The Advance Knows What Advance Readers Like

“Price is Right” local angle? You betcha:

“It’s not going to be the same,” said Cheryl Booker, 44, of Stapleton. “I liked him because he always made the show look like so much fun.” The debonair Barker, 83, is retiring after 50 years of working in the television industry. The beloved game show’s final episode featuring Barker airs at 11 a.m. tomorrow on CBS, Channel 2.

. . .

A replacement host has not yet been named.

Barker’s biggest fans say he’s irreplaceable. “No one can fill his shoes. No one can fill his personality,” said Marianne Mancinelli, 62, of Ocean Breeze. (Barker did say earlier this week that he would be willing to stay on as host if a replacement can’t be found.)

Ms. Mancinelli, a devoted viewer of “The Price is Right,” recalled the simple joy of watching Barker demonstrate the “Hole in One . . . or Two” game and the excitement of seeing contestants capture both “showcases” — a rare occurrence in the finale to each episode. Her one lament: She never had the opportunity to be a contestant.

“I wish I could have gone on that show,” she said.

Staten Islanders of all ages and genders recalled watching Barker and “The Price is Right” at one time or another during their lives. Many recall older relatives religiously tuning into the show every afternoon, while others remember playing along with parents and grandparents. For some, like Frances Bollak, 30, of New Dorp, the show harbors fond memories of loved ones.

“The show reminds me of my mother because she loved him,” said Ms. Bollak. “He will be absolutely missed.”

Would the Times deign to cover the fallout from Barker’s departure from, you know, like the Upper East Side? They should. Because people watch — everybody watches. That story is there.