What’s It Like on The Price Is Right?

BY SHEENA GREGG Sheena Gregg is a registered dietitian and local “Filipino Foodie.” Follow her adventures at www.afilipinofoodie.com.

I know last month I got to briefly share that my recent trip to California included an appearance on The Price is Right. Well, now I’m ready to share some behind-the-scenes details from my experience. If you’re like me, The Price is Right is a total nostalgia bucket list show. Many of us have fond memories of watching the show with our grandparents or watching while home sick from work or school. When my husband Terry and I knew we’d make it to an episode taping, we did as much research as we could.

Making the Custom Shirts

One tidbit we learned from friends who’d been at tapings and those that have chronicled their Price is Right experience online is that wearing a custom shirt to the taping can definitely add to your chances of being picked as a contestant.

The hubs and I thought we were clever with our son’s face on our shirt along with a little airplane flying from Alabama to California, but when we showed up to the taping, there were some folks that went next level with their shirts. I’m talking homemade bedazzled PLINKO boards made from rhinestones glued to shirts and every variation of trying to give Drew Carey a compliment on a baseball tee.

Hamming it up with the hubs before my big appearance on The Price is Right.

The Screening Process

Once we got to the studio, we found ourselves immediately signing paperwork confirming our age and stating that we’d not been a contestant on other game shows in the past. For The Price is Right in particular, you can be an audience member unlimited times – but you’re only eligible to be selected as a contestant every 10 years.

I’ll never forget my Showcase Showdown experience.

After the paperwork, Terry and I had our pictures taken in front of a green screen where “The Wheel” is inserted afterwards. We heard that casting producers often look at these photos as they make final selections for contestants, so we hammed it up as much as possible.

As part of the first 25 contestants in line, we were lucky to be in the first batch of 30 people to be casually interviewed by the casting producer. Questions included things like “Where are you from?” “What do you do?” and “What’s your favorite game on the show?” (Pro Tip: don’t say PLINKO or Cliffhanger because everyone says that, and it seems to annoy producers).

Depending on the energy of your answers, the casting producer and their assistant quietly take notes about the possibility of you being a contestant. The interview process for 300 audience members takes quite a bit of time, so honestly, we were probably waiting a good 3-4 hours before actually being able to go inside the recording studio. They know folks are getting restless by that point, so they try to amp you up by playing old reruns of the show while you’re waiting. Yep, that big wheel is heavy (if you’ve ever wondered).

Inside the Studio

When we finally were able to enter the Bob Barker studio set, we saw a wipe off board that told us exactly when this episode would be airing. Our friends told us that if it seemed like a staff member was directing us to sit in a semi-specific place in the audience, it was very likely we’d been selected as contestants. I was so mesmerized by the rich colors of the studio (and how tiny it was) that I didn’t realize a staff member took us to a very specific set of seats away from the people who were in line ahead of us.

As we waited for everything to get started, pop music started playing, audience members started dancing, and Terry and I started questioning our ability to price normal grocery items. We were told it would be extremely loud in the studio once taping got started, so we needed to look for a producer on stage with a cue card of each contestant’s name to get clued in who was supposed to “come on down.” As The Price is Right announcer George Gray prepared his voice to announce the first contestant, I barely had time to process as I saw my name as the first person to run to contestant’s row. I was trying not to throw up while waiting for Drew Carey to pop out so you I could clap like a mad woman. I’ve been waiting my whole life to hear the words, “Come on down!”

From Contestant’s Row to the Showcase Showdown

I was so nervous about making the wrong bids that I constantly looked to my hubs for bid suggestions from contestant’s row. We were lucky enough for me to make it on stage by the second game, where I played a glorified version of tic-tac-toe. You better believe I was looking at my husband the whole time for where to place my “X’s.” The good news? I won! I was going to get to spin the Big Wheel!

Once it was time to spin the big wheel, I forgot most everyone I said I would give a shout out to if I made it. And I was definitely asking Jesus to take the wheel on that second spin.

Guess what? I won… again! I was headed to the big finale!

During commercial breaks, Drew and George would interact with the audience, make jokes, dance, and share stories. A fellow contestant asked me if I was nervous about the Showcase Showdown, and I told her I was on such a high of just being a contestant in general that I hadn’t really thought about being nervous. But man, once I saw a boat in my showcase, I knew I was toast. My husband and I had felt pretty good about our ability to price trips and the compact cars usually featured on the show – but not boats. Alas, my $32,000 bid was $8,000 below the actual price… but the experience itself was priceless.

A Few Tips (continued page 14)

If you’re thinking about heading to a taping of the show, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure to get a “priority ticket” at on-camera-audiences.com to guarantee your spot for the date you want.

2. Be genuine and enthusiastic with the casting producer but not so over the top that you seem fake or like a liability on camera.

3. Your phone will be confiscated before you enter the studio, but you can bring a personal bag – so bring snacks (the food available on site is expensive).

4. Have fun, because whether you’re an actual contestant or not, you’ll get super caught up in the hype of helping suggest prices during all the games.

And for the record, I’m now the proud owner of nearly $20,000 in cash and prizes, including a trip to Whistler, a blender, and men’s luxury watches.