Bob Retires and Drew Takes The Stage

In 2007, as the "Come On Down!" crew was working on a first edit of the film, Bob Barker announced his retirement and we learned that Drew Carey would take the reigns. One of our final shoots for the film was Bob Barker's last show, where we interviewed fans about the future of The Price Is Right. There was much fanfare surrounding Bob's retirement. The following article about the changing of the guard appeared in the New York Times:

October 25, 2007, 5:01 PM

Drew Carey’s Showcase Showdown

By BRIAN STELTER

The reviews of Drew Carey’s debut on “The Price Is Right” have been mixed.

Many of the comments on the Television Without Pity and TV.com message boards have been decidedly downbeat. But Jonathan Storm gave Mr. Carey a thumbs-up in a review in The Philadelphia Inquirer, concluding: “By the time he was bouncing in excited unison Friday with Leslee (who went on to win a new car!), it was clear that The Price Is Right is on its way to a few more decades of fun.”

Regular viewers are the most important critics, and the ratings for Mr. Carey’s first week suggest that a “Bring Back Bob Barker” campaign isn’t imminent.

Compared with the same week last year, viewership of Mr. Carey’s “Price” premiere week was up 8 percent among viewers aged 25 to 54 and up 10 percent among viewers aged 18 to 49. The program posted gains among both men and women.

If viewers still miss Mr. Barker, they can log onto ThePriceIsRight.com, the official Web site for the long-running game show. The site, unveiled today, includes a section devoted to “Bob Barker’s Classic Moments.” It also features a video blog from Mr. Carey and a variety of online games. The site is the product of FremantleMedia Enterprises (the production company that handles “Price”) and a Web developer called DAVE Networks.