While neither show will make anyone a millionaire, the prizes are none too shabby. ''Drew'' will award a grand prize of $200,000, along with a chance to visit Los Angeles and go bowling with Carey, while ''Norm'' will hand out a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, a trip for two to Los Angeles, VIP tickets to the bleacher seats outside the Oscars, and passes to In Style magazine's Oscar party.
This may seem like an expensive gimmick, but both series badly need the ratings boost as sweeps draw to a close on Thursday. '''The Drew Carey Show' has been around for five years, and it's long since peaked,'' explains Marc Berman, programming analyst for Mediaweek.com. ''ABC gambled by signing on for two more years, because by next year there's a chance the numbers will really be dropping. But the stunt is even more important for 'Norm,' because its numbers haven't been exactly great -- it's on the fence as to whether the show will be back next season.''
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