Switcheroo

The name comes from the fact that the contestant can switch the numbers around on his/her second turn.

Gameplay

The prices for five prizes (a car and four small prizes) are shown on the board, with the tens digit missing from each. The contestant is presented with number blocks showing the five missing digits, each of which is different.
The contestant is asked to fill in the missing digits with the blocks. They are given a 30-second time limit to ensure the game proceeds quickly. Once they have finished or time has expired, the contestant is told how many digits have been correctly placed, but not which ones.
If all five prices are correct, the contestant has played the game perfectly and wins all five prizes, although this is rare (the first perfect playing did not occur until 1985 on the syndicated nighttime version). Otherwise, the contestant has the option of quitting and taking whatever prizes have the correct prices showing or make a "Switcheroo" and try to correct any mistakes within another 30-second time limit. The contestant is then told how many prices are correct.
After deciding to stay with the initial placement of the blocks or after making the Switcheroo, the correct prices are revealed and the contestant wins those prizes. If the car's price is correct, the car will always be revealed last for added excitement.
It is impossible for a contestant to win exactly four of the prizes, as any four prizes being correctly tagged would necessitate the fifth block being with the correct prize. For this reason, the display that shows the number of correct prizes cannot light up the number "4".

History

On September 8, 1986 (#6171D), the Season 15 premiere, the game board was revamped to accommodate five-digit cars.
Until May 20, 1991 (#8051D), there was no 30-second timer when a contestant was given an attempt to put all blocks in place.
On April 14, 1995 (#9545D), for no apparent reason, the clock started at 45 seconds instead of 30 as the contestant began to play. As this happened, Bob got confused as she thought had 30 seconds, later saying, "I'll stop her at 15, that's what I'll do!"
On October 2, 2003 (#2614K), the game had its first (and so far, only) instance of a handicapped contestant playing the game (specifically, Tyler van Haetsma, a 2001 graduate of Calvin College); thus, then-Barker's Beauty Claudia Jordan helped place the blocks and, for the first time since April 14, 1995 (#9545D), the time limit was increased to 45 seconds.
On November 11, 2003 (#2672K), a 99-year-old contestant played the game after being called up onto stage. The game was played without a time limit (Bob mentions this as the time being "broken"). As such, Bob placed digits into prices at the contestant's request.
On May 25, 2005 (#3293K), the font on the prize descriptions, prices and number blocks changed from Swiss to Dom Casual.
On May 21, 2008 (#033SP, aired out of order on April 30), during that night's The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular, Switcheroo was chosen as the Million Dollar Game. The requirement to win the million dollars was to get all five prizes correct on the first attempt.
On one episode in the early 1990s, a contestant lost the car, but when the price was revealed, it was discovered that the numbers in the price of the car were not set up the right way, as the fourth digit in the car was accidentally switched with the third digit, thus making it impossible for the car to be won. On that discovery, Bob awarded the contestant the car.
Beginning on December 31, 2012 (#6161K), the spaces for the missing numbers are lit in light blue.
Switcheroo has had nine perfect wins (all five prizes won); the most recent perfect win happened on April 18, 2007 (#3953K).
On October 16, 2014 (#6844K, aired out of order on October 15), during Dream Car Week, a Maserati worth $109,430 was offered, but was not won (the contestant only won the hair dryer, after discovering she had one right on her first try, and decided not to take a second chance).
Also on October 16, 2014 (#6844K, aired out of order on October 15), the prop has been slightly updated, and the dollar sign in the price of the car has changed from white to red and the upper blue strips on the sides of the game board are painted white.
On November 7, 2016 (#7681K), contestant Lula had only 1 prize correct after the first round, decided to play on, and still only had 1 right. The prize she priced correctly, before time ran out on the round, was the car.

Trivia

For some unapparent reason, Drew would just give the contestant involved a second chance right then and there no matter how many right without even asking him/her if he/she wants it or not. However, he would implicitly imply that the contestant can choose to bail out. An exception was in one playing in Season 37 when Drew offered a bailout directly. He eventually went back to asking contestants whether they want to switch or stay.
From September 13, 1993 (#8881D) until June 1, 2010 (#5192K), after the car was described, the host tells the contestant that there are other prizes he/she could win and then the small prizes were announced and the prop was revealed afterwards. Since October 5, 2010 (#5252K), the prop is revealed first.
Switcheroo uses the losing horns only when the contestant wins no prizes on a second try, although winnings of small prizes only are technically considered a loss.
This game & Race Game have some similarities.
1. They are both timed pricing games.
2. You don't have to win all of the prizes.
3. It'll tell you how much time is left on the clock.
4. It'll tell you how many you have right, but not specifically which ones.
5. After placing the element next to each prize, you won't get one number within a range of numbers (3 in Race Game, 4 in Switcheroo).
This game can't just use any 4 items plus a car; the missing numbers have to be different.
The most number of times this game was played in any season was 31.

Think Music

There have been three different pieces of music that have been used in Switcheroo's history. The first cue was a vaudeville-style song reminiscent of the one used at the time for Race Game. On the 1985 syndicated nighttime version and at least one daytime playing on January 6, 1992 (#8251D), a remix of the theme from Celebrity Charades was used. The current cue, entitled "The Head Clown," has been in use since March 23, 1992 (#8361D); in addition, its final measures are heard when switching prices in Switch.

Pictures

YouTube Videos

First perfect playing with Tom Kennedy
A Win from 1997 (March 19, 1997, #0303K)
Handicapped Contestant plays Switcheroo (October 2, 2003, #2614K)
99 Year Old Contestant Plays Switcheroo (November 11, 2003, #2672K)
Wonderful Win from 2008 (December 8, 2008, #4541K)
A Win from Season 41 (December 31, 2012, #6161K)
A Painful Loss from Season 42 (January 27, 2014, #6591K)
Only Switcheroo Winner from Season 42 (April 16, 2014, #6703K)
Dismissal Playing from 2014 (April 29, 2014, #6722K)
Another Painful Loss from Season 42 (June 23, 2014, #6801K, aired out of order on June 27)
Switcheroo for a Maserati (October 16, 2014, #6844K, aired out of order on October 15)
A Win from Season 43 (November 21, 2014, #6895K, aired out of order on November 12, originally rescheduled to air on November 14)
Dismal Playing from 2015 (March 11, 2015, #7043K)