The Dian Parkinson Era - Best Of Season 17 - Part 3

Описание: The good news is The Barker Era added 100 new TPIR to the channel. The bad news is they chose not to continue from where they left off in season 14 and instead skipped ahead to season 17.

Ever since The Barker Era went on the air, I've been waiting for seasons 15 and 16. It was during these years that Dian was at the peak of her gorgeosity. She had toned up significantly, shedding the weight she gained after turning 40 and the show’s producers took full advantage of this fact. Her swimsuit appearances in '86 & '87 are legendary. The nips were always hard, the gap was always wide, and there were many hot, bouncy credit roll walkthroughs that often rivalled what was seen in the showcases.

There is a holy grail moment that for 40 years, I hoped to see again. In it, Dian performs her Hit Me duties while wearing the red one-piece swimsuit. She had just modeled the spa being offered and arrives at the game prop, struggling with her little white robe which Bob helps her untangle. I hoped that she'd drag the card table in full swimsuit magnificence, but alas she managed to cover up. I also hoped that this type of appearance would become a regular occurrence, but i believe it was only a one-off. This is just one of the truly great "not seen in 40 years" Dian moments from the 500 episodes Pluto skipped over. There are countless more such moments-- all of which may never again see the light of day. I fear that in the next batch of episodes, Pluto will skip even further ahead and drop shows that aired after Dian's 1993 departure. And with them taking longer to add fresh episodes than it took for CBS to originally air them, it'll probably be another decade before we get to the glory years of '86 and '87-- if they even ever bother to circle back that way.

Dian was still in great shape in October of 1988, when this latest batch of episodes begin. And yes, there are still many fine moments, but nearly every swimsuit appearance has already been shared on Youtube. It also appears that after a very hot season 16, TPIR was asked to lower its skin quotient. Many swimsuit appearances only last a few seconds. The lingering closeups of Dian as she models a spa are a rarity. Dian covers up in EVERY walkthrough and also always seems to be hanging back and avoiding the cameras after greeting the winner in her little white robe. I don't know if she was instructed to do this or if it was her choice, but there certainly was no shyness in season 16.

Of the 100 new episodes released, not one features a unique or steamy showcase skit. Gone are the hot nurses and sexy witches and vamping femme-fatales. When evening wear is modeled, the petite cocktail dresses and low-cut gowns from before are replaced with hideous granny outfits. Even the cheerleader outfits have been downgraded, with the familiar tight, white tops swapped with baggy, red sweaters that completely eradicate jiggles and curves. If this awful tweak isn't direct proof of someone tampering with the show then nothing is.

The models' season 17 wardrobe is also horribly unflattering. Their attire is more befitting of forklift operators than of models on a network TV game show. Nearly every outfit is paired with a jacket or a loose, puffy top or features wide lapels or cowls that drape over the good parts-- anything and everything to mask their feminine qualities. When an episode doesn't feature any swimsuits, a form-fitting or low-cut outfit would always help minimize the pain of getting through the hour. Such is not the case in season 17. I've said it many times before and i'll say it again; I don’t give 2 shits about the price of dishwashers. When there's no skin, TPIR is excruciating to watch.

Most upsetting about the choice to introduce grey Bob onto the channel is that they had a full year’s worth of episodes that existed prior to where this batch starts. They could have started with the season 17 premiere or better yet, the October 1987 episode where Bob first went grey-- which also features Dian in the incredible, metallic green bikini, but no! Instead we start while Janice is away, recovering from the injury she suffered. Once she returns, she is no longer able to model swimsuits due to all the surgical scarring. Her shoulder was completely mangled in the fall and her gimpy arm now hangs limp by her side. Janice does have a few swimsuit appearances, but i’m fairly certain those episodes were recorded prior to the accident and weren’t aired chronologically.

So here we are: 3 new Dian Parkinson Era videos for you to enjoy. Sadly, there’s very little that hasn’t already been shared on this channel. All we’re getting is a quality upgrade. It's still pretty good, but oh, what could have been. Please don't ask for Part 1. It doesn't exist. The recent batch of episodes released by The Barker Era channel started one month into season 17 so these Best Of videos begin with Part 2. I'll add it when Pluto fills the horrible gap they created, but I ain’t holding my breath.