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One Away

An enduring game played for a car that has become a favorite among the staff and fans.

An incorrect price of a car is shown, with each digit one number higher or lower, i.e. “one away” from the digit shown. The contestant must decide whether the digit shown is actually one number higher or lower. After all five numbers are locked in the contestant is told, via car horn sound effects, how many numbers they have correct. If at least one digit is right, a second chance is given and changes can be made. If they can lock in the car’s exact price within two tries, they win it!

A game driven by sound effects (or the lack thereof), featuring one of The Price is Right’s best gimmicks: “The Mighty Sound Effects Lady”.

Contestants and host interacting with the One Away pricing game display, featuring the numbers 25670.
59th pricing game to debut
S13, December 4 1984 – Present
Likely created by Frank Wayne
Strategy
Stats
FAQ
S13, Dec 4, 1984
A model stands next to a red Mazda Hatchback car showcased in a colorful studio with pink and black backdrop, highlighting the vehicle's features.

Susan can win this shiny new Mazda Hatchback…

Contestant stands next to host in the game "One Away" displaying a car price of ,245 on a game board.

…by being the first contestant ever to play One Away.

A game show host is explaining the One Away game to a young female contestant, with a large board displaying an incorrect car price of ,245. The host demonstrates that the first number could rotate up to a blue 7.

Bob explains to Susan that $6,245 was not the car price, and that each number is one away from the correct price. For example, the 6 could be a 7, shown in blue…

A game host explains the pricing game 'One Away' while a young contestant looks on, with a display board showing the incorrect price of ,245.

…or a 5, shown in red. She must change each digit, one at a time, to its correct number to win.

A contestant on The Price is Right stands next to the game's One Away display showing a price of ,334, while the host engages with her.

Ultimately, Susan decided to move the 6 and 2 up, and the 4 and 5 down, making the price $7,334. Bob tells Susan to ask “Gentlemen, let me hear the chimes” to see how many numbers she got right. If no chimes are heard, the game is over.

Close-up of a female contestant speaking excitedly on stage during a game show, with colorful background.

Susan asks “Gentlemen, let me hear the chimes!” and gets three chimes, meaning she had three out of the four numbers right. She was literally “one away” from winning the car.

A close-up of a colorful game display showing the digit '5' highlighted in blue, with a hand touching the number.

With hesitation, Susan changes the second 3 to a 5. She seems to regret her decision in the end, but she sticks with it.

A colorful display showing the incorrect price ,354 for a car, with a highlighted bottom row showing the correct digits ___.

Her final price is $7,354. The 7 and the 3 are revealed to be correct. If the 5 is right, we know she has won.

,354 and ,354 displayed on game boards in The Price is Right pricing game 'One Away'.

The last two numbers are revealed, and Susan was right! She has won the car!

A contestant in a red shirt excitedly holds cash, celebrating a potential win on The Price is Right game show.

Susan can spend that $100 she got for her pefect bid on gas money for her new Mazda!

S13, May 2 1985
Game show host Bob Barker explains the pricing game 'One Away' while a contestant stands beside him, with the game board displaying the contestant's price of a car as 10.

By the time Edith is playing, the chimes sound effect is replaced with a horn honk. Bob is a little too excited about using the horn and it ends up confusing the staff and crew!

A contestant with curly gray hair and glasses smiling while interacting with the host on a game show.

Bob asks if there is one number right and the horn is sounded. He has Edith ask if she has another number right but no sound is made, meaning she has three numbers wrong.

A contestant stands next to the host on stage in front of a large game board displaying the title 'One Away' and the price 10, with colorful numbers and a vibrant background.

Bob, however, thought there should have been a sound. To placate him, the sound effects man sounds a buzzer and Bob accuses him of being drunk!

The display shows the price of ,132 for a car in the game 'One Away', with the first digit in blue and the second digit in red.

Edith changes the last three numbers, and sets the price at $7,132. Instead of saying “Show us the first number!”, Bob asks “Does she have one number right?” which confuses the crew and delays the first number being shown. A bell does ring.

Contestant standing with host Bob Barker, discussing the game 'One Away' with the price ,132 displayed on the game board, and a blue 7 underneath matching.

Bob felt that a horn should be sounded instead, and while demanding the horn he doesn’t notice the first number is revealed! Bob is just about obsessed. “I wanna do it with a little HORN!!!”

,132 display for the pricing game 'One Away', featuring blue and red numbers on a yellow background.

He then asks again “Does she have one number right?” This time a horn honks, but the second number is shown, again with Bob not noticing.

A contestant celebrating with Bob Barker on 'The Price is Right' during the One Away game, showcasing the digits 7, 1, 3, 2 on the game board.

In short, Bob is so caught up asking if numbers were right and listening for a horn, he didn’t notice the correct price was being revealed, and Edith had won!

Bob Barker hosting a game show segment, holding a microphone and speaking energetically in front of a colorful background.

All an inconsolable Bob could say was “But…I wanted to ask for another HORN!!!!“

S13, Jul 1 1985
A host stands beside a pricing game called 'One Away' with a contestant looking on, displaying the incorrect car price of ,156.

At least by the time James played the game a system was set, and he didn’t haven’t to worry about Bob hearing horns.

A scene from 'The Price is Right' featuring two contestants standing beside the 'One Away' game board, displaying incorrect car prices of ,265 and ,047. The host gestures towards the game board.

In fact, NOBODY heard any horns. James became the first contestant in this game to lose off the bat!

S13, Jun 13 1985
A contestant and host interact on stage during the game 'One Away,' with a display showing the price '25545' on a large board.

One Away was the first pricing game built to accommodate four and five-digit prizes, and Deanne is the first contestant to play the game for a five-digit car.

A contestant hugs the host on stage during the game 'One Away', displaying a pricing board with the numbers 14,654.

Bonus: She’s also the first contestant to play five-digit One Away PERFECTLY!

S17, Mar 3 1989

In this playing, note the middle number is a 1. That means the correct number must be either a 2 or a 0.

In the reveal Imogene lost, but the middle number is a SIX?! HUH?!?!

Indeed, a goof was made, so Imogene was awarded the car during the Showcase Showdown. To top it off, the lady to her immediate left, Sandra, was awarded $10,000 in Punch a Bunch because the hole she punched was empty! $25,000+ given out in one show due to errors will make a nice hit on the prize budget.

S18, May 28 1990
A silver car showcased on a brightly colored game show set, surrounded by cheering audience members and decorative lights.

The five-digit prop allowed One Away to be occasionally played for luxury cars during in the late 1980s/early 1990s…including this Lincoln Mark VII!

Contestant stands beside host Bob Barker during the One Away game, featuring a display showing the incorrect car price of ,751.

Jacqueline set the price of the Lincoln to $12,751, and the audience was apoplectic. Bob even admonished “Now look, don’t start throwing things, you might hit ME!”

A contestant speaking during the One Away game segment on The Price is Right, wearing a yellow shirt and microphone in front of colorful backdrop.

You know things are bad when Jacqueline asks “Gentlemen, do I have at least one number right?”, and the entire audience yells “NO!!!”

A game show contestant and a host engage in a game of One Away, with the price board showing two sets of numbers. The contestant looks focused while listening to the host's explanation.

Score one for the audience. That was not a discount Lincoln, and Jacqueline quickly loses.

Bob Barker, the host of The Price is Right, animatedly speaks into a microphone in front of a colorful game show backdrop.

A cheeky heckler actually yelled “Give it to her!” Bob’s response: “I’m about as apt to give it to her as I am to give her my HOUSE!” The heckler then yelled: “Give her your house!”

S31, Jun 25 2003
A scene from The Price is Right featuring the game 'One Away' with the game board displaying numbers 40682. Bob Barker is speaking while a contestant listens.

By the early 2000s, the neon One away sign was changed due to malfunctions and Bob’s personal taste. Here, Charles is playing for a Ford Taurus…which is certainly not more than a Lincoln Mark VII, even 13 years later.

A scene from 'One Away' featuring a contestant and host Bob Barker, with the game board displaying the incorrect car price 20682.

He only needed to change one number…and let’s all be thankful he listened to the audience and changed the first digit to win the car!  

S32, Jan 19 2004
A contestant stands beside host Bob Barker in front of the 'One Away' game board displaying the incorrect price '37840'.

On the opposite end is Janice, who had a Pontiac Vibe at over $37,000. She needed to change four digits. Odds would be to keep the zero, and change the rest.

A contestant and a host interact with the game 'One Away' on stage, showcasing a colorful board displaying two sets of numbers.

Alas, no. Playing like she was in a fog and completely ignoring the raucous studio audience (which included members of her church congregation!), she kept 3 as the first digit. It did not end well.

S36, Oct 15 2007
A contestant smiles while speaking to host Drew Carey on stage during a game show, with a colorful backdrop featuring a yellow and orange design.

When Drew took over, One Away became one of his favorite routines. He joked the contestant’s fate lay with an egotistical “mighty sound effects lady” backstage…

S36, Mar 27 2008
A contestant smiles while speaking into a microphone during a game show, with the 'The Price is Right' logo visible in the background.

…and many a contestant proved willing to beg for her favor!

S37, Dec 10, 2008
A scene from 'The Price is Right' game show featuring the 'One Away' game setup with the host and a contestant. The game board displays the incorrect car price of ,725, and a female model stands next to it, dressed in a black dress.

Drew is recovering from a foot injury, so model Tamiko is turning the numbers for him.

A contestant adjusts numbers on the 'One Away' game board, while the host explains the rules. The board displays the numbers 23 and 25, with the game logo in the background.

Drew liked having the models involved with the show more. Eventually this change was made permanent.

S37, Apr 27 2009
A model stands next to the 'One Away' game display on 'The Price is Right', with the incorrect price of ,134 shown on the screen.

Rochelle must be kidding! Surely the game wouldn’t be set up to have an all-red result, would it?!

Contestant plays 'One Away' on The Price is Right, with host presenting the game board showing a car price of 25134 with digits displayed above.

It was, and Rochelle beat it! Kudos to her for not being fooled!

S38, Apr 1 2010
Drew Carey and a contestant interact on stage during a game show segment, with a vibrant background featuring the show's logo.

On April Fools’ Day 2010, Drew is doing his usual spiel he’s used since hosting the show, hyping up One Away’s beautiful, powerful Mighty Sound Effects Lady…

Mimi Bobeck from the Drew Carey Show with a large hairstyle and bright makeup poses playfully with her hands under her chin, set against a colorful background.

Imagine Drew’s surprise to discover today’s Mighty Sound Effects Lady is Mimi Bobeck (played by Kathy Kinney), his old enemy from The Drew Carey Show!

Mimi Bobeck, a woman with styled hair and bright makeup, wearing a black and white outfit, sits at a game show console holding a steering wheel, with a colorful backdrop featuring a floral arrangement and a framed photo.

Mimi blew the horn on a steering wheel from her desk on the turntable.

S38, Jun 25 2010
A camera zooms into a green door revealing a car, as a contestant excitedly falls to the floor with excitement.

During Rich DiPirro’s time as director he added this car reveal to One Away, hearkening back to Money Game‘s old car reveal when it was played on Center Stage.

S42, Oct 16 2014
A contestant runs towards the One Away game display, while the host stands beside it, and a model crouches nearby, all excited about the game.

Vanessa is a big winner during Dream Car Week…

A contestant excitedly receives a prize sign in front of a red Tesla Model S on the stage of a game show.

…she’ll be riding off in this Tesla Model S!

S44, Jun 22 2016
Contestant kneeling on stage with hands clasped, looking hopeful while host stands beside her, set against a colorful game show backdrop.

Sarah starts appealing to the Mighty Sound Effects Lady on her knees, and her pleas become increasingly supplicant.

A game show host stands on stage with a pointer, presenting the One Away game board displaying the price '22050'. A female model stands beside him, applauding.

It worked. She won a Mini Cooper with no mistakes!

S45, Oct 10 2016
A contestant playing the game 'One Away' on a television show, with the numbers 27583 displayed on a colorful, oversized game board.

Today’s One Away from Mash Up week has a Let’s Make a Deal flair. Jonathan Mangum is turning the numbers…

A contestant looks excited and hopeful while holding her hands to her face, next to a price model showcasing a car with a confident smile.

…while Tiffany Coyne is modeling and playing Mighty Tiffany of the Deal, acting as the Sound Effects Lady by blowing the horn of the car.

S46, Mar 22 2018
Contestant holding a microphone and a price tag smiles while standing next to the host of The Price is Right, both facing the audience.

Sixteen year old Ahnalia is one of the youngest contestants to play One Away…

A contestant joyfully plays the One Away game on The Price is Right, standing near a large game display with numbers, as the host looks on.

…and the youngest to win the car in one try!

S46, Jun 22 2018
A contestant speaks with the host on the One Away game show set, with a display showing the number 33472.

The game got a touch-up in June 2018, trading its serrated silver bottom reveal in favor of a yellow one.

S50, Nov 2 2021
A contestant on The Price is Right, wearing a black t-shirt with the show's logo, smiles and gestures enthusiastically while standing beside a host who is speaking into a microphone, with a colorful game show backdrop in the background.

Drew recently learned that the Mighty Sound Effects Lady was now a gentleman! He has everybody give the crew member a round of applause for being such a good sport to allow the gag to continue.

S51, Sept 20, 2022
Contestants participate in the One Away game on The Price is Right, with a display showing the numbers 4, 4, 2, 7. A host is interacting with the contestants.

Paul wasn’t sure about listening to his group in the audience and placing the 4 as the first digit of a Volkswagen Taos.

Contestants participating in the One Away game on The Price is Right, with a colorful game board displaying numbers.

He was right. He ended up being the first contestant in over 30 years to lose One Away so quickly.

S54, Sept 23 2025
Model adjusts the numbers on the One Away game board while wearing a pink dress.

Models Learning on the Job: Bill wants the first digit to be lowered to a 2. Alexis, doing this for her first time, forgets that pushing the bottom of the block actually makes the number higher. “Sorry!”

A model adjusting numbers on the One Away game board, showing the digits '2535' with colorful highlights, while wearing a pink dress.

The same thing happens with the third number. “ONE, please…” She laughs it off with “Oh, my gosh!”

Drew Carey joking that model Alexis Gaube needs to move the blocks up instead of down, as Alexis shoots him a playful glare before rotating the number.

Drew playfully starts to have fun with Alexis and signals her to show which way to push… and then the number gets stuck!

S53, Jan 15 2025 (primetime)
A model poses excitedly next to a sleek gray SUV on a brightly lit game show set.

Ethan is playing At Night for this Dodge Hornet, but there’s more!

A contestant named Ethan stands on stage during a game segment of 'The Price is Right', speaking with the host, who gestures while holding a microphone.

He’ll win cash in the amount of the value of the SUV if he gets all five right on his first try!

A contestant and the host celebrate during the game 'One Away' on 'The Price is Right,' with the displayed numbers showing 3, 5, 2, 7, and 0.

Tension is mounting, and Ethan is four for four. Drew has him get on his knees to say…

A contestant leans forward while holding a microphone, accompanied by a host who is smiling and engaging with the audience.

…”Oh Mighty Sound Effects Lady, do I PLEASE have five right?!”

…

*HONK*

A couple joyfully celebrates in front of a new gray car, surrounded by confetti and fake money, during a game show.

HE DID IT!!! Ethan won the SUV and $35,270 in cash! What a haul!!!!!

  • Turn to other car games from the 80’s like Pathfinder, Master Key, and Spelling Bee
  • Sound the horns on the FAQ page on One Away
  • Oh, Mighty Tiny Timeline… what else happened in 1984?
  • Return to “Golden Game Gallery“

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