The Price is Right - 4/30/12 Episode

Ugh.

That pretty much sums today's episode of The Price is Right, and that even takes into account a $1 spin on the wheel and an exact bid on bidders' row.

That was more than offset, however, by contestants' 0-for-6 performance in the pricing games. The first was the toughest one to take, as Kevin very nearly became the first to ever win $100,000 on "Pay the Rent."

Unfortunately, he took home $0.

Here's the set-up:

You get six grocery items, and each item or combination of items has to cost more than what you put on the "floor" below it. So, the items you put on the first floor (that blue "couch" and green "stove" you see in the photo above) have to cost more than what you put in the red mailbox there at the bottom. And so on and so forth, with the most expensive item up top.

What made today's defeat so heartbreaking was that Kevin played it correctly, and I genuinely thought he had it. What most contestants do is place the obvious least expensive item in the mailbox at the bottom, placing more expensive items above and leaving no chance of the top item being more than the floor below it. Most of these contestants take home the $5,000 or $10,000 - you can stop at any time, or risk what you've won already to move on to the next level - so that's not exactly a bad haul.

Kevin put the Twinkies (or "snack cakes" as Drew Carey and George Gray were contractually obligated to call them) on the second level, which was the right move.

Unfortunately, it didn't pay off.

I really enjoyed Drew's buildup, and Rachel looked legitimately excited about the prospect of a $100K winner. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Nor was Erin's trip to Rome on this brutal "Range Game" loss:

Would Bob Barker have asked how to say "That sucks" in Italian?

The Price is Right - 4/27/12 Episode

OK, first thing's first.

If this isn't the best picture on the Internet right now, I don't know what is...

Why is Manuela holding a puppy? We'll get to that later (nice tease, eh?).

For now, let's chronicle a couple terrific pricing game wins. We had Rodney playing "That's Too Much" for a Jeep Wrangler. This is one of The Price is Right's toughest games - according to The Price is Right Recaps, contestants were 3-23 coming into today's show.

Make it 4-23.

Take a bow, Rodney.

As impressive as that was, Kelly Anne's performance on "Hole-in-One" was better. A quick explanation of the game: you have to sink a putt to win a car. How long that putt is depends on your ability to price grocery items. You're given six items, and you have to guess them in order from least to most expensive. The more you get right, the closer you get to the hole. If you blow it on the first one, you're looking at about a 14-foot putt. If you get all six, you have a tap-in for the car.

Kelly Anne got a pretty brutal set of groceries:

Lighter fluid? A five-gallon keg of root beer? If I had played this, I might have been looking at that 14-foot putt. Kelly Anne, however, went blackberries ($1.49), lighter fluid ($3.99), canola oil ($5.29), walnuts ($9.99), root beer keg ($18), pain reliever ($6.79)... All things considered, that's really damn good. I mean, I know that's a big-ass bag of walnuts, but really? $9.99?

So, Kelly Anne had to hit a three-footer...

...and completed her audition for a job in television, which she had been doing pretty much throughout the show.

Bidders' row FAIL
I admit I didn't have much faith in Kelly Anne after one of her first bids: $580, right after someone else bid $599. But she certainly righted the ship.

Poor Adam, on the other hand...

The Price is Right - 4/26/12 Episode

Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good.

And since nobody is good at "Cover Up," somebody needs to get lucky to win it. No one had coming into today's show: according to The Price is Right Recaps, contestants were 0-21 in "Cover Up" this season.

Today was Naomi's lucky day.

Playing for a Hyundai Sonata, here was the setup:

Like everyone before her, Naomi tried to get every number right on the first go, which is not the right way to play (the "Cover Up" link above explains why). Like everyone before her, Naomi got the very easy first two numbers right...

...leaving her in a position where, as Drew Carey said, "All you have to do is get the hardest three numbers now."

Naomi's first bit of luck here is that she didn't get any of those last three right on the first try, giving her an extra shot (compared to most other contestants) at guessing another number on her second turn. Which she did:

The second bit of luck here is that she got the fourth number right (at 4-to-1 odds), and now that third number is a 50-50 toss-up. Get that one and, assuming you're wrong on the last digit, at least then you have a 3-to-1 shot at the car with your final turn.

Naomi did not get that third digit and, as it turned out, there was her third and best bit of luck:

And there you have it - the "Cover Up" hex is broken!

Drew and I share the same sense of humor
One last note on Michael Jackson from his "Thriller" video Naomi. The show was taped on her 30th birthday, apparently, prompting Drew to make one of my go-to quips:

Cliffhangers FAIL
As I noted on this blog sometime last week, I really, really wanted to see "Cliffhangers." It had been a while. It was the first pricing game out of the chute today, and I was pumped.

The Price is Right - 4/25/12 Episode

As regular readers of The Price is Right Files are aware, a good amount of my blog focuses on the stupid decisions of contestants. Sometimes, finding such decisions can be difficult. Other days, it can be easy.

There are also days like today, where we had Kenneth.

Kenneth was boatload of fail today. We'll start with his bid during the third round of bidders' row. The picture says it all.

Tina (to Kenneth's left) was so dumbfounded with her subsequent victory, she tripped on stage:

Back to Kenneth. He was last to bid in the next round, and went a full $400 over the highest bidder. The Price is Right sometimes rewards such imbecility, and today was one of those days. Kenneth got up on stage, and got a chance to play for four prizes on "Take Two."

Here's the game: you're given a money value (today it was $6,893), and you have to pick the two prizes that add up to that value. If you miss, you get a second chance, which gives you the added advantage of having seen the price of two of the prizes.

Today's prizes: two pairs of women's shoes and a purse from Valentino, a washer/dryer, a pool table and a desktop computer. Kenneth went with the shoes/purse, and... the computer!

Really, Kenneth? Even if you highball the price of the shoes and purse - say, $3,000 - that leaves almost $4,000 for a desktop computer. The foolishness here is twofold. One, you think a desktop computer is worth almost $4,000. Two, more importantly, you still have multiple reasonably possible combinations to guess from. If, say, the shoes/purse and pool table (which would've been my first choice) don't work out, you pretty much know it's the pool table (assuming it's as expensive as you think it is) and the washer/dryer.

So, Kenneth gets his second chance, where we find out that he - and pretty much the whole studio audience - can't do fairly basic math:

Seriously, almost everyone thought he won - including him.

Let's just move on.

Pricing game WIN
We did have some success on The Price is Right today, including our first pricing game car win in what seemed like ages.

The Price is Right - 4/24/12 Episode (Part 2)

Read the first segment of my review of the April 24, 2012 episode of The Price is Right right here.

Sometimes, you have to learn the hard way.

Carol was the sixth and final contestant to make it on stage today on The Price is Right, doing so after earning $500 cash for an exact bid on a $670 cookware set. Her reward was a shot at a car, playing another of my favorite games (I don't have that many, I swear), "One Away."

Drew Carey always makes it pretty clear that, in order to win the game, you have to plead with the Mighty Sound Effects Lady. Carol, for whatever reason, ignored these directions with blunt obduracy...

Carol... Carol. CAROL!!! YOU DO NOT MESS WITH THE MIGHTY SOUND EFFECTS LADY!!!!

Carol's two changes were incorrect, and she lost. And that's what happens when you run afoul of the Mighty Sound Effects Lady.

The Mighty Sound Effects Lady's latest victim.

A Price is Right odyssey
Phyllis also had an interesting day at the office.

We'll start with her facepalm-inducing performance on the second round of bidding.

Phyllis (second from left), as the last contestant to bid, went almost halfway between the two highest bids. Instead of, you know, just bidding $576. Sure enough, the actual retail price was $875.

She got the hang of it, though:

Phyllis' bid, again the last one, didn't win here either. But the next one did.

And then this happened:

Phyllis then got one of the easiest setups of "The Balance Game" I've seen. Today's prize was a trip to Savannah, Georgia. I'm sure it's a wonderful place, but you know it's one of the cheapest trips The Price is Right will give away.

Here's what the game looks like:

The '771' next to Drew is the last three digits in the price of the trip. You then have to pick two of the three "bags of coins" with monetary values attached that will add up with the 771 to get to the price of the prize. Gwendolyn then puts her "treasure" on the scale, and if they "balance," you win.

It's a simple concept, but the values attached to the bags usually make for a difficult decision. I'd say I've seen this game lost more often than won since I've started re-watching the show.

Today, though, the bags were $1,000, $4,000 and $7,000. A $5,771 price for a trip to Savannah was pretty easy. Phyllis went for it, and won.

Phyllis then won the wheel - jumping right into Drew while he was going to commercial in the process - and faced off with Neil in the Showcase round. She won that, too, with a solid $25,500 bid on an iPod touch/Palm Springs/Mini-Cooper package (worth $28,979).

Not that Neil gave her much competition...

That is not Neil's bid - that is how far off he was with his bid. The package was four pairs of designer shoes, a six-night trip to England, and an RV. He bid $15,500. The actual retail value was $36,439. Just missed!

The Price is Right - 4/24/12 Episode (Part 1)

My afternoon is a little busy, so I'm going to have to split my entry on today's episode of The Price is Right into two parts, with the second one coming sometime tonight. But here's a few quick thoughts on what I've just seen:

Pricing game strategies
We started off today with "Punch a Bunch." Andre earned three punches to win some cash.

There are 50 holes to punch, with the following prize breakdown: 1 - $25,000; 2 - $10,000; 4 - $5,000; 8 - $2,500; 10 - $1,000; 10 - $500; 10 - $250; 5 - $100.

Andre's first punch got him $1,000, with the option to keep it or throw it away for the other two punches. As we can deduce from the breakdown above, that's 3-to-1 odds (16 out of 49 possibilities) to win more, 2-to-1 (25 out of 49) to win less, and about 5.5-to-1 (9 out of 49) to stay at $1,000.

Is it worth the risk?

Andre decided it was, and his second punch was one of the $100 holes. It's an obvious decision to throw that away and take your chances with the third punch, which saw Andre pocket $2,500.

Going by the numbers, it may not have been the sound play, but it paid off.

In the very next game, Neil got a chance to win a car in "The Money Game." Here's the setup:

You get three incorrect guesses to fill in the first two and last numbers in the car. Neil, like just about everyone before him, tried to fill in the first two numbers first. Obviously, it's the 15, 16 or 17. Unfortunately for Neil, he wasted two of his incorrect guess, going with 15 (which anyone who watches The Price is Right regularly knows is wrong) and 17 before hitting with 16. That left him with just one guess to waste on the last two digits, and it really could be any one of those other options. It turned out to be the 24, which he didn't get.

So, here's the question: Knowing that you can set aside three options for the first two digits (which is pretty much always the case in this game), do you make a run at the last two digits first? You get four guesses on six options, and even if it takes you all four, you have decent 3-to-1 odds on your final guess for the first two numbers. And, really, if that setup is like today's, it's 50-50 because you can eliminate the 15.

You obviously run the risk of going 0-for-4 and getting shut out. On the other hand, if you ever get it before your fourth guess, you've pretty much won the car.

It's not as clear-cut as other pricing game strategy foul-ups (like Cover Up, for example), but I'm starting to think this may be the way to go.

Click here for Part 2 of the April 24, 2012 review of The Price is Right, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter (@TPiR_Files).

The Price is Right - Tweets of the Day (4/23/12)

The following are real tweets from real people during Monday's episode of The Price is Right, starting with our No. 1 Tweet of the Day. Enjoy.

@patregan55 Sometimes I watch the price is right just to see the acting talents in the senior citizens commercials

@kahleea It makes me mad that half of the contestants that get called up on Price is Right seem like they've never even seen the show!

@TheBigC255 The price is right is a great show but the people guessing the prices must have some type of retardation

@robbie_d_6 *Chick on Price is Right bids $1800 on tv* *Chick next her gives evil grin, looks in her direction and sneakily bids $1750.* #urdoingitwrong

@line_wife I was going to get up and get alot of stuff done today but sitting on the couch and watching the Price is Right sounds more appropriate

@brianlauderdale No I'm not angry... I'm just far too invested in this episode of the Price is Right.

@LindseyKlumb Icing my back and watching the price is right...I am actually scared of what 25 will bring my way.

@roxxi_kae Why does everyone who gets on stage on the Price is Right look so clueless? Clearly you've seen the show, so why don't you know what to do?

@CDrake5 I can guess the price of boats quite precisely thanks to price is right

@Altron_3 I won my 4th child on the Price Is Right. I named him Shadowhawk.

The Price is Right - 4/23/12 Episode

Why is "Any Number" my favorite game on The Price is Right?

It's relatively straightforward, still involves some logic, and is the most consistently dramatic game on the show. It almost always comes down to those last one or two numbers to win the car, mid-level prize or the piggy bank.

Sometimes, the drama gives way to a memorable victory.

And then we have Dendee today...

Tough luck. I'd have gone with the '1' there, too. The Price is Right has been tricky like that lately. They reversed the trend just in time today. I feel like it's been ages since somebody won a car.

It was a bad day for logic, as Allison's reasonable playing of "Lucky Seven" also let her down. After going with '8' and '5' as her first two numbers for the new pickup truck - guesses that left her with $3 to spare (meaning she couldn't be off by more than three on her next two guesses combined) - she goes with '4.' I went with '4,' too.

Cue the losing horn!

Another '9'? Really? That's just cruel, The Price is Right. Cruel.

Well, at least Allison's appearance on the show led to this exchange prior to her loss:

An epic wheel spin-off
As I mentioned a couple times last week, if you spin a 60 as the first contestant at the wheel, I think you should spin again. It's a close call, and today, Joshua decided to stay with the 60 in that same situation.

An epic wheel spin-off ensued.

The Price is Right - Tweets of the Day (4/20/12)

The following are real tweets from real people during Friday's episode of The Price is Right, starting with our No. 1 Tweet of the Day. Enjoy!

@iamnumberjuan Few things in life are certain. Death, taxes and that there is blood and bones of fallen contestants in the big wheel on The Price is right  

@tnelz28 Seeing 3 strikes on the price is right is just as exciting as seeing plinko!

@Colemania One day hope to be the fat contestant on the price is right.

@GalenTheKid I just yelled at the price is right contestants. I'm turning into my dad... #emotionaltvwatcher

@Real_ChrisP #ThatAwkwardMoment when the price is right contestant bids $499 right after the person before bids $500

@robcunning89 Bonding with my roommates by watching price is right together...

@LantzMiller In all seriousness I'm going to be pissed when I have a real job and can't watch The Price Is Right everyday

@d_geoghegan Lol why is there a woman named Gidget on the price is right. #drunkassbabynaming

@Macchina This contestant on The Price is Right is named 'Gidget'; obviously someone had some strange hallucinations during the pregnancy.

@OleRed88 This woman's name on Price is Right is Gidget. #wtf not to mention she is from NC. No wonder people think we are a bunch of hillbillies

@JordanSeidel It is CRIMINAL that the Price is Right is never on at the gym. TWO TVs HAVE THE VIEW ON.

@Llewtnacm If I'm ever as cheerful as the contestants on The Price is Right, I might be on something.

@tweeti_deedee I hate when people don't spin the wheel all the way around on the price is right. Like what is wrong with you my 2yr old can do better.

@SchwandtyPippen Either this medicine is amazing or the price is right is the most #intense show ever

Follow The Price is Right Files on Twitter: @TPiR_Files.

The Price is Right - 4/20/12 Episode

One of the biggest reasons I started this blog, as I wrote a few weeks ago, was to chronicle foolish decisions by contestants.

Today, we had the worst of the worst.

Steffinnie was second to bid on a trio of faux leather bags from Stella McCartney. Right before her, Sheila bid $500, and Steffinnie went with...

Ohhhh boy...

Just to refresh your memory, the closest bidder without going over gets the prize. If this prize were $498 or lower, Steffinnie is over and loses. If it's anything above $499, Sheila (or someone else) wins. Steffinnie has just put herself in a position where she has to be exactly right to win this prize.

Steffinnie did not win the prize.

Steffinnie did not win any prize, in fact, despite being one of the first four contestants on bidders' row. Such is life.

To Steffinnie's credit, she very quickly realized the error of her ways and bid more soundly going forward. In fact, let's see the entirety of the next round. There's a lot to see here:

A quick recap of what we've just witnessed:

1) A contestant named Gidget. Drew Carey loved it so much, he said her name four times while she was coming on down.
2) Sheila trying a little too hard with her come-on to Drew.
3) Steffinnie makes amends.
4) Theresa's "entrance" on stage... oh my.

Theresa got her act together and scored an impressive win on the Grocery Game. Needing to pick a quantity of groceries that would cost between $2.05 and $3.05 to win, she went with one package of four erasers made from recycled rubber. It cost $3.

Theresa managed to stay on her feet during her celebration.

A miracle spin on the wheel
It looked like Theresa's amazing day would continue when she spun a 95 on her first go at the wheel.

The Price is Right - 4/19/12 Episode

There is a famous YouTube clip from a The Price is Right episode, toward the end of the Bob Barker era, of a contestant with absolutely no idea what she's doing on "Ten Chances."

Even people who work for a living and don't watch the show know of this clip, one of the very few moments where Bob became noticeably upset with a contestant.

I bring this to your attention because of Kendra's performance today on "Bonkers." She did everything wrong - including constantly looking back to the crowd during a TIMED game - and yet...

My favorite part of this is Drew Carey, normally pretty affable with contestants, having to yell in desperation, "Put the paddle up there!" Even as I was watching this, I was writing my scathing critique of Kendra in my head.

And then she won despite, as Drew said, doing everything you're not supposed to do.

Drew didn't get pissy like Bob did, but he reminded Kendra of her luck every chance he got. And there were many chances, as Kendra got all the way to the Showcase (with a 30-60-90 on the wheel).

She won that, too, with an impressive $18,000 bid on a trip to Aspen, home gym and jetski.

What a start
Kendra's "Bonkers" performance - the first pricing game of the day - was part of a tremendous start to the show. In the next round, the item up for bid was a limited edition Star Wars-themed XBox 360...

(Model-bots not included)

...which Robert won with an exact bid of $650, allowing him to pocket $500 in cash straight out of Drew's pocket. Robert was pumped...

...and so was I when the next pricing game came out: Any Number. My favorite game! (I didn't make it the background to my blog for nothing.)

The Price is Right - 4/18/12 Episode

There are few things in life that piss me off more than people woefully under-dressing for an occasion.

I went to a wedding last summer where two men (and I use that term loosely) wore shorts. Shorts... to a wedding. For a couple minutes, I was legitimately angry. I don't care that the wedding was outside and it was 85 degrees out. That is never ever, ever ever ever, acceptable.

I realize The Price is Right is not a wedding, but there still should be at least a minimal sartorial decorum. You're out of the house, in the presence of hundreds of other people, and on national television.

National. Television.

Really, Carol? Really? Did you think The Price is Right was played at the beach? Put some fucking pants on.

Showcase FAIL
Out of principle, if both showcase contestants are more than $10,000 off, they should both lose. For the second time in a week, we had that happen today.

I'll admit, Autumn's (right) showcase had me fooled, too: she bid $24,000 on a trip (for four) to DisneyWorld and a Ford Focus Titanium. I drive a regular Ford Focus; that Titanium must be one hell of an upgrade.

Lisa (left) bid $18,550 on beach accessories, a trip to Corfu, Greece and a sailboat. Under $20K for that package? Fascinating. And she walks away with it.

Contestant shenanigans
Then again, we knew something was off about Autumn right for the start.

The Price is Right - Tweets of the Day (4/17/12)

The following are real tweets from real people during Tuesday's episode of The Price is Right, starting with our No. 1 Tweet of the Day. Enjoy.

 @creamzodes Trying to figure out which little tune is more upsetting, the sound when u die in super mario.. Or when someone loses on the price is right

@u_me_and_dupree never schedualing a class from 11-12 so i can watch the price is right #ilovecollege  (When you do SCHEDULE a class, though, make sure it teaches spelling - Ed.)

@tsnyder03 You might be a #bum when you skip class to cook a big breakfast and watch the price is right. #priorities #greatmorning

@Zeipen This dude on the price is right is #blazed

@hartley14 I love The Price Is Right but if i had it my way id never be awake before the show goes off

@TyreeHoffman The only reason I watch The Price Is Right everyday is to see that Hoveround commercial. "Hoveround takes me where I wanna go..."

@i_BOINK_barbies i take that last tweet about manuela on the price is right. . its Gwendolyn Osborne that i love. . think she married to kenny smith to (Nothing says "love" like getting one woman confused for another - Ed.)

@AdamTouchet Sitting in the waiting room. I think when they call my name I'm gonna go all "Getting called on The Price is Right"

The Price is Right - 4/17/12 Episode

Today's episode was shaping up to be the most boring since I first started this blog two weeks ago. No big wins, the game selection was dull, and not even a zany contestant to make fun of.

And then Lesure came in to save the day.

Lesure (pronounced like "leisure," which Drew Carey really seemed to enjoy) was the sixth and final contestant to make it on bidders' row. He seemed to hardly believe his luck...

...which only got better after his victory on bidders' row:

Not that it would have mattered, but note the fourth and final bid from Richard on the far left. $500 over the next highest bid? Sure, why not.

Lesure then got a chance to win a trip to Vegas - and some luggage to help him out - on "2 for the Price of 1." He was given two options for each of the three digits in the price of the luggage, and was given one digit of his choice for free. He went with the second, which proved to be a shrewd move, given that the first digit was an easy choice (the 6 instead of the 2), and a 5 is generally a decent bet for the last number.

The day soon got even better for Lesure, who endeared himself to the working man everywhere by informing everyone during his pre-pricing game interview that he is a dishwasher. Here he goes on the wheel:

Lesure then appealed (unsuccessfully) to a higher power on his bonus spin:

Unfortunately, the run ended in the Showcase, as he was over by $1,647 on his very pricey prizes: a trip to Monaco and a VW Jetta.

Lesure, to his credit, accepted his loss with dignity:

The Price is Right Files salutes you, Lesure.

The Price is Right - 4/16/12 Episode

Today was a rough day on stage for The Price is Right contestants, who went 0-for-6 in the pricing games.

There were some tough games today: 1/2 Off, Let 'Em Roll and The Race Game among them.

Contestants didn't exactly cover themselves in glory, though. We'll start in Lucky Seven, where Jennifer, after being given the '1' to start, went with '6' as the second number. Almost as a rule, if the first number is a '1' you have to go with '8' next. The Price is Right just doesn't do $16K cars. Go with the '8' and, at worst, you're giving Drew just $1, giving you $6 for the next three digits.

Losing those $2 right off the bat is a killer. Jennifer needed to get the last number right as a result. She didn't.

Then we have McKell on The Race Game. Admittedly, this is a tough game, given that you have to get the right price for four items, and you're racing against the clock to do it.

With the clock running against you, why on Earth are you looking back to the crowd?

Pointless celebrity appearances
Celebrity appearances on The Price is Right generally bring nothing to the show as is, but if you're going to do it, at least bring on somebody with stage presence. JR Martinez dancing with Gwendolyn two weeks ago was kinda cool. Curtis Stone last week at least had some enthusiasm.

Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin brought nothing to the table today. Visibly nervous on stage, she was brought out three separate times, including the Showcase (during which you could very clearly see her eyes moving across the teleprompter).

Heck, I'd rather have seen Daniel Goddard.

What did The Price is Right look like in 1972?

I stumbled across this clip on YouTube the other day - it's the first ever episode of The "New" Price is Right, taped in 1972.



A few observations:

* That music at the beginning... unbeatable. And then the strange way the music just ends after the fourth contestant is named.

* A lot of people are dressed up - it kinda looks like they're at church.

* Everyone is just sitting there at the beginning. There's no jumping, yelling, preening for the camera, nothing.

* Sandy trying to "come on down" before coming on down was a thing.

* The Price is Right theme: an ageless classic.

* The faceless model giving Bob Barker his microphone.

* And speaking of Bob... 49-year old Bob with an absolutely flawless intro. He may not be a perfect human being, but he is a legend in TV history for a reason.

* The way the lights go down as Bob starts talking. Bob, the contestants and the forthcoming prizes are THE show. That's it.

Compare it with how things look now:

The Price is Right - Tweets of the Day (4/13/12)

The following are real tweets from real people during Friday's episode of The Price is Right, starting with our No. 1 Tweet of the Day. Enjoy.

 @ANDERSONshaun I wish I could have the audience from The Price Is Right follow me around and help me with life decisions.

@SuntanSnowman *Wins a trip to Hawaii on The Price Is Right* "Can I take Manuella with me? No? I don't wanna play."

@AshMas_86 This girls eyebrows on Price Is Right.....#woof

@JoeyCash570 I think this girl on the price is right is definitely a crackhead

@porkherchop you know you are unemployed when you know all the names of the showcase girls on the price is right

@lfry21 this girl on the price is right, just did a shout out to her "kitty" lmao

@drives_boats Watching the price is right....is it wrong to want to see someones hand get stuck in the wheel and pull them down ?

@MattFlanagann So many idiots on the price is right

@adler_dynasty some guy is wearing a cleveland browns shirt on the Price is Right.. what are the chances he wins?

@Spaeth_ I bet the models on The Price Is Right are always excited to hug the ugly contestants when they win something

@thebryangibson If i could have the voice of the announcer from the price is right i think id just cry...

@Jordz999 I swear the people on the price is right have never been in a social setting before - okay you've won a stereo, simmer

The Price is Right - 4/13/12 Episode

I've been saying for the last couple days that The Price is Right was setting up for a massive $80,000 win in Plinko today, furnished by Publishers' Clearing House.

Well, I was wrong.

You may have noticed that Stephen let go of the chip well before Rachel had set up the $80,000 placard, and that he had a rather... active stage demeanor.

This was his modus operandi for his entire appearance on the show.

Here's Stephen boppin' around on stage for no apparent reason while earning his Plinko chips:

Even Rachel, probably the friendliest of the models, was trepidacious:

Stephen rebounded from his 0-fer in Plinko to win on the wheel and advance to the Showcase...

Somehow, the magical ride continued all the way through to the end:

Folks, those are not Stephen's and Patrick's bids. That's how far off they were on their bids. Patrick, who apparently hasn't traveled much, bid $18,000 on three trips: Cabo San Lucas, Borneo (!) and Australia (!!!). $18K? Really??

The Price is Right - 4/12/12 Episode

Few things in life grind my gears more than when contestants who don't know how to bid on The Price is Right still win.

I don't care if you have no idea how much that new set of luggage costs. If you're the last person to go on bidders' row, you bid either $1 or $1 more than someone else. It gives you the best chance of winning.

This is not rocket science.

And yet, today we have Pheleta, who after bids of (in order) $912, $800, $499 on the his/her watches, goes with...

I mean, why bid $801 when you can decrease your chances of winning by about 90 percent?

Pheleta did not win.

Nor did she learn her lesson. In the very next round, Pheleta was again the fourth to bid, and after submissions of $600, $400 and $620 on the Wii family package, she goes with...

Alas, even this blind squirrel found her nut. Life is not fair, sometimes.

Passing the buck
In clutch situations - be it sports, game shows, or everyday life - winners rise to the top and take responsibility. Losers blow it and find someone else to blame.

The Price is Right - Tweets of the Day (4/11/12)

The following are real tweets from real people during Wednesday's episode of The Price is Right, starting with our No. 1 Tweet of the Day. Enjoy.

 @tylerweaver Last night I saved my mother's television (and my mother) from breakdown. She's now yelling at Price is Right. All is right in the world.

@NickWilliams96 I imagine heaven being like the set of The Price Is Right

@haylee_eibl I feel that if you're not yelling things at the t.v during The Price is Right, you're not watching it correctly.

@lisamenns the price is right > studying

@SReneJ77 Chick on The Price is Right needs to stop raising her arms. She has sweaty armpits and her shirt is all wet!!!

@NickyWalsh14 If I had 2 wishes in life, one would be to cure cancer and then a close second is to play Plinko on the Price is Right

@jdizzaymusic I hate watching these idiots on The price is right, Who always look at the crowd for the answers... Think for yourselves!

@NChambo3 They should have the Big Wheel from the price is right at the gym. Potentially most fun workout.

@xo_meghan That awkward moment when a contestant on Price Is Right wins a trip to the city they're from

The Price is Right - 4/11/12 Episode

Few things on The Price is Right get the studio crowd and viewers at home going more than a really old contestant.

Today's instant fan favorite was Leela, who won on her first go on bidders' row.

The crowd went bananas, chanting Leela's name and everything:

And what does every old person who can't walk up a flight of stairs without assistance need?

A new pickup truck! Of course!

Leela could hardly believe it...

In a cruel twist of fate, however, poor Leela got one of The Price is Right's most difficult games:

She did not win. Nor did she win on the wheel, despite a helping hand from Drew Carey:

In the Twitter-verse, most fans simply adored Leela in her quest for glory. Not everyone, though:

 @MissAudreySue There is no way this million year old lady can drive this ford f150 on the price is right

@IceburrgSlim Why do they put old people on The Price Is Right? What they gonna do with a brand new car, go to the grocery store?

Cruel bounce of the day
With help from Publishers' Clearing House, Andrea had a chance to win $40,000 with her final Plinko chip ($20,000 today plus the $20,000 rolled over from yesterday). It was looking good, but...

So, tomorrow the big prize is $60,000. This is lining up for someone to win $80,000 on Friday, isn't it? Not that I'm suggesting it's fixed.

The Price is Right - 4/10/12 Episode

In an almost unprecedented show of common sense, the fourth contestant on bidders' row went either $1 higher than someone else or for just $1 ALL SIX ROUNDS.

It didn't always work out, but it was refreshing to see. I expect a return to bidding stupidity in the near future.

Not that all was well on bidders' row today. Question: What would you bid for a five-night stay in an ocean-view balcony room at an upscale boutique hotel on Catalina Island, with continental breakfast included, and access to a private beach cabana? Oh, and they take you there on a HELICOPTER.

Probably a little more than this, right?

The actual price was $3,172. Whoops.

Abbey (far right) gets a pass for her wise bid, of course, and her antics made for an interesting beginning to the show. Here she is giving Drew Carey the "We are not worthy" treatment:

And here's Abbey starring in today's episode of "White Girls Breakdancing on National Television":

Pricing game WIN
We were 0-for-4 on pricing games today (I'm counting $1,500 on Plinko as a loss) and it looked like we were heading for five straight defeats when Robert had to get the last digit in the price of the Toyota Yaris LE exactly right in Lucky Seven.

The Price is Right - Tweets of the Day (4/9/12)

The following are all real tweets from real people during today's episode of The Price is Right, starting with our No. 1 Tweet of the Day, followed by a reference to our favorite hapless contestant. Enjoy.

@EtterMatt That weird thing people do where they flail their whole body around on the price is right #calmdown #yourweird 

@RaeRaeBassett I love when old ladies on THE PRICE IS RIGHT underbid #socute

@andresdavid Guys, they're playing Plinko all week on #TPIR. This is why I work from home.

@Levon__James How are the "The Price is Right" contestants so excited all the time? Margarita stand outside the studio or something?

@HPUCareerGuy My career dreams as a kindergarten in late 78/early 79 - center fielder for the Yankees, host of The Price is Right, WWF wrestling manager

@brittykitties I need to just go on the price is right and show everyone how it's done #irritated

@cwskoumal I'm pretty sure that CBS drugs the contestants of price is right before they go on the show

@Abby_Janosik If you dont like the Price is Right then something is wrong with you

Follow us on Twitter (@TPiR_Files) and don't forget to come back for daily The Price is Right episode recaps, and more!

The Price is Right - 4/9/12 Episode

THEY ARE PLAYING PLINKO EVERYDAY THIS WEEK ON THE PRICE IS RIGHT!!!

Drew Carey gave us the big news today, right before Summer dropped her third and final chip. Publishers' Clearing House is going to double the $10,000 slot everyday this week. And if tomorrow's Plinko contestant doesn't get it, it rolls over to the next day, and so on. So, Friday's Plinko player could win $80,000.

But not $100,000, as here's what Summer did with her $20,000 chance:

Note the sharp turn the chip makes to get to the $20,000 slot. Not that I'm suggesting it was rigged for the day of this big announcement.

Summer got her chance to play Plinko buy winning a pair of mountain bikes. Here's what Donna bid for - again, not one, but TWO (2) - mountain bikes:

Massive pricing game FAIL

It got only worse for Donna from there.

The Price is Right - Tweets of the Day (4/6/12)

The following are all real tweets from real people during today's episode of The Price is Right, starting with our No. 1 Tweet of the Day. Enjoy.

 @JennaAllstar94 I wish I was pretty enough to be the girl who like holds the new toaster you won on the price is right.

@FRANKtheTAU Watching the price is right and drinking coffee. I'm apparently a 60 year old woman.

@elnicko37 I hate the people on the price is right its like why are you excited you're a 32 year old guy and you won earrings

@eslade Some dude just Tebowed after spinning $1.00 on the price is right. #feloniousdouchebaggery

@Erie14fan @TPIR_CBS what's with all the ugly people on the Price Is Right? If I wanted ugly, I'd watch #The View

@CeeRumbaoa My mom's so mean! On The Price is Right they showed a Fitness thing, and she's like "The contestant needs that, ALOT." (her mom was right - Ed.)

@andrewsmhay I'm starting to think that some people join the military just so that they get picked to compete when they go see The Price is Right..

@HillaryCScholz That very pregnant woman on the price is right better stop jumping up and down soon otherwise they'll be meeting the kiddo today.

 
Follow us on Twitter: @TPiR_Files.

The Price is Right - 4/6/12 Episode

Today's episode of The Price is Right had a lot going for it: obnoxious contestants, great pricing game play, poor pricing game play and a $1 spin on the wheel, to name a few.

To start, Drew Carey just could not keep a straight face when introducing the Dutch oven during "1/2 Off":

Pricing game strategy fail
With alarming consistency, contestants take the already fairly difficult game of "Cover Up" and make it a lot harder for themselves. For those not familiar with the game, you're playing for a car, and the board starts off looking liking this:

The car - in today's case, a Ford Fiesta SE - is not $29,619. But you have to cover up those incorrect digits with one of the digits right above it. So, today, that 6 in the middle is in fact a 0, 3, 1 or 7. You get as many turns as you need, as long as you got at least one number right in your previous turn.

Here's the thing: you KNOW that Ford Fiesta is a $17,000 car based on those numbers. The obvious strategy is to get just one of those right on the first turn and purposely botch the other one, buying yourself an extra round of guesses on the more difficult numbers at the end.

The first two numbers are always that simple, and yet no one ever, EVER plays it correctly.

The Price is Right - 4/5/12 Episode

We'll start today with Drew Carey slyly working in a sex joke during the first wheel segment:

You may have noticed Brady yelling into the microphone there. Over-exuberance is the norm on The Price is Right. Even so, some contestants just rub me the wrong way. Today, Brady was one of those contestants.

He clearly does not understand what a microphone is intended for, as he had been yelling into it the entire broadcast:

Who won the Showcase today?