Comedian off to awkward start on ‘Price’

Drew Carey, come on down!

It’s your turn to host “The Price Is Right.”

TV comedian Carey was a surprise pick to fill Bob Barker’s legendary wingtips when the beloved host announced he was retiring — his final show aired June 15.

After a suitable mourning period, the “Price” enters its Drew Carey Era on Monday (10 a.m. weekdays on KKTV/Channel 11).

Game show hosts have broken out of the smarmy car-salesman mode of Wink Martindale/Bob Eubanks/Chuck Woolery mode — look no further than “Deal or No Deal’s” Howie Mandel.

So in that sense, the rotund, bespectacled Carey isn’t an odd choice. And Carey has experience hosting game shows real (“Power of 10”) and ersatz (“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”).

Barker and “Price” were paired as closely as salt and pepper, though. The show’s dated look, silly prizes and ebullient contestants were all satellites to Barker’s sun. His deep voice and avuncular, unshakable demeanor elevated what was otherwise a pretty cheesy show.

In Carey’s debut, he wears a suit and tie, and offers the contestants hugs, but is otherwise the opposite of the buttery-smooth Barker.

He stumbles, he mutters, he seems nervous and makes the show feel rushed. For a big guy, he almost disappears into the set.

It looks like Carey’s audition tape, not his big premiere.

Still, it’s just the first show. Carey says he’s steeled himself to spend the rest of his life as a game show host, so we can expect he’ll have plenty of time to improve — as long as the ratings cooperate.

What Carey does have going for him is oodles of likability. Viewers know him from “Whose Line” or “The Drew Carey Show.” If Barker was your unflappable uncle, Carey has always been your doofus cousin.

And you can see it on the stage: Whenever Carey settles down and gives himself a few seconds to goof off — making a a contestant recite a prayer to the retail gods or having a woman yodel — he hits his stride and the show begins to feel natural.

There’s an exceptionally fine line to walk with “The Price Is Right,” up onstage amid the Day-Glo color schemes and the models showing off scuba gear and overpriced macaroni: Even a simple wink and a nod to the ridiculousness of the situation is too ham-handed. To make the “Price” float, it’s necessary to acknowledge the silliness with superhuman good grace that offers a hint of understanding.

Barker did this as naturally as breathing. Carey will have to find his own route to this Zen frame of mind, but “Price Is Right” fans should be willing to stick with him till he finds it.

SINKING, SWIMMING

More early returns on the TV season: The CW’s “Life is Wild” drew a pathetic 1.6 million viewers for its Oct. 7 debut. That’s miniscule even by The CW’s low standards. Look for it to join Fox’s “Nashville” in the hiatus bin very, very soon.

On the other hand, ABC’s quirky “Pushing Daisies” had a surprisingly strong debut Oct. 3, drawing 13 million viewers. Coming from Brian Fuller, the brain behind “Wonderfalls” and “Dead Like Me” — which probably never drew 13 million viewers total in their short existences — it’s an impressive start.

Of course, staying power counts more than a big debut. NBC’s “Bionic Woman” started with an impressive 14 million viewers a week earlier, but drew only 11 million for its second episode. Given how enormously awful that second episode was, I’d be amazed if it hit double digits this week.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0275 or awineke@gazette.com