‘Price’ still right for Barker
Television’s iron man continues to forge on.
Bob Barker today starts his 35th season as the host of “The Price Is Right,” the longest-running game show in TV history (10 a.m., KREM-2 in Spokane).
Barker’s approach, like the show’s set, has remained essentially unchanged since he arrived Sept. 4, 1972, to host what was then called “The New Price Is Right”: wholesome, playful and family friendly.
He’s weathered some challenges along the way, including the death of his wife (and producer), Dorothy Jo, in 1981 and a sexual harassment lawsuit filed (and later dropped) by one of the show’s models in 1994.
But even in this era of endless fascination with the shocking and salacious, Barker and “Price” maintain an upbeat, timeless charm.
The 82-year-old talked about the secrets of his lasting appeal and what he’s got planned for the next 35 years.
Q: What is it about the show that’s kept audiences hooked for all these years?
A: We’ve been on so long, I’ve been told by young people that their grandmother introduced them to the “Price is Right.” It all adds up to a family thing that has been passed down from one generation to another. And nothing has changed. The only thing that’s changed on the “Price is Right” is the color of my hair. When you turn the television on, you’re back in the 1970s.
Q: Will you ever retire?
A: I’ve thought about retiring for 10 or 15 years, but I have so much fun and the show is so successful that it’s tough to walk away from. I just signed a five-year contract, believe it or not. I don’t expect to last five years. I know that for about three years now, Freemantle (Media, which owns “Price”) has been looking for a host. But I’m still doing the show so apparently they haven’t found the right one.
Q: Did you ever expect to last this long on the program?
A: My late wife said, “If you have anything, it’s tenacity.” I did the pageants, Miss Universe and Miss USA, for 21 years. I did the Rose Parade for 21 years. I did the Pillsbury Bake-Off for 20 years. I went back for years, about 20 years, and did the Indianapolis 500 parade. I did “Truth or Consequences” for 18 years. When I get a job I hang onto it.
Q: How many kisses from exuberant “Price” players have you gotten over the years?
A: I would say, including yesterday, I probably have had 932,403 kisses. There’s no doubt in my mind that I have been kissed more than anyone in television. Particularly on the right cheek. I’ve had a minimum on the left cheek. My contestants are always on my right.
The birthday bunch
Actor Robert Blake is 73. Actor Fred Willard is 67. Singer-actor Frankie Avalon is 66. Actor James Gandolfini (“The Sopranos”) is 45. Actress Holly Robinson Peete (“Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper”) is 42. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is 35. Actor James Marsden is 33. Actors Taylor and Brandon Porter (“Party of Five”) are 13.