Drew Carey opens us about a time the Plinko game almost destroyed The Price is Right. Originally hosted by television personality Bob Barker, The Price is Right has clocked in over 9,000 episodes since its debut on CBS in 1972. Featuring a rambunctious studio audience and prize models as the core elements of the game show, The Price is Right named Carey as the replacement host for Barker in 2007 but kept most of the show’s structure and iconic games intact.
Last year, The Price is Right experienced numerous changes amid coronavirus concerns, including a redesigned set to promote social distancing and filming episodes without a live studio audience. However, all 77 games, including Plinko, remained part of the show’s structure. Hailed as the most popular pricing game on The Price is Right, Plinko was first introduced in 1983. Consisting of round Plinko chips, a board of pegs, and a chance to win $50,000, Plinko is renowned for creating some of the most memorable moments in the game show’s history. Now, Carey opens up about a time Plinko almost caused a scandal for The Price is Right.
Speaking on the SiriusXM show Jeff & Larry’s Comedy Roundup, Carey reveals how The Price is Right was almost destroyed by Plinko. During his second season as host, Carey experienced a mishap onset due to a manipulated game of Plinko. Remembering the incident, Carey explained that a college student winning $30,000 after three dropped Plinko chips was a behind-the-scenes glitch that almost cost The Price is Right a fortune.
There’s a college girl that got to play Plinko, and she dropped her first three chips right down in the $10,000 spot. People were on their feet, jumping up and down and cheering. I mean, the crowd was going wild. She dropped the fourth chip, the floor director comes over, stops the chip, and leans into me and he goes, ‘The game is fixed.’
After hearing this information from the floor director, Carey reportedly felt his hosting tenure of The Price is Right would have a short shelf life. “‘I’m going to jail. I’m losing my job. There’s gonna a scandal,’ all these emotions going through my head,” Carey shared. Apparently, before the season, a commercial for The Price is Right video game was filmed using the Plinko board adjusted with a fishing line to feature a winner. Reportedly, the fishing line was never removed before the college student's turn at Plinko. However, the contestant was awarded $30,000 in Plinko earnings off-camera and The Price is Right's reputation remained unadulterated.
As it stands, The Price is Right continues to maintain its status as a wholesome daytime television show. Overall, The Price is Right has been a staple of weekday television and the game of Plinko continues to endure. Of course, after decades on the air, the game show continues to dole out legendary moments in television history. Despite a few setbacks, The Price is Right has been around long enough to overcome any hurdle and continues to provide entertainment as one of America’s favorite game shows.
Source: Jeff & Larry's Comedy Roundup