The Price Is Right (1956–65, 1972–) is a game show (see entry under 1950s—TV and Radio in volume 3) with a simple yet clever formula: contestants must guess the cost of various consumer items. Viewers have not tired of this formula for decades. As a result, The Price Is Right—created by fabled game show producers Mark Goodson (1915–1992) and Bill Todman (1918–1978)—has the distinction of being the longest-running program of its type in television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) history.

The host of the first edition of The Price Is Right, which aired on NBC, was Bill Cullen (1920–1990), a likable TV personality. Cullen made his mark during TV's early years as a game show master of ceremonies and quiz show panelist. This first edition of the show stuck to a rigid formula in which contestants appeared on camera and competed...