Search for Barker’s Replacement Goes On

Published 12:00 am Monday, December 26, 2005

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – CBS is finding it tough to replace Bob Barker on “The Price Is Right” because he has “the biggest shoes in Hollywood to fill,” CBS entertainment chief Nina Tassler said Wednesday.

Comedian Drew Carey is among those the network is talking with about the job, she said. Carey will host CBS’ prime-time game show “Power of 10,” debuting in August.

“Hopefully, we’ll make a decision soon,” Tassler told the Television Critics Association.

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The search for Barker’s successor has been protracted. He announced last fall he would retire in June from the show that he began hosting in 1972. CBS has been showing reruns since his departure.

“The man is an icon. He is a legend,” Tassler said. “Believe me, as we knew he was talking about retiring, the search began. It’s a really, really daunting task. There’s everyone else in world and there’s Bob Barker.”

Tassler said she didn’t want to discuss other potential hosts because “it wouldn’t be fair to other people in the search.”

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A service of the Associated Press(AP)