You may remember a while back, I wrote a blog about my experience going to the perennial game show “The Price is Right.” Bob Barker is as much a piece of our pop culture as television itself. He has been on the air for 50 years, 35 alone as the host of “The Price is Right.” He has been on the show for so long, I honestly believed he would continue to be its host until he just dropped, but yesterday, he announced he would retire next June.
Bob started his game show host career back in 1956 as the host of “Truth or Consequences.” He began on what was original called “The New Price Is Right” (because it was hosted by another game show host legend, Bill Cullen, back in the 50s and 60s) on September 4, 1972. Honestly, I was born in 1963, so I was nine when “The New Price is Right” premiered on television, but I cannot remember a time when it wasn’t on. It seems as if Bob has always been on television, offering cars, trips, and appliances to willing contestants. It seems as if Freemantle Media intends for the show to go on, as they said they have been looking for a replacement host for Bob for a couple of years now.
Bob will be 83 this December and told the press “I’ve decided to retire while I’m still young.” He also went on to say he is going to miss it – I cannot imagine how he couldn’t. This reminds me a bit of when Johnny Carson left “The Tonight Show.” I couldn’t imagine what he would do with all his time and I initially wondered the same about Bob. But, he is so involved as an animal rights activist (even having his own foundation, DJ&T, in memory of his wife), maybe he won’t miss the show as much as I think he will. But, I think I can speak for all of us when I say we will certainly miss him!