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The price may not be right in this case. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered a new trial Tuesday in the lawsuit brought by former "Price is Right" model Brandi Cochran, who was awarded nearly $8.5 million ( $775,000 in compensatory damages and $7.7 million in punitive damages ) by a jury that determined the game show's producers discriminated against her by not allowing her to return to work after her maternity leave.

Judge Kevin Brazile said that in February, two months after Team Cochran declared victory, a state Supreme Court ruling affirmed the defense's argument that Brazile should have instructed the jury to determine whether pregnancy discrimination was a "substantial motivating factor" in the producers' decision.

Brandi Cochran gets $7.7 million in damages for wrongful termination

"I think there's evidence they could have come out the other way," Brazile said. "It clearly was an issue they were struggling with."

Defense lawyer Mark Haddad was very happy with Brazile's decision, telling reporters, "We're very pleased the judge recognized that if the jury had been properly instructed, they may well have ruled in favor of 'The Price is Right.'"

Meanwhile, Cochran's attorney, Carney Shegerian, said he's now hopeful that his client will walk away with more than $8.5 million.

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A retrial hearing is scheduled for March 22.

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Updated at 5:30 p.m. PT, Nov. 21: LOS ANGELES -- The producers of "The Price is Right" owe a former model on the show more than $7.7 million in punitive damages for discriminating against her after a pregnancy, a jury determined Wednesday.

The judgment came one day after the panel determined the game show's producers discriminated against Brandi Cochran. They awarded her nearly $777,000 in actual damages.

Cochran, 41, said she was rejected when she tried to return to work in early 2010 after taking maternity leave. The jury agreed and determined that FremantleMedia North America and The Price is Right Productions owed her more than $8.5 million in all.

"I'm humbled. I'm shocked," Cochran said after the jury announced its verdict. "I'm happy that justice was served today not only for women in the entertainment industry, but women in the workplace."

FremantleMedia said it was standing by its previous statement, which said it expected to be "fully vindicated" after an appeal.

"We believe the verdict in this case was the result of a flawed process in which the court, among other things, refused to allow the jury to hear and consider that 40 percent of our models have been pregnant," and further "important" evidence, FremantleMedia said.

In their defense, producers said they were satisfied with the five models working on the show at the time Cochran sought to return. 

Several other former models have sued the series and its longtime host, Bob Barker, who retired in 2007.

Most of the cases involving "Barker's Beauties" — the nickname given the gown-wearing women who presented prizes to contestants — ended with out-of-court settlements.

Comedian-actor Drew Carey followed Barker as the show's host. 

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Sonja Flemming / CBS

Rob Wilson will be the first male model of "Price Is Right."

Move over, ladies of "The Price Is Right"! You've got a guy competing with you for eyeballs!

CBS on Friday revealed the winner of its first-ever model search, Rob Wilson of Boston. He beat out hundreds of other hopefuls who showed up for an open call in late August, and worked his way into the top three. Wilson landed the one-week gig after facing off against fellow finalists Clint Brink and Nick Denbeigh by writing and singing original lyrics to the show's theme song, showing his excitement when he was asked to "Come on down!" and more. The decision was made by fan votes, who cast their ballots during the period of Sept. 28 to Oct. 4.

Wilson begins his one-week job as the show's first male model on Monday, Oct. 15. "The Price Is Right" airs weekdays at 10 PT /11 ET a.m. on CBS.

Did the right guy win the job? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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Sonja Flemming/CBS

Move over Rachel Reynolds! "The Price is Right" is looking for Mr. Right to become its first male model.

"The Price is Right" is taking a step toward gender equality, at least for one week in October. The CBS game show announced it is searching for its first male model, with the winner being chosen by the show's audience. The search will be chronicled in a five-part web series next month, which will be streamed on YouTube and the show's website.

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The man who books the gig will begin a week of modeling Oct. 15. 

Historically, being a "Price is Right" model has not been a good experience for some. Over the years, a number of women have filed lawsuits against former host Bob Barker and show's producers for sexual harassment, racial discrimination and wrongful termination.

Though things have reportedly improved since Drew Carey took over hosting duties in 2007 (models now use their real names rather than nicknames, and are said to have microphones to interact with the audience), the show has still had its share of legal troubles.

A model filed suit in 2010, claiming producer harassment and the resulting stress caused her to miscarry her child. Another model, Shane Stirling, filed a harrassment and discrimination suit the same year. 

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For the men who want to join the show, there will be an open casting call in Los Angeles on Aug. 30, where aspiring models will show off their prize showcasing talents and be interviewed by current "Price is Right" models and producers.

The finalists will be revealed on the Sept. 28 episode and fans will be able to vote for their favorites until Oct. 3.

"Price" fans, do you think adding a male model to the mix is a good idea? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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