The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: tpirfan28 on April 09, 2010, 08:42:46 PM
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Here we go again! (http://\"http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ib5454b923e9fb743e5e847b1043ba48d?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thr%2Fnews+%28The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+News%29&utm_content=Twitter\") (of course, for CBS daytime)
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Please be good like the last one was...
The article also says that CBS will probably order at least one more game show pilot.
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I wonder if they still have my application on file from last year...
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'239149\' date=\'Apr 9 2010, 08:10 PM\']I wonder if they still have my application on file from last year...[/quote]
I wonder that too or if we have to fill out another one.
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I think they have a different casting director from last year, so I would watch Craigslist for a new casting notice.
(Besides, if you weren't chosen last year -- neither was I -- you'd like the chance to re-audition.)
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I don't know if it's been thrown out before, but if CBS decided to go with an hour instead of two half-hour shows (and I'd rather have the latter happen, mind you) -- couldn't you either break Pyramid up into two half-hour shows (close but not quite like TPiR's Nielsen move of TPiR 1 and TPiR 2 as half-hours) or just do the normal Pyramid, do four rounds instead of two and go on with life?
Don't get me wrong - a half-hour Pyramid and half-hour Password would be great; I just don't see it happening if CBS wants to keep production costs down.
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Someone smarter than myself posted during the last Pyramid pilot go-round that, given today's commercial load, the most workable and logical setup would be a 3-game hour, with the winners of the first two games facing each other in a higher-stakes Winner's Circle. I concur entirely.
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I don't know if it's been thrown out before, but if CBS decided to go with an hour instead of two half-hour shows (and I'd rather have the latter happen, mind you) -- couldn't you either break Pyramid up into two half-hour shows (close but not quite like TPiR's Nielsen move of TPiR 1 and TPiR 2 as half-hours) or just do the normal Pyramid, do four rounds instead of two and go on with life?
Don't get me wrong - a half-hour Pyramid and half-hour Password would be great; I just don't see it happening if CBS wants to keep production costs down.
Nowadays, any of the "Big Three" networks having two 30-minute shows back to back on daytime makes it an easy target for their affilates to pre-empt one or the other in favor of syndicated fare.
Look at it this way: if you had 30 minutes of, say, a new $XXX,XXX Pyramid, followed by 30 minutes of a new Press Your Luck, either show could get bumped in favor of a repeat of WWTBaM from the previous season.
And if all this is WHOOOSH to the rest of you.....well, I tried.
Cordially,
Tammy
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[quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'239196\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 12:43 PM\']Look at it this way: if you had 30 minutes of, say, a new $XXX,XXX Pyramid, followed by 30 minutes of a new Press Your Luck, either show could get bumped in favor of a repeat of WWTBaM from the previous season.[/quote]Does this actually happen? I must not be watching the right stuff, because I have never sat down to watch a game show and found out that it was being preempted for something syndicated. Soccer, a breaking news story, sure. But not a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond.
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[quote name=\'Sodboy13\' post=\'239194\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 03:22 PM\']Someone smarter than myself posted during the last Pyramid pilot go-round that, given today's commercial load, the most workable and logical setup would be a 3-game hour, with the winners of the first two games facing each other in a higher-stakes Winner's Circle.[/quote]Ideally, that would be nice, but then we go back to the problem from the early days that it can be a sour experience for the week if there's one celebrity who hasn't had his coffee yet. ("Sorry Joe, but Aisha Tyler has defeated William Shatner for the twelfth time in a row this week! Jane, let's go to the Winner's Circle to try for...")
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[quote name=\'chad1m\' post=\'239198\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 03:01 PM\'][quote name=\'Sodboy13\' post=\'239194\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 03:22 PM\']Someone smarter than myself posted during the last Pyramid pilot go-round that, given today's commercial load, the most workable and logical setup would be a 3-game hour, with the winners of the first two games facing each other in a higher-stakes Winner's Circle.[/quote]Ideally, that would be nice, but then we go back to the problem from the early days that it can be a sour experience for the week if there's one celebrity who hasn't had his coffee yet. ("Sorry Joe, but Aisha Tyler has defeated William Shatner for the twelfth time in a row this week! Jane, let's go to the Winner's Circle to try for...")
[/quote]
My proposal would be:
Designate celebrities X and Y
Champion is A; challengers are B and C (designation of B and C by coin toss):
Game 1: X and B play against Y and C--play winner's circle
Game P: X and A play against Y and B--play winner's circle
Game Q: X and C play against Y and A--play winner's circle
If C beats B in game 1, then play the games in the order 1, P, Q. If B beats C in game 1, then play the games in the order 1, Q, P.
Whoever wins both games plays the second winner's circle for the larger prize. If all three contestants win 1 game, then they all play the winner's circle for the low amount, and the highest winner's circle total determines who becomes the returning champion.
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I'll say it nicely before anyone does meanly. If you need variables to help figure the format out, it's probably not going to work out well on television.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'239197\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 03:49 PM\'][quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'239196\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 12:43 PM\']Look at it this way: if you had 30 minutes of, say, a new $XXX,XXX Pyramid, followed by 30 minutes of a new Press Your Luck, either show could get bumped in favor of a repeat of WWTBaM from the previous season.[/quote]Does this actually happen? I must not be watching the right stuff, because I have never sat down to watch a game show and found out that it was being preempted for something syndicated. Soccer, a breaking news story, sure. But not a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond.
[/quote]
I think that was more common back in the 70s and 80s. Considering the network daytime landscape has changed considerably, I don't see that happening as often.
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'239204\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 04:50 PM\'][quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'239197\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 03:49 PM\'][quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'239196\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 12:43 PM\']Look at it this way: if you had 30 minutes of, say, a new $XXX,XXX Pyramid, followed by 30 minutes of a new Press Your Luck, either show could get bumped in favor of a repeat of WWTBaM from the previous season.[/quote]Does this actually happen? I must not be watching the right stuff, because I have never sat down to watch a game show and found out that it was being preempted for something syndicated. Soccer, a breaking news story, sure. But not a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond.
[/quote]
I think that was more common back in the 70s and 80s. Considering the network daytime landscape has changed considerably, I don't see that happening as often.
[/quote]
Agreed, although in the current daytime landscape you don't have many half-hour shows on the networks to begin with -- The Bold and the Beautiful is the only one out there now. The last one I can remember is Port Charles (1997-2003), and I'm pretty sure there were a number of stations who opted not to show it in favor of news or syndicated fare.
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[quote name=\'chad1m\' post=\'239200\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 03:16 PM\']I'll say it nicely before anyone does meanly. If you need variables to help figure the format out, it's probably not going to work out well on television.[/quote]
It's just the precise way of saying "Congratulations, Sara, you won the first game, so you and Julie will go to the winner's circle to try for $10,000, and then you'll be back in the third game for a chance at $25,000. John, you lost the first game with Phil Keoghan, so you'll be with Julie Chen for our second game, and our champion Bill will be with Phil for the second game. John, you need to win this game to have a chance of being the champion."
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It's still too complicated for my taste, but it reads a bit bitter if you just say that game 1 is two new players, game 2 is the loser of game 1 versus the returning champ, and game 3 is the winner of game 1 versus the champion.
Personally, I'd go for something like swapping partners after each game and each player continuing until they lose twice. That way everyone gets at least one real shot at winning if there's a huge mismatch between celebrities. You could probably also do some kind of money ladder with this if you insisted.
The only way I can think of to have a self-contained day with three games is to borrow from NYSI: Four strangers play the first game as two teams, the two members of the winning team compete against each other with celebrity partners, and the winner of that goes up against the previous day's champion. I don't know how you make the one-and-done fair without randomly assigning partners in each round, but I could see it working.
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[quote name=\'rjaguar3\' post=\'239206\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 02:54 PM\'][quote name=\'chad1m\' post=\'239200\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 03:16 PM\']I'll say it nicely before anyone does meanly. If you need variables to help figure the format out, it's probably not going to work out well on television.[/quote]
It's just the precise way of saying "Congratulations, Sara, you won the first game, so you and Julie will go to the winner's circle to try for $10,000, and then you'll be back in the third game for a chance at $25,000. John, you lost the first game with Phil Keoghan, so you'll be with Julie Chen for our second game, and our champion Bill will be with Phil for the second game. John, you need to win this game to have a chance of being the champion."[/quote]
I think Chad's comment stands. :)
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Play normal 80's Pyramid (two contestants play two games, swap celebrities in between games), then the winner plays the returning champion in a winner-take-all game. Or does that give way too much of an advantage to the new contestants?
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Here's a little something I concocted this afternoon.
Keep celebs/civilians. You could still get a few of the old-schoolers, and I think there's still enough recognizable names on the CBS shows, not to mention the cable channels owned by CBS.
First main game: traditional Pyramid, six categories, 7-in-30. Small bonus card, i.e. the 7-11
First bonus round: similar to the "words beginning with ___" tiebreaker, or the Double Trouble category from Davidson's version, 7-in-45. Each correct answer is worth $200, $10,000 for all 7.
Second main game: traditional Pyramid, switched teams, 7-in-30. Larger bonus card, i.e. the Mystery 7/Super 7/Big 7, just a larger prize.
Second bonus game: traditional Winner's Circle, worth $15,000. Layout as follows.
1000
500 500
200 200 200
Third main game: traditional Pyramid, returning champion vs. first game champ, blind draw for celeb partners. Only one main game, no bonus card, winner goes on to the final Winner's Circle, played for $25,000.
I suggest the first bonus game just to break the monotony of three Winner's Circles. Throw something new into the mix, but it could just as easily be a Winner's Circle. A total of $50,000 could be won, but that doesn't mean it has to be called The $50,000 Pyramid. CBS's daytime shows only allow for about 36-39 mins. of show, so I think you could spread things out nicely with this format. No rushing, and you can give the teams a chance to breath in-between each round.
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[quote name=\'chad1m\' post=\'239200\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 01:16 PM\']I'll say it nicely before anyone does meanly. If you need variables to help figure the format out, it's probably not going to work out well on television.[/quote]I would be really OK with
* stay on the show as long as you keep winning up to $limit or an appearance limit.
* or you lose N times, provided N > 1.
* each Winner's Circle try is for $title.
As long as you get the basic game play down pat, I don't need variables or Venn diagrams or for everyone to get to play with everyone. I just want Real Deal Pyramid back on TV.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'239197\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 03:49 PM\'][quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'239196\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 12:43 PM\']Look at it this way: if you had 30 minutes of, say, a new $XXX,XXX Pyramid, followed by 30 minutes of a new Press Your Luck, either show could get bumped in favor of a repeat of WWTBaM from the previous season.[/quote]Does this actually happen? I must not be watching the right stuff, because I have never sat down to watch a game show and found out that it was being preempted for something syndicated. Soccer, a breaking news story, sure. But not a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond.
[/quote]
Actually, from my personal experience, it has happened a number of times:
I remember High Rollers being pre-empted for a syndicated soap opera called The Doctors
I remember Classic Concentration (in the 1991-93 rerun phase) being pre-empted for various syndicated talk shows.
I remember Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour (which I didn't even know existed until I spent spring break with my aunt in Pittsburgh) being pre-empted for Tom and Jerry (but I find it funny that when Santa Barbara premiered, it didn't get pre-empted. Go figure).
I want to say I remember Beat the Clock (1979) being pre-empted for The 700 Club, but I'm not 100% sure.
But the Columbus market has historically been not-so game show friendly, unless it's Wheel, Price, or Jeopardy!
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'239219\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 08:10 PM\']As long as you get the basic game play down pat, I don't need variables or Venn diagrams or for everyone to get to play with everyone. I just want Real Deal Pyramid back on TV.[/quote]
THIS. I didn't want to fall in the trap of saying "we" when there's the possibility of not everyone wanting Real Deal Pyramid back on screen.
As for your earlier question - can it be preempted? Probably, but it's as rare as a Dan Benfield joke being funny right now.
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I've got it on good authority that Pyramid will be Los Angeles based.
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I don't have a problem with this version being based in Los Angeles, just as long as it doesn't morph into Donnymid 2.0.
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/dislike for selfish location-based reasons. Pyramid would've pushed me into a long-postponed NYC visit.
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[quote name=\'ChrisLambert!\' post=\'239245\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 01:09 PM\']/dislike for selfish location-based reasons. Pyramid would've pushed me into a long-postponed NYC visit.[/quote]
Same here...would've made for a fun little road trip. But, I've been itching to get back to L.A. as well.
/Was actually out there two years ago today
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[quote name=\'GameShowGuru\' post=\'239224\' date=\'Apr 10 2010, 11:17 PM\']I remember High Rollers being pre-empted for a syndicated soap opera called The Doctors[/quote]
The Doctors was an NBC show, as was High Rollers.
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As long as you get the basic game play down pat, I don't need variables or Venn diagrams or for everyone to get to play with everyone. I just want Real Deal Pyramid back on TV.
I definitely agree on this one. Last time we had Pyramid, it had about 37 different changes all designed to not give away money (Colors In The Olympic Rings?).
As for your earlier question - can it be preempted? Probably, but it's as rare as a Dan Benfield joke being funny right now.
I've been reduced to an inside joke? I'm no stranger to that... (http://"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ")
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239258\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 05:46 PM\']I've been reduced to an inside joke? I'm no stranger to that... (http://\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ\")[/quote]
I'll never let you down.
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I'll never say goodbye.
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239258\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 06:46 PM\']And then they admitted they picked clueless celebrities on purpose when Joey Tribbiani showed up in February 2004.[/quote]Like when Wheel of Fortune admitted they picked contestants because they were sexpots when Sandra Clark (http://\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lwj4ASfwvk\") showed up? Like when Family Feud and Jeopardy admitted they pick obtuse contestants when the Harpers (http://\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48NlSvH6nYY&feature=related\") and then Thelma herself (http://\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRSooA7mjEo\") showed up? Like how The Price is Right admitted they really do select contestants in advance when Barney Stinson (http://\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0WIjfIAn1I\") showed up?
They call it fiction for a reason. Just give it up. Please.
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...I know it's fiction (Friends, "The One Where The Stripper Cries"). It's just really odd how a fictional game of Pyramid managed to resemble the real one in terms of celebrity brain-wattage.
/Paper!
//Snow!
///A ghost!
Again, I know it's fiction, but it reflected on how bad some celebrities really were at playing the game -- didn't Pyramid test celebrities for the best players before they did tapings?
"John, you won with the other celebrity and you'll play the Winner's Circle...with Joey Tribbiani." (cue guy's shocked face at the blatant use of convolution)
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239258\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 06:46 PM\'](Things On A Cave Wall?)[/quote]
Lascaux paintings. Make the check out to "Cash".
/And then they admitted they picked clueless celebrities on purpose when Joey Tribbiani showed up in February 2004.
Proof, please.
Edit: So Dan realized it's an episode of Friends.
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Actually, I knew it from the beginning.
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239258\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 05:46 PM\']I've been reduced to an inside joke? I'm no stranger to that... (http://\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ\")[/quote]
Inside joke? No. You said yourself that you've made jokes that have fallen flat on this board, right? And besides, with your track record right now, there's more people that would rather listen to Mr. Astley.
/)swarizona
//There's your inside joke.
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239269\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 07:29 PM\']Done. Expect it on April 31.[/quote]
You really should wait until you log OFF this forum before you start smoking crack.
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[quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'239272\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 06:34 PM\'][quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239269\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 07:29 PM\']Done. Expect it on April 31.[/quote]You really should wait until you log OFF this forum before you start smoking crack.[/quote]See, the bit of the joke is that Dan really has no intention of writing any such check to Mike Klauss. That's why he said to wait until April 31st.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'239274\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 09:57 PM\']See, the bit of the joke is that Dan really has no intention of writing any such check to Mike Klauss. That's why he said to wait until April 31st.[/quote]I'm sure Joe knows that. The comment was just lame.
/Calling it a "joke" is very kind of you.
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239258\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 05:46 PM\']Things On A Cave Wall?[/quote]
Bat sh*t, Osama bin Laden's bachelor's degree, Robin's Batgirl pinup, mastadon/pterodactyl/triceratops/saber-toothed tiger/tyrranosaurus pictographs.
\Dragonzord!
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[quote name=\'dale_grass\' post=\'239279\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 10:45 PM\'][quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239258\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 05:46 PM\']Things On A Cave Wall?[/quote]
Bat sh*t, Osama bin Laden's bachelor's degree, Robin's Batgirl pinup, mastadon/pterodactyl/triceratops/saber-toothed tiger/tyrranosaurus pictographs.
\Dragonzord!
[/quote]
Um, Tigerzord!
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239264\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 07:47 PM\']("John, you won with the other celebrity and you'll play the Winner's Circle...with Joey Tribbiani." {cue guy's shocked face})[/quote]
I'm willing to understand that sitcoms take liberties when it comes to game show-based episodes, but that one has always left me scratching my head, even as a joke. The writers couldn't have somehow painted Joey and his partner into some kind of corner where they STILL ended up winning.
/Yes, I'm dissecting a six-year-old episode of a sitcom
//Made just as little sense on Million Dollar Password
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'239282\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 11:36 PM\'][quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239264\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 07:47 PM\']("John, you won with the other celebrity and you'll play the Winner's Circle...with Joey Tribbiani." {cue guy's shocked face})[/quote]
I'm willing to understand that sitcoms take liberties when it comes to game show-based episodes, but that one has always left me scratching my head, even as a joke. The writers couldn't have somehow painted Joey and his partner into some kind of corner where they STILL ended up winning.
[/quote]
Oh, I'm sorry, I don't know any Spanish words
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239269\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 08:29 PM\']blah blah blah blah[/quote]That's all fine and well. I'm still waiting for an answer to this...
[quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'239265\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 07:48 PM\']/And then they admitted they picked clueless celebrities on purpose when Joey Tribbiani showed up in February 2004.
Proof, please.[/quote]
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Look at Season 2. Obviously, the show wouldn't admit that they picked most of its celebrities for their star power (or D-List status) over an actual ability to play the game well. They also wouldn't admit it when they'd stack a great celebrity up against such things as "What Dana Carvey's Left Butt Cheek Might Say"*.
I think I'm getting the bad-celebrity thing confused with the bad Winner's Circle categories -- those (near?) impossible things will make any celebrity look dumb if they can't figure out to win at it, which might have been why they were used in the first place (not to mention saving the budget and keeping the number of tournament entrants between 4 and 6).
As for that episode of Friends, Joey played a low-tier character on Days of Our Lives and had a vastly-different train of thought than pretty much everybody else. Had that been in real-life, the actual show would've likely booked him for exactly the aforementioned reasons.
*/hoping that wasn't actually used by Donnymid
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239328\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 05:38 PM\'][quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'239312\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 03:43 PM\'][quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'239265\' date=\'Apr 11 2010, 07:48 PM\']
/And then they admitted they picked clueless celebrities on purpose when Joey Tribbiani showed up in February 2004.
Proof, please.[/quote][/quote]
Look at Season 2. Obviously, the show wouldn't admit that they pick celebrities for their star power (or D-List status) over their brains.
[/quote]
QE: Emphasis above is mine.
Ok - so you said that they admitted they picked clueless celebrities, and a day later you're saying they're not admitting it? In the words of the immortal Mike Ditka, "Who ya crappin'?"
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What I meant was that Donnymid would never admit they often chose low-wattage celebrities...but decided to help with a sitcom plot where a really dense guy who plays a low-level role on an NBC soap opera appears as a celebrity on Donnymid.
Donnymid Season 2 combined near-impossible Winner's Circle categories, a high number of Pyramid series newcomers, a low number of established Pyramid series veterans, and stupidly-strict judging with its usual convoluted set of tournament-entry requirements and an inexplicable lack of returning champions to make a show that really must have wanted the budget for themselves rather than give it to contestants...
...and then they go and help make the aforementioned sitcom plot.
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239331\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 06:54 PM\'][quote name=\'TeppanYaki\' post=\'239329\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 06:44 PM\'][quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239328\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 05:38 PM\']Look at Season 2. Obviously, the show wouldn't admit that they pick celebrities for their star power (or D-List status) over their brains.[/quote]Ok - so you said that they admitted they picked clueless celebrities, and a day later you're saying they're not admitting it? In the words of the immortal Mike Ditka, "Who ya crappin'?"[/quote]
What I meant was that the show would never admit they chose low-tier celebrities to save the budget, but that they essentially did through that episode of Friends.
[/quote]
Two events that have absolutely nothing to do with one another.
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239328\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 05:38 PM\']As for that episode of Friends, Joey played a low-tier character on Days Of Our Lives and had a vastly-different train of thought than pretty much everybody else. Had that been in real-life, Donnymid would very likely have booked him for exactly the aforementioned reasons.[/quote]
I wonder if Dan88 doesn't know that it was a fictitious premise on a fake scripted comedy show?
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239331\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 06:54 PM\']What I meant was that Donnymid would never admit they often chose low-wattage celebrities...but decided to help with a sitcom plot where a really dense guy who plays a low-level role on an NBC soap opera appears as a celebrity on Donnymid.
Donnymid Season 2 combined near-impossible Winner's Circle categories, a high number of Pyramid series newcomers, a low number of established Pyramid series veterans, and stupidly-strict judging with its usual convoluted set of tournament-entry requirements and an inexplicable lack of returning champions to make a show that really must have wanted the budget for themselves rather than give it to contestants...
...and then they go and help make the aforementioned sitcom plot.[/quote]
I'm not following you here. Even in the 1980s, Pyramid wasn't necessarily pulling in A-list names. However, the difference is, in 2002 (compared to 1982) there were a lot more networks and cable channels, which gave a wider pool to choose from.
The point about Joey Tribbiani is really irrelevant, being it was a sitcom.
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I'm not following you here. Even in the 1980s, Pyramid wasn't necessarily pulling in A-list names.
Big difference -- in the 1980s, the "not-so-A-list" celebrities more often than not did very well at the game. There had to be some sort of screening process then for celebrities, which Donnymid seemed to lack.
However, the difference is, in 2002 (compared to 1982) there were a lot more networks and cable channels, which gave a wider pool to choose from.
Good point.
The point about Joey Tribbiani is really irrelevant, being it was a sitcom.
My reasoning when I originally brought this up was the fact that sitcoms are usually based in reality somehow, so the "sitcom" fact that a certifiably-clueless person got on "sitcom" Donnymid could have a parallel -- a "reality" fact that certifiably-clueless people got on "reality" Donnymid.
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239336\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 06:26 PM\']Big difference -- in the 1980s, the "not-so-A-list" celebrities more often than not did very well at the game. There had to be some sort of screening process then for celebrities, which Donnymid seemed to lack.[/quote]
Yet you damn Donnymid for "near-impossible Winner's Circle categories, a high number of Pyramid series newcomers, a low number of established Pyramid series veterans, and stupidly-strict judging with its usual convoluted set of tournament-entry requirements."
[quote name=\'Dan88\']My reasoning when I originally brought this up was the fact that sitcoms are usually based in reality (pretty much every episode of Everybody Loves Raymond was based on something that happened to somebody on the show's staff, for example), so the "sitcom" fact that a certifiably-clueless person got on "sitcom" Donnymid could have a parallel -- a "reality" fact that certifiably-clueless people got on "reality" Donnymid.[/quote]
While you make a valid point about sitcoms usually based in reality, what's your source -- other than Wikipedia -- for that? Also, while there's the possibility that your [airquotes]sitcom[/airquotes] fact could happen - going on to say that Donnymid made it too tough in that earlier post you made sorta makes this Joey argument moot, right?
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239336\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 07:26 PM\']Big difference -- in the 1980s, the "not-so-A-list" celebrities more often than not did very well at the game. There had to be some sort of screening process then for celebrities, which Donnymid seemed to lack.[/quote]
Again, I'm not following, although I agree there was probably a screening for first-timers. However, some of the best Clark Pyramid players were B-list at best: Mary Cadorette, Stuart Pankin, Henry Polic II, etc. Most of the guests were supporting cast members on the popular shows of the day, but were hardly people you'd see on Johnny Carson's couch.
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Personal opinion time:
One of the elements in the great game show exodus of the late 80s/early 90s was due to shows booking 'B celebrities' who were good game players, but hadn't been on a memorable series in years (if ever). 26 weeks as a supporting actor on a syndicated sitcom that is carried in 40% of the markets a relevant celebrity does not make. The whole premise behind a celebrity partner was interacting with someone with an aura.
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To back up the B-list assessment: I saw a clip with Michael J. Fox on a 1982 (--ish?) Pyramid, and I was surprised that someone of his caliber was a player. But, at the time, the Alex P. Keaton character on Family Ties had not evolved into the dominant character that it became. After that never to be seen.
Of course, there was Betty White during her Golden Girls tenure. But then again, Betty White is the exception rather than the rule.
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I think you can also add Earl Holliman and Patty Duke (who would drop "Astin" from her name about half-way through the 80's version run following her separation and divorce from John Astin) to the list of A-list celebrities on 80's Pyramid.
I wonder if Teresa Ganzel would also count as an "A-list" celebrity? I mean it's not like you couldn't see her on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson back in the 80's.
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Again, I'm not following, although I agree there was probably a screening for first-timers. However, some of the best Clark Pyramid players were B-list at best: Mary Cadorette, Stuart Pankin, Henry Polic II, etc. Most of the guests were supporting cast members on the popular shows of the day, but were hardly people you'd see on Johnny Carson's couch.
I really agree -- if you can play the game well and develop a friendly rapport with contestants, staff, and emcee, you'll be called back time and again even if you're a virtual unknown with 99% of the viewers. If you're really good, you'll be invited back for a Tournament Week.
I'll try to explain what I mean again -- contestants go through a screening process to pick those who the show wants. Much like that, I would think celebrity-based games would do something similar for celebrities -- regardless of name recognition, if you can play the game well you're going on-camera.
Donnymid, on the other hand, seemed to want those who could play the game "moderately" over those who had proven themselves great on Pyramid over the years (such as Betty White). The moderate celebs were usually C/D-listers.
Oddly, the series veterans seemed to be put up against "Countries Surrounding Pakistan", "Shows Developed By Fred Silverman", "Programs Gary Coleman Has Appeared On Through A Cameo", "What Air Would Say", "Things Found In Al Capone's Vault", "Smells Found In The Back Of A Bus", and "Things To Which You Might Lose A Key" much more frequently than the others.
/hopes the aforementioned categories weren't used
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239362\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 08:37 PM\']"Things Found In Al Capone's Vault"[/quote]A morose Geraldo Rivera.
/There is no Y in Eberle, thank you.
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I'm not convinced that the celebrities' skill - or lack thereof - was that big a factor, compared to the writing/judging. Considering that there hadn't been any new episodes of Pyramid produced in a dozen years and that at most a handful of players had appeared before (I actually can't think of anyone off the top of my head other than Betty White and Dick Clark,) I think you need to go back to the early days of the show to compare, not the era we see in reruns, when there was a stable of regular celebrities playing a few weeks a year between the $25K and $100K versions.
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[quote name=\'Unrealtor\' post=\'239368\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 09:08 PM\']I think you need to go back to the early days of the show to compare, not the era we see in reruns, when there was a stable of regular celebrities playing a few weeks a year between the $25K and $100K versions.[/quote]This is an outstanding point. With the show being dormant for ten years, you really can't expect that everyone will be experts straightaway. Now, if the show was still going and in year seven or thereabouts, maybe we can talk.
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On top of that, any shortcomings of the celebrity players were compounded by the format: less time per subject in the front game, so if you didn't get it straight off you were screwed; no returning champions, so players were never able to play with the celebs long enough to get on a wavelength; and the conditions to get in the tournament, which put enormous pressure on both sides in the Winner's Circle (to go along with the esoteric writing therein).
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On top of that, any shortcomings of the celebrity players were compounded by the format: less time per subject in the front game, so if you didn't get it straight off you were screwed; no returning champions, so players were never able to play with the celebs long enough to get on a wavelength; and the conditions to get in the tournament, which put enormous pressure on both sides in the Winner's Circle (to go along with the esoteric writing therein).
Donnymid's problems, in a nutshell -- minus the strict Winner's Circle judging, which required the guesser to say the subject title nearly-verbatim. For some reason, simply uttering the "essence" of the subject (which awarded the box to the contestant in the classic era) was usually not accepted:
* Subject: "Characters from The Wizard of Oz"
* Guess: "Things from The Wizard of Oz"
* Ruling: NOT ACCEPTABLE
* Subject: "Things Mick Jagger Would Say"
* Guess: "Mick Jagger"; "I am Mick Jagger"
* Ruling: NOT ACCEPTABLE
* Subject: "Things A Baby Sitter Says"
* Guess: "Things A Baby Sitter Does"; "Baby Sitter" (latter phrase repeated several times)
* Ruling: NOT ACCEPTABLE
As for qualifying for the Tournament, those rules and the lack of returning champions basically sapped all the fun out of both contestants winning $10,000 -- it turned such an event from "Rematch next time!" into a wash. And some days, especially during Season 2, it just wasn't possible to clear at least one of the Winner's Circle rounds.
(First and third examples were eventually guessed verbatim, and the former ended with a $10,000 win; second example was passed upon and not returned to before time ran out. First two examples are from Donnymid Season 2, while the third is from a first-person report {written, at least in part, by the dearly-missed Randy Amasia} following the taping of the infamous 1996 Pilot; it seems both shows had the same judge.)
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[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'239362\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 08:37 PM\']"What Air Would Say"[/quote]
Come now. "I am the stuff you breathe."
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I am thrilled that CBS is taking another look at "Pyramid" for a revival. If it is as good as the pilot from last year, hopefully we won't have anything to worry about. Hopefully the lesson was learned from the Donnymid mistakes.
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[quote name=\'Dan88\']//Examples #1 and #3 are taken from Donnymid Season 2.[/quote]Wasn't #3 from one of the 90s Pyramid pilots, and not DonnyMid?
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Well not sure if the Pyramid pilot is going to be in our favor. According to this article, Les Moonves' (CBS Executive) wife Julie Chen is also doing a pilot for a new talk show. I am sure he wouldn't go with a game show over his wife.
[post=\"0\"]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/04/cbs-developing-viewstyle-talk-show-with-julie-chen-to-replace-as-the-world-turns.html[/post]
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[quote name=\'Pyramid80\' post=\'239832\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 08:32 AM\']Well not sure if the Pyramid pilot is going to be in our favor. According to this article, Les Moonves' (CBS Executive) wife Julie Chen is also doing a pilot for a new talk show. I am sure he wouldn't go with a game show over his wife.
[post=\"0\"]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/04/cbs-developing-viewstyle-talk-show-with-julie-chen-to-replace-as-the-world-turns.html[/post][/quote]
I noticed that yesterday. I have to believe that with this news.... any Pilot competing for this slot, just lost a great deal of momentum, and is probably bad news for Pyramid at CBS. If Ms. Chen delivers a good Pilot, she's probably the winner. You have to wonder what Freemantle and Michael Davies are thinking right now.
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[quote name=\'Pyramid80\' post=\'239832\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 07:32 AM\']Well not sure if the Pyramid pilot is going to be in our favor. According to this article, Les Moonves' (CBS Executive) wife Julie Chen is also doing a pilot for a new talk show. I am sure he wouldn't go with a game show over his wife.[/quote]What do you have to back this up? If the show tests poorly or what not, it may not get the green light. Besides, its not like she would be out of work if it didn't get picked up.
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[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'239835\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 09:57 AM\'][quote name=\'Pyramid80\' post=\'239832\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 07:32 AM\']Well not sure if the Pyramid pilot is going to be in our favor. According to this article, Les Moonves' (CBS Executive) wife Julie Chen is also doing a pilot for a new talk show. I am sure he wouldn't go with a game show over his wife.[/quote]What do you have to back this up? If the show tests poorly or what not, it may not get the green light. Besides, its not like she would be out of work if it didn't get picked up.
[/quote]
I have no backing information, just clearly going on assumption. But if your wife was a successful news anchor and had a shot of hosting her own talk show, would you not choose her over a game show? Really though, I hope I'm wrong at that the talk show tests poorly. But I agree, she has plenty to keep her busy anyway.
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[quote name=\'Mr. Game Show\' post=\'239833\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 08:19 AM\'][quote name=\'Pyramid80\' post=\'239832\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 08:32 AM\']Well not sure if the Pyramid pilot is going to be in our favor. According to this article, Les Moonves' (CBS Executive) wife Julie Chen is also doing a pilot for a new talk show. I am sure he wouldn't go with a game show over his wife.
[post=\"0\"]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/04/cbs-developing-viewstyle-talk-show-with-julie-chen-to-replace-as-the-world-turns.html[/post][/quote]
I noticed that yesterday. I have to believe that with this news.... any Pilot competing for this slot, just lost a great deal of momentum, and is probably bad news for Pyramid at CBS. If Ms. Chen delivers a good Pilot, she's probably the winner. You have to wonder what Freemantle and Michael Davies are thinking right now.
[/quote]
Has there been any hint as to what NBC plans to do when the Days Of Our Lives "sands of time" finally run out? The most obvious guesses would be either "The Late, Late, Later Today Show" or "Lets give our affiliates another chance to run yet another judge show or two". But I'd love to have the peacock surprise me.
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[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'239839\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 11:48 AM\'][quote name=\'Mr. Game Show\' post=\'239833\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 08:19 AM\'][quote name=\'Pyramid80\' post=\'239832\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 08:32 AM\']Well not sure if the Pyramid pilot is going to be in our favor. According to this article, Les Moonves' (CBS Executive) wife Julie Chen is also doing a pilot for a new talk show. I am sure he wouldn't go with a game show over his wife.
[post=\"0\"]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/04/cbs-developing-viewstyle-talk-show-with-julie-chen-to-replace-as-the-world-turns.html[/post][/quote]
I noticed that yesterday. I have to believe that with this news.... any Pilot competing for this slot, just lost a great deal of momentum, and is probably bad news for Pyramid at CBS. If Ms. Chen delivers a good Pilot, she's probably the winner. You have to wonder what Freemantle and Michael Davies are thinking right now.
[/quote]
Has there been any hint as to what NBC plans to do when the Days Of Our Lives "sands of time" finally run out? The most obvious guesses would be either "The Late, Late, Later Today Show" or "Lets give our affiliates another chance to run yet another judge show or two". But I'd love to have the peacock surprise me.
[/quote]
Hi Tim !
I have no idea what NBC has planned, but I think you have a better shot of ABC cancelling a Soap in late 2010 or 2011, so that might be Plan B. It would be funny if CBS passed on Pyramid, and it found it's way back to ABC.
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[quote name=\'gameshowlover87\' post=\'239361\' date=\'Apr 12 2010, 10:33 PM\']I think you can also add Earl Holliman and Patty Duke (who would drop "Astin" from her name about half-way through the 80's version run following her separation and divorce from John Astin) to the list of A-list celebrities on 80's Pyramid.
I wonder if Teresa Ganzel would also count as an "A-list" celebrity? I mean it's not like you couldn't see her on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson back in the 80's.[/quote]
Patty Duke may count, although she wasn't exactly hot as a firecracker by then, but Earl Holliman? And God love her, but what did Teresa Ganzel do, maybe one sketch every six months? Come on!
And the Julie Chen thing will be interesting, just to see if "The View" works with a really dull panel.
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[quote name=\'Pyramid80\' post=\'239836\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 08:41 AM\']But if your wife was a successful news anchor and you wanted any shot at all of receiving a BJ ever again
had a shot of hosting her own talk show, would you not choose her over a game show?[/quote]
Fixed that for you.
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TVNewser posted an article this morning on the Chen pilot, and there's an interesting angle in the story that, AFAIK, has not been mentioned anywhere else...
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cbs/ab...lden_159190.asp (http://\"http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cbs/about_that_julie_chen_show_and_what_about_amanda_holden_159190.asp\")
It sounds to me that CBS may be taping both 30 and 60-minute pilots for the potential candidates to replace ATWT, or are at least considering all candidates in both a half-hour and full-hour format.
Off the top of my head, I can't think of a 30-minute chatfest that has succeeded in recent years, so that may put the Chen pilot at a disadvantage.
There has also been some speculation that the Chen pilot could be a springboard as a syndicated replacement for CBS affiliates that carry "The Oprah," similar to speculation that ABC may move "The View" to its Disney/Buena Vista syndie arm in 2011 to help its affiliates. Perhaps CBS, er, "encourages" its O&Os to air "ChenView" this fall, ahead of a national release in 2011?
At this point, it's way too early to tell what The Eye plans on doing. IIRC, they didn't announce the LMAD pickup until August.
JD
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[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'239839\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 11:48 AM\']Has there been any hint as to what NBC plans to do when the Days Of Our Lives "sands of time" finally run out? The most obvious guesses would be either "The Late, Late, Later Today Show" or "Lets give our affiliates another chance to run yet another judge show or two". But I'd love to have the peacock surprise me.[/quote]
NBC just renewed Days for another year, so it will be on until at least September 2011. No hint as to what the Peacock wants to do afterward.
JD
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'239843\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 11:02 AM\'][quote name=\'Pyramid80\' post=\'239836\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 08:41 AM\']But if your wife was a successful news anchor and you wanted any shot at all of receiving a BJ ever again
had a shot of hosting her own talk show, would you not choose her over a game show?[/quote]
Fixed that for you.
[/quote]
LOL!
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'239843\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 12:02 PM\'][quote name=\'Pyramid80\' post=\'239836\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 08:41 AM\']But if your wife was a successful news anchor and you wanted any shot at all of receiving a BJ ever again
had a shot of hosting her own talk show, would you not choose her over a game show?[/quote]
Fixed that for you.[/quote]
Talk about your Head of Household.
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[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'239848\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 10:49 AM\']Talk about your Head of Household.[/quote]
http://www.whosawesome.com/images/awesome.jpg (http://\"http://www.whosawesome.com/images/awesome.jpg\")
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lemme give this a crack
TITLE PYRAMID
3 games+WC per hour show
1st game 7-21 for $2100
2nd game double trouble
3rd game mystery 7 prize 10-15k
celeb players-- alternate after every game- lose twice to be eliminated
can try WC 5 times
1st try 10k
2nd 15k .
3rd 25k
4th 50k
5th 100k
every 13 weeks 3 fastest WC times come back for tourny worth 250k
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Why do they have to make pilots of Pyramid? Any network exec worth his salt should know how the game is played. I don't think this will make it to air.
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[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'239857\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 05:42 PM\']Why do they have to make pilots of Pyramid?[/quote]
Because Donnymid.
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[quote name=\'toetyper\' post=\'239856\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 04:58 PM\']TITLE PYRAMID[/quote] As opposed to TITLE RHOMBUS or PHRASE HEPTODECAGON or CATEGORIES ELLIPSE.
3 games+WC per hour show
Blech, I don't like this at all.
And the rest is blah, blah, blah. I want good game play. All of the cutesy bonuses and stuff won't be worth anything if the game play is rubbish.
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Any network exec worth his salt should know how the game is played.
And where would you find said network exec?
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[quote name=\'Fedya\' post=\'239860\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 10:16 PM\']And where would you find said network exec?[/quote]
Working at The Hub.
Tyshaun
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[quote name=\'toetyper\' post=\'239856\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 06:58 PM\']1st game 7-21 for $2100
2nd game double trouble
3rd game mystery 7 prize 10-15k[/quote]Boy, you're original.
Is Double Trouble played for anything, or is it just something to jam players up?
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[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'239857\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 08:42 PM\']Why do they have to make pilots of Pyramid? Any network exec worth his salt should know how the game is played.[/quote]
To see how it will be produced?
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[quote name=\'Fedya\' post=\'239860\' date=\'Apr 22 2010, 09:16 PM\']
Any network exec worth his salt should know how the game is played.
And where would you find said network exec?
[/quote]
The salt mines?