The accolades for Bob Barker, the longtime television game-show host who died Saturday at age 99, were well-deserved.
He is best remembered for his 35 years as host of “The Price Is Right,” from 1972-2007. But for 16 years before that, starting in 1956, he hosted another game show, “Truth or Consequences.”
That put him on TV for a total of 51 years, encompassing more than 5,000 shows in all. Such remarkable longevity in a medium that tends to value the freshest new face helps explain why several generations of viewers liked him. The only other game-show host in Barker’s orbit was the late Alex Trebek, who presided over “Jeopardy” for 34 years.
Here’s one way to salute Barker: To remind everyone to “help control the pet population — have your pets spayed or neutered,” as the longtime animal rights advocate reminded viewers at the end of each “Price Is Right.”
