The Price Is Right does not change much from year to year, which is a big part of why it has run since 1972. So when a single season brings a new audience size, a new model rotation, two new weekly gimmicks, and the first live episode in the show's history, it is worth a closer look. Season 55 premieres on Tuesday, September 8 on CBS, and here is what will be different when Drew Carey walks out.

The Premiere: Drew Carey's 20th Season

Carey took over from Bob Barker in October 2007, which makes this his 20th season as host, with George Gray back as announcer. TV Insider reports the season opens with a Star Trek-themed episode, in keeping with the show's habit of launching each year with a themed special. As always, the show airs weekdays at 11:00 am ET, with episodes streaming next day on Paramount+.

One Model Per Episode (Sometimes)

The most noticeable change on screen: some episodes will feature a single model instead of the usual two or three. Fans who attended summer tapings noticed it first, and BuzzerBlog confirmed the detail along with a small ripple effect. When only one model is working, Carey will already have his microphone in hand when he appears, rather than having it handed to him during his entrance. The roster itself is unchanged: Rachel Reynolds, Amber Lancaster, Manuela Arbelaez, Alexis Gaube, Devin Goda, and James O'Halloran all continue, just not all at once.

A Smaller Audience

Roughly 160 people used to fill the studio for each taping. For the 2026 to 2027 season that number drops to about 100, with a new holding area for audience members before the show. Reporting has described the change as a cost-cutting measure. For anyone hoping to hear their name called, the math is simple: fewer seats means fewer chances, so read our ticket guide and contestant guide before you plan a trip.

Wild Wheel Wednesdays

The Showcase Showdown gets a weekly boost. On Wild Wheel Wednesdays, additional prizes are available during the wheel spins, including the chance to win more than $100,000. The show has experimented with big-wheel bonuses before, but making it a standing weekly feature is new, and it gives the middle of the episode a jackpot moment it never had.

Bendy Fridays

This one is pure fun. On Bendy Fridays, if the big wheel's pointer bends but does not flip over to the next space, everyone in the audience wins free donuts. It is the kind of low-stakes, high-cheer gimmick the show does well, and it turns a wheel quirk that used to cause groans into something to root for.

The First Live Episode Ever

The headline of the season comes in December. CBS has scheduled the show's first-ever live episode, a Christmas-themed special. In 54 previous seasons, every episode has been taped in advance, which means every pricing game, every Showcase, and every wheel spin has had an editor's safety net. A live broadcast removes it. Expect CBS to promote it heavily as the holidays approach, and expect the producers to lean on the show's most reliable games. We will post the date and time as soon as it is announced.

What Fans Are Saying

Not every conversation this summer has been about the changes. A widely shared Reddit thread in August argued that the show has drifted toward too much screaming, jumping, and playing to the camera, a complaint that has followed the Carey era for years and that the show's producers have generally embraced rather than fought. Whether the smaller audience changes the energy in the room is one of the more interesting things to watch this season.

The Bottom Line

Season 55 is a lot of small changes rather than one big one, and most of them are additive. The games are the same, the wheel is the same, and Carey is the same. What is new is the rhythm of the week: a Wednesday jackpot, a Friday joke, and one December night with no safety net. For the daily schedule and streaming options, see our Price Is Right how-to-watch guide.

Sources: BuzzerBlog, TV Insider (premiere), TV Insider (models), TV Insider (audience), Variety (live special)