These days, Drew Carey has his hands full hosting 190 episodes of The Price Is Right each year (not counting the dozens more as The Price Is Right at Night host). But there was a time the comedian thought another series would be his “golden goose” — his long-running, self-titled sitcom, The Drew Carey Show. But in 2024, it’s hard for audiences to rediscover the nine-season ABC hit.
“It’s not in syndication … because of music rights and stuff,” the daytime staple explains to TV Insider. As the show hits the 20th anniversary of its series finale this September, there might be a chance to fix its near absence (while it is technically available to stream at a cost on Prime Video and Apple TV+, no streamers have made it available for free to subscribers). “We’re going to try to change that around and get it back out there,” the multi-hyphenate teases.
Carey is confident that should Drew Carey Show become more widely available, it would reach new generations just like Friends or The Office. “It’s pretty funny, and a lot of it’s kind of timeless. It was weird, [too]. [The cast and creators] were all Mad Magazine fans and stuff, so we weren’t afraid to go bananas.”
WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?, Drew Carey, Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, 1998-2006. © Warner Bros. Television / Courtesy: Everett Collection
That said, the comedian doesn’t think his sitcom or Price Is Right will ultimately be what he’s most remembered for — that would be sketch comedy series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which he hosted during its original run from 1998 to 2007. Aisha Tyler took over as emcee when the show was revived in 2013.
Related‘Price Is Right’s Drew Carey Is the New O.G. of Game Show Hosts, and He’s Here to Stay
“I always told Ryan [Stiles, a cast member] that Whose Line was going to be our legacy show,” Carey recalls. “That was the funniest show on TV ever. We have iconic moments like Richard Simmons on the show.”
While his days awarding arbitrary points to the improv performers — who were tasked with creating characters, stories, and songs on the spot for a live audience — are over, he is lucky enough to share a studio with former Whose Line costar Wayne Brady, who now hosts Let’s Make a Deal.
“Yeah, we laugh about it every time we get together,” he says. “We can’t believe it.”
The Price Is Right, Weekdays, CBS, Check Local Listings
— Reporting by Kate Hahn
More Headlines:
‘Acapulco’ Showrunner Shares Season 4 Hopes for Maximo & Changes for Las ColinasDrew Carey Thinks ‘The Drew Carey Show’ Has Potential to Reach a New Generation Like ‘Friends’Julio Torres’ ‘Saturday Night Live’ Sketches That Make ‘Fantasmas’ Make Sense‘Grantchester’: Rishi Nair Shares How How He Prepared to Play New Vicar Alphy Kottaram‘The Bear’: Liza Colón-Zayas on Tina’s Episode ‘Napkins’ & Working Under Ayo Edebiri’s Direction (VIDEO)
