Bob Barker Comes On Down For The Last Time

"Come on down!" will never be the same again.

Daytime-television icon Bob Barker taped his last episode of The Price Is Right today, capping a 50-year broadcasting career—35 of them spent on the classic game show—surrounded by die-hard fans, some of whom traveled thousands of miles and camped out by CBS Television City to ensure a seat for the silver-haired emcee's final bow.

"I'd rather win a couch from Bob Barker than a million dollars from Howie Mandel," NASA engineer Mark Dub, who flew in from Houston, told reporters outside the studio. "He's part of American culture." Sherry Diamond-Dalton, a former double Showcase winner from Orlando, told USA Today, "Now I realized why some of us cry when the contestants win the cars. It isn't the prizes—it's the moment." As reported on E! news, a standing ovation and a shower of colorful confetti greeted Barker as he trotted into the studio.

But having already been feted by CBS with two primetime specials—both of them ratings winners (putting a beat-down on the season finales of "Ugly Betty" and "Bones"), Barker promised beforehand that today's hour-long taping would be "just another show." Barker answered questions from the studio audience during commercial breaks and signed off by saying, "Help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or neutered. Goodbye everybody."

After the cameras stopped rolling for the last time, Happy Gilmore's on-screen nemesis took a moment to address the crowd. "I thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me into your home for more than 50 years," Barker said. "I'm truly grateful and I hope that all of you have enjoyed your visit to The Price Is Right."

Barker announced in October that he'd be wrapping things up at the end of the current season, but CBS had been mum on the exact date in order to avoid a last-minute avalanche of ticket requests. At the time he broke the news, Barker had only missed three episodes (back in 1974) since The Price Is Right's premiere on Sept. 4, 1972.

The episode taped today is scheduled to air June 15. And that will be it. "TPIR" airs locally at 11:00 am weekdays on WUSA-9-- set your VCRS to watch a piece of TV history, folks.