Come On Down with Rich Fields

This episode is all about the day that How I Met Your Mother came to The Price Is Right to shoot one of their episodes with Bob Barker. This HIMYM episode was a celebration of Bob Barker's 50 years in television. Listen in as Rich Fields talks about what was going on behind-the-scenes.

A special edition of Come On Down, as the discussion with Geno and Rich turns serious as the health challenges Alex Trebek and Pat Sajak are facing come up.  Rich had his own battle with cancer and is candid about how it impacted his journey to the podium of The Price Is Right.  Rich talks about how different his presentation was on Wheel as well as the suprising call he got from Wheel's Director before his first taping. How did life on the set of Wheel vary from his experiences on Price? And how did Rich's time with the show end?

How, when and why did Rich Fields get a phone call from the Executive Producer of Wheel Of Fortune? How did life on the set of Wheel differ from Rich's tenure on The Price Is Right? And what show memorabilia did Rich walk away with on his very first day of taping on the Sony Studios lot?

Fire up YouTube and watch along with us as Rich, for the first time since it was filmed, watches Bob Barker's final episode. Who was Bob's very seldom seen relative sitting right behind contestant's row?  Who was emotional that day? Why couldn't Rich even see what was going on on stage? Did Bob show any sign of emotion or regret? What happened AFTER the show? Watch along with us on Episode #8 of “Come On Down.”

Rich has always admitted that his recollection is a bit sketchy when it comes to dates, times and even shows that he has auditioned for. On this episode, Christine Fields stops by the studio to correct the record (where needed) and she even reminds Rich (much to his chagrin) about the game show hosting job that he lost. This incident nearly brought Rich to tears.

We left off with Rich completely unsure of how his Price Is Right audition went.  What was the ride back to his "real job" like?  Did he tell anyone that he actually auditioned on the air with Bob Barker?

What does it look like behind the big wheel?  What game has signatures and scribbles all over the backside?  What's Bob Barker's adult beverage of choice?  What did Bob's favorite drink become AFTER he met Rich?  What kind of feedback did Rich get after this audition?  What did Bob say on stage that stunned Rich in the first few seconds of his first episode? How did he celebrate after his first day of taping?  Why was Rich out of breath when they went "live?"  On episode 5 of "Come On Down with Rich Fields," Geno asks about every little detail of what it was like when the red light came on and it was time to impress producers, The Price Is Right viewers and of course, Mr. Barker.

How much sleep did Rich get the night before his TPIR audition? What was it like meeting Bob Barker for the first time? Who was instrumental in his getting the job? And what did Rich's bosses at the TV station in Palm Springs say when he asked for time off to go to the audition?  Or did he even tell them? What was it like pulling in to Television City? What happened when he first walked into CBS? Where was his dressing room? What did he say to "Mr. Barker."  And did Bob insist Rich call him that?

Before Geno and Rich get into all that, we answer a few of your follow-up questions from the first few episodes of Come On Down. Why did Rich's pilot with Wink Martindale not work out? Another question was about the affectionate nature of 70's and 80's game show hosts with female contestants. Was it ever discussed behind the scenes? And what were the worst "consolation prizes?"

If you've ever gone to a taping of The Price Is Right, you know it's an all-day affair. You get up before sunrise in order to get a spot in line. You wait. You get a number then are sent off for a few hours. You wait. You go through the interview process with producers. You wait.  You take your seat. You wait. That is unless you have Rich Fields' dad. Did Dad have big important CBS connections? No, Rich's dad was a real MacGyver. Find out how Rich ended up backstage next to the Big Wheel, long before he was the voice of TPIR.

As we often hear, when young hopefuls get to Hollywood, the glitz and glamour honeymoon is short-lived. In this episode, Rich talks about his struggle to make ends meet upon arrival in L.A. His father's advice kept Rich fed. His drive for TV game shows kept him focussed. Did Rich Fields really sleep in his car? Have you ever had a gun pointed so close to your face that you can see the copper bullets in the cylinder? What was Rich's first audition in Hollywood? This podcast will make your jaw drop. So, sit back and enjoy Episode #2 of Come On Down with Rich Fields.