The Price is Right

Now in its sixth decade, the show still shows no sign of losing gas, or slowing down. Over the years, it has played on all three major networks and has gone from morning to afternoon and evening, back to morning, again in the afternoon and again to evening. In other words, it’s been all over the clock! In its early days, the audience was invited to play at home. People would send in postcards, bidding on the showcases. In its first week, the staff was overwhelmed by receiving 3.5 million postcards! Once a man from New Jersey tried to bribe the postcard reading staffed by offering them $2,000.00 cash to pick his card. They called the cops, he tried to escape when they arrived at his home, an altercation took place and he was shot in the leg! Hard to believe that television was more violent in the home in those days than on the screens these days!The popularity of the show paralleled the growing materialism of a thriving America. The lavish prizes showcased, even a Rolls Royce, in the early days, demonstrated a lifestyle well beyond most of the viewer’s reach. However, it was a great motivator! It created desires in the hearts and sent many people out chasing gold at the end of the rainbow. It was one of the first shows to find the value of tastefully understated yet very sexy female models. Many beautiful babes got their modeling and acting careers, jump-started by first appearing on camera on the Price Is Right!