Pyramid (game show)

Pyramid was an American television game show where contestants tried to guess a series of words or phrases, based on descriptions that were given to them, in the shortest amount of time. It has won nine Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Game Show, second only to Jeopardy!, which won its 10th in 2005.

1970s Editions

Pyramid was created by Bob Stewart, the quiz-show producer who also invented To Tell the Truth, The Price Is Right and Password during his years at Goodson-Todman Productions before forming his own company. It went through several name changes over the years, with the title originally reflecting the top prize that contestants can win in that version.

Related Topics:
Bob Stewart - To Tell the Truth - The Price Is Right - Password - Goodson - Todman

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The show debuted as The $10,000 Pyramid on March 26, 1973. It ran for one year on CBS before it was canceled. ABC revived the show on May 6, 1974, and it became a hit. For three consecutive years, it was the number-three-rated game show on television. On January 19, 1976, the show was renamed The $20,000 Pyramid.

Related Topics:
March 26 - 1973 - CBS - ABC - May 6 - 1974 - January 19 - 1976

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A once-a-week nighttime syndicated version, called The $25,000 Pyramid, ran from September 12, 1974, until September 1979.

Related Topics:
Syndicated - September 12 - 1974 - September - 1979

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A network primetime celebrity half hour special, The All-Star Junior Pyramid aired on Sunday, September 2, 1979, at 7:30pm (Eastern) and featuring Susan Richardson and Tony Danza playing the game for charity with young future stars from the new ABC shows debuting in the fall of that year (one of them on that particular episode was a youthful looking Rob Lowe). That led to the daytime version reverting to a full-time Junior Partner Pyramid format featuring civilian adult-children teams (with no celebrities at all) between Monday, October 1 and Friday, November 9 1979.

Related Topics:
September 2 - 1979 - Eastern - Susan Richardson - Tony Danza - Rob Lowe - October 1 - November 9

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A special Celebrity Junior Pyramid week followed suit with celebrity guests Susan Richardson, LeVar Burton and Michael McKean, but, beginning with the Monday, November 19, 1979, telecast, the daytime show went back into its normal $20,000 Pyramid format.

Related Topics:
LeVar Burton - Michael McKean - November 19 - 1979

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ABC's daytime version ended its run on June 27, 1980. A total of 1,808 telecasts had aired on both CBS and ABC.

Related Topics:
June 27 - 1980

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