The producer’s comment will appear after the E! The documentary series “Dirty Rotten Scandals” featured sexual harassment allegations from several former game show models.
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Roger Dobkowitz, the longtime producer of “The Price is Right,” is speaking out after allegations against host Bob Barker were highlighted in a recent documentary series.
Dobkowitz, who appeared on the Daytime Emmy Award-winning show for 36 seasons from 1972 to 2008, weighed in on E!’s “Dirty Rotten Scandal,” a show that pulls off the classic TV series through behind-the-scenes revelations.
The series’ two-part segment, “The Price is Right,” which aired on March 18, included accusations from several former game show models and described the culture of sexual harassment that permeated the show’s early production.
Dobkowitz said in a March 29 Facebook post that he initially “avoided commenting” on the docuseries because he “didn’t want to draw public attention to such an obvious ‘hit film.'”
“The ‘documentary’ should quietly disappear into the bottom of the trash can of television, along with other forgotten so-called ‘revelations,'” continued the 80-year-old Dobkowitz. “There are people in this world who are willing to exaggerate and fabricate falsehoods to draw attention to themselves and to justify their own hateful personal vendettas against others.”
USA TODAY reached out to Dobkowitz and E! Network for comments.
Former ‘Price is Right’ producer says Bob Barker accuser is not ‘brave’
Holly Hallstrom, who modeled for Barker’s Beauties from 1977 to 1995, claimed in the Dirty Rotten Scandal that Barker often silenced women who accused him of sexual harassment on set.
“Bob was in charge of the show, so if someone went to Bob and said, ‘I have a problem. I have a complaint,’ he would have told her to either give up or find a new job,” Hallstrom said, accusing the game show host of having an affair with fellow model Diane Parkinson.
Barker retired from hosting “The Price of Light” in 2007 and died in 2023.
“What makes the situation even worse is that the defendant is dead, making it impossible for him to defend himself,” Dobkowitz wrote on Facebook. “The adjective ‘brave’ should never be used against someone who attacks a dead person.”
Barker faced his fair share of legal trouble during his time on the iconic game show. In 1994, Parkinson filed an $8 million sexual harassment lawsuit, but Barker denied the charges and Parkinson dropped the suit a year later.
Barker later sued Hallstrom for defamation and libel after he told the press that he was fired because he gained weight due to drugs. He eventually dropped the case 48 hours before trial, but Hallstrom then countersued him for wrongful termination and malicious prosecution.
“Most people and individuals in society move on with their lives, especially after disputes in court are resolved and closed,” Dobkowitz continued. “If someone feels the urge to bring it up all the time for another 30 years, that’s a sign that something may be wrong with their mature, logical thinking skills.”
‘The Price is Right’ producer Roger Dobkowitz says the game show was his ‘happy place’
Dobkowitz is not alone in supporting Barker and “The Price is Right.”
In a March 18 statement to USA TODAY, Barker’s longtime agent Roger Neal denied allegations of sexual misconduct against Barker or the show.
“Barker was and is loved, and people still love him to this day,” Neal said at the time. “He was part of the fabric of American pop culture. He was the greatest MC in the history of television. I was honored to represent him.”
Dobkowitz echoed similar sentiments in a Facebook post, saying the game show was his “happy place.”
“Our working conditions were the envy of other programs,” Dobkowitz wrote. “Staff members rarely quit…Dozens of women who were in our model repertoire returned year after year and were happy to appear on our show.”
He added: “As in any company, the only people who are unhappy are those who didn’t get the raises they wanted, those who didn’t get the promotions they thought they deserved, and those who were fired for not doing their job.”
Mr. Dobkowitz joined the production staff of “The Price is Right” in 1972 and became a producer in 1984. During his decades-long tenure, he created 18 programming pricing games and won five Daytime Emmy Awards.
“Someday, when I write a book (if anyone still cares by then), my 36 years of observations with Bob, the models, and his staff will clear up many misconceptions and dismiss many false accusations,” Dobkowitz concluded. “I was there for 36 years. I was on that stage.”
Contributor: Anthony Robredo, USA TODAY
