Monday at the Price is Right
The short of it is: if you have tickets for the 1:15pm taping of the Price is Right on a Monday, get there before 5:30 or you probably won’t get in (see the table at the bottom of the post).
On to the long of it.
In town visiting Michelle a week and a half ago was her good friend Laura whose greatest desire while in LA was to see Bob Barker at a taping of The Price is Right. Since Laura was just in town for the weekend, going to the studio on Monday was our only option. Unfortunately, Monday is the busiest day there for two reasons: all the out of towners just in LA for the weekend have to go on Monday (they don’t tape on Friday), and there are two tapings on Monday (they don’t tape on Friday). It was going to be a long day.
The previous week, Michelle had gone to the CBS studio to pick up tickets for the 1:15pm taping on February 5th. Apparently there was no line (though there was also no one at the booth for some time), and she, as a ticket picker-uper, was allowed to park in the studio lot for free.
Monday Morning (with deserved capitalization) Greg and I awoke around 4:00am and were picked up by Michelle and Laura at 4:30 here in Pasadena. Without traffic, we made it to the studio, where there was already a sizable line, at about 5:10am. Laura and Greg got us a spot in line while Michelle and I drove around the block to The Grove‘s parking lot (a mall lot that cost us $11 with validation).
We patronized the unenthusiastic coffee/bagel shop across from the studio (location is everything) and waited in line until, at around 6:00am, we were given tickets that held our place in line. I was number 131. At that point we were allowed to leave as long as we returned by 8:00am, so we picked up the car (the lot wasn’t yet taking money that early in the morning, so we decided to move the car while we could and save a few bucks) and drove to a nearby IHOP. We parked back at the grove and went back to the studio to wait for our priority numbers, which we got at about 8:30am. I was number 98; apparently about a third of the people in front of us were there for the later, second taping.
At 9:00am they called us back into formation and started droning on about rules (no disparaging remarks about the prizes, please), taxes (you have to pay them), the line we were sitting in (never leave it or you’re not getting into the taping), and a handful of other things that were repeated ad nauseum. Eventually, we were issued our name tags (Price is Right name tags!) and seating numbers (our fourth non-ticket). I was number 99; it’s unclear why we four were all bumped up a number.
At some point (cell phones and cameras are not allowed on the studio, so I wasn’t able to keep good track of time), they started calling a dozen people from the line up at a time to be “interviewed”. Contestants on the Price is Right are not drawn randomly. They are selected from the crowd ahead of time during this interview process. You only have a few seconds to make your mark, so be creative. We finally got interviewed at around 11:30. We then got herded into… another line! and sat down to play a few hands of UNO with our neighbors.
And then the moment arrived. We finally got into the studio a bit before 1:00pm and got seats. The place was tiny. Watching the show on TV, you get the sense that there are at least a thousand people in the audience and that “coming on down” is at least a 50 yard dash. As it turns out, there’s only about two hundred and fifty people at the taping, and most everyone is within twenty feet of the stage. The display doors (which look massive on TV) are eat-me tiny and the stage itself is about the size of a foosball table. When we first came in, I remarked that Bob Barker must be a midget. Apparently, the TV industry is just plain good at clever photography.
After being prepped by the show’s announcer, the actual taping flew by; everything was extremely fast paced: “Come on down”, bidding, win, play whatever game, cut to commercial, repeat. During “commercial breaks”, Bob would talk to the crowd and take questions. This was just about the only time we actually heard his voice. The staff there get all the audience members to ooh and ahh and scream and shout advice (“higher!”, “$1300”, “the soup!”, “My spleen just exploded”, and so on) with such volume that very little of what’s going on on stage is discernible. I now have a lot of sympathy for the contestants who keep having to ask about the previous people’s bids.
Sadly, none of us was called down. Our dreams (“one dollar, Bob”) were not fulfilled. The guy behind us did get called though, so I bet we were on TV for a second or two (unfortunately, the show aired today and I was too lazy to give anyone advance warning). Despite our lack of luck, I’m glad to have gone. Price is Right, for good or for ill, is truly a piece of Americana, and it was neat to be involved.
Anyway, that’s the boring long of it. For a less mind numbing account, see Greg’s First Post! on the subject.
Below is a table of a person’s final seat number for the 1:15pm taping vs. that person’s arrival time. Somewhere not too far past seat number 150, the people all came from pre-booked large groups which are guaranteed admission (and so don’t have to wait in line).
| Final Seat Number | Arrival Time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 11:00pm |
| 10 | 12:30am |
| 15 | 2:00am |
| 30 | 2:45am |
| 40 | 3:30am |
| 65 | 4:00am |
| 100 | 5:10am |
| 150 | 5:50am |
All right anyone who wants the ticket for free just email me.
The regular tickets guarantee you a spot inside the taping.
I’d rather someone use it.
NickTPIR@gmail.com
Could anyone post the highlights of todays taping? I saw the show on May 30th and it was a blast.
May 30 taping airs tomorrow.
Farewell Bob! It wont be the same without you…
Now what do we do? :(
There’s nothing else to live for!
So for anyone else that won money on PRIS how long did it take to get your check?
Thanks!
Kelly
Kelly,
I would say you’ll hear something within 1.5 – 2 months. Did you win prizes too? They will withhold the state of California tax and mail you the difference. However, you’ll still owe on your income taxes for the 2007 tax year.
I have received some of my prizes but I’m still waiting for one of them and the 90 days from the air date is coming soon. It’s been a few days shy of 4 months since I was on the show and I’m still waiting. If you only won money I think you’ll get it pretty soon.
Hope this helps.
Thanks! We actually got the check today! Also won prizes and one thing has come but still waiting for what got mu hubby on stage.
To everyone I met on June 6th at Bob’s last taping, it was a lot of fun! I was the one clapping by the stage and handing Bob gifts. If you were one of the select few at the beginning of the line, you heard my songs, and I’m sure many of you chanted “Bob! Bob! Bob!” along with me before we all went into the studio one last time to see Bob!
We love the singing Page and his Bob chants:) Thanks for making the show and waiting extra special!
Thanks! Pebbles, what show were you at? Don’t forget to search (Wildchats, The Price Is Right) for me on You Tube!
cant PLAY THE GAME.
Good luck to Drew- it will be so different without Bob.
WHat i wanna know is How much of the Games are Fixed?
I mean the Wheel spinning and etc etc, well SOMEONE has to be behing the wheel and is probably controlling it..deciding Who gets to go to the Major Showcase showdown.
No?
There is absolutely NO game fixing whatsoever on the Price is Right… any sort of suspect game fixing would incite an immediate investigation by the FCC… much like the Game show scandals back in the 50’s.
As for the wheel spinning, the order of spinning the wheel is determined by who won the most in that half – the person that won the least spins first, and the person who won the most spins last. The reason why the wheel doesn’t spin forever is because the wheel is HEAVY… about 1500 pounds. While it is heavy, it’s not heavy enough that even an elderly person couldn’t spin the wheel all the way around at least once.
Has anyone been on the show since Drew has been on? OpionionS??
Anyone recently who has advice about the show now, with Drew Carey?
How early should we get to the studio? What will the weather be like in late November???
I have priority tickets for Nov. 6 1 pm and have 2 extra tickets. Anyone interested? How early should I arrive there?
I was at Drew’s First taping, and I’ve been told by people who have been to tapings lately that they actually had to pay people to fill the audience! If you arrive before 6 AM when order of arrival passes are distributed, I’d wager heavily that you’d not only be able to get in – but you’d be one of the first few people in line (say about the first 50 or so). In fact, I think they’re still allowing people to actually get tickets to the same day’s shows at the ticket booth, when in prior years when Bob was around, you wouldn’t be allowed to do that.
In regards to weather in Late November, you should know that LA isn’t exactly the warmest place to be at 6 AM in the morning, so bring something warm to wear.
Good luck to you!
I would LOVE tickets for Nov 6. Is priority different than what they email us? Coming from NC and I am going to visit my dying grandfather at Cedars Sinai, so I hope to spend most of my time there instead of in a line for a day and a half!Please email me back with details bostianfamily@bellsouth.net
Thanks Voltaire! That’s helpful. We’re staying in a motel close by, so we’ll probably walk over around 5am. Fortunately since we’ll still be on EST, that’ll feel like 8am, which isn’t bad.
And we’re from Canada, so we’ll be very happy with a chilly California morning!
There’s no more priority/standby tickets anymore – all tickets are the same. CBS public relations just did priority/standby tickets to accomodate the crowds they expected at Bob’s last 3 weeks of shows.
Nowadays, people have actually walked in at 8 AM and gotten in – even without a ticket, because you can actually get tickets at the ticket booth on the day of the taping. However, I’d advise that you arrive before 6 AM just to be sure that you get in, because pre-booked groups (Anywhere from 20-150 people depending on the number of groups) are being allowed again, and they have priority.
Let’s hope the writer’s strike doesn’t affect the Price is Right! I would hate to travel all that way and miss out.
gonna try to get on with my sister tomorrow!! wish us luck!! it is her 30th bday and this is all she wanted to do !!! so if u see a girl named VERITY get picked u know we were lucky@!!
I went last week to the taping. Got there at 5:50am and was 64th on line. After our 1pm taping they asked if anyone wanted to stay for the 4pm taping. The audience capacity is around 350. It really was a blast! Good luck.
Wonderful. Were you eligable to be a contestant again for the second show, or just to be in the audience?
I would probably stay for a second show if we could possibly be winners. Otherwise, we have lots of sightseeing we’d like to do while in Hollywood.
I first went to the Price is Right in 1994 — it was possible to go through the line twice to attend both the 1:15 and 4:45 taping and I was eligible to be a contestant both times. I think once you get there, you’ll want to stay for both shows. Stan Blits, one of the producers, usually remembers you when you go through the line a second time, so be sure to be animated and excited about seeing the show twice!
The only thing that renders you ineligibe is having been a contestant on The Price is Right (daytime, nighttime or syndicated) before, or having been a contestant on another game show in the past year.
I must say that although Bob will always be THE Price is Right ICON, Drew is doing a pretty good job! He looks like a game show host right out of the 60’s!! Have you noticed the prizes have been really fabulous?! I still love the show and will always be “Loyal and True!”
I’m looking at going to a 1pm taping with a group. How long does the taping last? I want to be able to make my flight!
My friends and I are going to TPIR the first week of February, and we are SOOOO excited!! We have been planning this trip for more than 20 years! We are celebrating our 40th birthdays together, and would love any tips for being asked to “Come On Down”. So is it the opinion of any recent contestants/audience members that camping out all night is not as necessary as it once was?? We have tickets already for both shows on two days of taping…Are the questions still the same? Any advice will be welcome!
Jennifer, post 432…
I was there during the second week of December. I had tickets for the early taping. We got stuck in traffic and didn’t get to the show until 9:30am and we still got right in. The studio holds 325 people and at 9:30am we were number 190 and 191. In fact, they even had less people for the second taping so we stayed for that show too.
Having tickets isn’t really guaranteeing you anything. They probably give out 1500 tickets for each show, hoping that at least 325 people actually show up. Thats why people would camp out all night…. because you still needed to be one of the first 325 in line when they open the gate at 7am.
Now that Bob is retired, there isn’t all the excitement to be on the show and TPIR actually pays people to fill the audience for every taping. I sure you wont have any problems getting into the audience. I think they get the “fill in” people from the local homeless shelter…. I’m NOT kidding.
I also went to the show last February and was picked to Come On Down!! I won a few things and had a GREAT time. The reason we went again a few months ago (I was ineligible to be a contestant again) was to see if we could get my cousin onto the show. It didn’t happen.
Don’t worry about getting there in the middle of the night, be sure to attend both shows, hopefully you’ll get called to Come On Down and you’ll have a great time!!
Hope this helps.
I am going with my 4 friends for the March 19th showing on a Wed. over spring break. Should I expect longer lines because of spring break? Are the crowds still small since Drew has taken over? What time should I get there?
Need to Know Before You Hurry Up and Wait.
Price is Right? Hmmm..
Two of my family members and I received tickets last week for today’s 1PM show (March 10).We all took the day off with no pay , drove the two hours to attend the show.
My aunt is handicapped and she did not want to use her wheel chair for fear she would loose her chance to be on the price is right. She was in so much pain standing and waiting, but she assured us we would get on because we were so early.
All three of us arrived around 6:15 AM. for the 1PM show. The numbers on our tickets were under 290 and I understand around 300 seats available for each show, told to us by one of the coordinators giving instructions to the audience hopefuls.
WE had a small group of people, around 50 in front of us waiting already when we arrived. We were all excited until we realized that because we were not in a large group with matching t-shirts we were told to stand by the red rail, give up our seat and we were then placed on standby. The large groups had the priority even though they showed up a few hours later than us. It appeared that price is right over books more than 100 and maybe more for both shows today. I wondered if the other people got their tickets from another web site. It was upsetting to stand for a long period of time only to have others just show up and have priority, because they belonged to a large group. There were also individuals joining groups that already existed that they had just met in line just to get on the show, If the price is right wants large groups only, they should be more specific when advertising on their web site, instead of misleading people, hopefully this blog will shed light on the ones who want a chance on the show so you won’t go through the disappointment and physical pain my family and many others did today, Now you know how to be sure to get on, come late with a large crowd and wear matching shirts,, 25people or more. We witnessed over 100 people in line that left disappointed and disgusted. Additionally, the web site says admission is to be 18 and over and a couple seated in line had a baby,, also, the announcer asks if anyone in the crowd did not have two forms of ID or a SS card and about a third raised their hands, however the announcer told that same group that it was ok,everyone has thirty days,, to obtain it. The web page is clear, , I thought.
Good luck to you and yours.
Groups are booked in advance to ensure a full taping. They MUST have 20-25 people and have booked in advance in order to receive the preferential treatment to arrive at a later time. HOWEVER, they cannot recruit people from the regular line, so if they’re short of the requisite 20 people, they get bumped to the end of the line.
Keep in mind that tapings in the past few months have not been full and by booking groups this ensure they have a full taping – in fact there were paid audience members simply because there wasn’t enough people to fill both tapings even after allowing people who went to the first taping a chance to attend the 2nd one. However, since we’re entering the spring break months, I would expect this trend to discontinue – and you should show up to the line before 6 AM (when the gates open) if you expect to get in. If you want good seats, arrive at least an hour or two before that.
Now just so you know – CBS does have arrangements so that handicapped persons can be contestants – they’d just have to take them around the back… and Yes they have made arrangements for that – here’s a clip: http://youtube.com/watch?v=81Y-qZieJc0
Come check out a teaser for “Come On Down!”
http://comeondowndocumentary.blogspot.com/
I HAVE A QUESTION i HAVE AN E TICKET FOR TOMORROW TAPING 3/31 . THE SHOW TAPES AT 4PM. DOES MY WHOLE PARTY HAVE TO BE THERE @am OR THE TICKET SAYS TO BE BACK AT NOON. THANKS NEED HELP ON THIS ??
Does my whole party have to be in line with me @ 8am for the 4pm taping. My e tickets says party of 4. Can i get there number and just have them come later since the ticket is in my name???
@Cari – Your entire party MUST be there in order to receive a priority numbers. If you arrive at 8 am you run the risk of not getting in – so I recommend an earlier arrival time – perhaps 7 am and you’ll be able to get in. Remember that groups of 25 or more are booked in advance and they “cut” in line ahead of people with tickets to ensure a full audience.
At 8 am, you’ll receive a priority number for each member in your party that is physically present with you in line – it will be written on your ticket. Then you’ll be told to return at 12 noon for processing, at which point you’ll be there until the taping is over. Yes – it takes 4 hours to process – writing contestant nametags, filling out contestant information cards and interviews with the production staff. Good luck to you!
Thanks so much for the input.
what kind of people do they look for to be contestant’s on the price is right …
Hi Voltaire- Thanks so much on all of your info. Have you ever been on the TPIR as a contestant??
No – unfortunately I’ve never been a contestant, but I was partially responsible for the first $1,000,000 win on the show as I gave the winning bid to the first $1,000,000 winning contestant (I ran up on stage to congratulate him too!). I will be returning to see my 19th taping in May and hopefully I’ll get my chance to be a contestant.
I watched the million dollars show tonight it was great!! I will be going on the 22nd for the million dollars show. I have extra tickets if you would like one.
19 times wow !!!
I wish I could go – but flights from DC to LA are a bit pricey not too far in advance. Just a minor warning about this set of $1,000,000 spectaculars – I would expect the line to be a little bit worse than the regular daytime line – I’d recommend being in line at 4 AM or earlier to assure you get into at least one taping. Good luck to you!
Thanks so much for the info. I will be going early I live in California and it take me about 45 minutes to get there.
Cari – I am coming on the 22nd also! I have a ticket for the 1pm and the 4pm. I am will already be in Vegas for vacation, so I am renting a car and driving over. I won’t be able to leave Vegas until midnight – so hopefully I will make it in time. Email me if you would like @ tttrainr@aol.com
-Michael
Hi Michael – I just emailed you .
Is anyone going to the price is right this Tues 4/22?