NBC 1956-1963
THE PRICE IS ALL RIGHT
MAD #51, December 1959
w: Larry Siegel
a: Mort Drucker
Best known for the version that existed in the 70s with Bob Barker and that continued into the 00s with Drew Carey, this is the first version with Bill Cullen when game shows were on networks in prime time the first time.
The premise had four contestants guessing how much a prize cost, and the one with the closest guess would win it.
MAD UK #303, July 1987
w: David Robinson
a: William Simpson
There was a British version of the show as well, hosted by Leslie Crowther. It used the “Come on down” catchphrase and the contestants were guided by four models.
“Escalator” was one of the games in which a contestant would guess a price for a product, then choose if they wanted to go up the next step to make another guess aand take a chance at possibly winning something better.
In the American Mad parody, I think the first contestant is Imogene Coca. I'm not sure about the guy next to her - maybe someone else in Sid Caesar's orbit?
ReplyDeleteIn the top right of the last page, Alfred Hitchcock makes a cameo as a rocket technician .
Mad didn't get around to covering the revived version of the show until 2004, near the end of Bob Barker's long run. The spoof ran in #442, called "The Prize is Slight".
In the British Mad parody, the rival game show hosts at the end are Bruce Forsyth, Ted Rogers (I'm guessing), and Bob Monkhouse.