January Bonus Puzzle
Every month, The New York Times publishes a bonus crossword puzzle for subscribers. The puzzles are designed to have the difficulty of an early-week puzzle and to use the theme throughout. The theme of this month’s puzzle is game shows. It was constructed by Rena Cohen. About two years ago, I broke most of the bones in my left foot in a rock climbing accident, which left me confined to my apartment couch in a cast for about two months. So, with nothing to do, I turned on the TV. Buried deep down the streaming rabbit hole, I found hundreds of episodes of “The Price is Right.” The show had been a background presence for most of my life. I was a daytime TV fanatic whenever I stayed home sick from school. I understood the general premise, but I hadn’t watched it in at least a decade. Barely able to get off the couch and craving some comfort, I hit play. Episodes of the show from decades ago feel like predecessors to today’s TikTok videos and Instagram Reels. They’re stacked with bright colors and quick movements. Contestants boil over with frenetic, jubilant energy when they’re called down to the stage to compete. The only grounding presence is the host, who always manages to calm the player just enough to move the show along while still building enough tension to keep things interesting. The program, which originally ran from 1956 to 1965, has remained largely unchanged since it was revived in 1972. In an early episode, Bob Barker, who was the host from 1972 to 2007, stands next to a contestant named Nancy, whose matching, lime green outfit goes with her terrifically excited face. “We have a gift that seems to get a wonderful reaction from the audience and from the winner any time we give it away,” Barker says. Nancy has figured out what is about to happen. She puts her hands in front of her face. Barker, emphasizing each syllable as if to create a drum roll, goes on, “I will give you a chance to win one, here it is … ” There’s a brief moment of stillness. Everyone in the studio holds their breath. The walls slide open to reveal an electric blue Chevrolet Vega station wagon. “It’s a new car!” says Johnny Olson, the announcer. The studio explodes with applause; music blares. Nancy is beside herself and looks as though she might cry. Amid it all, Barker is standing there, calm and holding the microphone, absorbing everything that’s happening and moving the show forward into the mini game. This seemingly once-in-a-lifetime moment repeats on the show day after day. In more recent episodes, which have been hosted by Drew Carey since Barker retired, contestants often win prizes with a total value in the tens of thousands of dollars. (In 1972, the Chevy was worth $2,514; Nancy, unfortunately, didn’t win it.) Convalescing in my apartment, I experienced this jubilation roughly every 15 to 20 minutes, day in and day out, for weeks. The look and vibe of the show has changed, but the feeling of anticipation is no different — to win a new car, or to at least have one dangled in front of you, is something the show has effectively preserved in amber. My viewing tapered off as I learned to walk again. Every now and then, though, when I find myself looking for a bit of shelter, I kick up my feet, cue up an episode and watch it happen all over again. Hopefully you will get even a fraction of that joy from this bonus crossword, which is loaded with fun references to various game shows. I’ll sign off with Barker and Carey’s words: Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered. Solve the puzzle.
Try This Clue31-Across: “Some contestants on ‘The Newlywed Game’"
How are we doing? Thanks for playing! Subscribe to New York Times Games. If you like this newsletter, you can tell your friends to sign up here. The answer to the clue is BRIDES.
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