Pyramid Pilot

[PYLdude]

Call it "All-Stars." Take away the $500 per category. Reduce the $10,000 base to $5,000 for normal play. Take a page from Classic Concentration and award a bonus prize for the fastest win.

"Hey Brandine, what's on that Judge Judy?"

[TLEberle]

"Hey Brandine, what's on that Judge Judy?"

Beg pardon? Do you have something substantive, or are you going to throw cliched memes at me in lieu of content?

$100,000 Pyramid jettisoned the bonus cards during the tournaments. If you reduce the starting bank for regular play, you save $5,000 per ascent, and can have a "$100,000 Tournament." You can award $25,000 for an ascent during the tournament and a further $75,000 for the fastest to do so.

I am really getting tired of the idea that game shows have to be designed for the lowest common denominator, because that's how you get Minute To Win It and Who's Still Standing.

[PYLdude]

"Hey Brandine, what's on that Judge Judy?"

Beg pardon? Do you have something substantive, or are you going to throw cliched memes at me in lieu of content?

$100,000 Pyramid jettisoned the bonus cards during the tournaments. If you reduce the starting bank for regular play, you save $5,000 per ascent, and can have a "$100,000 Tournament." You can award $25,000 for an ascent during the tournament and a further $75,000 for the fastest to do so.

I am really getting tired of the idea that game shows have to be designed for the lowest common denominator, because that's how you get Minute To Win It and Who's Still Standing.

"Hey Brandine, what's on that Judge Judy?"

Beg pardon? Do you have something substantive, or are you going to throw cliched memes at me in lieu of content?

I figured it was more tactful than to tell you your idea is bad.

Why are you going to water down what we've been used to from Pyramid? Even if you take away the $500 per category bonus, playing for a combined $10K with a sweep is just anticlimactic. And anticlimactic finishes translate to bad television.

$100,000 Pyramid jettisoned the bonus cards during the tournaments. If you reduce the starting bank for regular play, you save $5,000 per ascent, and can have a "$100,000 Tournament." You can award $25,000 for an ascent during the tournament and a further $75,000 for the fastest to do so.

First off, there's no need to "save" anything. The producers here obviously are being given a decent size budget and I see no reasons to make cuts when all they do is smack of skinflinting on their part.

Second of all, regarding the tournament, why does it need to be so unnecessarily complicated? If someone goes up early in the tourney and no one else does, there's the anticlimax again.

[TLEberle]

Why are you going to water down what we've been used to from Pyramid? Even if you take away the $500 per category bonus, playing for a combined $10K with a sweep is just anticlimactic. And anticlimactic finishes translate to bad television.

I think you misunderstood. If you reduce the starting bank to $5,000, and increase it with $5,000 for each 7-for-7, that makes a potential $20,000 try, and two of 'em in a show makes forty grand.

Second of all, regarding the tournament, why does it need to be so unnecessarily complicated? If someone goes up early in the tourney and no one else does, there's the anticlimax again.

What is "unnecessarily complicated" about "the player who completes our marquee event in the fastest time wins the jackpot"?

I think that it is terrific that GSN is finally devoting some money to their prize budget, as opposed to the days where you'd either win $500 or $5,000. I don't think that throwing money at every opportunity is going to make or break the show, and if you want to have a championship week, that this is certainly miles better than "hey, you were selected for our sweeps week of episodes so you're facing the mob for $100,000."

I notice that while you were right quick to take a big steamy dump all over my back-of-the-envelope ideas, you haven't put up anything yourself.

[BillCullen1]

I am really getting tired of the idea that game shows have to be designed for the lowest common denominator, because that's how you get Minute To Win It and Who's Still Standing.

To be fair, Who's Still Standing required SOME knowledge. Not much, but some.

Bringing this back on topic, do we know where they did the Pyramid pilot, as in what studio and complex?

[PYLdude]

Travis, in response.

1) I must've missed that part and apologize. However I'm not a fan of the "category sweeps jack up WC prize" thing in general, so you could start the pot at $100K per trip and it wouldn't sit as well.

2) but why do you have to make that adjustment in the first place? Why can't you just have it like the original $100K Pyramid did? And what happens if no one goes up in your format? No matter what you decide no one will be satisfied with how it ends.

[TLEberle]

1) I must've missed that part and apologize. However I'm not a fan of the "category sweeps jack up WC prize" thing in general, so you could start the pot at $100K per trip and it wouldn't sit as well.

Well, if you don't like a thing, I can talk until Skittles fly out my pooper and it won't make any difference, but at least now I know that you're operating from that, and even though I disagree and dig it, know how to approach this. The intriguing bit for me is that you could win far more money in a single episode than at any other time in the show's history, but you have to work for it.

2) but why do you have to make that adjustment in the first place? Why can't you just have it like the original $100K Pyramid did?

Because I'm working under the assumption that they have a fixed number of episodes to work with, and finishing the order with a big horkin' event is better than limping to the finish line with regular episodes or worse, having an event but nobody wins it. If there was assurance that the thing would run indefinitely, yeah, make it like the old days.

The solution to "what if no one wins" is you have the clock count up, and the money is awarded for completing the job in under :60. It worked on Concentration, it would work here.

[PYLdude]

1) I must've missed that part and apologize. However I'm not a fan of the "category sweeps jack up WC prize" thing in general, so you could start the pot at $100K per trip and it wouldn't sit as well.

Well, if you don't like a thing, I can talk until Skittles fly out my pooper and it won't make any difference, but at least now I know that you're operating from that, and even though I disagree and dig it, know how to approach this. The intriguing bit for me is that you could win far more money in a single episode than at any other time in the show's history, but you have to work for it.

Well, I suppose the old "to each their own" applies, right? I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it would play out once it would hit air. But at least we're back on the same page, I hope.

And don't let Mars Inc. see this post. I've seen enough disturbing Skittles commercials over the last decade without them getting any other ideas.

/seriously, I drew the line at this one

[BrandonFG]

And don't let Mars Inc. see this post. I've seen enough disturbing Skittles commercials over the last decade without them getting any other ideas.

/seriously, I drew the line at this one

This. I'm beyond tired of these random, quirky commercials that go out of their way to be odd, to the point to where you can't figure what it has to do with the product. I think Skittles is one of the worst offenders.

[HYHYBT]

Rest assured, you're the ONLY one.

No particular affinity for him, it's just that the game is good enough when done right,and the host's part small enough (or at least can be) that it would still be (and was) better than most of what's on TV. I'm not saying I'd *prefer* they get him back, only that it wouldn't ruin the show if they get everything else right.

Would you honestly not want the 1991 version to have had a longer run?

It's not so much whether the player has an "incentive" to get all the money they can, but whether the viewer has a reason to watch all of the second round. Once it's clear, because of either time elapsed or an illegal clue, that there's not going to be a win, having a score to beat makes the round more interesting.

If there are viewers leaving during the Winners Circle round, even after a win is no longer possible, then the show is doing something very, very wrong.

Now, if you could go with someone "better" for Pyramid '91,

Bob Goen.

Was he available?

[Jimmy Owen]

Bob Goen was still doing NBC WOF until the fall of 91.  Both he and Dick Clark would have been available for the second season of Pyramid.

[clemon79]

Would you honestly not want the 1991 version to have had a longer run?

It wasn't going to with that ninny at the helm, is my point. The host's role on that show is a little more important than you've giving it credit for.

Was he available?

Even while doing Entertainment Tonight, he was no less available that Meredith Vieira, and she managed things quite well for a while.

[clemon79]

Bob Goen was still doing NBC WOF until the fall of 91.

Alex Trebek shot that argument to hell the second he stepped onto the set of Classic Concentration.

[PYLdude]

Bob Goen was still doing NBC WOF until the fall of 91.

Alex Trebek shot that argument to hell the second he stepped onto the set of Classic Concentration.

And the coup-de-grace, Wheel didn't leave Television City to return to NBC. So he could stay in the same studio.

...right?

[clemon79]

And the coup-de-grace, Wheel didn't leave Television City to return to NBC. So he could stay in the same studio.

Heh. Honestly didn't even think of that part, but you're right. Dunno about the same STUDIO, necessarily, but certainly he'd still only need to carry one security badge.