The Price is Right
This is it. This is the last episode of Game Shows, I Suppose. We’re talking about The Price is Right. I missed out on all sorts of memorable moments, from Drew laughing at a pancake machine to Bob Barker hurting his shin on Super Ball to contestants flashing the camera accidentally or George Gray wiping out on a treadmill…. there are thousands of moments I remember from this game show. And sometimes, i forget them all.
Did I forget about “The Price Was Right” in the 94 Davidson version? Absolutely. I even forgot the Range Finder was “Range Game” - some would argue this is the worst episode of them all… but to me, it’s one of the better episodes.
Exactly two years ago to the day, I started this game show podcast. I was very depressed, with no place to go in life. I really don’t have any meaningful skillsets, and let’s face it - just about everybody is a writer or youtuber or social media something in some capacity these days.
I was very frustrated, and decided to turn all that negative into a positive, and start this positive. I don’t really have a place to “vent nonstop about a game show” - usually it’s about 5 minutes and then it goes away real quick because they want me to shut up. So here’s an idea - I just record my thoughts until I can’t go on anymore… and that was the show.
The first episodes were no different than “The Solo Sessions” - just a guy rambling and calling it a day. Sometimes it was 45 minutes, other times 90, it didn’t matter. I wanted to talk. People were curious and listened to it, and encouraged me to continue.
I made it through a full year. It was enjoyable. I did it for the sake of continuity, I wanted this to go on as long as I could, if people were curious, I would still talk. And then I got guests! And that was a great time as well. Getting to know how my friends and comedians and writers felt about certain shows put a new perspective to the show, I never would’ve considered. And because it was somebody to bounce off of, it was great.
But, that constant need for a guest - it gets challenging. Booking, scheduling, finding an episode, watching said episode, talking about the format…. it felt like I am forcing the guests into something they don’t want to do. And at the same time - with all the segments to do, from a review to a news segment, it takes the show almost over 2 hours at times. Why yes, I know what you’re thinking “Do people listen to podcasts where a guy rambles about game shows for the length of a Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie?” Well you would be delighted to find out “Maybe 4 People?”
While it is one of the most fun projects I have ever done online. It is one that eats up so much of my free-time. Currently, there are personal health issues involving my family, and on my own personal mental health - it is just at a steady decline, it isn’t even like a roller coaster, we’re talking just a solid Log-Flume-Ride-Style zip downwards. It took it’s toll on me. With so little free time I have (I used to be available in the Afternoons, now I have to start these projects as early as 10 pm at night) and that takes it’s toll on me, because I could be up until 3-4am just finishing up a single episode. That hurts the sleep schedule, and yes, when you don’t get enough sleep - the brain chemicals go bad, and makes things worse.
This is a podcast that’s TOO NICHE for a mainstream audience, and it’s TOO BROAD for a cult-culture like game shows. But if the question is “was I satisfied with the show?”, I can say with certainty “not all of them, but yes”. This is a show where I think it was “right format, wrong delivery”. And thankfully there has to be a dozen or so game show podcasts that this need to listen to somebody talk about game shows, well, it’s around. i am not going to leave a void that can’t be filled searching “game show podcast” on google
Yes, this feels very emotional and depressing - that’s because I am. I don’t tend to be, and believe it or not - game shows aren’t supposed to be either. It’s a fun-filled hour where there is strategy, game theory and just something that could distract you for an hour by presenting a unique game being played with little-to-major stakes. It’s been a pleasure of mine to be a guide through all of these unique and fun game shows. I hope I did at least a small service to make sure people no longer dismiss the TV (or Online, we are streaming after all) Game Show as just a “do nothing” genre. But as a cultural artifact and something that can tell us about sociology and the time capsule of what was going on at the time.
This might come across as a “farewell” and a long-winded wall of text that should just have said “here’s the price is right, goodbye”. I felt it was necessary, just to put those words into paper what all of this weird audio files meant to me. Breaking apart the “Game” (Format/Premise) with the “Show” (Presentation/Audio/Set) to give something interesting. If this is the end, well. I hope I did well. If this is not the end, most likely, you’ll see new episodes, whenever I get the chance, over on Patreon.
Until Next Time, This is Jordan Hass saying “Thanks For Pressing Your Luck”, I mean “Big Smooch!”
