April Fool’s Day Brings Out the Best Pranks on ‘The Price is Right’

April Fool’s Day, the day merry pranksters and imps look to pull one over on unsuspecting victims, from the simple yet classic Whoopee Cushion to elaborate, staged gags that fool hundreds, like when the BBC announced the Big Ben clock would be going digital (which it did, at least in The Simpsons classic “Lisa’s Wedding”). A game show wouldn’t necessarily be at the forefront of people’s minds when thinking of April Fool’s, but over the course of its long run, The Price is Right has reveled in the merriment of the day, bringing out some of its best, funniest, and, in one instance, its most sentimental.

The Price is Right has been in the April Fool’s Day spirit from its earliest episodes, and the most common portion of the show where contestants are pranked is the Final Showcase, or, more appropriately, the Final Faux-case. April 1, 1976 featured a “Bicentennial salute to Dr. John Claping“, a renowned author and physician (who seems to be completely made up). Prizes included copies of his books “The Clapinger Report” (advocating Vitamin C for the treatment of broken legs and an effective bathroom disinfectant, and “I’m O.K. and I Don’t Give a Flying Fig What You Are,” a trip to Flushing, N.Y. (which appears as a desolate ruin), and an acute case of Athlete’s Foot.

Final Showcases, or Faux-cases, Are Hilarious in ‘The Price is Right’ April Fool’s Day Episodes

April Fool’s 1983 had an antique grandfather clock that tips over and shatters, a limited edition serigraph, signed by the artist, on a rotating platform that won’t stop spinning, a refurbished dining room replete with a crystal chandelier that promptly drops into the table, and a plastic reproduction of a 1964 Plymouth Valiant, that crashes through the dining room set. A stato-intellicator (“where you can store your acetal coline, and it can also be used as a beautiful gelatin mold”), a trans-rebounder (“It’s go go go when you apply advanced syndicator technology with access to the tryptophane right on the exterior housing”), and a trip to beautiful, exotic Boguslovania could have been Lisa’s on the April 1, 2008 episode. And on April 1, 2010, two contestants, both named Pat, duked it out for the exact same showcase.

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Everyone gets involved in the April Fool’s Day episodes of The Price is Right, and it has given the show some very funny moments, including the famed Price is Right models. On the April 1, 2011 episode, long-time model Rachel Reynolds drove a brand spankin’ new Ford Mustang right across the stage during a round of Lucky Seven, crashing into a wall on the other side. Her mortified face, coupled with announcer George Gray‘s assertion to “enjoy the performance of the Ford Mustang, and remember which pedal is the brake,” makes it a must-see, April Fool’s prank that actually recreates a real moment Reynolds had with a Mustang on a 2004 episode of the show. In 2024, model Manuela Arbelaez was snuck into hair and makeup and transformed into a male crew member, replete with a mustache and hat, and promptly snuck backstage. Then, during a game, Carey removed a number from the panel, revealing a disguised Manuela, who says hello and gives him a high-five. Carey is confused at first, only to realize he’d been pranked and burst into laughter.

Models, Friends, and Bob Barker Join in on the Fun of ‘The Price is Right’ April Fool’s Day Episodes

April Fool’s Day episodes have also been known to be sentimental, although in the case of two episodes, the word “sentimental” becomes somewhat skewed as expected of any mini-The Drew Carey Show reunions. On the April Fool’s Day 2010 episode, Kathy Kinney reprised her role as Mimi Bobek from the show, taking over as executive producer and making changes like the addition of four odd-looking male models, replacing the announcer with a man in a monkey suit, and having the music from Match Game played over the closing credits. Then, in 2014, Carey partnered with alum Craig Ferguson for April Fool’s and surprised their respective audiences, with Ferguson taking Carey’s place on The Price is Right, while Carey took over hosting duties for The Late Late Show.

A truly sentimental moment came courtesy of the April 2015 edition with the return of Bob Barker to the show. The first contestants were called down to the front before the announcer said, “And now, here is the star of The Price is Right: Bob Barker!” The audience went into a frenzy, bowing towards him and cheering wildly. Barker would say, “I’m here because I was selected by The Price is Right to be their April Fool. I know the world is full of fools, but I am a carefully selected fool, and it is a pleasure to be with you.” He hosted one game before handing the reins back to Carey, a touching moment that would stand as Barker’s last appearance on the show he made famous before his passing in 2023.