$20,000 Pyramid

[Jay Temple]

I remember, after they went from $10K to $20K, that when game 2 on Friday ended in a tie, the celebrities would play for $5,000, and the contestants would split it. Since some people have detailed information on such things, I'll ask:

1. Did the two changes happen at the same time, or did they have at least one tie-breaker round late on a Friday?
2. Does there appear to have been a rule about how they were partnered when they returned on Monday, e.g., challenger with male celebrity?

[snowpeck]

Can only offer an attempt at an answer for #2, but I seem to remember that sort of thing was usually determined by a coin toss.

[Ian Wallis]

1. Did the two changes happen at the same time, or did they have at least one tie-breaker round late on a Friday?

Just going from vague memories here, but I'm sure that they played tie-breakers on Friday for at least a while.  I recall one incident where they had to go to three tie-breakers.  After that it was still tied and time was up.  Dick stated both would return on Monday but they'd start a new game with two new celebrities, instead of continuing on with the tie-breaker.  Maybe that's why they implemented that rule so that sort of thing wouldn't happen again, and at least they'd award some money.

[William A. Padron]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'243798\' date=\'Jul 7 2010, 11:10 AM\']

1. Did the two changes happen at the same time, or did they have at least one tie-breaker round late on a Friday?

Just going from vague memories here, but I'm sure that they played tie-breakers on Friday for at least a while.  I recall one incident where they had to go to three tie-breakers.  After that it was still tied and time was up.  Dick stated both would return on Monday but they'd start a new game with two new celebrities, instead of continuing on with the tie-breaker.  Maybe that's why they implemented that rule so that sort of thing wouldn't happen again, and at least they'd award some money.
[/quote]

The earliest account, as recalled from the message posting of another New York City Pyramid fan that I once read about, of that second Winner's Circle round that had the two celebrity guests playing for $5,000 after a tied-game was now formally established when the show became The $20,000 Pyramid on that first aired week in January 1976, with guests Jo Anne Worley and Bill Cullen.  On that episode (OAD: 1/23/1976), it was reported that Jo Anne gave the clues to Bill, but could only manage to clear the first two $50 boxes on the giant pyramid board.

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'William A. Padron\' post=\'243852\' date=\'Jul 8 2010, 09:15 AM\']The earliest account, as recalled from the message posting of another New York City Pyramid fan that I once read about, of that second Winner's Circle round that had the two celebrity guests playing for $5,000 after a tied-game was now formally established when the show became The $20,000 Pyramid on that first aired week in January 1976, with guests Jo Anne Worley and Bill Cullen.  On that episode (OAD: 1/23/1976), it was reported that Jo Anne gave the clues to Bill, but could only manage to clear the first two $50 boxes on the giant pyramid board.[/quote]
For those of you who'd rather read that in English than Padronese:

"The earliest occurrence I know of happened on January 23, 1976, the first week of the $20,000 format.  Jo Anne Worley gave clues to Bill Cullen, but they only got the first two boxes."

[Ian Wallis]

The earliest account, as recalled from the message posting of another New York City Pyramid fan that I once read about, of that second Winner's Circle round that had the two celebrity guests playing for $5,000 after a tied-game was now formally established when the show became The $20,000 Pyramid on that first aired week in January 1976, with guests Jo Anne Worley and Bill Cullen.

Good - now we're getting some good timelines.  The incident I remember must have been from summer 1975.  With each tie-breaker I kept hoping they'd run out of time because I wanted to see what happened on the Monday.  After three they went to commercial, came back and that's when Dick said they'd start a new game.  For me, kind of disappointing...I was hoping a tie-breaker at the top of a Monday episode might throw off the timing a bit, just like in the CBS years where sometimes a game would start mid-way through.