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Gameshow Marathon The Price is Right

On May 31, 2006, CBS presented a special seven episode summer celebrity filled game show tournament called Gameshow Marathon (stylized as Game$how Marathon). The show was based on the UK special of the same name hosted by Ant & Dec (Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly) in 2005 and later Vernon Kay in 2007 respectively. This American version was hosted by actress and former talk show hostess Ricki Lake, announced by Rich Fields and Todd Newton (host of the touring stage show The Price Is Right Live!) was the prize deliverer. The series was a seven episode special consisting of seven classic game shows with six celebrities playing them for their favorite charities along with winning prizes for the home viewer and The Price is Right (1972 version) was the first to be played. In addition, some of the models from Price appeared as models on this very first episode of the series and three others.

The other six classic game shows that were being played in this series were: Let's Make a Deal, Beat the Clock, Press Your Luck, Card Sharks, Match Game & Family Feud.

NOTE: Out of the seven classics, Let's Make a Deal was never aired in the past on CBS until Fremantle's relaunch in 2009 with Wayne Brady.

Unlike the other six shows (which showed only one version, which was usually their best-known one), The Price is Right had clips from two versions playing while Rich was discussing it at the start of the episode: the (then-airing) Barker version and the 1956-65 incarnation that was hosted by Bill Cullen.

Concept[]

In this episode, only three pricing games are played as the two highest scoring celebrity contestants in the Showcase Showdown advance to the Showcase. The winning Showcase went to a viewer watching the episode at home.

Games[]

Only three pricing games were played that night. The three games played that night were:

  • Hole in One (or Two) - Kathy Najimy played that game and got four of the six products in the right order but she didn't putt the ball into the hole on either of her two chances. Due to time constraints, only one putt was televised, giving home viewers the impression that the game was played under its pre-1986 rules. (Of note is that some versions outside of the US do lack an "or Two" putt, with no editing to gameplay.) The game was introduced with a shortened version of "Dig We Must" (the Showcase Showdown cue) and the Race Game Curtain rising to reveal it. (Incidentally, all three games on this episode are hidden by the Race Game Curtain, and it was later seen revealing its namesake game.)
  • Plinko - Plinko was played for the nighttime amount of up to $100,000. Broadway actress Mindy Paige Davis (known by her stage name Paige Davis) of TV's Trading Spaces played that game and got three of the four small prizes right, earning her 3 more chips to go with her free one. In addition, the fourth prize, which was a Dell MP3 player, was awarded to civilian audience members for the correct number. Using the 4 Plinko chips earned, she won $2,100.
  • Race Game - The last of the three games was played by former Baywatch star Brande Roderick. She matched two of the four prices and won the two attached prizes.

Showcase Showdown[]

  • Since there were only three games played and even though the Showcase Showdown was played the same as it has always been played, the two celebrity contestants nearest to $1.00 without going over advanced to the Showcase Round. This format is similar to how Germany's Der Preis ist Heiss did it, except on that version, only one spin was permitted to a contestant, so going over 100 wasn't possible there.
  • Kathy Najimy & Brande Roderick won the Showcase Showdown and made it to the Showcase Round, both with a score of 55 cents.
  • This Showcase Showdown used the split-screen arrow shot that had not been seen on the daytime show since 1996; the arrow was outlined in green, and placed over a full shot of the wheel. A similar arrow would debut on the Drew Carey series in 2009.
  • The Showcase podiums were already set up at the beginning of this segment, so a commercial break was not needed. The "money win" edit of "Dig We Must" was played during the direct transition to the Showcase round.

The Showcases[]

  • While not needed, the Double Showcase rule was in play, and in the event of a Double Overbid, the players were instructed to bid again, until there was a winner. Only the Showcase winner's grand total was awarded to a home viewer.
  • Brande Roderick was the winner of the night, earning $54,336 in prizes for a home viewer. Kathy Najimy went over on her Showcase.

Viewer Giveaway Question[]

In this episode, the question to the home viewer was: "What was the price of this Camero on The Price is Right in 1972?" as the choices were:

1.) $3, 621
2.) $5, 295
3.) $6, 750

The correct answer was 1.) $3, 621.

YouTube Video[]

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