Game show legend Bob Barker passed away at the age of 99 on August 26, and CBS wasted no time in preparing a primetime special to honor the longtime host of The Price Is Right. The hour-long special, called The Price Is Right: A Tribute To Bob Barker, aired with current host Drew Carey noting his predecessor's accomplishments with some personal touches that hinted at how much he admired Barker. The special was also packed with clips of Barker's many years on the game show to remind viewers just how long he was delivering laughs (and prizes) on The Price Is Right, so is it any surprise that fans from home were feeling all the emotions while watching?
Barker hosted The Price Is Right for 35 years from 1972 - 2007, and was known for everything from his on-set shenanigans and interactions with the contestants to his sign-off about spaying and neutering pets to even his celebrity pals, including Adam Sandler, about whom fans frequently asked Barker due to their unforgettable Happy Gilmore scene. (Sandler was among the many celebs to pay tribute to Barker immediately following his death.)
The host won fourteen Daytime Emmys for his work on The Price Is Right over more than three decades in front of the camera, and plenty of people on X (formerly known as Twitter) had thoughts and feelings to share. For media personality Jason DeRusha, watching CBS' The Price Is Right: A Tribute To Bob Barker left him in tears:
Obviously a just train-wreck of tears after that awesome tribute to Bob Barker, great job by the team on @PriceIsRight and @DrewFromTV. Every time an elevator door opened I dreamt of being Bob walking out at the start of the show, such a legend.September 1, 2023
As the longest-running game show on television, The Price Is Right has touched the lives of a lot of people. Whether viewers were fans who tried to make time every day to tune in or just kids who were looking for a way to feel a little bit better while stuck home sick, Bob Barker made an impact that affected a lot of people. Another person watching the tribute was particularly struck by the highlights from the decades of Barker hosting:
They are doing a tribute to Bob Barker right now on CBS and I have sat here and cried at old highlights or Price is Right. It sounds goofy, but watching that show with my Maw and Pap are some of my best memories with them.September 1, 2023
Not all of the emotions felt by fans left them in tears during the tribute, however. Seeing all of the joy of The Price Is Right brought and shared by Bob Barker inspired somebody else to laugh instead of cry:
Watching this Bob Barker Price is Right tribute. Showing the contestants when they win. 😁 , blooper type moments . Idk 🤷♂️ just making me smile and laughing like crazy.September 1, 2023
Of course, The Price Is Right: A Tribute To Bob Barker only ran for one hour before CBS resumed its normal Thursday night programming, which meant an abrupt switch from memorializing Bob Barker to seeing Julie Chen and the Big Brother Season 25 Houseguests. For at least one viewer, it was a very big tone change:
The hard pivot for Bob Barker tribute to Big Brother shenanigans #bb25September 1, 2023
On the whole, there were a lot of emotions being shared on social media during and after the Bob Barker tribute, so I think that it's safe to say that this person sums up the experience for many:
This bob barker special is giving me all the feels, what an iconSeptember 1, 2023
If you missed the special and want to feel all the feels yourself (or watch it all over again), you'll be able to find The Price Is Right: A Tribute To Bob Barker streaming with a Paramount+ subscription starting on September 1. You can also continue watching The Price Is Right with Drew Carey on CBS on weekday mornings. For some upcoming primetime options, check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule.
