Before Bob Barker guided The Price is Right that's still on the air today, there was an original version of the TV classic that was hosted by Bill Cullen. The format was a lot different back then, four contestants played for the entire show bidding on merchandise and even winning offbeat bonus prizes such as an island or a bit part in a TV show.
One of the keys to the show's success was creator and producer Bob Stewart. He came up with the idea of contestants losing the game if they went over the retail price and most of the bonus prizes. He left the show to start his own production company in 1964.
The other was the outstanding hosting by Cullen, who injected humor and kept the show moving well. It was also a stepping stone for the show's main announcers, Don Pardo and his replacement when the show moved to ABC, Johnny Gilbert. Both are still behind the microphones today.
I have only seen a few episodes on video or the web and I thought it was an outstanding antithesis to the low stakes panel show and the big money quiz shows that were popular in 1956. It was also a simple game where the home viewer could play along.
The original Price is Right ended after nine years since it ran its course. But seven years later, it would be back in a new format where contestants could "Come on Down!"
