The Price Is Right (UK game show)

The Price is Right (UK)
Also known as The New Price is Right (1989)
Bruce's Price is Right (1995-2001)
Genre Game show
Created by Bob Stewart
Presented by Leslie Crowther (1984-88)
Bob Warman (1989-9?)
Bruce Forsyth (1995-2001)
Joe Pasquale (2006-07)
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 5 (Leslie Crowther)
5 (Bob Warman)
7 (Bruce Forsyth)
2 (Joe Pasquale)
No. of episodes 100 (Leslie Crowther)
?? (Bob Warman)
116 (3 unaired) (Bruce Forsyth)
124 (Joe Pasquale)
Production
Running time 60mins (inc. adverts) (1984-8, 2006)
30mins (inc. adverts) (1989-9?, 1995-2001, 2006-7)
Production company(s) Central in association with Mark Goodson Productions and Talbot Television (1984-8)
Talbot Telegame and Mark Goodson Productions (1989-9?)
Yorkshire Television and Talbot Television in association with Mark Goodson Productions (1995-6)
Yorkshire Television and Fremantle (UK) Productions (1996-9)
Yorkshire Television and Grundy (1999-2001)
Talkback Thames (2006-7)
Distributor ITV Studios
FremantleMedia
Release
Original network ITV (1984-8, 1995-2001, 2006-7)
Sky One (1989-9?)
Picture format 4:3 (1984-9?, 1995-2000)
16:9 (2001, 2006-7)
Original release 24 March 1984 (1984-03-24) – 12 January 2007 (2007-01-12)
Chronology
Related shows The Price Is Right

The Price is Right in the UK was hosted by Leslie Crowther (1984–88), Bob Warman (1989–94), Bruce Forsyth (1995–01), and Joe Pasquale (2006–07).

It ran discontinuously from 24 March 1984 to 8 April 1988, with a second run from 1989 to 1994, a third run from 4 September 1995 to 16 December 2001 and a fourth run from 8 May 2006 until 12 January 2007.

Crowther era (The Price is Right)

Logo from Leslie Crowther-era.

Leslie Crowther hosted the original UK version, having beaten Joe Brown to the role of host after both recorded pilot episodes. It was also notable for being produced by William G. Stewart (of later Fifteen to One fame), who made the occasional cameo appearance. The Crowther version is popular with fans of the show for its near-campiness, frenetic pace, glamour, and endearing presenting skills of its host, not for its cheaper prizes (which were forced on it by the Independent Broadcasting Authority's prize limits). Its format was nearly identical to that of CBS' daytime show in the United States. It initially used the Big Wheel to decide who would go through to the Showcase, but the IBA forced Central to abandon this because of the lack of skill involved. In fact, the show had to go off air for a while during its first season on the IBA's instructions (the regulator was also unhappy that prize values had exceeded its limits), so that the format could be adapted to fit into a much more tightly-regulated UK broadcasting environment.

After this ruling was made, the show replaced the Big Wheel rounds with a game called "Supermarket", a game loosely based on the American version's "Grocery Game" pricing game. In "Supermarket", each of the three people would select up to four of six presented grocery products; the one whose total was closest to £20, above or below, advanced to the Showcase Final.

Series two saw the Big Wheel return for a spin-off to see who would have the option of bidding or passing on the first showcase; each contestant had to take two spins. If a person scored 100, £400 would be donated to charity on their behalf, and Leslie would ask the person a consumer-related question to win £100 for him/herself. The winner was the contestant who came closer to 100 in either direction.

The Crowther version later replaced Supermarket and the Big Wheel called with the "Showcase Showdown", where all six on-stage contestants played a series of estimated-guess questions and the person farthest away from the actual prize was eliminated. This was done until the last two contestants were left, and they then advanced to the Showcase Final.

The showcase was played largely the same way as on the American version. In the first season, the winner wouldn't win the largest prize in their showcase if their winning guess was not within 10% of the showcase total. It also didn't have the double showcase rule the US version has to this day, while it did use the rule for a double overbid.

Pricing Games

  • 3 in a Row (not based on any US game.)
  • 3 Strikes
  • Any Number
  • Bargain Bar ("Barker's Bargain Bar" in the US.)
  • Blank Cheque (Now known as "Check Game" in the US.)
  • Bonus Game
  • (The) Card Game
  • Check-Out
  • Cliffhanger ("Cliff Hangers" in the US.)
  • (The) Clock Game
  • Danger Price
  • Dice Game
  • Escalator ("Walk of Fame" in the US.)
  • Five Price Tags
  • Give or Keep?
  • Hi Lo (played with small prizes instead of grocery items.)
  • Hole in One
  • Lucky 7 (played with seven £1 coins for a prize with a three-digit price.)
  • Master Key
  • Matchmaker (not based on any US game; a pricing game in name only, as it actually involved no prices at all.)
  • Money Game (played for a vehicle with a three-digit price.)
  • Most Expensive (an original game later introduced in the US as "Easy as 1, 2, 3"; not the US' "Most Expensive"; contestants only won the most expensive prize.)
  • One Away
  • Partners (loosely based on Double Bullseye.)
  • The Penny Drops ("Penny Ante" in the US.)
  • Permutation (not based on any US game; played much like Balance Game II.)
  • Pick-a-Pair (played with small prizes instead of grocery items.)
  • Punch a Bunch
  • Race Game
  • Range Game
  • Safecracker ("Safe Crackers" in the US.)
  • Secret X
  • Side by Side (not based on any US game; not related to the US' Side by Side in any way.)
  • Squeeze Play (played for a three-digit prize; players remove two numbers instead of one from a set of five digits.)
  • Switcheroo (played for four two-digit prizes and one three-digit prize.)
  • Take Two
  • Temptation
  • Ten Chances (played for two two-digit prizes and one three-digit prize.)
  • Tic-Tac-Toe (a variation on Secret X.)
  • Time-Play (a variation on Clock Game.)
  • Trade Up ("Trader Bob" in the US.)

Announcer

Models

Warman era (The New Price is Right)

Logo from Bob Warman-era.

The second version hosted by Bob Warman is considered to be a precursor to the third version hosted by Bruce Forsyth, as it was a half-hour and used the Showcase range game. Having premiered shortly after Leslie Crowther's version went off the air, it retained many elements from the set and props, but was somewhat "Americanized". The show was hence called "The New Price is Right" and had a red, yellow, and green pound sign. The Warman version also had slightly better and more expensive prizes than the Crowther version due to the program's shorter length, in-show sponsorship, and lighter regulation of satellite television channels. The show also had a light border in the opening (mimicking the American version), used US music (including the opening theme and the Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour theme), and had more colour on the set.

The Showcase round was played considerably differently: After three games and a single Showcase Showdown at the Big Wheel (in which spinning 100 earned a bonus spin worth a bonus prize), the Showdown winner selected a range at random from £250 to £1,000; if the bid was within the selected range of the price of the presented showcase without going over, they won the Showcase.

Pricing Games

Announcers

Models

Forsyth era (Bruce's Price is Right)

Logo for the Bruce Forsyth-era.

When it started in 1995, Bruce's Price is Right is one of the first shows to fully take advantage of the Independent Television Commission's lifting of the prize limits and the general deregulation of the UK broadcasting environment. The Showcase Showdown was played on the Big Wheel (objections to lack of skill no longer being a factor), with the highest-scoring contestant on one spin or a combination of two spins going through to the Showcase, and any contestant who scored 100 on one spin or a combination of two spins would win £1,000. The ranges for the Showcase in this version went from £1,000 to £5,000. (Unlike the other three versions, this version did not involve any bonus spin.)

Although, it was only in a half-hour format with three pricing games per show (the Crowther show had been an hour long with six games), it still gave away more valuable prizes each week than the previous ITV version had done (for example, it was possible for a contestant to win two cars, one in a pricing game and one in the showcase, which would have been utterly unthinkable on British TV in the 1980s). Cars offered were usually superminis, from makers like Daihatsu and Daewoo, or models like a Ford Ka or Mazda Demio, but small sports cars like a Hyundai Accent or Vauxhall Tigra were offered on occasion.

On the Forsyth version, the game Plinko was played to very different rules from the US version; considerably less money could be won, and contestants could risk their cash winnings on one final Plinko chip in hopes of adding a car or other large prize to their winnings (the cash spaces on the board were replaced with alternating "WIN" and "LOSE" tags). Landing on "LOSE" would lose all the money accumulated, while landing on "WIN" won the car or other large prize plus the money. (Ant and Dec's Gameshow Marathon used these rules for their playing of Plinko, with an extra choice of a pound sign in addition to "WIN" and "LOSE", so that landing in the pound sign slot would double the winnings. Vernon Kay's extra chip, however, landed in a "WIN" slot.)

Many European versions of the show that debuted after the Forsyth version based their games and sound cues on that show. The main theme, an update of the US theme, and the "come on down" music are from the short-lived 1994 US syndicated version.

Bruce would start some of these shows also with his trademark line of "Nice to see you, to see you...NICE!" (where the audience yells the word "nice" at the end).

Pricing Games

Introduced Series 1 (1995)

Introduced Series 2 (1996)

Introduced Series 3 (1997)

Introduced Series 4 (1998)

Introduced Series 5 (1999)

Introduced Series 6 (2000)

Introduced Series 7 (2001)

Announcer

Models

Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon (The Price is Right)

On 17 September 2005, as part of a celebration of the 50th birthday of ITV, Ant & Dec hosted a one-off revival of The Price is Right as part of Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon; they also hosted revivals of several other game shows that were once popular on the ITV network. The original titles were from the Central version, however the Yorkshire Television version was used instead.

Announcer

Games played

Pasquale era (The Price is Right)

Logo from Joe Pasquale-era.

Talkback Thames debuted a revival on ITV1 on 8 May 2006, this time with former I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! winner Joe Pasquale as host. It followed the same gameplay format as Bob Warman and Bruce Forsyth's versions, with Showcase ranges going from £500 to £3000 (sometimes £4000), and the Showcase Showdown adapted the rules from the Warman version, with a car at stake; later on, the £1000 bonus was reinstated. It had a very "panto" feel to it, and it relies on nostalgia of the Crowther version, which was known for its cheap prizes because of the regulations of the time. Joe's tour manager, Ray Tizzard, made appearances as his "twin" in various pricing games.

The show expanded to an hour from 3 July 2006. This involved three games being played, a Showcase Showdown, three more games, another Showcase Showdown, and then, the winners from both showdowns take part in the 'Pasquale Finale', a spin-off on the wheel to see who will go through to the Showcase. During this format, spinning 100 in one or two spins won £1000; the player then spins for the car. In addition, prior to this, the maximum range in the Showcase increased to £4000, as the budget increased.

After the first three games and Showcase Showdown, Contestants' Row was cleared of people, and a new set of four contestants was called down.

In all versions of the programme, a perfect bid in Contestants' Row resulted in a £100 bonus in either cash or, in the Warman version, gift certificates.

Pricing Games

Announcers

Models

Cancellation

ITV chiefs cancelled The Price is Right at the end of its latest run on 12 January 2007, citing the fact that while The Paul O'Grady Show on Channel 4 regularly attracted over 2.5 million viewers, Pasquale only managed to pull in 800,000.

Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon (The Price is Right)

After the success of Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon in 2005, ITV brought the show back, this time hosted by Vernon Kay, a contestant in the first series. Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon began on 7 April 2007 with The Price is Right.

Contestants

The winner of the show was Graeme Le Saux, who as a result advanced to the quarter-final of the show. The five remaining contestants returned in the next week's show, Blockbusters, to battle for the second spot in the quarter-final round.

Announcer

Transmissions

Crowther era (The Price is Right)

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 24 March 1984 16 June 1984 9
2 29 December 1984 15 June 1985 25
3 18 January 1986 21 June 1986 23
4 22 November 1986 23 May 1987 25
5 27 November 1987 8 April 1988 18

Warman era (The New Price Is Right)

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 4 September 1989[1] ?? ??

Forsyth era (Bruce's Price Is Right)

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 4 September 1995 27 December 1995 17
2 2 September 1996 23 December 1996 17
3 29 August 1997 9 January 1998 17
4 4 September 1998 15 January 1999 17
5 10 September 1999 4 September 2000 17
6 8 September 2000 16 December 2000 17
7 23 June 2001 16 December 2001 14

Pasquale era (The Price is Right)

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 8 May 2006 25 August 2006 74
2 23 October 2006 12 January 2007 50

References

  1. ↑ "Evening Times". Retrieved 1 April 2014.

External links

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