If ABC Gave You an Hour of Daytime TV...a Hypothetical

[TheInquisitiveOne]

Good evening all.

Let’s say ABC gave you an hour of daytime television, whether they replace General Hospital, Strathan & Sara, or The View (one could only hope). Which game shows from the “Fun and Games” lineup would you use to fill that hour (either one hourlong show or two half hour shows)? Also, how would you restructure your choices for a weekday, returning champion-style format? My choices:

The $100,000 Pyramid (with the top prize available in tournament play, similar to Dick Clark’s version...with a fairer tournament system)

Press Your Luck (no BBB, CBS style format, with champions retiring after three wins)

Honorable mention: Match Game (PM format. I’d keep the top $25,000 prize if contestants are one and done, but would lower it to $10,000 if we had returning champions.)

Thank you in advance for your responses.

The Inquisitive One

[BrandonFG]

From day one, I've wanted to see Pyramid paired up with a daily, half-hour Match Game in the 1 pm Eastern hour. I don't think I'd change that idea.

With Pyramid, I see no problem with it being a $10/25K or even $25/50K format. Off the top of my head, for the Winner's Circle: $500 bottom boxes, $750 in the middle row, $1000 for the top. Since the same celebrities presumably play for the entire week, I think you can save a ton of time not having to plug their TV shows. That extra time could go towards a potential tiebreaker...I like the one from the 2012 GSN version, where it's simply the highest score after each set of words wins, no 7/7.

Like the 80s/90s versions, highest Winner's Circle score returns the next day; if there's a tie, both return. I'm indifferent on a tournament.

For Match Game, I'd keep everything the same.

[Dbacksfan12]

Pyramid.  Perhaps make it $50k in order to differentiate it a little from the primetime version.  250-500-1000 for consolation money.  $10k/$40k for prize money.

My other selection would be Match Game.  Return to the '90 rules and ditch Alec Baldwin.  If a player can make it five days, double the money possibilities for his final supermatch.

[Jimmy Owen]

I agree with Brandon.

[BillCullen1]

For me, the first show is Pyramid, hands down. I like Brandon's suggestions, and hopefully Strahan's schedule would allow him to host. The second show is tough for me, but between MG and PYL, I'm going with PYL. It's more exciting. Play the game we all know and love and ditch the bonus game.

[TimK2003]

I'd take Pyramid with the suggestions that were mentioned above.  My only wrinkle is bring back the bonus incentive for a perfect 21-21 tie -- considering that in it's 4th season, a 21-21 tie has rarely (if ever) occurred.

Press Your Luck (sans the DOND Bonus) would be my 2nd show.  To assure proper timing issues, I'd make each spin-earning round a maximum of 3 questions. Like in the original CBS show, you can easily pad an episode should it run short with extended interviews, poems, commercial segues,...

I'd love to bring Match Game to the daytime, but with Alec's "Say/Do anything you want -- we'll just slide whistle or pixel it out" attitude on the show, I just don't see the show being as popular as Harvey Feuds and Springer reruns already gracing the daytime schedules.