The Price is Right is also an Australian television game show that has been produced in a number of different formats. The newest form premiered at 5:00pm on 7 May 2012 with Larry Emdur for the Seven Network.
Seven Network (1981-1986) & Network Ten (1989)
1984
1989
The New Price Is Right aired on Seven Network from 1981–1986 with host Ian Turpie and announcer John Deeks. In 1984, the show introduced a "carry-over" format with returning champions. Up to that point, the format of the show consisted of three pricing games, the Showcase Playoff, and the Showcase. The new format replaced the third game with the Showcase Showdown from the American version, with 100 earning a bonus prize. The winner faced the champion in the Showcase Playoff, whose winner advanced to the Showcase.
The show returned in 1989 for an hour-long version, again hosted by Turpie airing Saturday nights on Network Ten as part of Network Ten's attempted revamp that year; however, it only lasted 12 episodes. The format resembled the US version, with three games, then a Showcase Showdown, then repeat. The two Showdown winners then competed in the Showcase Playoff, with the winner advancing to the Showcase.
Pricing Game Lineup
The following pricing games were played during Ian Turpie's tenure:
- Any Number (Sometimes played for a car)
- Bonus Game
- Bullseye (2)
- Card Game
- Check Game
- Check-Out
- Cliff Hangers
- Clock Game
- Credit Card
- Danger Price
- Dice Game (never played for a car)
- Five Price Tags
- Give or Keep
- Grocery Game (sometimes played for a car)
- Hi Lo
- Hole in One (Mini-Golf / Putt Putt)
- It's Optional
- Lucky Seven (played for a car)
- Make Your Move
- Money Game
- Most Expensive
- Mystery Price
- Pathfinder (played for a car)
- Penny Ante
- Pick-A-Pair
- Poker Game
- Race Game
- Range Game
- Safe Crackers
- Shell Game
- Squeeze Play
- Switcheroo
- Take Two
- Temptation
- Ten Chances
- Three Strikes
- Two Price Tags (Double Prices)
Nine Network (1993-1998 & 2003-2005)
2003
2005
The Price Is Right was revived again from 1993–1998 on Nine Network, hosted by Larry Emdur with announcer Shawn Cosgrove. The show used the original format of the 1981-86 edition.
The show returned on 23 June 2003 on the Nine Network, again with Emdur (earlier news reports had speculated that former A*mazing host James Sherry would be the star, but it never happened). This show carried on the same format until 2004, when it was made a one-hour show to combat the Seven Network's hit Deal or No Deal, in the hopes that people would stay tuned to the channel for the news after watching the first half hour. This format involved four pricing games; after the second and fourth games, a Showcase Showdown was played, with a $1,000 bonus for achieving a total score of $1. The two Showdown winners then competed in the Showcase Playoff, with the winner advancing to the Showcase.
Cars given away on the mid-'90s version of the program were provided by Daihatsu and later SEAT. Early in the 2003 run, Suzuki cars were used for both the pricing games and the Showcase; once the Mega Showcase was introduced, Citroën cars were used for the pricing games, while Alfa Romeo cars were used for the Showcase. Holden replaced Citroen in 2005.
The show was replaced for a period of one week with a daily version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
The Showcase at this time also added a prize of a condominium on the Sunshine Coast, making the showcase worth between $500,000 and $600,000, and making it known as the "Mega Showcase". Before the last prize was revealed (or if the producers knew the contestant was going to lose by misplacing a prize) they were tempted with a "cash buyout" of between $1,000 and $50,000. Three people won the "Mega Showcase" - Marisa Tamboro (15 September 2004), Laurie Dennis (exactly one week after Marisa won it), and Laurie's dennis (2004). Another person did get the Mega Showcase prizes in correct order, but he took the cash buyout of $50,000.
After a few months the show returned to a half-hour, albeit with a new format. Only two pricing games were played each day, followed by a single Showcase Showdown whose winner advanced immediately to the prize-ordering part of the Showcase. The Showcase dropped the condominium as the top prize, but a cash jackpot was added to the boot of the car to entice the bidder. It was then renamed the "Monster Showcase".
The Mega Showcase win of $569,747 (about US$612,000 or S$850,000) won by Segeviano was a world record for the Price franchise that stood until exactly three years later, in February 2008, when Adam Rose won $1,153,908 on the U.S. primetime version of the show.
The programme ended on 24 November 2005 and Larry Emdur then signed with the Seven Network to revive the ailing Wheel of Fortune, which was then cancelled after only a few months.
Pricing game lineup
The following pricing games were played during Larry Emdur's tenure:
- Any Number (never played for a car)
- Bump
- Buy or Sell
- Cliff Hangers (sometimes played for a car; here the climber was named "Cliff" and he had a dog named "Spot" climbing with him)
- Clock Game
- Cover Up
- Dice Game (never played for a car)
- Five Price Tags
- Flip Flop
- Grocery Game (sometimes played for a car)
- Hole in One (sometimes played for a car)
- Line 'Em Up
- Magic Number
- Make Your Move (the Australian version allowed players to win a prize that matched, even if all three did not match)
- Money Game (never played for a car)
- One Away (never player for a car, four-digit play)
- One Dollar Deal (Lucky $even)
- Race Game
- Range Game
- Safe Crackers
- Side by Side
- Squeeze Play
- Switch?
- Switcheroo
- Temptation
- 2 for the Price of 1
- Two Price Tags (Double Prices)
Models
The models of The Price is Right often drew as much interest as the show itself. Many of the models have become celebrities in their own right. Some of these models include:
- Danielle Atkins
- Angelica Binos
- Kimberley Chen
- Cameron Davis
- Chris Frankish
- Kellie Johns
- Daryl Keeley
- Kathy Lloyd
- Elise May
- James Nicholson
- Sarah Pope
- Roz Roy
- Jacqee Saunders
- Renee Slansky
- Khali Sneddon
- Samantha Steele
- Sarita Stella
- Susan Thorne
Seven Network (2012)
Current Logo
The Price Is Right was revived again in 2012 on Seven Network, hosted by Larry Emdur with announcer Brodie Young. The 2012 revival used a similar logo and look to that of the French version.
Speculation of an Australian revival started when Emdur, during a winter 2011 trip to Los Angeles (July), visited CBS Television City, where U.S. version host Drew Carey had Emdur call down a contestant and host Cliff Hangers during a taping in July for an episode that aired in December 2011. Furthermore, U. S. version announcer George Gray appeared on Rove LA, an Australian chat show also taped at CBS Television City (Studio 56) and has featured a Price prop appear on the show often.
In 2012 it was reported in various local newspapers in Melbourne and Sydney that the Seven Network were looking at reviving the franchise.
On 28 March 2012, the Seven Network confirmed that the show would return with host Larry Emdur and was to air on the Seven Network.
On 4 April 2012, production on the game show began, with its debut scheduled for 7 May at 5:00pm, leading into Deal or No Deal, which remained in its 5:30pm timeslot. However, the prizes featured were a lot less in value than the previous versions, pertaining to a sponsorship deal with department store chain Big W, which disappointed many viewers. A scandal was also confirmed in this version.
As a mixed result of low ratings and negative feedback, the revival was cancelled at the end of 2012, with its final episode airing on 19 December.
Pricing Game Lineup
The 2012 series had 17 games on rotation, including:
- 3 Strikes
- Check-Out (4 Grocery item playing)
- Cliff Hangers
- Danger Price
- Hi-Lo
- Hole in One (4 Grocery item playing, never played for a car)
- It's in the Bag (4 bags playing, 5 Grocery item)
- One Away (never playing for a car, four-digit play)
- Pick-A-Pair
- Plinko
- Push Over (based on Bump; not to be confused with the American Push Over game)
- Safe Crackers
- Secret X
- Squeeze Play
- Take Two
- Walk the Line (based on the grocery product portion of the American Let 'Em Roll game)
- Wonder Wall
In Popular Culture
Fictional scenes from The Price Is Right were featured in the 1997 comedy film The Castle, showing the narrator's sister appearing on the show, winning the amount of $4,321.