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There seems to be an inordinate amount of lawsuits involving The Price Is Right: sexual harassment, wrongful termination, etc. Now one of those lawsuits is going forward but with one key member no longer involved.

A judge in Los Angeles has dismissed allegations against Bob Barker in the lawsuit involving a former production assistant who says she was demoted because she testified in one of the other cases. The reason for the dismissal? Barker wasn't her boss. The judge also dismissed claims that the woman made against Fremantle Media, but those could be reinstated later if the judge is convinced by her attorney that they should be.

Ah, another day, another list. This one is from PopCrunch, and it lists the 25 Best Game Shows of All-Time. And yes, it will provoke discussion and hair-pulling.

It's not a bad list actually, as these things go. It's a little predictable (and I certainly wouldn't have included Love Connection, Deal or No Deal, or Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?), but there are some good choices here. Press Your Luck was a great show (though it should be higher on the list), and it's hard to argue with how high shows like Jeopardy and The Price is Right are. I also like that they included The Mole (the first two Anderson Cooper-hosted seasons) and Remote Control.

So, did you hear that they did a poll they did to determine which presidential candidate people would like to hang out with at a barbecue? Obama won 52 to 45 percent over McCain, which may not mean very much in the long run, but the day before July 4th it made news.

The thought of barbecues and July 4th parties got me thinking about which TV characters with whom I'd like to spend Independence Day. I wouldn't want them here at my place, though, I want to go to their places. I have high expectations, too, and a vivid imagination.

Here's the six TV characters who could expect me to join them to watch the rockets red glare -- if only they were real live folks and not just my fictional faves.

If anyone thought Bob Barker was going to miss being on stage at The Price is Right, then they'd be wrong. At least if you listen to Bob; he not only thinks he left "at just the right time," but is keeping himself extremely busy.

Barker spoke to the Long Beach, CA Press-Telegram recently, and he explained that "I enjoyed the show right up to the last minute of the last show. But, I don't miss it so much that I want to go back and do it again. I think I'm going to be very happy in retirement." He's currently working with various animal-rights organizations and is writing an autobiography, which he expects to be out late this year (ah, the publishing world moves quickly when they have to, know what I mean?).

Pioneers of Television (in stores today) is a pretty big title for a documentary series, especially one that lasts only four episodes. You wonder, what are they going to mention and what are they going to leave out? This PBS show isn't the most comprehensive look I've seen on each of its subjects, but for one miniseries in one package, it's actually well put together, and you're going to see some TV footage, photos, and interviews I bet you've never seen before.

Jason's post earlier today about The Price Is Right reminded me of something I've been thinking about for years: what are the best and worst prizes you can win on the show?

This is all personal opinion, of course. Where I might frown or shrug at a prize I might win another person will scream and jump down about. But I think there are certainly some prizes we can all agree are pretty lame. Below are the six that come to mind. Five of them you'll probably agree with, but I bet several of you will have a problem with number six.

While CBS pulled Bob Barker up from daytime into the prime time spotlight a few times the past few years, they've yet to do so since Drew Carey took over as host of The Price is Right this season. But that's all about to change. For six weeks, starting February 22, CBS is shifting Ghost Whisperer back an hour so they can squeeze in all new episodes of The Price is Right at 8pm/7pm Central. Possibly to avoid double-Drew confusion, The Power of 10, also hosted by Carey, has been pulled from the schedule effective immediately, though it will likely return in the summer.

We've talked a lot here at TV Squad about how Drew is doing on TPiR this year and, while the jury may still be out, I think he's settled into a nice groove. No, he's not Bob Barker but do we really want someone who would go up there and act just like Bob did? They kept all the crazy games that make the show a classic, so I say let Drew be himself, and we'll get used to it. And if you haven't given him a try, here's a chance to curl up at home on a Friday night and see for yourself.

About three months ago -- October 15th, 2007, to be exact -- the face of daytime television changed, and some say not good. It was the day that the first Drew Carey-hosted The Price is Right aired on CBS' daytime schedule. Reviews of that first performance (which was actually the seventh show taped) were mixed. Some said that the first show was good, but there were obviously things that Drew needed to improve on. Others didn't even give him the benefit of the doubt and were already calling for his replacement. Still others used the word "disgusting" in expressing their opinion of Carey as a host and a person.

Well, about 92 days have passed since that initial show and Drew is still the host of TPIR. People are still filling the audience, bidding on items, playing games, and spinning the Showcase Showdown wheel. The question then is if Drew has improved since he first took the microphone? In my opinion, yes. But, he still has a little bit to go.

The year 2007 was definitely one of great change for television. The award-winning The Sopranos faded to black on HBO, Rosie O'Donnell left yenta-talk show The View to the relief of many, and there was nary a mention about Joey. Well, at least no mention except from me, that is.

However, none of those events paled in comparison than to what took place June 15th on the CBS television network. That's the day when Bob Barker took his microphone, his spayed and neutered pets, and his sexual harassment suits and left the hosting job of The Price is Right after 35 years. And, as he kissed his last contestant and waved his last good-bye, fans of the show thought a replacement host would never be found.

Here's another way that Drew Carey is different from Bob Barker: Carey defends the use of medical marijuana.

Of course, I have no idea what Bob Barker's thoughts are on the subject, but I guess I just can't imagine Barker speaking out in favor of it the way he speaks out in favor of spaying and neutering animals. As for Carey, he's actually made an online pitch for medical marijuana, but surprisingly, it hasn't caused much controversy at all (though I haven't heard anything about it other than online). It's part of a series of videos Carey has made for The Reason Foundation, which is described as a libertarian-minded think tank.

All I know is that I'll never watch The Clock Game on The Price Is Right the same way again. When Carey keeps saying "higher, higher!" over and over again, it's going to take on a whole new meaning.

(S36E01)*

*It's not like we're going to review every episode this season. Do you think we're insane?

Drew Carey's new career should be hosting the premiere of any new network game show that comes down the pike. That's because he has the Luck of the Irish on these shows. On the premiere of his primetime game show Power of 10 the first contestant on the first show won one million dollars. On the 36th season premiere of The Price is Right, which Drew Carey is now hosting after the retirement of legendary host Bob Barker, everyone won.

Monday is the big day for Drew Carey. He'll debut as the new host of The Price is Right. You can check out the new look in this video on YouTube (the video was taken down, try this one instead). It shows the new set and Drew doing some of his hosting duties.

What I like about the new look of TPIR is how it still looks like it's in the 1970s. The set basically looks the same, except for a new paint job. The colors have gone from primary to pastels, but the designs and graphics are still totally retro. It's all quite psychedelic.

I don't know about you guys, but I have TPIR programmed on my TiVo. I loved watching with Bob Barker, and even though I'm not totally thrilled about Drew Carey, I'm definitely going to give the guy a chance. Barker seemed like a squeaky clean guy, while Drew's more of a, well, Dirty Jokes and Beer kind of fellow.

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• Booooo. Bob Barker is being sued.
  
• Dr. Phil thinks he can help Britney. I think he might be right.
  
• Some tours of Universal Studios come with a pit stop in Eva Longoria's trailer?
  

The video's embedded below, or you can subscribe to this podcast via our feed. Plus, you can also download the file directly.

Drew Carey and The Price is Right will premiere on October 15th on CBS. Just like Bob Barker's final episode, Drew Carey's inaugural episode will include some pretty spendy prizes. While the network isn't saying exactly what will be won, it does say that contestants will have a chance to win "some of the most expensive cars" ever on the game show.

Carey began filming the 36th season of The Price is Right on August 15th. He had a slight mishap when he got his arm wrenched in one of the games, but now it sounds like smooth sailing for Carey. The Price is Right continues filming through October and apparently free tickets are still available, if you're going to be in the Los Angeles area. CBS has now made tickets available on this website.

Here's a photo of Drew Carey's recent arm injury that he got last week while on the set of The Price is Right. It looks pretty painful. He somehow managed to get his arm caught in a spinning floor as the Grocery Game appeared on stage during rehearsals. He ended up going to the hospital (briefly).

Carey talked about it on the KROQ Los Angeles radio show, Kevin & Bean, this week and showed off pictures, more of which can be found at Entertainment Tonight's website. Did anybody hear that show? I'm not sure what he said, but Drew is fine and I'm sure he joked about it to the DJs.