Professor Price (The Price is Right)

Professor Price was a short-lived pricing game featured on the sixth season of The Price is Right. The game was played only twice on the show, on November 14th, 1977, and the 21st in the same month; the contestants who played these games won both.

Why It Payed The Price for Being “The Worst Game of All Time” (Pun Intended)

1. The "Professor Price" animatronic and stand had a hideous looking design, and when the "professor" raised his arm when a contestant answered correctly was pretty creepy. Plus one of his fingers would point upwards and it would kind of look like he was giving the finger (even though he only had four fingers).
2. While every other game on the show was based on knowledge of prices, this game had nothing with the retail cost of anything, which makes this game very out of place with the others.
3. Contestants had to find the numbers in the car by answering general knowledge questions, which was too easy for the players.
4. If a contestant won (which occurred both times the game was played) the stand would go out-of-control. The clock hands spinning out of control, the owl furiously flapping its wings, and the Professor's head shaking, and his arm flailing. All this can be very disturbing for younger viewers who may be watching the show.
5. Contestants in the audience could not help the player. Clock Game and Hole in One (or Two) also don’t allow help, but they’re justified because they would distract the contestant, only there is no reason for this rule to exist in this game.

Trivia

• Professor Price was the 100th and final entry in David Hofstede's book What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History.

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