How big was the "Pyramid" endgame board in person?

[animill9]

Ive always wondered, how big was the "big pyramid" board? The reason I'n asking is that I was on the Internet a couple of days ago and stumbled upon an old promotional photo for "The $100,000 Pyramid" that had Dick Clark standing under the big board itself while he was pointing up at the "$100,000" sign. He looked so tiny next to that thing! Some say that it was as big as a two-story house, is that true?

[Speedy G]

Ive always wondered, how big was the "big pyramid" board? The reason I'n asking is that I was on the Internet a couple of days ago and stumbled upon an old promotional photo for "The $100,000 Pyramid" that had Dick Clark standing under the big board itself while he was pointing up at the "$100,000" sign. He looked so tiny next to that thing! Some say that it was as big as a two-story house, is that true?

The picture at the top of this page gives a pretty good idea of the scale of the gameboard, with all the people standing around.  The tallest only reach the bottom row of trilons, so it being two stories tall is quite likely.  An exact height, I couldn't begin to tell you.

[Kevin Prather]

Judging by that picture, if I were to estimate, I'd say around 15-20 feet. I'm not sure though.

[MrBuddwing]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'117893\' date=\'May 6 2006, 02:49 PM\']
Judging by that picture, if I were to estimate, I'd say around 15-20 feet. I'm not sure though.
[/quote]

I can't speak for "The $100,000 Pyramid," but I did attend several tapings of the original $10,000 and $25,000 "Pyramids" at ABC's studio in New York back in the 1970s. And although I should have known better, I was struck by how much smaller the set looked in real life than it did on TV.

The estimate of 15 to 20 feet high sounds about right. Actually, what was surprising was the distance from the back of the set to the front - that's what turned out to be a lot smaller in reality. At home on TV, it looked like the TV cameras were a good 25 or 30 feet away, taking in a huge room, when in reality the cameras were extremely close to the stage. One visual trick they pulled (don't know if this happened on the later incarnations of "Pyramid") was that Dick Clark's lectern was parked very close to the winner's circle; when it was time to do the Pyramid, they wheeled the lectern away, leaving a good amount of space around the circle and increasing the sense of space.

Wonderful things, those wide-angle lenses.

[Clay Zambo]

[quote name=\'MrBuddwing\' post=\'117929\' date=\'May 7 2006, 03:12 AM\']
One visual trick they pulled (don't know if this happened on the later incarnations of "Pyramid") was that Dick Clark's lectern was parked very close to the winner's circle; when it was time to do the Pyramid, they wheeled the lectern away, leaving a good amount of space around the circle and increasing the sense of space.
[/quote]

I recall the occasional game in the pre-$25K days that ran into more than one tiebreaker, enough that they didn't go to commercial between tiebreaker and endgame.  Now and again you'd see DC's lectern being pulled out of the frame as contestants moved to the WC.

In the Donny version, I'm told, they specifically included the little pyramid in the WC shots.  I don't know what the point of doing that was, though.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Clay Zambo\' post=\'117942\' date=\'May 7 2006, 01:15 PM\']
In the Donny version, I'm told, they specifically included the little pyramid in the WC shots.  I don't know what the point of doing that was, though.
[/quote]
You can pretty much make this comment with regard to almost ANY decision regarding that production.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Clay Zambo\' post=\'117942\' date=\'May 7 2006, 04:15 PM\']


I recall the occasional game in the pre-$25K days that ran into more than one tiebreaker, enough that they didn't go to commercial between tiebreaker and endgame.  Now and again you'd see DC's lectern being pulled out of the frame as contestants moved to the WC.

[/quote]

But didn't the 70s Pyramid(save when Cullen was a guest) always do the tiebreaker after a commercial?

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' post=\'117953\' date=\'May 7 2006, 07:18 PM\']
But didn't the 70s Pyramid(save when Cullen was a guest) always do the tiebreaker after a commercial?
[/quote]

I am pretty sure they did. I know for a fact that $50K did, as I can remember Dick exclaiming, "It's a tie!!! We'll break that tie right after this!!!" and they cut to commercial.

[Unrealtor]

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'117962\' date=\'May 7 2006, 07:45 PM\']
[quote name=\'zachhoran\' post=\'117953\' date=\'May 7 2006, 07:18 PM\']
But didn't the 70s Pyramid(save when Cullen was a guest) always do the tiebreaker after a commercial?
[/quote]

I am pretty sure they did. I know for a fact that $50K did, as I can remember Dick exclaiming, "It's a tie!!! We'll break that tie right after this!!!" and they cut to commercial.
[/quote]

I remember seeing tiebreakers after the commercial during an early CBS $25K episode on GSN a couple years back. (I think it was the Lucille Ball tribute night; she was one of the celebrities.) This was also the only fastest-to-seven tiebreaker I've seen where they needed a second tiebreaker round. The last answer from the second team started at virtually the same time as the buzzer.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'Unrealtor\' post=\'117996\' date=\'May 8 2006, 03:27 PM\']
I remember seeing tiebreakers after the commercial during an early CBS $25K episode on GSN a couple years back. (I think it was the Lucille Ball tribute night; she was one of the celebrities.) This was also the only fastest-to-seven tiebreaker I've seen where they needed a second tiebreaker round. The last answer from the second team started at virtually the same time as the buzzer.
[/quote]

I think during the early days of the CBS $25K Pyramid, they also did the tiebreaker after commercial. I'm thinking there was also a week where there might have been a third tiebreaker round needed. It might have been with Michael J. Fox as one of the celebs; not sure.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'May 8 2006, 12:34 PM\']I'm thinking there was also a week where there might have been a third tiebreaker round needed. It might have been with Michael J. Fox as one of the celebs; not sure.[/quote]
Denise Miller and Michael J. Fox were the celebs. One game went to three tiebreakers (the first two were 5-5 and 6-6); the other that day went to a single tiebreak.

[Ian Wallis]

Denise Miller and Michael J. Fox were the celebs. One game went to three tiebreakers (the first two were 5-5 and 6-6); the other that day went to a single tiebreak.

By that time getting all the answers was quite common, and that was the only time I can recall (off the top of my head) not seeing at least one team get to 7 in a tiebreaker on the CBS version.  

There were a few times where both teams got 7 and it seemed to me it was another tie, because one team's answer finished right on the buzzer, but they awarded that team the win.  I guess half-seconds must have counted!

I think all the tiebreakers in the early days were after the commercial.  I don't think they stated playing them before the commercial until sometime in 1983.  It must have made it easier for the contestants when they did.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Unrealtor\' post=\'117996\' date=\'May 8 2006, 03:27 PM\']

I remember seeing tiebreakers after the commercial during an early CBS $25K episode on GSN a couple years back. (I think it was the Lucille Ball tribute night; she was one of the celebrities.) This was also the only fastest-to-seven tiebreaker I've seen where they needed a second tiebreaker round. The last answer from the second team started at virtually the same time as the buzzer.
[/quote]

Lucy never did Pyramid IIRC. They aired this Miller/Fox multiple tiebreaker episode in a Saturday night Pyramid marathon in May 2001(eight episodes, four each with Michael J Fox and Billy Crystal from 1983). The Lucy tribute was in October 2001 and featured a week each of Kennedy P+ and Super Password with Lucy as part of an all-star week of shows(she got word of Desi's death during the taping of SP). That was back when P+ and SP aired weeknights from 7-8PM EST.