Price Is Right: Drew Carey or Rosie O’Donnell?

James Joyner @ Gone Hollywood | Saturday, June 23, 2007

After several days’ speculation that the abominable Rosie O’Donnell would be tabbed to replace the venerable Bob Barker as host of “The Price is Right,” a new candidate has emerged: comedian Drew Carey.

Drew Carey, come on down! You’re the next contender to replace Bob Barker as host of “The Price is Right.”

CBS and producer FremantleMedia North America have talked to the comic about hosting the long-running daytime gameshow, people familiar with the situation said. Eye already has a relationship with Carey, who’s been tapped to host the net’s upcoming primetime quizzer “Power of 10″

Nothing’s been decided about who ultimately will inherit Barker’s skinny microphone, however. Carey is one of several people who have been mentioned as candidates, including Rosie O’Donnell and George Hamilton.

If Carey did get the “Price” gig, he’d likely have to pull double duty on “Power,” which premieres in August. But such cross-daypart synergies have worked before (think Regis Philbin on “Live!” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”).

Carey makes a lot of sense for the Barker job, given his mainstream, blue-collar appeal. His comic roots — and a past gig on the ABC improv show “Whose Line Is it Anyway” — also give him the ability to think quickly on his feet.

I haven’t watched “The Price is Right” in years, so I’m clearly not the target audience. But I can’t imagine that housewives want to see Rosie O’Donnell. She’s still in the running, though:

As promised, Rosie O’Donnell met with The Price Is Right producers on Thursday – although the speculation that she’ll replace Bob Barker as the show’s host has been losing steam.

Asked on her blog how her interview went, O’Donnell replies, “we had a nice lunch” – but does not elaborate. Another reader writes, “I see that Drew Carey’s name has been thrown into the mix. Any comments?” Writes O’Donnell: “i love drew carey.”

Barker started the buzz about O’Donnell replacing him when he said at last week’s Daytime Emmys that he had “no doubt” O’Donnell would be a good host for the game show. But he backed off on Wednesday, telling the Associated Press: “I think there are several candidates who could do the show, and Rosie is certainly one of them.”

O’Donnell herself sounded pessimistic about her chances in a recent video post on her blog: “I don’t know if it’s gonna work out,” she told fans. “I just think it’s a part of American nostalgia, and it’s what America needs right now. It would be good for me, but I don’t know if it’s right for them.

Say what you will about Rosie but she’s no idiot.

Price Is Right: Drew Carey or Rosie O’Donnell?

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