In 33 smooch-filled seasons of giving away everything from toasters to Toyotas, Bob Barker has seen more than his share of priceless moments as host of "The Price Is Right."
A contestant once lost her tube top en route to the stage, eliciting thunderous applause. Another sprinted directly from the ladies' room to take her place on Contestant's Row. A model even walked a car straight into the wall -- and that's happened more than once. In each case, taping continued and the show went on as scheduled.
And so the show goes on for the 81-year-old Barker, whose record television longevity continues to grow along with the awards on his mantel: He won his 17th Emmy in April, and last year he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. Barker recently spoke to TV Week from his home near Los Angeles.
"The Price Is Right" is one of the few shows that's pretty evenly popular across all age groups, from students to seniors. What do you think it gets younger people interested?
I can tell you this: It started about 10 years ago with just a group or two coming in from the colleges and universities around Los Angeles. . . . I started mentioning them on the air, and it seemed to give others the idea of making a trek to Los Angeles. Now, when I say "making a trek," I mean we had people come from the Southeast, the Midwest, and now today we have groups coming from the far corners of the United States. . . . It gives the show such energy . . . and the older people in the audience enjoy them as much as the viewers do.
We just started our 34th year, and it's not unusual for us to have in our audience a grandmother, a mother and a child. Sometimes we'll have four generations.
And over the years, you've gotten countless thousands of kisses. Any of them stand out?
Well, I've had a few men kiss me; I remember one who was about 6-3, 6-4, built up -- broad shouldered, big hips, a U.S. marshal, a real man's man -- he just came up there and grabbed me and gave me a kiss. I told him, "If you want to give me a kiss, you go right ahead."
Do you have a personal favorite pricing game, past or present?
I enjoy them all, but Plinko is probably the most popular. The ones that I personally enjoy the most are the games in which I can have fun with the contestants. . . . I like the golf games if I make the putt. But I've been in a slump -- some miserable person absconded with my putter years ago.
So where should contestants place the Plinko chip to maximize their chances of winning cash?
If you drop it in the center, it seems to me -- and I don't know; I'm not an authority on this -- but it seems like you'd have better luck there.
