Author Topic: Pyramid "Things You Plan" incident (Read 13586 times)

Twentington · « **on:** May 15, 2010, 02:46:03 PM »

When I first got GSN about seven years ago, I remember seeing an episode of either the $25,000 or $100,000 Pyramid. It involved a Winner's Circle round where, at first, the team looked like they were about to pull a Billy Crystal... but then got to the top box and spent over 30 seconds failing to get "Things You Plan." Does anyone know when this happened?

byrd62 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 15, 2010, 08:11:27 PM »

I might remember this one. Would Twentington be referring to a $25,000 Pyramid from about 1987 in which Stuart Pankin and his teammate were playing for $10,000 in the first Winner's Circle round? As they were working the last category, "Things You Plan" and time was running out....

Stuart's clue: "the day ahead"

Contestant: "Things you plan"

They celebrate thinking they have won, but the box turned around back to the Pyramid shape and the buzzer rings repeatedly while they were celebrating. Dick Clark then explains that Stuart's "day ahead" clue was ruled too descriptive, thus forfeiting the $10,000 win.

Professional wrestling in the 1980's has been known for its "Dusty finishes" in which a wrestler thinks he won only to have the win thrown out on a vague technicality. Would it be apples-and-oranges to call this particular Pyramid incident a "Stewart finish" along the lines of Didi Conn's "Famous Losers", Jay Johnson's newspaper clue, or a similar incident, prob. from the $100,000 Pyramid involving Jackée Harry of 227 fame? [Never mind that these "Stewart finishes", as inherently bad as they all were, were within the rules of the game.]

WarioBarker · « **Reply #2 on:** May 15, 2010, 08:56:38 PM »

Could you explain the Jay Johnson and Jackee Harry incidents? I know about the "Famous Losers" one, but I don't recall the other two.

EDIT: Twentington and I are editors on TV Tropes. The incident he describes is listed on the the show's main page, under "Epic Fail".

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #3 on:** May 15, 2010, 09:09:28 PM »

[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'240920\' date=\'May 15 2010, 05:56 PM\'][quote name=\'byrd62\' post=\'240917\' date=\'May 15 2010, 08:11 PM\']Would it be apples-and-oranges to call this particular Pyramid incident a "Stewart finish" along the lines of Didi Conn's "Famous Losers", Jay Johnson's newspaper clue, or a similar incident, prob. from the $100,000 Pyramid involving Jackée Harry of 227 fame? [Never mind that these "Stewart finishes", as inherently bad as they all were, were within the rules of the game.][/quote]
Could you explain the Jay Johnson and Jackee Harry incidents, for those of us keeping score at home? I know about the "Famous Losers" incident, but I don't recall the other two.
[/quote]
I believe the Jay Johnson incident was giving the clue "Something from a newspaper" for "Things you clip".

Otm Shank · « **Reply #4 on:** May 15, 2010, 09:15:27 PM »

The only Jackée Harry incident I am aware of was the three-strikes Winners' Circle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtF_B7JU9sY

And, for the record, the Famous Losers is .... ACK! The video link has been pulled down.

Twentington · « **Reply #5 on:** May 15, 2010, 10:10:40 PM »

[quote name=\'byrd62\' post=\'240917\' date=\'May 15 2010, 08:11 PM\']I might remember this one. Would Twentington be referring to a $25,000 Pyramid from about 1987 in which Stuart Pankin and his teammate were playing for $10,000 in the first Winner's Circle round? As they were working the last category, "Things You Plan" and time was running out....

Stuart's clue: "the day ahead"

Contestant: "Things you plan"

They celebrate thinking they have won, but the box turned around back to the Pyramid shape and the buzzer rings repeatedly while they were celebrating. Dick Clark then explains that Stuart's "day ahead" clue was ruled too descriptive, thus forfeiting the $10,000 win.[/quote]

Huh. Maybe I have two incidents mixed up. I remember the "day ahead" clue getting buzzed, but I could've sworn that "Things You Plan" was the top box in the incident I described.

pyrfan · « **Reply #6 on:** May 16, 2010, 01:34:06 AM »

First a slight correction and then what I think is the answer to the original question.

The "your day ahead" incident actually happened with Harry Waters Jr., not Stuart Pankin. I can see where the confusion came from, though, because Stuart was a guest the very next week.

I did see a team spend 30 seconds or so on THINGS YOU PLAN as the top box and not get it. That was David Graf and his partner Pom on the very first episode of "The $25,000 Pyramid's" 13-week return to CBS in 1988.

Brendan

Twentington · « **Reply #7 on:** May 16, 2010, 01:38:57 PM »

[quote name=\'pyrfan\' post=\'240928\' date=\'May 16 2010, 01:34 AM\']I did see a team spend 30 seconds or so on THINGS YOU PLAN as the top box and not get it. That was David Graf and his partner Pom on the very first episode of "The $25,000 Pyramid's" 13-week return to CBS in 1988.[/quote]

Thanks! That second one is the one I was thinking of.

CJBojangles · « **Reply #8 on:** May 16, 2010, 02:20:09 PM »

[quote name=\'Otm Shank\' post=\'240922\' date=\'May 15 2010, 06:15 PM\']The only Jackée Harry incident I am aware of was the three-strikes Winners' Circle...[/quote]
I also remember Jackée costing a contestant the money in the top box giving the clue "A wolf on a mountain." Can't remember the category, but I do remember it causing some confusion.

Not to threadjack, but while we're on the subject of obscure Pyramid happenings, and rather than starting a whole new thread about it, I have a question.

I seem to remember on one of the 80's Pyramid eps (Don't remember if it was $25K or $100K) a category in the $100 box something along the lines of "What a Kid Might Say". After the contestant repeatedly said the words "Child" and "Children" without receiving credit, the pair made it to the top save for that one category. After time ran out, Dick came out and asked the judge if "child" and "kid" were synonymous, after which a series of bells and the win music were played, and the contestant won, IIRC, $25K.

Did I dream this up, or did it actually happen, and if so, does anyone know when?

pyrfan · « **Reply #9 on:** May 17, 2010, 01:01:08 AM »

[quote name=\'CJBojangles\' post=\'240945\' date=\'May 16 2010, 02:20 PM\']I seem to remember on one of the 80's Pyramid eps (Don't remember if it was $25K or $100K) a category in the $100 box something along the lines of "What a Kid Might Say". After the contestant repeatedly said the words "Child" and "Children" without receiving credit, the pair made it to the top save for that one category. After time ran out, Dick came out and asked the judge if "child" and "kid" were synonymous, after which a series of bells and the win music were played, and the contestant won, IIRC, $25K.

Did I dream this up, or did it actually happen, and if so, does anyone know when?[/quote]
This happened the second week of Dick Clark's "$100,000 Pyramid," with none other than future star Mel Harris as the contestant. The box read "WHAT YOUR CHILD SAYS," and Mel kept saying "kid" in response to Markie Post's clues. There was an obvious edit where Dick made the aforementioned plea, and the judge did indeed consider "child" and "kid" synonymous and awarded Mel the $25K.

With all the hubbub surrounding that category, I was surprised to see it surface again on the daytime show in 1986 without "kid" in parentheses. This time, though, when the contestant said "kid," she was quickly credited with a correct answer.

Brendan

WarioBarker · « **Reply #10 on:** May 17, 2010, 03:39:46 AM »

Quote from: pyrfan on May 17, 2010, 01:01:08 AM

This happened the second week of Dick Clark's "$100,000 Pyramid," with none other than future star Mel Harris as the contestant. The box read "WHAT YOUR CHILD SAYS," and Mel kept saying "kid" in response to Markie Post's clues. There was an obvious edit where Dick made the aforementioned plea, and the judge did indeed consider "child" and "kid" synonymous and awarded Mel the $25K.

Until you mentioned the pleading and the ruling, this could have just as easily happened on Donnymid. Osmond, IIRC, never tried to plead with the judge -- hell, I think he was scared of the judge. Of course, if he pleaded then the judge would have to explain why he was so freakin' strict.

I'd love to get the official line on why obscure/impossible categories were used and why the judge was so anal regarding what was accepted. And here I thought Fremantle was the only one who screws up classic formats...

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #11 on:** May 17, 2010, 09:02:54 AM »

[quote name=\'Otm Shank\' post=\'240922\' date=\'May 15 2010, 09:15 PM\']The only Jackée Harry incident I am aware of was the three-strikes Winners' Circle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtF_B7JU9sY

And, for the record, the Famous Losers is .... ACK! The video link has been pulled down.[/quote]

Speaking of three buzzes...I don't know if this is on Youtube or not (haven't been able to find it)...maybe Brendan or someone else can help me out here.

I'm sure there was another incident where there were three buzzes in the winner's circle. It involved Dick Cavett, and he was so pissed that he gave a clue which had to be bleeped on the top category (which he was credited for).

Anyone remember any details about this?

Mr. Armadillo · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2010, 09:22:09 AM »

[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'240920\' date=\'May 15 2010, 07:56 PM\']EDIT: Twentington and I are editors on TV Tropes.[/quote]

Does this bother anyone else as much as it bothers me?

mmb5 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 17, 2010, 09:52:00 AM »

I believe Colin Mochrie on Donnymid also had a three strikes winner circle.

Mr. Matté · « **Reply #14 on:** May 17, 2010, 09:59:29 AM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'240961\' date=\'May 17 2010, 08:02 AM\']I'm sure there was another incident where there were three buzzes in the winner's circle. It involved Dick Cavett, and he was so pissed that he gave a clue which had to be bleeped on the top category (which he was credited for).[/quote]

I sure don't remember it, but someone else sure has.