Central Michigan University

• 'The Price is Right' will do just fine with Drew Carey at the helm

Topics in this story: Communication and the media, News tips and sources

Comedian and actor Drew Carey has been hired as the host of CBS's popular game show "The Price is Right," replacing 83-year-old Bob Barker, who recently retired after 35 years of hosting the show. Two Central Michigan University experts are available to discuss Carey's hiring and its anticipated impact on the show.

SOURCE:
Peter B. Orlik
director, School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts
Central Michigan University
989-774-7279
orlik1pb@cmich.edu
www.bca.cmich.edu/alumni/UBCAsite/facultyDetail.asp?employeeID=1

Among Orlik's initial thoughts on the subject:

• "Bob Barker has been a mainstay of this highly profitable franchise for many people's lifetimes, but let us not forget that it was bespectacled, crew-cut emcee Bill Cullen who successfully launched this Goodson-Todman product in both daytime and primetime during the mid-1950s."
  
  
• "Barker was not the first host, and the game should be strong enough to weather a talent change that still protects the essence of the format."
  
  

Orlik, a broadcast educator at CMU since 1966, founded the university's broadcast and cinematic arts school. He can talk about careers in electronic media, media education and issues related to broadcast media, including political advertising, media criticism, programming and history. He is the author of several books on broadcasting, including "The Electronic Media: An Introduction to the Profession," "Electronic Media Criticism: Applied Perspectives," "Broadcast Cable Copywriting," "Career Perspectives in Electronic Media" and "Exploring Electronic Media: Chronicles and Challenges." He received the Broadcast Education Association's Distinguished Education Service Award in 2001 and was inducted into the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2003.

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SOURCE:
Will Anderson
assistant professor, School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts
Central Michigan University
ander1ww@cmich.edu
http://www.bca.cmich.edu/alumni/UBCAsite/facultyDetail.asp?employeeID=32

Among Anderson's initial thoughts on the subject:

• "It will be interesting to see how this works out. 'The Price Is Right' is an anomaly among modern game shows as Bob Barker had made a name for himself based off his hosting of the show, and managed to parlay that fame into promoting an issue he truly cared about in animal rights through his closing line of 'Please spay or neuter your pets.' In comparison, in the modern network game show dynamic, the host brings his or her previously established persona or fame to the game: Richard Dawson with 'Family Feud,' and Regis Philbin with 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,' to the modern crop of NBC primetime offerings of Howie Mandel on 'Deal or No Deal' and Bob Saget's '1 vs. 100.'"
  
  
• "As a straight 'take a chance/win a prize' game show, 'The Price Is Right' could steam on with almost anyone at the helm. However, Bob Barker mastered the role of kindly shepherd guiding exuberant and often distracted contestants down the path to possible riches. Had Drew Carey only made a name for himself solely though his rather acerbic character on his eponymous sitcom, he probably wouldn't have been a good fit. However, his work as the likable host on 'Whose Line Is it Anyway?' and his brief run in the World Wrestling Federation in the 2001 as a fish-out-of-water-everyman/superfan in a world full of giants really helped cement his persona as the kind of guy almost everyone likes and trusts."
  
  

Among other media topics, Anderson can evaluate television programs designed for children and trends in children's television. He also can talk about media production, audio recording and radio drama. Anderson's professional experiences include working as a copywriter and television listings coordinator for the promotions department of Wisconsin Public Television.

Media Relations Contact:
Lindsay Allen
989-774-7327
allen1lm@cmich.edu