Whatever Happened to the Yodeley Guy & Plinko on ‘The Price Is Right’? See Who Has It All in This Game Show Collection
What To Know
- The Season 7 premiere of MeTV’s Collector’s Call features Bob Boden’s extensive game show memorabilia collection.
- Host Lisa Whelchel reflects on the nostalgic value of classic game show memorabilia.
- Bob Boden plans to move much of his collection to the National Archives of Game Show History.
If you ever wondered where the The Price Is Right’s little yodeley guy from the Cliff Hangers game ever ended up or whatever happened to the show’s original Plinko chip or Gene Rayburn‘s skinny long microphone from Match Game — really, name any old prop from game show history — you’ll probably see it on the Season 7 premiere episode of Collector’s Call.
The seventh season of MeTV’s Collector’s Call (Sundays beginning April 12) promises some fascinating firsts — including the highest-priced collection ever (but it’s not this episode). Host Lisa Whelchel, who is beloved from her younger days starring as privileged prep school student Blair Warner on The Facts of Life, as well as making it to the final three in Survivor (Season 25), returns and couldn’t be more excited about the new season.
Whelchel has been traveling the country visiting collectors — in addition to being on Substack — and took a minute to reflect on the variety of collections the show has covered these past seven years.
“I really did think when I started how fun this was, but also that surely we’re going to run out of people who have collections,” she shared with ReMIND Magazine. “I can honestly say that each season the collections get even more incredible.”
MeTV
The 26-episode new season begins with a personal favorite of Whelchel’s, and it’s easy to understand why. “Meet Bob Boden — Game Show Memorabilia” (Sunday, April 12 at 6:30/5:30c) will immediately make you smile as Boden takes you through his massive collection of game show memorabilia.
“I’m a child of the ’70s,” Whelchel explains. “Coming home from school and watching Match Game — or if I’m staying home from school sick, watching $25,000 Pyramid or watching Wheel of Fortune with my grandmother at night. It’s just a part of the culture and the generations. And it brings back a time. Every one of those things that I just named, being with my grandmother, watching Wheel of Fortune, that connection is connected to my heart. Coming home from school after a full day, and watching Batman and Gilligan’s Island and then Family Feud. These shows and these collections immediately tie in to emotions that we need — there’s a lot of hard stuff going on in the world right now, so to have a simpler, gentler, sweeter time highlighted is just a dose of good medicine.”
Boden worked behind the scenes writing, producing, and cocreating game shows like Jeopardy!, Family Feud, Press Your Luck, The $25,000 Pyramid, and more. When a show wrapped production, it was normal for the stage to be ripped apart and the full set trashed. Boden started asking if he could keep some of the more iconic props; fast forward to today, and he’s amassed over 10,000 items. Boden plans to move much of his collection to the National Archives of Game Show History in Rochester’s The Strong National Museum of Play.
Everett Collection
Among the treasures that will be showcased are a Price Is Right Plinko chip, the Family Feud face-off podium, the $5,000 wedge from Wheel of Fortune, Gene Rayburn’s iconic skinny microphone from Match Game, the Joker’s Wild slot-machine lever, and the giant “J” from the Jeopardy! set.
Survey says … this episode is going to be a good time!
Collector’s Call airs on MeTV Sundays at 6:30/5:30c
Game Shows
September 2024
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