Bob Barker says he was snubbed for ‘Price Is Right’ anniversary

Bob Barker was the host of CBS’ “The Price Is Right” for 35 years, but when it came time to celebrate the show’s 40th anniversary on Tuesday, he says he wasn’t invited.

The 88-year-old Barker told the Associated Press that the show’s producers “chose to ignore me.”

He continued, “When you celebrate a 40th anniversary, you would think you’d have the fellow who did the show for 35 years there.”

The anniversary show, which aired Tuesday morning, featured clips from old shows and return appearances by contestants from throughout the show’s four-decade run, but Barker only appeared in clips. He stepped down as host in 2007 and has made only one subsequent appearance in 2009 to promote his autobiography, “Priceless Memories.”

Barker thinks it’s his criticism of the show prize packages since his departure that contributed to his lack of inclusion in the anniversary show. Still very active in animal rights, Barker has questioned the show giving away tickets to Sea World and the Calgary Stampede, two organizations Barker says “are notorious for animal abuse.” Both groups have denied any animal abuse allegations.

“We really became very careful about what we put on the show,” Barker told the AP. “Had I been the executive producer, they would not have even considered bringing me tickets to the Calgary Stampede, of all things.”

The anniversary show was hosted by the show’s current star, Drew Carey. And Barker says he’s fine with not being included in the program.

However, he did appear via a clip from his first time hosting “The New Price Is Right” on Sept. 4, 1972. (The show originated on NBC and ABC from 1956 to 1965.)

The clip below includes Barker’s entire first program as host and it should be noted that the very first prize the show offered to contestants was a muskrat fur coat, something Barker would later ban from the prize lists.

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Join Patrick Kevin Day on Google+ or Twitter. Email: patrick.day@latimes.com

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