The Pyramid

[clemon79]

I think a quicker version of this that isn't such a drastic change midstream would be to not allow passing in the tiebreaker.

Except watching a team get stuck, REALLY stuck, on a word is painful television.

that change would help prevent multiple tiebreakers by throwing some strategic "stumper" words in one or both of the stacks at opportune moments.

That's as bad as the Grand Slam contestants getting screwed with a spelling question at an "opportune" moment.

[JMFabiano]

And heeeeeeeeere's a partial list of celebs:

http://buzzerblog.com/2012/08/gsn-pyramid-celebs/

No one who really offends me/strikes me as being particularly dumb or annoying, even though I am not a Glee fan...actually I don't watch that much network TV so someone may know better.  Hopefully some throwback names will appear from time to time (not cause I want things Just Like They Were, it would be nice in general...)  Bettymania has died down a little, but having Ms. White back might spike some interest in the new series.

/Did Betty play any of the '70s incarnations or Davidson?  
//Cause it would give her another decade streak under her belt.

[Vahan_Nisanian]

Betty White, as far as I know, never did Pyramid in the 70's. Her first appearance on the show was on the 4th week of The New $25,000 Pyramid with Charlie Siebert (October 11-15, 1982)

[Marc412]

She did play in the 90s.

[MSTieScott]

Bettymania has died down a little, but having Ms. White back might spike some interest in the new series.

Betty White is still sharp and witty, but a rapid-fire communication game with 30-second rounds does not play to the strengths of any 90-year-old.

[TLEberle]

Betty White is still sharp and witty, but a rapid-fire communication game with 30-second rounds does not play to the strengths of any 90-year-old.

How was she on $1,000,000 Password?

[JMFabiano]

Betty White is still sharp and witty, but a rapid-fire communication game with 30-second rounds does not play to the strengths of any 90-year-old.

How was she on $1,000,000 Password?

She was better on her first appearance, as I recall.  Though that may not have been all her fault (it takes two to tango, after all...)  Seeing as MDP was basically a Pyramid without the Pyramid, I don't know if it would be too much for her...then again, it HAS been 5 years...

I see they're taking some talent from Fox's Tuesday lineup...gives me hope to see someone from Raising Hope appear one day.

/Hey, I like that show...
//Since it's a black sheep among the Fox roster, it seems, appearing on TP could do a little to boost awareness of both shows.
///Cloris vs. Betty, anyone? ;-)
////That was one of my favorite MTM episodes...
/////...not to mention my favorite part to You Again

[JMFabiano]

Another thought: I had an idea for TP's future…to give incentive to a contestant who already made it to the WC once, maybe they could double their potential jackpot for the WC? (Someone who won one game, instead of starting at $10K and $5000 per perfect round, could start with $20K and add $10K per perfect bonus, bringing the top prizes back to the 2009 $25K and $50K) But I know the show is just restarting, so I can see how they’d think small at first.

[clemon79]

maybe they could double their potential jackpot for the WC?

Are you familiar with Bob Stewart's past work, or with the budget of a niche cable channel?

Be happy the payouts are what they are.

[TLEberle]

Know what my incentive to play well would be? Twenty-five thousand damn dollars.

[JMFabiano]

maybe they could double their potential jackpot for the WC?

Are you familiar with Bob Stewart's past work, or with the budget of a niche cable channel?

Be happy the payouts are what they are.

It was just an idea.  I agree, though...$25K (possibly x2) ain't hay. I just thought my proposal would go along with the "If you get up here the second time..." increased stakes of the '80s+ (and Cullen's) second WC.  Don't get me wrong, I wasn't complaining about things they way they are.

[TLEberle]

I just now had a bizarre thought: this is the first version of the show where a contestant can play for less money in the second half than was on offer in the first.

[Unrealtor]

Hopefully some throwback names will appear from time to time (not cause I want things Just Like They Were, it would be nice in general...)  Bettymania has died down a little, but having Ms. White back might spike some interest in the new series.

When this was announced, I tried to think of anyone who was 1. at least an occasional player in a past version, 2. still famous enough to count as a celebrity, and 3. potentially willing to do one more week of Pyramid on a digital-tier cable network for old time's sake.

I got a very short list.

[Jay Temple]

I just now had a bizarre thought: this is the first version of the show where a contestant can play for less money in the second half than was on offer in the first.

It is indeed the first time that you could see the same contestant play for less money the second time than he did in the first. (I'd composed the rest of the post before I realized that you were making a statement rather than asking a question.)

There have been a few scenarios where a different player would play for less in Game 2 than in Game 1:
1. On the 20K, it was quite common to see a $15/20K attempt in Game 1 and a $10K attempt in Game 2. (You could even extend this to the $5,000 rounds they played when the last game of the week was a tie.)
2. On the 100K, if the titular prize was won in Game 1, the other two players had a filler game for a possible $10,000.
3. In the last celebrity edition on the CBS 25K, teams from four soap operas played one game per day. The only way to play for $25,000 was to win a 21-21 tie. I don't know the outcomes of all the games, but that means it was certainly possible to see a $25K attempt in Game 1 and a $10K attempt in Game 2.

[TLEberle]

The only way to play for $25,000 was to win a 21-21 tie? Who came up with that?

(I remembered the $20,000 Pyramid could become the $10,000 Pyramid in the second half, but the contestant who won the money was off the show; that's mainly what I was getting at. And well done to remember the $100,000 tournaments as well.)

The big question: is it going to look anticlimactic to have someone win $25,000 in the first half, and either he goes back for another $10,000, or the opponent for less?