Grocery Game

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Drew Carey explaining the rules of Grocery Game to a contestant
Drew Carey explaining the rules of Grocery Game to a contestant
 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2008)

Grocery Game is a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. It is played for a four-digit prize, usually valued between $3,000 and $10,000 (although it has also been played for cars), and uses grocery items.

Having debuted on Price's second episode from September 5, 1972 (aired out of order on September 8), Grocery Game is one of the original five pricing games.[1]

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

The contestant is shown five grocery items. The goal of the game is to buy a total between $20 and $21 inclusive. To do this, the contestant chooses an item, and a quantity of that item to buy. The price is revealed, multiplied by the quantity purchased, and rung up on a cash register. If the total is not within the winning range, and the contestant hasn't gone over $21, they may choose another item and quantity, which is added to their total. This continues until they have won, gone over $21, or used all five grocery items without reaching $20.

[edit] History

Grocery Game was created by Goodson-Todman staffer Imie Lane Camelli. Its original winning range was $6.75 to $7.00. This was adjusted on January 26, 1989 due to inflation. In shows produced during the first week of tapings, the contestant was given $100 at the start of the game. If they won the game or exhausted all five grocery items (but did not exceed $7.00) they kept the $100.

From its 1972 debut until 2000 (when she departed from the show), Janice Pennington was traditionally the Grocery Game's "cashier". Rachel Reynolds is currently the usual cashier.

The first four times Grocery Game was played the contestant was awarded supplies of all five groceries regardless of the game's outcome.[1]


[edit] Foreign versions of Grocery Game

The game is played in many other countries with the same rules, only the win ranges are completely different.

A list of examples:

  • Australia - $10 to $10.50 on Larry Emdur's version; Ian Turpie's version used the US pre-1989 range of $6.75 to $7.
  • Canada - $9 to $10
  • France - 95₣ to 99₣
  • Germany - DM12 to DM13 (earlier DM27 to DM30)
  • Italy - ₤45,000 to ₤48,000

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Sly, John, The Best of The Price Is Right – Liner Notes, BCI 
v • d • e
The Price Is Right
U.S. Versions
International versions
Major elements
Hosts (U.S.)
Others on-air (U.S.)
Producers (US)
Roger Dobkowitz, producer • Kathy "Fingers" Greco, co-producer
Notable Int'l Hosts
Pricing Games
v • d • e
Active pricing games
Any Number • Balance Game • Barker's Bargain Bar • Bonkers • Bonus Game • Bullseye • Buy or Sell • Card Game • Check Game • Check-Out • Clearance Sale • Cliff Hangers • Clock Game • Coming or Going • Cover Up • Credit Card • Danger Price • Dice Game • Double Prices • Eazy az 1 2 3 • Five Price Tags • Flip Flop • Freeze Frame • Golden Road • Grand Game • Grocery Game • ½ Off • Hi Lo • Hole in One • It's in the Bag • Let 'em Roll • Line em Up • Lucky $even • Magic # • Make Your Mark • Make Your Move • Master Key • Money Game • More or Less • Most Expensive • Now....or Then • One Away • 1 Right Price • 1 Wrong Price • Pass the Buck • Pathfinder • Pick-a-Number • Pick-a-Pair • Plinko • Pocket ¢hange • Punch a Bunch • Push Over • Race Game • Range Game • Safe Crackers • Secret "X" • Shell Game • Shopping Spree • Side by Side • Spelling Bee • Squeeze Play • Stack the Deck • Step Up • Swap Meet • Switch? • Switcheroo • Take Two • Temptation • Ten Chances • That's Too Much! • 3 Strikes • Time Is Money (on hiatus) • Triple Play • 2 for the Price of 1
v • d • e
Retired pricing games