Bob Barker was as indispensable to The Price Is Right as the big wheel. His 35 years as host of the daytime pricing game show made him the longest serving game show host in television history. He was so engrained in the identity of the program that the models who presented merchandise were known as “Barker’s Beauties,” and three games were introduced that used his name: Barker’s Bargain Bar, Barker’s Markers and Trader Bob. When Barker announced his retirement in 2006, it was impossible to imagine how the show would go on without its star host, but comedian Drew Carey was tapped to be his replacement the following year. In deference to his predecessor, Carey ends the show with the public service message Barker used for more than two decades: “Help control the pet population—have your pets spayed or neutered.”
Big Shoes to Fill: 14 Who Followed in the Footsteps of Legendary Leaders
This week’s news that legendary Manchester United football manager Alex Ferguson would be retiring later this month -- and passing his job to David Moyes -- got us here at TIME thinking about how certain roles can be very tough to fill indeed. Whether you’re an athlete, politician, business leader, or entertainer, stepping into a role once filled by a legend can be a daunting task, regardless of your credentials. In that spirit, we present 14 of the most influential figures in recent memory, and the unlucky souls who had to try to fill their shoes.
Drew Carey / Bob Barker
Full List
Replacing Legends
- How Do You Take Over for a Legend?
- Tim Cook / Steve Jobs
- Joe Girardi / Joe Torre
- Coco Chanel / Karl Lagerfeld
- Bob Paisley / Bill Shankly
- Sammy Hagar / David Lee Roth
- Gene Bartow / John Wooden
- Jay Leno / Johnny Carson
- Tim Floyd / Phil Jackson
- Lyndon B. Johnson / John F. Kennedy, Jr.
- Drew Carey / Bob Barker
- Ben Bernanke / Alan Greenspan
- George Seifert / Bill Walsh
- Jennifer Lopez / Simon Cowell
- Pope Benedict XVI / Pope John Paul II