Why The Price Is Right Fans Think Drew Carey Makes Such A Great Host
Being a TV game show host is one of those jobs that's much harder than it looks (and that's not even counting those cursed game shows that never should've happened). To truly master it, you have to have a combination of talent, wit, and charisma, plus a tolerance for dealing with extremely excited and possibly competitive contestants in a graceful or funny way. When Drew Carey took over as host of the iconic and long-running game show "The Price Is Right" in 2007, he was stepping into some of the largest shoes ever worn by a game show host, those of retiring host Bob Barker. Barker had become a TV legend for his long tenure as host of the show, and his final appearance was a big TV event (via Variety), so it was by no means certain that Carey would be up to the job.
Thankfully, Carey has thrived as host of "The Price Is Right" for well over a decade, and fans of the show seem to be in agreement over the special quality that makes him a great fit for its hosting duties.
Fans applaud his genuine enthusiasm
One of the key components of "The Price Is Right" is enthusiasm. From the moment the contestant hears their name followed by the classic imperative to "come on down," the tradition is to be as excited as possible to play the game. It's not always easy for a game show host to share the enthusiasm of contestants who are playing for potentially life-changing sums of money, but there's a great clip that shows how Drew Carey is able to do this, and in a seemingly genuine and sincere fashion.
You can watch the clip above, uploaded by a fan under the title "Luckiest Contestant Ever." That designation may well be true, as can be seen in his string of incredible numerical guesses. However, the real fun of the clip is seeing how excited Carey gets when the final number is guessed. "I'm gonna go berserk," the host promises, and he almost follows through, jumping up and down and seemingly just as excited as the lucky player. The comments under the video make it clear that "The Price Is Right" fans appreciate his excitement. Josh Andallo writes, "I love how Drew is genuinely excited with the contestants, and is willing to not show restraint when someone wins." YouTube user wlbaz agrees: "After watching this, it was great seeing Drew sharing the same excitement as the contestant. Hopefully he'll keep the same enthusiasm for the duration of the series."
There's been no shortage of additional comments praising the enthusiasm and excitement of Carey as the host of "The Price Is Right" either. Even Associated Press TV critic David Bauder once praised Carey's comfort "with contestants who are excessive in their enthusiasm" (via Yahoo). It's clear that Carey's empathic excitement makes him a truly special game show host.