News Flashes: “Pyramid” Revival Alive, “Only Connect” Back, “Wheel” on Facebook
We’ve got a lot of relatively small stories, or things I can’t elaborate on, so here are news flashes and commentary pieces for today. I’m sure the first one is the one most of you are interested in.
*CBS’s option for Pyramid is gone, but it’s definitely not dead. Sources are telling us that the show is still alive and eyeing a comeback somewhere else. Last I heard, it’s just about confirmed to be coming back. What a coincidence that last week, Ludia announced they are making a new computer game version. No word on if it’s the same exact thing that CBS had but given that was for an hour long format and any other place will be going for the half hour version, I doubt it. Also no word if pilot host Andy Richter will be returning but given how busy he’s going to be now that he’s completely committed to Conan on TBS, I doubt it. It’s the show that will never die, but rightfully so at least. Embassy Row is filled with resilient little troopers apparently. More specific information when it’s put out there. Be expecting this back on TV soon. Trust me.
*Cult favorite Only Connect, which we’ve been parading and proudly promoting since it first went on the air, comes back next week on BBC 4. Without a doubt the smartest quiz show on television anywhere, Only Connect puts a team’s lateral thinking skills to the test. It’s the fourth season of the show, and I couldn’t be happier for them. Who would have figured in this age of Deal or No Deal something this smart would work. I really wish some upper class American outlet, like PBS, would take notice. I get constant attention and backlinks for Only Connect hits. There’s a big group of quiz nerds who would love to see something like this on TV. Take a look at a clip of the show below.
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*Yet another game show received the Facebook treatment. Out recently is a new Wheel of Fortune game, powered by GSN. You get to play one puzzle, and if you solve it you play a bonus puzzle for $2,500 extra in fake game money. You can face off against your friends on Facebook to see who’s the best with the puzzles. It’s a pretty fun and very good looking game. Click here to try it out.
Thank God, ($1,000,000) Pyramid still has a chance. Keep hoping and Praying.
You and me both, bro.
Regarding Pyramid, Alex wrote “Be expecting this back on TV soon. Trust me.”
Alex, not a shot against you here, but you’ve been saying things along this line about Pyramid since last summer. Sure, Ludia’s coming out with with a video game – but that happened for Press Your Luck, too. I’d sure as hell love for this to come back, but until I hear what network’s looking at it, I’m going to assume it’s dead in the water until another soap gets canceled.
Glad to see Only Connect (and The Cube) are back for more series starting soon!
Could it be GSN that’s bringing Pyramid back, even if it means $5K or $10K winner’s circles, it’s gotta be more viable for them than INstant Recall or Unstapled, and at least as viable as Catch 21.
No…please no. Not GSN. Not for this. I’m still holding out hope that a broadcast network will pick it up.
This would be the first version where the announcer has to say the word “hundred.”
In Alex’s defense, he never took such an absolute position on Pyramid (that’s what a “Pilot” means, folks…). When Alex says “trust me” he knows what he is (not) talking about (yet).
I am hoping it is NOT GSN because my cable system (Insight) no longer carries it.
To quote Marv Albert, Yes and it counts, Pyramid’s still alive. And, for the love of God, don’t let it be GSN, let it be one of the Big 3, heck, I’ll even take syndication.
Pyramid would be just fine on GSN. It is not a million dollar game, and shouldn’t be turned into one. Keeping it 10K and tournaments for 50K or 100K is good enough.
I also hope its not GSN, but at this point, I will take it – even if it’s $10,000 Pyramid. To me, the money isn’t the main event – it’s the show. I’m wondering if might be for Syndication ? I truly hope it will be more like the NY based Pilots shot last year, along the lines of Classic Pyramid. I’m open for some updating, as long as they don’t go off the cliff. I also hope that Mr Davies will get the chance to bring Pyramid home to NYC again. I think one of the reasons the last pilot was pushed to LA was due to Andy Richter, as I doubt Mr Davies wanted Pyramid to be LA based. I agree with Alex, that Andy Richter will probably be busy with Conan.
Good luck to Mr Davies, and everyone at Embassy Row. Let’s hope the 3rd time is the charm !
I trust your judgement, Alex. We’ll just have to see what network will pick it up.
The money on Pyramid needs to be at least part of the draw. I remember watching The $50,000 Pyramid where the non-tournament jackpots were $5K and $10K. Hardly anyone got out of their chairs for a $5K win. Hell, it was hard for Dick to feign excitement about $5K!
I agree with Bob Hagh that $1M might be too much for Pyramid. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a D List celebrity…assuming they keep celebrities. If this ends up as a strip, then $25K would be fine, with a sweeps tournament for $50K-$100K (I think you need to at least match the top prize of the last incarnation.).
Good news all around. If GSN picks this up, I hope that they order more than 40 episodes.
Hopefully the show comes back…somewhere. And if it’s GSN, do what you did with “The Money List” and use returning champions. “Donnymid” shunned returning champs, and suffered for it. (Not to mention that the tournament entry method was just plain impossible with the stupid categories and anal judging in Season 2.)
But hey, Alex knows what he’s talking about. CBS passed on a good show TWICE — the first was for a “Let’s Make A Deal” headed by Mike “Change For The Sake Of Change” Richards, while the second was for the Julie “Nepotism Got Me Another Program” Chen talk show.*
* Seriously, what reason can there be other than nepotism?
Daniel, Julie Chen was on Cbs a LONG time before her marriage to the CBS head honcho, I think she was working there for a good five or seven years before they started dating and getting married. Sides, I watch Big Brother and She is great! She definitely got that show on her own merits
Money. A talk show is just as cheap as a game show to produce, if not cheaper. Even though the hosts will ask for a sizable salary, consider the fact that the show doesn’t have to worry about:
a) paying Andy Richter
b) paying two celebrities
c) paying contestants from the prize budget
In the end, like with LMaD, the production costs are considerably lower than the soap that it replaces. Except here, they might save a few more bucks not giving away refrigerators, trips, or cars.
Come on LMAD isn’t that bad. Not even one player Big Deal is the worst change in the world.
I stated this on Facebook, but I’m guessing GSN for two reasons. One, Embassy Row moved “Newlywed Game” back to New York, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to tape ER in the same studio. Would love to see a modified version of the 2009 pilot set return…really sweet mix of old-school and modern.
Two, ER could have two classic shows airing on GSN, taped in NYC, maybe even airing back-to-back. As long as they don’t mess it up the way they did another Bob Stewart property, “Chain Reaction”. The 2009 pilot showed a lot of promise.
Now, I’m not the biggest GSN fan by any means (the crunches and amateurish edits still in 2010 irk me too much), I’m just saying I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out GSN is the network.
Let’s look at the possibilities:
CBS-obviously not.
ABC-no openings (no soaps cancelled, and the View is going nowhere
NBC-no openings. Days is renewed, and they’re not cutting back on Today.
That leaves cable or syndication.
My money’s on syndication if it boils down to either that or cable because that gives them plenty of time to present it in Vegas in January, plus it gives them even more time to find a host (if Andy Richter isn’t available). And you’re right, HomerJay, ABC’s not going to get it because, even though AMC and OLTL are both near the bottom of the pack in the ratings, they’re still commited to them and it looks like The View isn’t going to syndication, and NBC isn’t gonna drop either the third or the Getting Wasted with Hoda and Kathie Lee Show, aka the fourh hour of Today and Days will likely get renewed beyond next year, so they’re out. So, unless Fox plans on starting a daytime division, it’s syndication Pyramid goes.
They could put it on TBS. After all, it’s working for “Conan”. (or is it Conaw?)
(Those of you who don’t get it, look up the video of his announcement…)
If Pyramid was a comedy game show like Match Game, yes because TBS is a network known for comedy (hence the tagline “Very Funny”), so I doubt if TBS would be the perfect destination for Pyramid.
Hey, TBS broadcasts Major League Baseball games, and it would be a stretch to call that comedy.
Sometimes networks depart from format for sports, but for a game show? No, not going to happen.
A very small correction on WoF FB you get to play the bonus round reguardless if you solve the first puzzle or not.
Would be cool for “Pyrmaid” to make another comeback. Never got too into the Donny Osmond version. I still enjoy the classic Dick Clark shows- nothing will ever compete with those, but it’s a fun game to watch.