The Showcase (The Price Is Right)
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The Showcase is the major prize round on the game show The Price Is Right. The two winners of the Showcase Showdowns in each episode make it to the Showcase; in the show's original half-hour format, the two onstage contestants with the most winnings advanced to the Showcase. The round's two prize packages usually involve several prizes connected by a common theme or a story; they tend to be worth between $12,000 and $40,000, although they occasionally exceed $55,000, and primetime specials in recent years have offered showcases worth $100,000 or more.
One showcase is shown, and the contestant with the greatest winnings so far has the option to either place a bid on the showcase or pass it to the other contestant (forcing them to bid on it). After the bid is placed, the second showcase is shown and bid upon by the remaining contestant. The contestant nearest to the price of their own showcase without going over wins the showcase. If both contestants go over, neither player wins their showcase.
In the early shows, the showcases were a fairly straightforward presentation of a succession of prizes, occasionally with a vague prevailing theme (such as a trip, as well as luggage, money, and a camera). Starting in 1974, the presentation of the showcase prizes became more elaborate, humorously tying the items on bid together in a skit, often a movie parody or a fairy tale involving the prizes. Many times the announcer and models would portray various silly characters whose interactions introduced the prizes. Time constraints have forced the show to cut down on lengthy showcases with extended dialogues and storylines, but often the show still features briefer skit showcases.
Beginning in the spring of 1974, if the winner was less than $100 away from the price of their own showcase, the contestant won both showcases. (The margin was raised to $250 or less from Season 27 on.) If the two contestants are exactly the same distance from the actual prices (in other words, if there is a tie) without going over, each wins their own showcase; this has happened once in the show's history. If there is a tie where the differences are within the Double Showcase range, both contestants would win both showcases; this has never happened.
Unlike Contestants' Row, there is no cash bonus for a perfect bid in the Showcase. However, there has been one person to have a perfect bid in the Showcase. This is believed to have occurred on the 1970s nighttime run, where the Double Showcase rule was never added; as such, the contestant in question won only their own showcase.
Biggest Winners
- In 1992, a contestant named Danielle Torres became the biggest winner at the time with $88,865 in prizes, including a Lincoln Continental in 3 Strikes and a Corvette in the Showcase.
- On the 6,000th episode, a contestant named Amy Rempel became the new biggest winner with $97,130 in prizes, including a Ford Thunderbird Roadster in Lucky $even and a Cadillac in the Showcase.
- During Season 33, a contestant named Keisha became a double showcase winner with a difference of exactly $250, winning a total of more than $90,000, including a Pontiac Sunfire in One Away and a Chrysler 300 and a Chrysler Sebring Converitble in her showcase.
- On the first episode of the show's 35th season on September 18, 2006, Vickyann Sadowski won both showcases ($239 away with a bid of $89,500) to become the daytime show's current biggest winner ever. Her grand total for the show was $147,517 in cash and prizes.
External Links
A clip of Vickyann Sadowski's double showcase win at YouTube