I've been dreading this day for a long time. It might be long, but I need to put this out there.
Like many of us, I also grew up with Bob Barker, even when I was in diapers. Sick day from school? Summer vacation? Spring break? Christmas break? If it was 10AM (PT), the TV was on KIRO, always spent watching Bob Barker and Rod Roddy, then Rich Fields on Price. The excitement in the air lasted from the first minute to the last minute.
He had a professionalism to his hosting that no one could match. It didn't matter whether it was a housewife playing Any Number, a college girl screaming over hitting the $10K slot on Plinko, or a lucky guy going on a trip on 'the Goooolden road!', Bob treated his contestants in a special way. In the olden days when the show had a slightly longer running time, he would quib about contestants' shirts, military branches, or the strange ways they came on down. Far more than his 'have your pets spayed or neutered' speech at the end of his show, I remember when an Item Up for Bids had not only the prize but also a dog or cat waiting for adoption. And he would tell us the name of the animal, age, and encourage the audience to adopt this cute animal from the Los Angeles SPCA. I have no doubt many dogs and cats were waiting for Barker's arrival into Heaven today.
Bob had a sense of humor too, cracking up jokes when appropriate for the circumstance and one thing I always remember, whenever a contestant was one car away on Triple Play, or about ready to reveal the missing number on Golden Road's fabulous prize...he would walk away at the last millisecond and ask a silly question to the contestant. MORE than once! (BTW, you *KNEW* it was one of those special days when Bob came out of the audience with his long microphone in his hand. Has Drew ever done that since?)
Who can forget those "historic moments" too? He made a point of making it big news. The one I will always remember is when there was a double overbid and the poor second woman went over by $1. You could tell that Bob felt sorrow for that woman.
And he was as excited as the contestants, at least in a professional, calm demeanor. The thrill when someone hit the $10K space on Plinko. Winning Grocery Game by 10 or 20 cents. Double showcase winners. $10K winners on the Big Wheel, $10K winners on Punch-a-Bunch. Need I say more? Bob was a household institution, with ages 2-102. My grandmother (deceased last spring) also watched Price, more because she was waiting for The Young and the Restless to come on. But she played along at home, whenever she wasn't tending to the sheep and chickens, and made comments about those wacky contestants bidding crazy amounts, or thinking that a trip to Spain with airfare and hotel was only worth $1,500.
I hope that CBS preempts Monday's Price rerun and shows Barker highlights with Drew, George, and especially Rich Fields (if they can snag him out). Maybe even Roger Dobkowitz. Or that they do a primetime tribute special. Perhaps a couple of weeks of 'best of' Barker episodes leading to the S52 premiere from the new studios.
There will never be another host, or TV personality, like Bob Barker. Just as much as there won't be another female comedian like Betty White, or a late-night personality like Johnny Carson. Millions of Americans are mourning this weekend, young and old.
May he forever rest in peace. Say hi to Mark Goodson, Rod Roddy, and Johnny Olson for us. And remember to have your pets spayed or neutered.
www.cbsnews.com
