Third Time's a Charm? Pyramid in Development for TBS

[Neumms]

Except wasn't that the exact reason that Donny gave for not doing it?

I don't think Donny would admit it's because he's too dumb to play the game he's hosting.

[Matt Ottinger]

99.9% of the time, no. He'd just run onstage as if the studio were on fire, about 0.000001 seconds after time ran out

I'd like to remind you there are math teachers in the room.  
Also, numbers have meanings too.

[TLEberle]

Good things about Donnymid:

1. The gag category names

I love the idea of the joke topic title. I really liked it on Win Ben Stein's Money, when they had some leeway because they were on basic cable. "One Hump or Two?" doesn't belong on the main game pyramid.

[Neumms]

but I think the Teresa Ganzels and Charlie Sieberts drag down the show.

How so? Any more than Coolio and the Pine Sol lady?

Exactly. At least Teresa Ganzel was better looking than the Pine Sol lady. If I recall correctly, Coolio played reasonably well, didn't he?

[Twentington]

I'd like to remind you there are math teachers in the room.  
Also, numbers have meanings too.

Taking into mind both my abysmal math skills and the fact that I didn't mean either number in the literal sense (file under "gets rid of 99.9% of germs")...

99.9% Almost all of the time, no. He'd just run onstage as if the studio were on fire, about 0.000001 seconds after the instant time ran out

That better?

[TLEberle]

but I think the Teresa Ganzels and Charlie Sieberts drag down the show.

How so? Any more than Coolio and the Pine Sol lady?

Exactly. At least Teresa Ganzel was better looking than the Pine Sol lady. If I recall correctly, Coolio played reasonably well, didn't he?

Exactly what? I don't get what your problem with the C-list stars is, other than "they're there, and they're not as famous as the bar I've set for game show guests". It is well established that the game is used with contestants and guest stars. 80s Pyramid went with proven game players who could put on a good show for five episodes, collect their scale, and come back later. Bob wasn't going to pay extra to get a "big name."

[Jay Temple]

Good things about Donnymid:

1. The gag category names

I love the idea of the joke topic title. I really liked it on Win Ben Stein's Money, when they had some leeway because they were on basic cable. "One Hump or Two?" doesn't belong on the main game pyramid.

One thing that I hoped would happen from being in the same corporate family as J! is themed categories, e.g., LLOYD and BRIDGES. In 1987, when Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight played the $100KP for a week, either SMOKY ROBINSON or GLADYS KNIGHT was a category. I thought it would have been clever to have both.

[Jimmy Owen]

I do remember there were some stars who did Cullen pyramid that didn't do the daytime show.  Freddie Prinze comes to mind most.  Maybe that was Viacom's call.

[MikeK]

I'd like to remind you there are math teachers in the room.  
Also, numbers have meanings too.

Dibs on the spinoff show.

[vtown7]

I really don't care who they get (as in how-far-down-the-alphabet-lister-stars), as long as they can play the game well and they don't resort to the Donnymid way of giving them clues in advance for the WC.

For Squares, I understand as that's part of the bluffing technique, but for Pyramid it was horribly out of place.

[Neumms]

Exactly what? I don't get what your problem with the C-list stars is, other than "they're there, and they're not as famous as the bar I've set for game show guests". It is well established that the game is used with contestants and guest stars. 80s Pyramid went with proven game players who could put on a good show for five episodes, collect their scale, and come back later. Bob wasn't going to pay extra to get a "big name."

I think if you're going to call people guest stars, they should be stars. The idea is to give viewers someone to care about. If they're not anyone who I recognize or who projects a fun and likable personality, I don't care. Exacerbating the problem is that by having them there, the host tends to play to the "star," so the contestants become interchangeable, too. I want the presentation to be as interesting as possible. If they can't get or won't pay stars, then the contestants should be the stars and the show needs to be hosted differently to play that up.

[clemon79]

I think if you're going to call people guest stars, they should be stars.

Semantic point, but since you're being just as semantic:

On the '80s show, the verbiage was "Today's special guests are..." or "Our special guests this week...". Don't remember the word "stars" ever being used.

If they're not anyone who I recognize or who projects a fun and likable personality, I don't care.

Okay, but what I get out of this statement is "If I recognize them, it's okay if they're a dud," which comes off incredibly shallow, or "If I don't recognize them, if they're fun and likable, I will enjoy watching them," which is a fine candidate for the Captain Obvious Memorial Trophy.

Neither statement convinces me of the validity of your argument.

[Neumms]

On the '80s show, the verbiage was "Today's special guests are..." or "Our special guests this week...". Don't remember the word "stars" ever being used.

If they're not anyone who I recognize or who projects a fun and likable personality, I don't care.

Okay, but what I get out of this statement is "If I recognize them, it's okay if they're a dud," which comes off incredibly shallow, or "If I don't recognize them, if they're fun and likable, I will enjoy watching them," which is a fine candidate for the Captain Obvious Memorial Trophy.

Neither statement convinces me of the validity of your argument.

Point taken on the first, but I'd say "special" is pushing it, too. I think your comments on the latter are beside the point. I don't say they should bring in famous people even if they can't play. I say if the "special guests" offer no entertainment value--no humor, no glamor, no unique charm or charisma--I'd rather see pairs of civilian contestants. Otherwise, why are "special guests" even there?

[clemon79]

I think your comments on the latter are beside the point.

Then we're clearly so far apart on this that there's little point in continuing the discussion.

Otherwise, why are "special guests" even there?

I've already given my answer to this question a solid fifty posts ago.

[NickS]

The idea is to give viewers someone to care about. If they're not anyone who I recognize or who projects a fun and likable personality, I don't care.

I'm with you - to a point.  There were some celebs that I couldn't stand watching but that could be counted on one hand.  However, just because I didn't watch "Benson" didn't mean that any time an actor came on the show I turned it off; I watched for the game.