An interesting response comes from Wayne, who suggests that celebrities are already saturating the media thanks to gossip sites and all the entertainment rags these days. So the allure of seeing them playing a game show isn't the same now as it once was.
What do you think? Are the celebrities actually the main draw for the show? I think they've always added something to the game, but the beauty of Pyramid is that it's a solid format. The stars aren't a necessary component, and the play-along-at-home factor would be unchanged without them. This is a game that has stood the test of time. There's no reason that a celeb-free version wouldn't work, that I can see.
On the other hand, maybe the stars would actually bring in eyeballs from viewers who wouldn't otherwise tune in. If you knew that the stars of your favorite television show were going to be spending a week playing Pyramid, you might watch even if you're not a huge game show fan. And that could hook new, regular viewers.
Time to take the poll! Let me know if you think celebrities are necessary for a Pyramid revival's success, or if the game could work without them. And as always, you're free to support your vote in the comments section.
Comments
I think they could do it without celebrities but it wouldn’t quite get the ratings that it would with celebrities. Although if they don’t have to spend money on celebrities they might have enough money to make it Million Dollar Pyramid or more likely 500,000 or 250,000. And more money usually makes things more fun to watch because a lot more is at stake so that might actually increase ratings. In short I’d much prefer a 500,000 Dollar Non-celebrity Pyramid then another 25,000 celebrity edition.
I know that previously letting teams like best friends play the game makes it annoying for the viewer because for clues they say inside things like if the word is North Carolina and one of them says “Where your uncle Bill lives” it kind of interferes with the play at home factor, I think. So they could use an idea originally used in the Money List (I think) where two people who have never met before have to work together on a team and whatever money they win in the winners circle is split between them. There are some potential problems with this idea but none of them important in my mind to even mention.
I agree with using 2 people who never met should satisfy any naysayers due to the use of inside clues. The contestant coordinators should just do a better job of picking people to play than was done on Million Dollar Password (Bill Shatner, Stewardess #3 from The Wedding Singer…).
However, I really don’t feel inside clues are a BIG problem. They will come up, but not so often it would ruin the show. My brother and I used to play along every day by taking turns facing away from the TV and muting the sound. We did this for years and rarely used inside clues.
They really don’t need to make it $1million Pyramid or any other show. It’s the game that matters, not the dollar amount (and this goes for all shows). Think of it this way–if the top prize were even $100K (which seems to be the tipping point of risk for contestants these days), it’s much more interesting to see contestants max out (thereby “winning”) a few times a year instead of waiting years for a “winner”. The budget would be there for more people to win large ($100K+) prizes.
Finally, since this is about Pyramid, if it were to be $1m Pyramid, they really need to come up with something better than the old style tournament. The only qualifying factor there was fastest winners circle time. This meant that someone could win one game, have a fast time, and not be seen again until the tournament. That person was not necessarily the best player, they just had that great 40 seconds of airtime and were likely lucky enough to be paired with a good celebrity.
You’re right, game play is more important than money. If GSN decided to bring back Pyramid as $10,000 Dollar pyramid I’d still watch and enjoy it because I love Pyramid. Although I also do enjoy seeing people win life changing amounts of money so if they do bring it back I would like to see it as the prizes being bigger than Donny Osmond’s version. As far as I know theres never been a Pyramid incarnation greater than 100k. So I think a 250,000 Dollar Pyramid would both satisfy novelty and fufill my craving to see people win life changing amounts of money. (Also If I tried out I’d prefer to be playing for a possible 250,000 dollar grand prize than a 10,000 dollar one, lol
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Come to think of it Fred Rogin would make a great Pyramid host. Maybe GSN should revive it! if it’s successful couldn’t a network buy it from GSN and up the prizes.
Name is $F2A5M0I,0L0Y0 pyFrUaEmDid and GSN will show it 10 times a day!
In my perfectly demented little world, Pyramid would select its players at random from a contestant pool right there during the taping…kinda like Duel did. The players wouldn’t know each other ‘cuz they would have just met before the show.
These days, anyone with a camera phone can become a sensation on YouTube. Celebrities just aren’t that big a deal anymore. And if MDP was any indication, there aren’t that many good celebrity game-players out there today. Sure NPH and Susie Essman were good…but they can’t be on every week. I think the celebrities become a handicap.
I wonder how much our friend Chad Mosher could have won if he had been partnered with another civilian who would have trained just as hard as he did, instead of Phil Keoghan.
It’s funny you mention that Myke, because I’m having a similar conversation on our Facebook group. Someone mentioned that Pyramid without celebrities would be comparable to playing CFL football in the U.S. (he phrased it better, but that’s the gist of it).
Anyway, my response was similar to yours – which is better to watch, celebrities who may not be very good at the game, or actual people who have a stake in the outcome? I mean, can you imagine how you would feel if you walked out onto the set and saw Patricia Heaton or Kellie Pickler sitting there?
(And in my perfectly demented little world, Chuck Woolery is hosting something very successful in prime time. It’s all good.)
Wayne, I read that three times before I got it. *lol* Brilliant!
Jason, Fred was good on The Money List for sure – I know some people disagree, but I quite enjoyed him. Not sure if Pyramid is the right vehicle for him, but they could do a whole lot worse.
It’s hard to know whether a person would make a good host of a show until you see them in action on the actual show. Even though Regis hosted Millionaire brilliantly I have a feeling Jeopardy wouldn’t be right for him to host. So I also hope if they do bring Pyramid back they really try hard to find a good host.
Jason, your last comment to me wins 1,000,000 points for the fact that although I like Drew Carey, CBS naming him TPIR host without a pilot because he was good on Power of 10 was moronic.
Pyramid can’t have celebrities anymore. That’s what I disagree with you about, Jason—you say celebrities drive the ratings, but if the celebrities are Kathy Griffin and Dennis Kucinich as they surely would be, whoop-de-do. It ruins the game. And honestly I find the potential for inside clues incredibly funny.
They didn’t even want to see Drew in action on TRIR before they gave him the job! wow I didn’t know that.
I just feel that Carrie had a point about how the people who would watch Pyramid are game show fans. But if Kim Kardashia (*shudder*) or Snooki (*throws up*) were on the show then maybe fans of those shows would watch and that’s something that the producers are most likely aware of. Pyramid could work without celebrities and it could work well, or even better than with them but I just think that we are unlikely to get a non-celebrity edition of the show.
Exactly, Brandon! During the 80s, I didn’t watch Pyramid because I needed a Henry Polic II fix or I had to see Shelley Smith again. I loved the game. Some of today’s “celebrities” might be able to play the game quite well…but they are not the reason I’d watch. Most celebrities who are big enough to make me want to tune in just to see them play…don’t do game shows.
Carrie…can you score an interview with Michael Davies? I’d love to hear his take on all this. And we could use an update on Pyramid’s status.
I can sure try Myke – though I’m not sure how much he could tell us at this point. (Though it would be fun to get his opinion on the celebrity issue.)
And since we’re talking about hosting now … would you care if the host wasn’t a “big name” as long as he/she was good at the job? I think the networks are so concerned with getting a familiar host that they’re completely ignoring people who might be great but don’t have star power.
Ok Carrie. Your subject is: “Emcees Myke believes could do Pyramid justice.”
You have thirty seconds. Ready? Go.
1) He hosted a popular, but “slimy” game show.
2) He was selling vowels long before Pat.
3) He’s a “colorful” sports radio host who hosted a short-lived game show.
4) She’s a former host who has “four eyes” but one name.
5) He recently quit his day job.
6) He’s hosted three shows where he was mainly heard, but not seen.
7) Before hosting game shows, he wrote theme songs for them.
Pyramid will not be the same without the celebs. Don’t put the reality stars on, they’re embarrassing. Bring big name stars and pyramid veterans like Henry Polic II, Vicki Lawrence, etc, etc.
Dontryl-
Henry Polic? Big name star? Really?!
A lot of the “stars” on Donny’s Pyramid WERE reality show personalities. I seem to remember entire weeks saluting HGTV and the Food Network. And there weren’t too many Pyramid vets on that version, either.
Classic Pyramid has been off the air for 20 years. I don’t imagine very many of the regulars appearing in a revision…except Betty White, of course. Not very many of them are even still in show business.
Funny, of all the game show news in the past 2 years, nothing has even come close to generating the buzz of Pyramid, and yet CBS sits on it…think anyone there pays attention to the blogosphere?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again since you asked–we really don’t need to see someone else picked off the Where Are They Now pile to host a show, those known names usually aren’t good at hosting a game show. It really does take a special talent.
My first choice for Pyramid would be Mark L. Walberg. I really believe a show like this fits him.
Myke25–I got all but #7 unless you mean Alan Thicke?
I do, Wayne.
I think he could do a good job.
And I’ve been wondering the same thing lately. I kind of expected CBS to announce ATWT’s replacement by now. There’s got to be something going on that we just don’t know yet. From all reports I’ve read, including some from folks who were at the tapings, the pilots were as faithful to the classic as we could ever wish for… short of Dick Clark hosting.
The only other game show move CBS has made public is The Cube. They haven’t announced any other daytime development at all.
But we are a bit out from ATWT’s final episode yet. There’s still plenty of time. Maybe they’re still trying to find the right host. Maybe the budget doesn’t work for them yet. Maybe they’re debating the same issues we are here. Who knows?
I do know Michael Davies is on BuzzerBlog occasionally (or someone claiming to be him!). CBS is nuts if they don’t at least monitor the basket cases on G-R.net!
Wow, where to start now? *lol* I love that this one has taken on a couple of different lives of its own!
Myke, I got them all but #4:
1 – Marc Summers
2 – Chuck Woolery
3 – Mike Greenburg
4 – (I will kick myself, I know it)
5 – John O’Hurley
6 – Pat Kiernan
7 – Alan Thicke
Greenie is an interesting choice – I can see it, as long as no one gives him a pen.
I’m partial to Woolery, though.
I don’t think we’re ever going to get “big name stars” on a daytime game show. Of course that depends on your definition of “big name stars,” but I don’t see A-listers queuing up to play – most of them don’t even want to set foot in a prime time game.
No, what we’ll get are soap stars, talk show hosts, reality stars, maybe reality hosts, and the occasional cast from a prime time show that the network wants to promote.
Let’s Make a Deal took ages to announce, so I’m not worried about this one – yet. From what I gathered last summer, they just weren’t completely happy with the hosting in either of the two pilot episodes they shot.
Keep in mind that they’ll be considering other shows as well. A few people insist that Press Your Luck is on the table, as well as The Dating Game, which was being considered last year. We just don’t know.
I would bet good money that they’re aware of the internet chatter. You might be surprised at how much they do actually read, and the newsletters they get.
I agree, Carrie. I think we are seeing the biggest names hosting daytime game shows right now: Drew Carey and Wayne Brady.
You were correct about the other 6.
#4: Kennedy. She’s gotten a bit more mature since her MTV days. Friend or Foe had dramatic elements that she handled very well. She certainly wouldn’t be a mainstream choice, but I think she could pull it off.
I’ve got a great idea for a host, and the clue is he posts somewhat frequently on both BuzzerBlog and the About.com game shows page, his official web site is BMSprint.com, and his name contains the letters B, r, a, n, d, o, and N!
(but not really. I’m set on Weakest Link, for real. But if they offer me 3 million dollars, sure!)
A-ha! Kennedy – you mentioned her before, and I should have got that one. She’d likely do well with this type of format.
Hey, maybe if the Fox thing doesn’t work out, Conan O’Brien might want to consider hosting a game show.
I’ve noticed that there are a lot of clips from Bill Cullen’s $25K Pyramid popping up on YouTube. IMO, that was the best version of the classic game…no offense to Dick Clark (he was the Pyramid master!). Embassy Row would do well studying THAT version of Pyramid.
The opening montage for an episode with John Ritter and Anita Gillette includes a clip with Garry freakin’ Moore! I never knew he ever played Pyramid…and won $10K for his partner! I wish they would release a “Best of Pyramid” DVD.
I would pick either John O’Hurley, Mike Greenburg, or Tim Vincent to host Pyramid.
Tim Vincent was actually one of the pilot hosts last year, Dean Cain being the other. I can’t confirm this 100%, but apparently people had trouble understanding his Welsh accent.
Speaking of accents…whatever happened to Gordon Elliot? I liked him on To Tell The Truth…the whole week or so he had the gig!
Amazing timing Myke – I’m in the middle of transcribing an interview with the announcer from that version of TTTT (and the one in 2000) where we talked briefly about Gordon Elliott.
Don’t know what he’s up to now, however. Always liked him.
Myke25: There’s one reason that I wouldn’t recommend Cullen25 as the version to copy … two games with the same celebrity. Otherwise, I agree.