Hi all -



I am creating a new thread on this issue because, well, some of the opinions I've been reading lately are troubling to me and don't seem to understand the big picture. While I am directing some parts of this message to specific members of this website, a large portion of it should be applicable to others. I wish to put everything out on the table in a respectful and mature manner, and if you reply, please do the same.



I grew up watching the exact same show as the rest of you. Bob Barker was hosting; Roger Dobkowitz was the showrunner. The show had a certain feel to it, a feel that I shall refer to throughout as the "classic feel". A feel that I loved.



This was the case for many years. The ratings were great, the demographic was low, and there was no need to make significant changes. Up through Season 35, everything was the status quo. It was at that time, of course, that Bob retired. Eventually his successor would be named for Season 36 and beyond - Drew Carey.



When Bob retired, it caused a fairly large drop in the ratings. As far as I know, the demographic stayed approximately the same from Season 35, but overall numbers were down. This was to be expected, of course, as Bob had built up an impressive legacy. A legacy that many people of all ages wanted to "leave on a high note" with, so to speak.



Since that initial drop in ratings, I am under the impression that - for the most part - the show's overall viewer ratings have been slowly rising back up. However, at the conclusion of Season 36, Roger left the show. While his departure did not have any meaningful impact on the ratings - after all, 99% or more of the show's viewers had never even heard of him - this left the show with other people in charge. In other words, a new direction.



The new direction faced some significant challenges. For example, many of Bob's viewers had started watching the show in their 20's and 30's and were now in their 50's and 60's. Because the show never made significant changes, it inherited these older viewers. Unfortunately, these ages are not very attractive to advertisers.



Nowadays, the show faces some major problems.



1. The median age of a TPIR viewer has risen to about 63.



2. Recent changes the show has made to reduce that median age have not been particularly successful.



3. The overall ratings are slowly rising, but due to #1 and #2, the show is becoming increasingly less profitable.



Fan4ever: This is what I was referring to by "slow leak".



So Mike Richards takes over as executive producer, fairly recently, and he needs to worry about these problems. Why? Simple.



1. I don't have any kind of access to the numbers, but at the current rate, I'm guessing that the show - as is - will no longer be profitable within five years.



2. The job of an EP is to keep its show popular, on the air, and usually accomplishes this by keeping it fresh. If Mike were to decide to not change anything, it might make certain fans happy, yes. But it would be breaking the show even further.



Me... I don't have a problem with the changes they've been making. Like I said, I loved Bob's version of this show. I love Drew's version as well. Both versions have their flaws. But at the end of the day, TPIR is still the same traditional routine of bidding, playing a pricing game, spinning the wheel, and showcases that it has always been.



If you read this, Mike, you have my full support.



And if that means that TPIR501 calls me a Fremantle Media employee and follows it up with multiple derogatory remarks, like he did last week, so be it.



(Disclaimer: As this was a very long post, it's highly likely that I've forgotten to include points that I had intended to include. I may include those later on.)