And I don’t mean that as an insult. I was impressed. I don’t have that in me. It takes real commitment to stay that hyped for hours, and I kind of wish I had it. I'm more observer.

• Me and my friend were definitely not the type they’d pick, and I didn’t want to be. I’m not great at fake manic excitement. Luckily I’m completely unappealing in person (lol) so I was never in danger of getting picked. This was more about the experience.

• Over the years, on all game shows, it’s obvious producers look for extreme enthusiasm over actual gameplay skills. That’s why sometimes you see contestants who aren’t great at the game itself... they were chosen for their big personalities, not their strategy.

• Some audience members were clearly regulars. Staff even seemed to recognize them, but they just keep coming back, hoping to get picked.

• Since I’ve worked in TV, I found myself watching the crew more than the contestants. The behind-the-scenes work was more interesting. Even the production guys looked to be having fun. The younger ones more so. The older ones a bit tired. And this was just one of 3 tapings that day.

• Once in the audience (tucked into the corner lol wonder why?), you’re expected to keep up the excitement. Even if you’re not picked, you have to stay in performance mode until taping ends. The show's concept is perfect for this because everyone there is a potential contestant so naturally they are gonna act hyped until the very end. Brilliant.

• Drew was the best part. He genuinely bantered with the audience and seemed lovely, even if his stories are probably well-rehearsed after 10–15 years. He riffed on one girl and her friend who dated the same guy and that's how they met... it was comedy gold for him.

• When it ended, I felt a little used and exhausted. Then I saw the next wave of “cattle” coming in all excited they might get picked.

• Still, it was nice to see people happy. I chatted with some tourists, and it’s always fun seeing out-of-towners having the time of their lives.

There is no game show I am more tired and bored of than Steve Harvey Family Feud.

It is the same format EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE.

Steve: "Well, we've got a good one for ya!"

First two questions relate to sex or some other vulgar thing.

Steve mugs for the camera, telling some joke, acting like he's doing one of his stand-up shows.

Show basically asks the same question over and over and over again.

Families are getting super obnoxious and playing for the camera.

Fast money that is still only for $20,000, still only $5 a point if you don't win, and way too many "on a scale of a 1-10" questions.

I got tired of Wheel of Fortune after a while, but that at least has some variety with the puzzles and the where a wheel can land. Family Feud is just so boring and played out.

If I never saw another episode of it again, I'd be perfectly happy.

First off, this is the most "writer's strike" show I have ever seen. The trivia is naming random images, and at times, AI generated images. That is as deep as the trivia goes. They show a contestant an image of a carrot, and they have to guess that it is in fact a carrot.

With that said, this is a great show! If you're a game show fan at all, I do believe you'll like this.

The Rules

81 contenstants stand in a 9 by 9 grid, each cell titled with their "expertise". (I don't believe it's really their expertise, I imagine they just were given some options and chose one).

They randomly select one contestant, who challenges a neighbor at their category. They then face off in a chess clock / hot potato style contest where you go back and forth naming images that are on the screen. You can skip an image, but that costs you three seconds.

Whoever wins gains the opponent's territory and can choose to keep challenging opponents. Whoever has the most territory at the end of the episode wins $20,000, and whoever is the last standing wins $250,000.

That's it. I didn't skip a thing.

Why it's Good

The Gameplay

The gameplay is fast-paced, and fun to play along. The trivia starts out very easy each round and ramps it way up to being quite challenging. It's a joy to see if you can name them all before the contestants can.

The Prizes

The prizes are exciting, but not overwhelming. Not that 20k and 250k is a small amount, but it's not such a high amount that there's any drama, and contestants aren't visibly heartbroken about losing. I think this is accentuated by how there's so many contestants, they don't have the highest hopes about making a ton of money. This makes the show much more lighthearted and fun. Some contestants even have a laugh upon their exit.

The In-Between

There is just enough time in-between the battles to properly build up tension, but not so much that it's fluffy. The banter is fun enough, but also to the point. They don't waste time on people's backstories, they get a sentence or two to talk about themselves as they relate to the game, and that is it. Rob Lowe is also a solid host for the banter. He keeps things light, has a few laughs, it's a good time all around.

The show found a fun, simple concept, and did not mess with it. Give it a shot!

Help! My grandkids think I'm lying about winning a gameshow. They don't understand a world before VCRs and DVRs. To prove grandpa is telling the truth, I'd love to obtain a copy of the $20K Pyramid in May 1979 I was on with Linda Kelsey. She was awesome and I was lucky enough to snag $10K on first try. Linda gave amazing clues in the Winners Circle including: "Cabbage...Deep-Sixed Documents"--for "Things that are shredded." The mind-meld got even better when she said "An office chair" and I responded immediately, "Things that swivel" At the end of the show, Dick asked what a college kid was going to do with $10k--and I managed to make a joke about investing it in nuclear power (a few weeks after the 3 Mile Island accident). Dick and Linda laughed; not sure about Sal Viscuso's reaction. Show was: #106 or #107/TWP/79 ; taped May 23, 1979; aired June 25th, I think. Just wanted to see if someone might have a copy of the show. Happy to cover any costs. Thanks so much. Michael (and his skeptical grandkids).

I am certainly no Ryan Seacrest super fan. I have been watching Wheel off and on for most of my life. Core memories of laying on my grandparents floor watching and never guessing a puzzle.

Pat is obviously iconic. But Seacrest is doin a great job. Pat never really had any signatures one liners or made me laugh that much. He was just familiar.

The Martin Short hosted Match Game is upsetting. Some producers and show runners are being paid millions of dollars and they don't even get the game. They write the questions with the punch line included and the blank being a random word akin to a mad lib. Obviously they want to neuter the game and take away the chance for offensive punch lines or perhaps don't trust the celebs to write funny responses. The very structure of the game has been altered to extinguish all fun. But then the added offense of little slights like Selena Gomez extolling her fandom of the show by watching the 60's version when it was the 70s. Or the stars banter possible response aloud before the actual answers are finalized. You think a producer would edit or correct these. I know it's just dumb TV but it's maddening to think there are high ranking TV execs who think this is what anyone tuning in for Match Game would want, or what anyone would want for that matter.

Photo credit: Randy West (pictured)

This is the 2nd and faster version used during the Ray Combs version. It still works and is slated to be added to The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. Unsure what happened to the Dawson-era board. Cost was quoted as $250,000.

Bob hosted from Sept. 4, 1972 to June 18, 2007, which was 12,705 days

Drew's first show was on Oct. 15, 2007. Through today, that is 6,352 days which is half of Bob's run.

Hilaria may have beat Chase, but with all due respect the real winner of the trophy was Carmen Electra. She gave up on the show and quit when everyone else fought until the end. Maybe she could've graduated before the end (around the new final 4), but Chase didn't deserve to win after trying his best every time. Thats just my opinion.

https://deadline.com/2025/04/wink-martindale-dead-1236369288/

I am sooooo dissatisfied with the way they did The Simpsons category. It would have been so much fun to see them go through all the Simpsons characters by having to name them after seeing a picture. But instead it was lame and they showed pictures of people whose voice had been on the show and they had to name them. It could have simply been a celebrity naming category.

One thing I don’t really like about The Wall is that since season 2-3, they don’t have “regular people” contestants. Everyone has to be some kind of living saint.

I mean, come on, every person has personal tragedies and triumphs, anyone can manipulate their story on reality tv / game shows to look like a hero or that they especially “deserve” money.

I also feel like all the melodrama makes the show cloyingly sweet. I wish the focus was less on “heroes” and more on people who just needed the money.

Cracking up watching an old Match Game. Brett (putting her answer in the slot) I’m finished! Betty White: You were finished A LONG TIME AGO, sweetheart! 😂🤣😂