Comic to host a Price Is Right revival

Alan Carr is to host another revival of The Price is Right.

He will be following in the footsteps of Leslie Crowther and Bruce Forsyth when he fronts the pilot for Channel 4 later this year.

Carr said: I'm so excited to be the new host of The Price is Right. It's proper bucket list territory for me as I loved it when I was growing up and now for me to be at the helm of such a legendary show is a dream come true. It just leaves me with one thing to say ... COME ON DOWN!’

The  pilot, lasting an hour, will make it to air, and is being produced by Thames, which also makes shiny-floor hits X ­Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.

The gleefully trashy game show is something of a departure rom Channel 4’s usual alternative offering.

It  originally aired on ITV from 1984 to 1988, hosted by Crowther. Sky  briefly revived it the following year, hosted by Bob Warman, then returned to ITV from 1995 to 2001, hosted by Forsyth. The most recent incarnation ran in 2006, hosted by Joe Pasquale.

The format began in the States as long ago as 1956, hosted by Bill Cullen. It was revamped in 1972 with Bob Barker at the helm. but since 2007, it has been hosted by comedian Drew Carey.

The Price is Right is the latest in a string of old game shows to be revived. Paul O’Grady is to front a revamp of Blind Date for  Channel 5, Richard Ayoade is hosting a new Crystal Maze, also for Channel 4, and the BBC has been working on a resurrection of The Generation Game. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins have been touted as the new hosts of this, after Miranda Hart pulled out of a previous attempt.

The Price Is Right was commissioned by Channel 4’s Tom Beck, with Thames’s Suzy Lamb and Mel Balac as executive producers.

Published: 9 Jun 2017