Amber Lancaster shows off a Mini Cooper. (Sonja Flemming/CBS )
Ernestina Gallagos, an LA addiction counselor, has been a fan since 1972. Talva Ramon first came to the show — and won a stove — 34 years ago, when she was 150 pounds thinner. And college students Hillary Lester, Bryce Knepp and Linnea Jordan have flown across the country to be here.
What brings this motley crew together on a stormy night in LA to sleep outside CBS Television City on Fairfax Avenue? They all hope to be selected as contestants on “The Price Is Right.”
The man who will decide their fate in the morning is Stan Blits, a co-producer who interviews every person before the show.
Blits is like St. Peter at the pearly gates, and by the looks of it, it may be harder to get onto “The Price Is Right” than it is to get into heaven.
Only nine contestants are picked from an audience of hundreds.
Blits asks each audience member two questions: “Who are you?” And “What do you do?”
“I’m a physicist,” says Larry. “I’m a househusband,” says Ross. “I love the Lord,” says Christopher.
None of them will make it.
“They have to be enthusiastic, sincere and maintain their energy through the interview,” says Blits. “If we pulled names out of a hat we would be off the air in a month.”
Instead, Drew Carey has celebrated his 1,000th show. “They brought out a cake and gave away my favorite gifts — a Mini Cooper, a Vespa and a Prius, says host Drew Carey.
Today, “Price” is taping its Christmas shows, which air this week, and the audience, dressed in red and green costumes, is pumped. Carey, 54, likes this rabble-rousing, saving his most irreverent remarks for commercial breaks. He teases one woman who makes erotic birthday cakes. “Do any say ‘Happy 5th Birthday’ on them?”
Carey clearly enjoys what he’s doing, and even he admits that he was “stupid” when at first he turned down the job offer.
“I didn’t need the work and I didn’t need the money,” says Carey, one of Hollywood’s wealthiest comedians, with an estimated worth of $165 million.
CBS programming honcho Nina Tassler finally convinced him to take over “Price” in 2007 from Bob Barker, the show’s venerable host since 1972. The Carey era has seen an increase in ratings. “Price” is daytime’s No. 1 program, averaging 4.9 million viewers, up 3 percent from a year ago. It is also up 8 percent among women 25-54.
“I wasn’t worried about taking over from Bob Barker, because he told me to make the show my own,” Carey says. “I thought, ‘If nobody likes it, it’s their problem; what matters is if I’m happy.’ ” Since happiness is relative, joy turned to ecstasy when Carey received a $9 million signing bonus on top of a reported annual salary of $12 million — for working one week on and one week off.
The main transition had to do with style. While Barker was more of a solo act, Carey prefers to work in an ensemble. Comedian George Grey became the permanent announcer and the models were given microphones.
“When Drew took over it got a lot louder,” says executive producer Mike Richards. “CBS had to redo the acoustics on one side of the wall where they shoot ‘The Bold and The Beautiful.’ ”
Backstage, everything is in high gear as the crew moves the games onto the stage from the dozens of rooms that look more like warehouses for amusement-park rides than props for a TV show. On display, but hidden from the audience, are today’s prizes, which include Jimmy Choo shoes, a Gucci-designed Fiat and a red Kia Rio — some of the 3,000 given away per season. A producer tells me the show’s first prize was a fur coat. But Carey disagrees, saying they were a pair of roller skates and a box of tiles.
These days the prizes are significantly more extravagant — like a $100,000 Tesla car. A few are given for promotional considerations, but never the cars, jewelry or electronics.
As the US economy has faltered more people have tried to get on the show, says Carey. And the impact of the recession is clear from my interviews. One woman tells me she has six grandchildren, but no car to visit them. She needs a car. One man confesses that he only has a week to turn his finances around before he has to declare bankruptcy — he wants cash.
“The audience is mostly teachers, nurses, police and retirees,” says Carey. But today there is a member of the Armed Services.
“I’m a bomb loader,” Master Sergeant Jared Johnson tells Carey.
“He loads Bobs.” Carey jokes.
No, bombs, says Johnson.
“Oh yeah,” Carey laughs. “I didn’t think we were dropping Bobs on Iraq.”
“Drew is really cool,” saysRamon. “And he’s an inspiration. I have lost 37 pounds. I figure if Drew Carey can do it, so can I.”
Carey lost close to 90 pounds through a rigorous training regime. Last year, he separated his clavicle training for a marathon and had surgery in December. Until recently, he had to warn winners that they couldn’t jump on him.
Because that’s what his life is like now — people jumping on him and hugging him and kissing him.
“I love doing it,” he says, calling me from a deli during a lunch break while I finish up in the studio. “I like it when people win and I hate it when people lose. And if they lose just because they make stupid mistakes, it just breaks my heart.”
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Weekdays, 11 a.m., CBS
TOP PRIZES
According to executive producer Mike Richards, these are the most popular gifts.
1. Cars. “People really flip for the Mini Cooper, convertible Mustang and the Porsche Boxster.”
2. Trips. “We go all out on our luxury trips, including things like a trip to Hawaii where we rent you a Ferrari and 3 nights on a yacht, or a photo safari in Africa.”
3. Cash. “People love cold, hard cash which is why in the last 2 years we have added a $100,000 cash game to the mix.”
4. Electronics. “We feature the latest in technology: iPhone 5s, 70-inch TVs, and even an iPad,complete with a Jimmy Choo cover and a matching pair of Jimmy Choo shoes.”
5. Luxury Services. “We love pampering contestants with luxuries like private chefs, maid service for a year, personal trainers or a year’s supply of organic groceries.”