Bob Barker was one of the most well-known and beloved game show hosts in history. He also happens to be one of the longest-running game show hosts, having spent the majority of his career on the hit show The Price is Right. He began his career all the way back in the 1950s as a host on one of the very first game shows ever! He moved over to The Price Is Right shortly thereafter, and the rest, as they say, is history. So how long exactly was he on his Price Is Right throne? We dove into this beloved host’s background and career to figure out when he officially retired from his most well-known and longest-lasting gig.
What was Bob Barker’s first game show?
While the Price is Right was Barker’s longest-running host spot, it was not his first. In fact, Bob Barker was one of the original game show hosts, before game shows were even really a thing. The genre of game shows began in the 1950s with the premiere of Truth or Consequences. It was originally a radio show but moved to television in the early 1950s as a sort of test run of the genre. It had Bob Barker at the host helm and was an immediate success. It helped to launch the game show genre and make it the fun-loving TV favorite it is today. Bob stayed with Truth or Consequences all the way until 1975. Yet that was not his only hosting spot during that time; he also joined the hot new (new for the ’70s) show The Price Is Right. He hosted both at the same time for about three years but eventually left Truth or Consequences to be full-time with The Price Is Right.
When did Bob Barker leave The Price Is Right?
Bob Barker began hosting The Price Is Right in 1972. It is one of the longest-running game shows in history and earned him a spot as one of the longest-running game show hosts ever. The show has a very simple but hilarious premise: contestants try to guess the cost of particular luxury items such as cars, trips, televisions, etc. If they guess correctly, they get to keep the prize — if they do not and go over the price, then they watch the prize slip through their fingers. It has all the tragedy and triumph that makes for an addictive game show experience, and Bob’s friendly face and ongoing presence on the show kept viewers coming back for decades. Barker spent 35 long years as the host of The Price Is Right, leaving the show in 2007. While he may no longer be hosting the show, his role in its success and his decades-long career will never be forgotten. Unfortunately, Bob Barker passed away this year at the age of 99 but not before passing on his beloved show to a new host in 2007.
Who hosts The Price Is Right now?
Drew Carey is the current host of The Price Is Right, carrying on Barker’s legacy. The show has been airing for 50 years and counting and Carey has been with it 15 of those years and counting. With his prior hosting experience on Whose Line is It Anyway and The Drew Carey Show, he was a natural fit for the spot and his transition onto the show was fairly smooth. Of course, it was hard for fans to say goodbye to their beloved Barker, whose friendly face had welcomed and entertained them for over 30 years. Yet Carey’s transition onto the show brought new viewership and his own fans along as well. He continues to host the show with no end in sight.
Bob Barker was a beloved game show host who graced our lives and TV screens for decades. He helped to make the game show genre what it is today and, let’s be honest, The Price Is Right just wouldn’t have been the same without him. He stayed with the show for 35 years and officially left in 2007, leaving the show in Drew Carey’s capable hands where it remains to this day. Thankfully, all we have to do to remember Barker’s endearing smile and witty sense of humor is tune into a rerun of one of America’s favorite shows. So, here’s to you, Bob. Thanks for giving us over 50 years of game show magic and fun.