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The Price Is Right (Australian game show)
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The Price Is Right was a television game show that has been produced in a number of different formats in Australia.
regional versions based on the original 1950s US format aired nearly concurrently: one on ATN-7 in Sydney, hosted by Bruce Beeby and Keith Walshe from 1957-1959; and one on GTV-9 in Melbourne, hosted by Geoff Manion in 1958.
In 1963, Seven Network aired a nationwide version based on the 1950s US version; it was hosted by Horrie Dargie.
PIR then aired in Australia on what is now Network Ten from 1973-1974; this version was hosted by Garry Meadows.
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Encyclopedia
The Price Is Right was a television game show that has been produced in a number of different formats in Australia.
Original format
Two regional versions based on the original 1950s US format aired nearly concurrently: one on ATN-7 in Sydney, hosted by Bruce Beeby and Keith Walshe from 1957-1959; and one on GTV-9 in Melbourne, hosted by Geoff Manion in 1958.
In 1963, Seven Network aired a nationwide version based on the 1950s US version; it was hosted by Horrie Dargie.
Modern format
TPIR then aired in Australia on what is now Network Ten from 1973-1974; this version was hosted by Garry Meadows. At this time, Reg Grundy Organisation was licensing many shows from Mark Goodson Productions in the U.S.; they had a flair for making detailed copies of sets, and Price's was no exception. Bill Mason was in fact sent to check out the show in detail. The show started in a daytime slot on 5 February 1973 (a mere 4 months after the original first aired in the States), and was later given a primetime slot on the network. This version established a completely different Showcase round: the day's two top winners first bid on the price of one showcase in the "Showcase Playoff", played in the style of the retired US pricing game Double Bullseye; the winning contestant then attempted to place the prizes in order from least to most expensive on a pricing board in the Showcase itself (similar to current US pricing games Hole in One or Eazy az 1 2 3).
Ian Turpie era
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 Price Is Right was revived in 1989 for an hour-long version, again hosted by Ian Turpie (airing Saturday nights on Network Ten. This was 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.
Larry Emdur era
The Price Is Right was revived again in 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 June 23, 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 (on September 15, 2004), Laurie Dennis (exactly one week after Marisa won it), and Joanne Segeviano (February, 2005). 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.
The Mega Showcase win of $664,667 (about US$612,000) won by one contestant was a world record for the Price Is Right franchise that stood until February 2008, when Adam Rose won US$1,153,908 on the US primetime version of the show.
The show ended on November 24, 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. Larry Emdur is now hosting The Morning Show on Network Seven.
Pricing game lineup
The following pricing games were played during Larry Emdur's tenure:
(All links below will direct to US description of games)
Models
The models of The New 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:
Representations in Film
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 $4321.
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