The Price is Absolutely, 100% Right

2 days ago, as I write this, a gentleman by the name of Terry Kneiss did the seemingly impossible.

$23,743 - $27,743 = ??

He made a prefect bid on his Price is Right showcase. It wasn’t the first time though. It had happened once before on the syndicated, night time Price is Right hosted by Dennis James in the early 70s.

However, a disturbance was sensed in The Force. It turns out Terry had a little help from “Ted.”

Here’s a quick Price is Right primer. At the end of the show, two contestants are each shown a collection of 3 or 4 prizes and asked to bid on them. The one who won the most (of the two of them) can bid on Showcase Number One or pass it and bid on Showcase Number Two. As long as your bid is closer than the other person’s, without going over, you win your Showcase. The twist is that if you get within $250 (again without going over) you win both of the showcases.

Meanwhile, back in the studio…Sharon Floyd was displeased with a showcase containing a karaoke machine, pool table and camping trailer and she passed to Terry. Terry looked to the audience and eventually gave Drew a bid of $23,743. Sharon’s showcase consisted of 4 trips to Calgary, South Africa, Chicago and Edinborough. Her bid was $30,525.

Sharon was $494 under the Actual Retail Price of her showcase. Good enough to win on any other day. Terry’s showcase price…$23,743. Perfect bid, sirens and bells clang, Drew is noticeably sedate about this historic moment and fade to black.

What the average person doesn’t realize is that “Ted” (his real name) signaled this bid to Terry because Ted, obviously, knew the prices of those 3 prizes to the dollar. Ted was a contestant in the 90s and since the show has lifted it’s “prior contestant ban” (unless it’s been in the last 10 years, in which case you’re still ineligible) he’s been attending more frequently. Over 40 shows, by his estimate. Ted has also memorized a number of prices because the staff uses many of the same prizes with little or no change in the price.

Obviously, a Rival Crock Pot will always cost the same unless the manufacturer says otherwise but something like a camping trailer can have options added/deleted to alter the price.

What the average person ALSO isn’t aware of is the 30-45 minute stop tape between Sharon’s bid and the reveal. It’s speculated that there was a meeting that may have included Standards & Practices (the people who make sure nothing funny happens on studio game shows), but this is hearsay at this point.

Once it was determined that it was on-the-level and there wasn’t any collusion, the show went on.

For now, the scrutiny is on Drew Carey and his lackluster performance. Some are suggesting that the stop down killed the momentum, others posit that it was this seemingly impossible perfect bid and the air of “something isn’t right” that damped his spirits. Most people are saying, however, that Drew is an actor and could have faked a stereotypical game showesque reaction. Personally, I think the production team suggested he down play it on purpose, so no more attention that is necessary is drawn. (Seems like that kind of backfired.)

In my reading of various message boards and blogs, there’s a backlash against Ted for ruining the spirit of the game. Well, in my opinion, the game is to take the show for as much of the loot as you’re offered. There wasn’t collusion, there isn’t a rule saying you can’t memorize prices and there isn’t a rule saying you can’t ask the audience for help. Everything is 100% above-board and it sits ok with me.

One other thing that strikes me, though, is the shock that there exists a Price is Right fan site (of which I am a member). I’m seeing some scorn heaped on “us” to get a life, go outside, get off the couch, etc. and can’t help but chuckle. There is one major fan site dedicated to the Price is Right (granted there are a few ancillary sites, but only one stands head-and-shoulders above the rest).

How many Star Trek and Star Wars are out there? How many million people play World of Warcraft? (Some of which are so closeted they deride the game then go home and level up their Death Knight.) And my question is, what kind of life do you have that you have nothing better to do than complain about someone else’s interest on an internet message board?

As my girlfriend likes to say ” Those who live in bread houses, should not throw toasters.”

Watch it here, jump ahead to about 1:50 though