Davidson Pyramid Question

[cmjb13]

Was the reason Dick Clark wasn't chosen to host because it was a syndicator's choice or was it because Clark was busy with other projects?

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'cmjb13\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 06:40 PM\'] Was the reason Dick Clark wasn't chosen to host because it was a syndicator's choice or was it because Clark was busy with other projects? [/quote]
Clark was hosting and co-producing the Challengers, also a syndicated show, for his company in association with Ron Greenberg Productions and Buena Vista/Disney when Davidson Pyramid began. Davidson Pyramid did limp into a second half-season while the CHallengers was not renewed, but Bob Stewart and Co. chose to keep Davidson as host rather than bring Clark back.

[Ian Wallis]

Davidson Pyramid did limp into a second half-season while the CHallengers was not renewed, but Bob Stewart and Co. chose to keep Davidson as host rather than bring Clark back.

Here's an interesting question:  if they brought Clark back for the second season, do you think the show would have lasted longer?

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 09:05 AM\']

Here's an interesting question:  if they brought Clark back for the second season, do you think the show would have lasted longer? [/quote]
 Given the decline of game shows at that time, it's not too likely the show would have lasted longer.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 09:30 AM\'][quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 09:05 AM\']

Here's an interesting question:  if they brought Clark back for the second season, do you think the show would have lasted longer? [/quote]
Given the decline of game shows at that time, it's not too likely the show would have lasted longer.[/quote]
I'm going to have to agree with Zach here--given the lackluster station lineup and lack of support from Multimedia, who'd acquired the show when acquiring Orbis, it's highly unlikely that bringing Dick back would've saved the show.

The sort of ratings surge that's happening this season with "Feud" just doesn't happen very often.

[pyrfan]

I always thought it was strange that Davidson's "Pyramid" didn't finish out its second season. I don't know how much this affected the decision to terminate the show, but one factor that probably didn't help was that in the final week of non-tournament play, Davidson actually made fun of a sponsor's Mystery 7 prize -- a $5,000 trip to Korea -- at great length on the air. During the broadcast, he kept referring to how funny he thought it was that they were giving away a trip to Korea. I would imagine that Mystery 7 sponsors wouldn't be amused by that.

Maybe it would have benefited all concerned if they had just waited to launch the new "Pyramid" in the fall of 1991. That way -- although they couldn't have known this at the time -- they could have had Clark hosting again. (However, eagle-eyed executives could have noticed the poor numbers for "Challengers" and predicted that it would not be renewed for fall of 1991.) Plus, it seems like it's a lot easier for a new syndicated show to get publicity in the fall rather than midseason.


Brendan

[ChuckNet]

Plus, it seems like it's a lot easier for a new syndicated show to get publicity in the fall rather than midseason.

There's a lot of truth to that...let's consider all the syndie games that launched in mid-season:

Celebrity Charades
The Cross-Wits
Dealer's Choice
The Diamond Head Game
Face the Music
$50K Pyramid
Davidson's Pyramid
$otC
WL (syndie)

...and except for the 2nd show on this list, none of them had a run that could really be called successful...3 were gone after a sole half-season, 3 only managed a second-season renewal, one managed to last 3 seasons but was canned midway through the 3rd season, and you know the fate behind Davidson's $100K.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 08:24 PM\']

Plus, it seems like it's a lot easier for a new syndicated show to get publicity in the fall rather than midseason.

There's a lot of truth to that...let's consider all the syndie games that launched in mid-season:

Celebrity Charades
The Cross-Wits
Dealer's Choice
The Diamond Head Game
Face the Music
$50K Pyramid
Davidson's Pyramid
$otC
WL (syndie)

...and except for the 2nd show on this list, none of them had a run that could really be called successful...3 were gone after a sole half-season, 3 only managed a second-season renewal, one managed to last 3 seasons but was canned midway through the 3rd season, and you know the fate behind Davidson's $100K.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby") [/quote]
 Add to the mid-season syndie debuts: Play the Percentages, Split Second(Monty Hall), Studs(debuted as early as March 1991 in some areas), Swaps, $1 Million Chance of a Lifetime, Marc Summers Double Dare(Syndicated), Perfect Match(Bob Goen), Camouflage. And as Chuck said, shows that debut in mid-season in syndication don't last all that long usually.

[tommycharles]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 08:45 PM\'] $1 Million Chance of a Lifetime, [/quote]
 Even though this didn't last all that long, wasn't it considered a success anyway? I'm sure I remember seeing that this beat Wheel one week.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 11:31 AM\'] [quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 08:45 PM\'] $1 Million Chance of a Lifetime, [/quote]
Even though this didn't last all that long, wasn't it considered a success anyway? I'm sure I remember seeing that this beat Wheel one week. [/quote]
 It ranked eighth among game shows in SUmmer 1986 as per a rating list of the top 10 in TV Game $how Magazine. I think all the shows listed had a syndicated version at the time. It was a moderate success. $ale of the Century was seventh on the list, and the syndie version was in its final reruns before disappearing altogether.

[dmota104]

Davidson actually made fun of a sponsor's Mystery 7 prize -- a $5,000 trip to Korea -- at great length on the air. During the broadcast, he kept referring to how funny he thought it was that they were giving away a trip to Korea. I would imagine that Mystery 7 sponsors wouldn't be amused by that.

Heh, never heard about this.  What companies provided the air transportation and hotel accomodations for this trip?

[Don Howard]

What companies provided the air transportation and hotel accomodations for this trip?

They were flown in by chopper.