Fans line up for Bob Barker's final showcase
Wednesday marks the final taping day for Bob Barker on The Price is Right and fans have been camped for two days outside CBS studios awaiting a chance to "Come on down!"
The U.S. network aired a special in May marking Barker's 35 years with the popular game show.
But Barker himself is ready to go out with just one more ordinary show, taped Wednesday in front of a live audience and to be aired on June 15.
The Price is Rightis remarkable for its cross-generational appeal, attracting young viewers despite its long-running format of asking competitors to guess the price of items in a showcase.
Barker believes it works because it gets people involved.
"It is a powerful premise,"he said. "When we bring something out for the contestant to bid on, at home, they're thinking, oh that's too high, or that's too low. Or that's a good bid. But whatever they're thinking — they're becoming involved."
Barker has so many fans that they have lined up, some for more than 48 hours, for a chance to get into the studio and spin the wheel, one of the most popular games on the show.
There are more than 80 variations of The Price is Right games and Barker's ease as a host is deceptive.Barker says he has a great memory and advises his successor—who isyet to be named —tomemorize everygame before he goes on air.
Barker began his game show career on 1950s hit Truth or Consequences, before starting on The Price is Right on Sept. 4, 1972.
Married in 1945 to Dorothy Jo Gideon, his high school sweetheart, Barker, 83, has been a widower since 1981.
He said his wife was the inspiration for his lifelong commitment to animals.
"She was ahead of her time. She really was. She stopped wearing fur coats before anyone was stopping," Barker said. "She became a vegetarian before people were becoming vegetarian. And I gradually did the same thing with her."
Every show ends with Barkers saying the words: "Help control the pet population — have your pets spayed or neutered."
Barker said he already has an idea of what he'll do the day after his last taping.
"I'm going to wake up and I'm going to realize that I don't have a show and I probably — I may pull the covers over my head and just stay there."