This was our fourth trip to "The Price is Right!" TV show. This was our fifth appearance in the audience of "The Price is Right!", one year we were asked to attend the second taping.
Again, we weren't called to "come on down!" but we still had a great time.
There are two tapings a day at the CBS Studio on Beverly Boulevard in West Hollywood. One in the morning and one in the afternoon, we attended the morning taping.
The line forms at about 8 am. The taping begins at about 12 pm. Yes, we're in line for four hours.
Now that sounds very boring but in fact it is not. For one thing we get to met a lot of fine folks from other parts of the country. Almost every one is in a party mood. And the folks at the Price is Right makes sure we're entertained for the full four hours.
First thing the folks at the Price is Right do is go down the line and collect all the priority tickets. That's for folks like me who wrote for their tickets on line. Those of us with priority tickets are assured a seat in the 300 seat audience for the live taping.
This year it was extra cold in Los Angeles so we were ushered in off the street outside the CBS studio and under the shelter where the portable heaters were placed to keep us warm.
The next step is to they assign us numbers and write our first name on a tag, which we place on our shirt or top.
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| Me with my number and name - lucky number! The year I graduated from high school! |
The following step is we fill out a disclosure form and have our picture taken to accompany the disclosure form. Yes, there is that much security.
Then we're proceeded to a green screen backdrop to have our picture taken like we're on the Price is Right. We reenact scenes like we won a prize. Those pictures are on sale for $20. I always buy those pictures. That's about as close as I'm going to get to The Wheel.
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| Me and Pat next to the Price is Right wheel, the closes we will ever get |
Then we proceed to another line in groups to await the twenty-second interview. This is done by a representative of the Price is Right staff. They're looking for "..people who are authentically excited to be there, are naturally gregarious, are interested in having a good time, and who we think will enjoy the prizes that we're giving away. We're looking for people that are being themselves and not pretending to be more excited or more odd or whatever it is."
After that interview we are at the last step before we enter the studio. At this time there are about ten TV monitors above us showing previous shows where contestants are called from the audience and who make very excited approaches to the stage and Drew Carey and who win the big prizes. Oh, and I almost forgot, we have to turn in our iPhones or cameras before we get to this stage, that's why I don't have any videos of this part of the procedure.
We're given one last chance to get something to eat from their snack bar (expensive) and to go to the bathroom. No bathroom breaks during the taping of the show.
Then, finally, we're told it's time to go into the studio. We line up and proceed into the studio which is up on the second floor. We have to climb stairs. As we're climbing the stairs we hear party music blaring keeping us in the mood. As we enter the very colorful studio, those audience members already there are clapping in beat to the music.
Upon entering the studio we don't choose our seats, there are young ushers (mostly females) who assign us seats. This year we got lucky and we were seated right down in front. We will get a lot of camera time for when this show is on TV April 17th. In fact, a guy right next to Pat was called to "come on down!". He almost tripped over me getting out of the aisle. You'll see me looking confused as I look around me to see who they called.
After all the audience members are seated, the happy upbeat music continuing to blare, George Grey the announcer welcomes us. He interacts with the audience a bit until he announces the entrance of the Price is Right host, Drew Carey.
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| Drew Carey welcoming the audience - by the way Drew is great! He is in person just the way he is on camera |
There is a person right behind the cameras on stage who motions to us how much to clap. We're all trained seals. There is a low clap, medium clap and a crazy, wild clap. It doesn't take too long to train us. We've been hyped up for four hours.
Drew comes onto stage to thunderous applause and cheers. He says hello to George and to the audience and asks George to call someone to "come on down." By the way, most of us can't hear George but we do see a big sign that a Price is Right staff member holds up with the person's full name on it. We also see the sign on the monitors that are throughout the audience.
There is a lot of cheering and commotion and genuine happiness for those who are called. And then the game begin.
This year is the last year we will attend the show for a while. We've attended four years in a row now, and five shows. One time we were asked to attend a second taping because they were short audience members.
We always enjoy our visits to the Price is Right show. Drew, George and the whole staff go out of their way to make the experience a very happy one. It's like a party. But next year, Pat and I are going to spend our whole two week-winter holiday in Palm Springs.
We will be back some year to the Price is Right. As the logo on my shirt this year said:
"Never Give Up!"
