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Last night on The Late Show, Drew Carey formally announced that he is going to be the new host of The Price Is Right, replacing animal/spokesmodel lover Bob Barker who retired last month after hosting the show for 35 years (since Letterman is taped around 5:30, most of this info had hit the digisphere earlier this evening). Now we’re basically left with one question: how do we feel about this decision?

Personally, I think I’m for it. I mean, why not. He seems jolly, and jolliness is a prominent trait in most successful game show hosts (except for Trebek… that guy seems overly concerned with correct punctuation to be even the slightest bit jolly). Plus, given the names that were thrown around for this position, Carey was an obvious best-fit. On one end there was John O’Hurley who seemed like he might have worked, though perhaps too overtly cartoonish. Sometimes it’s hard to tell where he ends and where J. Peterman begins. On the other side of the spectrum was Rosie. She never had a chance, though I’d argue that she’d have been a perfect for the job. She has a tendency to be jolly. She also has a tendency to say things that are batshitinsane. Luckily, The Price Is Right, like all game shows, are all about a familiar pattern. There’s no room in TPIR for excessive extemporaneous speaking. It’s all about name the price, spin the wheel, win the car.

So all in all, I say Mr. Carey, go get’em! If I were unemployed, or able to awake before 10am, I’d totally watch.

I’m watching the Edie Falco last night on The Late Show, and Dave is asking her about the end of The Sopranos. He asks, “Is there a chance you could get wacked?” She starts to respond when a sandbag falls from the sky and lands on Dave’s desk.

Assuming that the joke was about someone trying to bump off her or Dave, I guess it succeeded as it’s of what I immediately thought. The same is likely untrue for Ms. Falco who seemed legitimately shook up.

In fact from this point on the interview seemed spliced together from what I have to assume was a greater conversation on the gag itself. There were all sorts of uncomfortable edit points and conversation changes and all further questions were directed toward a visibly shaken Edie Falco. She kept rubbing her arms across the arms of the chair as if she was an Olympic downhill skier getting ready to launch out of the shoot.

Very awkward, though way more interesting than most throw-away gags have any right of being.

Listen to “The Fallen” by Franz Ferdinand

According to the Associated Press, David Letterman went home sick today after coming down with a stomach bug. Adam Sandler, who was suppose to be tonight’s guest got a quick promotion to host.

Since coming to CBS in 1993, Letterman has had a string of guest hosts twice. First when he had his heart surgery in 2000 and then a few years later when he came down with a case of shingles. Tonight will mark the first time he simply got sick and couldn’t go on the air.

The Late Show does double tapings on Monday so he’ll be back on the air Wednesday night. Thursday and Friday’s shows are pre-empted by college basketball.

Read Bill Carter’s story over at the Times

This Thursday night David Letterman will celebrate his 25th year of hosting a show in late night (first with Late Night now with The Late Show). As no television program has had more of an impact on me than his, you can expect a more lengthy post Friday after the anniversary show airs (his guest will be Bill Murray). In the meantime, here are two clips from Dave’s very first episode of Late Night on NBC, with guest, interestingly enough, Bill Murray. Enjoy them while they last, as YouTube has gotten into the habit of cleaning house with the copyrighted content.

The second part is after the break…

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On this day in “Television Awkwardness”…

• In 1978, Howard Cosell turned to Keith Jackson during a Monday Night Football match up between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Indianapolis Colts, commented on the Eagles’ running game, then proceeded to lick his ear.
• In 1992 the KXAK-Channel 14 News Team in Akron, Ohio, starred blankly at the camera for the entire 30-minute, six-o’clock newscast after their prompter failed, followed by the complete electrical breakdown on any tool used to get them off the air.
• And in 2006, Michael Richards apologized for being an asshole while appearing, via satellite, on The Late Show with David Letterman.

And that has been “This Day in Television Awkwardness.”

(Seriously though, I only made it about half way through the “apology” before I couldn’t take it anymore and fast-forwarded. GOOSECHILL!)