Bringing this central topic (thankfully) back on course, I must have missed this news for some reason or another--but just like
Jeopardy (RIP Alex Trebek),
Wheel of Fortune, and
Let's Make A Deal,
The Price is Right began airing shows without an audience.
Contestant's Row is spaced six feet apart and yes, there is no crowd noise each time that George Gray tells the contestants to
"COME ON DOWN!"Rather, it is celebrate like you won and take your place in back of one of the four colored stands.
It definitely is not the same feeling seeing them emerge from backstage. Kind of reminds me a bit of what NBC did in the first iteration of
Deal or No Deal between 2006-2009. Certain shows led off after the Model March when returning contestants that did not finish a game emerged from backstage. Shortly thereafter, clips from the previous episode was presented before Howie Mandel picked up things where it left off.
After seeing the first few episodes, seeing the contestants pretend to fist bump Drew was very weird--but at least they are doing better than any of the professional and college athletes, who are all pretending like it is just another night at the office
.
The biggest difference was during the spinning of the wheel.
Two giant asterisks are placed on the carpet, which is just a few feet apart from days gone by. The hardest part is only seeing the spinner and not the other two contestants cheering him/her on. Instead, they are positioned off camera in waiting for their turn. Good thing the wheel is disinfected two or three times per day while taping.
Before I dive in once again to cap the always hot and very sexy Amber Lancaster making a triumphant return after giving birth to her first child...
Here is a clip from the CBS affiliate in Miami as Dana Jacobson interviewed Drew Carey via Zoom sporting his brand new beard
, of which was accomplished while stuck in quarantine before filming resumed in late October:
https://youtu.be/nuCFty-LwMEP.S. I am so glad to be back.