‘The Price Is Right Primetime Special: Survivor Edition’: Drew Carey and Jeff Probst Preview the Game Show Mashup

On the one hand, Survivor and The Price Is Right couldn’t be any more different. Nobody ever had to be medically evacuated for incorrectly guessing the price of shaving cream. But they both are game shows — televised competitions with winners and losers — and we talked with hosts Jeff Probst and Drew Carey about what they share and what they don’t.

In the above exclusive sneak peek clip, model James O'Halloran is apparently living by the old Survivor adage: I’m not here to make friends. “Vote me off?” asks Drew as the TPIR models reveal their picks to leave the island; Rachel Reynolds went with announcer George Gray. It’s all in fun, of course. The gameplay on the primetime version of The Price Is Right is exactly the same as the normal game; it’s just the people — Survivor contestants and fans — who are different.

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“I honestly thought it was going to be a regular show where we were going to have a Survivor theme,” says an amazed Probst. “They actually flew out contestants; had superfans in the audience. You can feel the energy out there!” It turns out to be a great way for fans to appreciate the show away from the constraints of the island as well as for Probst and his contestants to feel the appreciation. “Really, the truth is, it’s a little overwhelming; the amount of love from Survivor fans is pretty powerful.”

Related: And the Winner of ‘Survivor: Kaoh Rong’ Is…

Players from the island — fan favorites like Rupert Boneham, Jeremy Collins, and Rob Mariano — team up with fans on Contestant’s Row for island-themed prizes and cash amounts that have been bumped up for the special. “Other than that,” says Carey, “it’s pretty much right on the money for a regular show.”

No doubt, Carey knows how difficult it can be to change a single thing about the structure of the games. One of the things that both shows share is how specifically calibrated everything is without seeming to be. Elan Lee, creator of the Exploding Kittens game — which set a record for most Kickstarter backers — was brought on as a consultant to Survivor and was astonished by how specific the design of the challenges are. Probst recalls Lee’s surprise. “As he started examining our criteria for what it takes to make a challenge, he said, ‘You have a really tight box for what it takes to make a challenge.‘” Boundaries are key to good design, according to Lee, and shows like this thrive on their limitations.

Probst says Price’s success helps him remember two things that he tries to keep in mind with Survivor. “I’m reminded that playing the same game over and over — or, in our world, playing the same challenge — is a good thing.” A certain amount of repetition is the life’s blood of any good game show. “If it’s a good challenge, it’s fun to see it it again. When you watch The Price Is Right, people love their favorite game — they love it and they want you to play that game today.”

“The other thing you see on The Price Is Right,” continues Probst, “is the simplicity. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it just has to be entertaining and have a clear winner. And the ability for someone to come from behind and catch up — in our world — isn’t bad either.”

Survivor is the first of three shows that will be taking over the Price Is Right studio. After Monday’s island visit, Big Brother will be in on Tuesday, and Amazing Race is Wednesday. Carey says he enjoys these casts because he likes people who play games. “That’s why I asked them during the break, I asked them what their favorite board games were.” He likes card games, Risk, and Monopoly. “I like friendly competition.” Those are the sorts of people who will join in “when you’re joking around or you’re pretending to be something. They just pick it up right away.” It’s certainly an attribute that any successful TV game show player has. “It’s always fun to be around those people. People who have a spirit of play about them.”

The Price Is Right Primetime Special: Survivor Edition airs Monday, May 23 at 8 p.m. on CBS.

(Photos: CBS)