Drew Carey, Step On Up!
The Search for the Next Price Is Right Host Is Over
I think I like this development. During the taping of yesterday’s Late Show With David Letterman, actor-comic Drew Carey revealed that he had just been officially named the successor to living legend Bob Barker, former host of the equally historic series The Price Is Right.
On the air since September 1972, American television’s longest-running daytime game show quickly became the focus of much speculation as CBS executives took what seemed like their sweet ol’ time to name a replacement for the recently retired Barker. The contenders ran the gamut from slick and suntanned actor George Hamilton at one point to outspoken entertainer Rosie O’Donnell and resident GSN game show host (and clear female fan fave) Todd Newton at another.
As a result of the network’s leisurely decision, Carey has a whole lot of fast catching up to do for his first season of Price, the show’s 36th, which is usually in production at this point. Good thing for the proud Ohioan, then, that he already has eight years of hilarious hosting experience under his belt from the U.S. improv series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, an adaptation of the original British series that always cracks me up no end whenever I catch a bit of it in passing.
Carey is also well known for playing himself, of course, in his self-named sitcom The Drew Carey Show, which lasted nine straight seasons on ABC, until September 2004. Speaking of which, wouldn’t it be just wild if Mimi, Lewis, and Oswald dropped by his new gig from time to time to mess everything up?
Drew Carey photo courtesy of ABC
