“Price is Right” host Drew Carey was scared of this awful situation replacing Bob Barker
Legendary game show host Bob Barker turned the Price is Right into a cultural institution.
He left behind big shoes to fill.
And Price is Right host Drew Carey was scared of this awful situation replacing Bob Barker.
Drew Carey was scared he would kill the Price is Right after he took over
The late Bob Barker was one of the most popular game show hosts in TV history after he spent 35 years on the Price is Right.
Fans saw Barker help contestants win cash and prizes from the show’s start in 1972 until his retirement in 2007.
Comedian Drew Carey stepped in to replace him in the fall of 2007.
He was initially reluctant to replace a legend like Barker but eventually was persuaded to give it a shot.
The longest-running game show in TV history recently celebrated 10,000 episodes.
Carey has hosted more than 3,000 episodes during his 18 years on the Price is Right.
“They told me it was my 3,317th episode,” Carey told Variety. “Sometimes I feel like it’s not that long, and sometimes I feel like I’ve always been there.”
Variety pointed out he’s been the host of a one-third of episodes since the show’s debut.
“Bob Barker is two-thirds. I’m still the new guy!” Carey said with a laugh.
The comedian admitted that he had “big shoes to fill” stepping in for Barker but he wanted to mark his own mark on the beloved game show.
“I don’t need to walk in his shoes; I brought my own shoes,” Carey said.
The comedian’s goal when he took over was “not be responsible for ruining the show or killing it.”
“I knew there was such a culture there, and I really wanted to honor that culture and not rock the boat,” Carey explained. “And I also wanted to make it my own, but without stepping on anybody’s toes.”
Drew Carey made one subtle change to the Price is Right
Carey kept one of Barker’s trademark lines at the end of every show.
“Help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or neutered,” Barker said as his show signed off.
Barker was a noted animal rights supporter during his lifetime.
“I want to honor the show — certainly — and not forget about the importance of him and the path that he blazed,” Carey stated. “It’s very important to keep the memory of Bob alive. I’m not replacing anybody. I’m just doing a show that he used to do.”
One change that Carey made was during the show’s introduction.
The announcer used to welcome Barker to the stage as “the star of the show.”
Carey is called the “host.”
“I am not the star of the show; the contestants are the star,” Carey said. “I’m not downplaying my role on the show, but people tune in to see the interaction of the contestants, and they want somebody there to interact with them in a good way — because they’re the stars.”
Bob Barker and Drew Carey have made the Price is Right one of the most successful daytime TV shows in history.
