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The Price is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular is a special primetime version of The Price is Right where in addition to the usual (contestants try to know their prices to win big prizes), they also try to win $1,000,000. Like the other primetime shows from 1986 and 2002, the prizes were higher in value than that of the daytime show. The winning graphics from this primetime special were very different than the ones used on the daytime show. Under Bob Barker's tenure, no contestant was able to win both showcases nor a million dollars, but it has happened three times on the Drew Carey version.

Dates[]

Episode # Theme Episode Number Date Aired Out of Order Date
MDS1 N/A #007SP February 5, 2003 February 7, 2003
MDS2 N/A #008SP February 12, 2003 February 5, 2003
MDS3 N/A #009SP February 19, 2003 February 12, 2003
MDS4 N/A #010SP May 3, 2003 N/A
MDS5 N/A #011SP May 10, 2003 N/A
MDS6 N/A #012SP May 17, 2003 N/A
MDS7 Bob Barker's 80th Year Celebration #013SP December 13, 2003 N/A
MDS8 US Armed Forces #014SP December 18, 2003 N/A
MDS9 College & University Students #015SP March 27, 2004 N/A
MDS10 Teachers #016SP April 24, 2004 N/A
MDS11 Get Out & Vote #017SP May 1, 2004 N/A
MDS12 Hall of Fame Induction #018SP May 22, 2004 N/A
MDS13 N/A #019SP April 9, 2005 April 16, 2005
MDS14 N/A #020SP April 16, 2005 April 9, 2005
MDS15 N/A #021SP May 6, 2005 February 14, 2006
MDS16 N/A #022SP May 16, 2007 N/A
MDS17 N/A #024SP February 22, 2008 N/A
MDS18 N/A #025SP February 29, 2008 April 11, 2008
MDS19 N/A #026SP March 7, 2008 April 4, 2008
MDS20 N/A #027SP March 14, 2008 February 29, 2008
MDS21 N/A #028SP April 4, 2008 March 7, 2008
MDS22 N/A #029SP April 11, 2008 March 14, 2008
MDS23 N/A #030SP April 30, 2008 May 21, 2008
MDS24 N/A #031SP May 7, 2008 May 14, 2008
MDS25 N/A #032SP May 14, 2008 May 7, 2008
MDS26 N/A #033SP May 21, 2008 April 30, 2008

Note: MDS1 originally rescheduled for February 19, 2003.

Pricing Game rule changes[]

Beginning in 2008, episodes of The Price is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular featured rule changes to some pricing games which rewarded a $1 million bonus to the contestant if specific goals were achieved while playing the pricing game.

  • Clock Game—The contestant must guess the retail prices of both prizes within a total of 10 seconds to win the bonus. If the contestant wins the game and prizes, they still receive the $5,000 bonus regardless of how much time remains on the clock.
  • Cover Up & One Away — The contestant must guess all five digits in the car's price correctly on their first attempt to win the bonus.
  • ½ Off — If the contestant picks the box with the $25,000, they have the option to keep it, or give it up for a chance at the bonus. To win the bonus, they must choose the one box out of the remaining 15 boxes that hides a check for $1,000,000.
  • Plinko — The contestant could win up to $1.1 million. All you have to do to get all 4 Plinko Chips correctly, then land on the "$20,000" slot at least three times. They are awarded a golden Plinko chip if they do that (similar to the UK version's "Golden Plinko Disc of Desire"). The golden chip must land in the "$20,000" slot to win the bonus. If not, the contestant wins the money where the Plinko chip has landed.
  • Punch-A-Bunch — The first hole punched must contain the top-valued $50,000 card to win the bonus.
  • Range Game — After the contestant has stopped the rangefinder, they must guess (within that $150 range) the exact price of the prize to win the bonus.
  • Safe Crackers — If the contestant correctly prices the small item and wins the car, they have the option to keep their prizes or risk them and play for the bonus. To win the bonus and keep their prizes, the contestant must identify the price of the car using five dials, each of which contains the same set of five unique digits. Some digits in the actual price of the car may repeat, while other digits on the dials may or may not appear at all in the price.
  • Switcheroo — The contestant must correctly price all five prizes on their first attempt to win the bonus. 

History[]

  • In the Bob Barker era, contestants tried to win $1,000,000 off the big wheel, but with no success. On those episodes, getting $1.00 still got the $1,000 bonus and the green sections still got the additional $5,000 except for the May 16, 2007 (#022SP) episode, in which the bonuses were upped to $10,000 and $20,000, respectively. If nobody got $1.00 in the Showcase Showdowns, whoever wins their Showcase gets one spin to win the money with the green sections worth nothing extra; that rule started on May 3, 2003, though it did not occur until a special celebrating Bob's 80th birthday was aired on December 13, 2003. On the May 22, 2004 (#018SP) episode that celebrated Bob's induction into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, both showcase competitors overbid, so a random audience member (drawn by then-Barker's Beauty Brandi Sherwood) got to spin for the money; that rule also applied to the fourth special on May 3, 2003. On the May 6, 2005 (#021SP, aired out of order on February 14, 2006) episode, the rules were amended so that in the event both players overbid, whoever made the smaller overbid got to spin for the money.
  • In the Drew Carey era, contestants tried to win $1,000,000 in one of the pricing games (which only happened once via Clock Game on the March 7, 2008 (#026SP, aired out of order on April 4) episode, and in the Showcases (which happened twice). The Showcase Showdown bonuses were multiplied by five to $5,000, $25,000 and $50,000, respectively. In the Showcases, if the winner was $500 (originally $1,000) away from the price of their own showcase, they won both showcases and $1,000,000. 
  • It's not known if The Price is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular will ever return on CBS.

Trivia[]

  • The intro music and consolation prize cue for this primetime series were first used on The Price is Right 30th Anniversary Special and was used for The Price is Right: A Celebration of Bob Barker's 50 Years in Television. While both cues are the same, one main difference is that the intro music is led by a saxophone, and the consolation prize version by a flute.
  • Whoever gave a perfect bid in Contestant's Row got a $1,000 bonus. It is widely unknown if this was present on The Price is Right 30th Anniversary Special or the subsequent The Price is Right Salutes specials.
  • There was no rule change in Pricing Games under Bob Barker's tenure, except for the changes made for The Price is Right Salutes episodes.
  • During the $1,000,000 spins in the Barker era, music recycled from Powerball: The Game Show is used.
  • On episodes announced by Rod Roddy and Rich Fields, the Showcase Showdown uses its own end cue when going to commercial. Select episodes have the main theme played instead, similar to the 1986 Specials and 2002 Salutes series. In the Carey series, only the first Showcase Showdown ends with the main theme, with the second one retaining its customary cue.
  • The Carey era Spectaculars were the very first episodes to be shot and aired in high-definition. The daytime show transitioned to HD in Season 37.
  • Since 2008, the setup was used under Drew Carey's tenure.
  • The first ten Spectaculars of the Carey era were done to fill programming space during the Writers' Guild of America strike of 2008.
  • On the 2008 series, Drew Carey wore a tuxedo, and the models had on formal evening wear, similar to The Price is Right 1986 Primetime Special.

Logos[]

External Link[]

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