Andy Richter is the Host of CBS’s “Pyramid”
Pyramid finally has a host! Andy Richter, the actor/comedian and Conan O’Brien sidekick, is going to host the CBS daytime pilot being produced by Embassy Row and Sony Pictures. This is the second group of pilots for the show. Last year Pyramid was considered for the daytime slot replacing Guiding Light but Let’s Make A Deal was chosen instead. If selected Pyramid will be replacing As The World Turns this Fall.
The show had a long history of host searching. The previous pilot hosts were Tim Vincent and Dean Cain. Since moving the show to Los Angeles the show briefly attempted to get Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond to host. The one I was waiting to tell you was the show was originally hoping to get Howie Mandel to host, but he declined.
Some extra incentive here for CBS is Andy Richter will be the co-host of Conan O’Brien’s new talk show on TBS, so he has a wide base to possibly discuss it there. Lots of plug potentials. Richter showed his game show skills as a contestant on Jeopardy! this season, crushing Wolf Blitzer, but he hasn’t hosted a game show. I can see him doing very well in this role. There is some big competition, though. The show is going against a talk show fronted by Big Brother host Julie Chen and a cooking game show pilot from Fremantle which is shooting soon.
I don’t think I need to tell you which I’d prefer to see, but I will anyway. The only production company I completely trust to bring back Pyramid well is the incredibly skilled Embassy Row team. They’ve proven themselves repeatedly with very few faults. So fingers crossed for Pyramid. I’d love to see their vision of the show come to life. Good luck to the Embassy Row crew.
Guess what…everyone with game show experience once had…none. There is no college of game show hosting, and this notion that only one who has done it before can do it again is silliness. The days of Cullen and Kennedy, of Eubanks and Woolery, bouncing from one show to the next are long dead and buried.
I really hope he wants to host this show and didn't just accept this job just to simply keep his name out there for "bigger and better things".
I agree too. The only 2 problems I have with Chain Reaction is the whole "Battle of the Sexes" thing. I rather have it like the NBC version (without the celebrities), and the endgame I'm not a fan of. They should've went with the USA endgame.
To answer your questions: 1. It looks that way even if Pyramid doesn't get the green light and 2. It's up the Les and the gang at the Eye.
Devares: I respectfully disagree. The original was my favorite version. The only reason it didn't work was because the kept messin' with the payout structure on "Instant Reaction".
Of course, you're right, Homer. Cullen was a comedian/humorist before doing game shows. Woolery was a musician. And true, the game show host bench isn't very deep these days. My concern is that they seem to be looking ONLY at newbies for Pyramid. I don't care if they audition comedians or actors or entertainment show personalities…Bob Saget, Howie, Drew and Jeff Foxworthy are all doing fine. But it would be nice if SOMEONE with a game show or two under their belts were looked at, too. So far, it seems that Howie was the only game veteran they considered.
I have to agree with Andy. I can't see him as a host of that show. It is pretty fast paced and content packed, and timing is essential to the show. If the celebs are allowed to bark and bark it will slow the show down and have to make up time elsewhere. That show needs someone who can control the flow of the game. I still think Neil Patrick Harris would fit great into that show.
Meaning the first word was a given, then the first letter in each remaining word, and 7 (or was it 6) other letters to use as needed; $100 per word, and the jackpot for clearing the chain…
Maybe they shoud've done it like teams (not necessarily Battle of sexes) like on Only Connect or the original Hot Potato…
I stand corrected…
I'm having a hard time coming up with something NPH couldn't host! :)
I don't know….. Chen does have some pull. If I were an executive and my wife wanted a show on the network, I'd give it to her. Especially when she could be withholding something.
He's the Jim J. Bullock of the 21st century.
No no CBS dumb mistake here guys…really stupid. Mark Walberg yes….richter…hell no. I feel embassy row made a huge mistake. If he gets it…I say no thank you to viewing it.
That was CBS' choice, not ER's. Normally the network chooses the host, not the production company.
Plus…MW is hosting the California lottery show, "Make Me A Millionaire"…maybe there'd be a conflict or something.
CBS and Time Warner are partners on a few projects (PGA, NCAA Tournament, CW Network) and so this could be an idea. But if Richter is a bad idea, we could see Vincent or Cain be in the mix. All three would be considered. The classic game and potentially a prime-time big-money tournament of champions would be in the mix — could mean CBS is seriously looking at Sweeps Week Big Money Pyramid and Price.
Dick Clark or any of the family could do the greeting, or even have the kids be panelists. Just imagine would it would do for a "new" generation of Pyramid with Dick's kids doing the greetings
Excluding those not available because they're otherwise committed, how many are left out there that are young enough to be realistically considered for a hosting gig and would want it? I know we game show geeks get all excited about a Eubanks or Martindale, but really, that general cohort just isn't going to be getting a network gig now. It may suck, but it's the nature of the beast. That doesn't leave much to be 'looked at' (and to be fair, we don't know how many people got serious consideration in conversations that haven't been disclosed, even if formal requests weren't made). Who's out there? Todd Newton? Mark Wahlberg? Indeed, it's not a big list. Richter I can see being worth the gamble; the sitcom may have not worked out, but the connection to the Conan buzz can't hurt the cause, whether or not it helps it all that much.
Fingers and toes are crossed.
You know, Bobby, nobody, not even me, put that into consideration. This could be an idea, having a pipeline through both Time Warner and CBS Corporation, seeing as TBS and TNT airs reruns of some of CBS' most popular shows (Everybody Loves Raymond, Cold Case, Without a Trace, CSI:NY). And a prime time, big money tournament would be great for sweeps.
I liked the other bonus game better.
Granted, they are Dick Clark's kids. But, that doesn't automatically mean they can do it. I mean…no, I don't know what they are doing professionally. That said, just because they are his kids doesn't mean they can do it well.
Hopefully 7-11 and Mystery 7.
Make Me a Millionaire has been canceled. MW still does Antiques Roadshow on PBS but could probably fit a weekday game into his travel schedule.
I stand corrected.
You could, palmercomm, but seeing as Oprah will end this coming season, if she's patient enough, he would probably wait until 2011 and syndicate it.
Pat Sajak originally accepted a job as Wheel of Fortune host just so HE could keep his name out there for bigger and better things, you know.
As it turns out, those bigger and better things were WOF.
I'm late to this party. I spent much of the holiday weekend out of town visiting friends and relatives.
With that admitted, I'm cautiously optimistic on this news. We all know Andy's a great player (read: "Celebrity Jeopardy!"). Obvious question: Will he be a great host?
Hosting "Pyramid" really isn't that tough a gig. The celebrity/civilian teams are doing most of the "work". Host just recites rules, explains front-game categories, updates everyone on the scores, etc. As long as Andy doesn't get in the way of the game (read: John Davidson in the short-lived early '90s revival), he'll be fine.
BTW, late night sidekicks hosting game shows is nothing new. The late Ed McMahon's hosting résumé includes "Concentration", "Missing Links", "Snap Judgment" and "Whodunit?"
Well, he did host that short-lived late night talk show on CBS in '88, which was the reason why he left Daytime Wheel.
Another Comedian as game show host. experiment is once again in full force and so far, it's worked well but dies Andy Richter have enough experience? U mean Wayne and Drew has had game show exp. before and the only exception to the rule was Howie. If Pyramid is host driven, Then Andy Richter could make it.
Actually, they have. Drew hosted the Pepsi-promoted Play for a Million special on The WB and Power of 10 before hosting The Price is Right and Wayne Brady hosted Don't Forget the Lyrics before hosting Let's Make A Deal and both are doing well with their respective shows. So yeah, I'd say they have enough experience.
What of our chances of see Pyramid This fall to CBS?
Back on May 13, 1977 I was on the $10,000 Pyramid with Dick Clark as host. My celebrity partner was Clifton Davis and sitting across from us was Vicki Lawrence. The show, I think, was #210. It was done in New York City. I’m trying to find a copy of it so I can show it to my granddaughters. They don’t believe me