I’ve watched “Dirty Rotten Scandals: The Price Is Right” twice now. It was a tough but necessary watch.
My reactions…
\ I’m still of the belief that this was a follow-up to E!’s “True Hollywood Story” on “The Price Is Right”—but “on steroids.” It was a mix of what we already knew and startling new allegations, to say the least.
\ Whether we like it or not, reporters from TMZ, Daily Mail, and others will do their best to reach out to Dian Parkinson and others for their takes. The producers of the documentary, which dropped March 18, acknowledged multiple failed attempts to reach Parkinson.
\ Despite today’s (March 20) news that CBS News Radio will sign off for good just before Memorial Day weekend, marking an awful week for the network, the damage to “Price” will likely be minimal. To suddenly end The Barker Era streaming presence and/or cancel “Price” on CBS would be like “the death penalty” administered to SMU football in the late 1980s; you would essentially be punishing the wrong parties.
\ Credit to both “DRS” and “THS” for acknowledging the original version of “The Price is Right”, which was hosted by the legen-wait for it-dary Bill Cullen.
There were notable omissions from “DRS: TPiR”…
\ There was no mention of Anitra Ford, one of the two models from the era when the show was a half-hour format titled “The New Price Is Right”. “New” eventually left the title. Perhaps she left on good terms, which is why she wasn’t interviewed.
\ Holly Hallstrom, who succeeded Ford, was off the show for about a year circa 1983 to pursue an acting career before reuniting with the cast circa 1984.
\ The pricing game Bump. If you know, you know.
While it was great to see two models and a former staffer revisit Television City and a noticeably empty Bob Barker Studio in the documentary, there were some loose ends to tie up.
\ Any mention of Drew Carey being named Barker’s successor (a short clip from an entertainment news show would have sufficed).
\ Acknowledgment of the show’s move from Television City to Glendale.