Pyramid (franchise)

This article is about the U.S. game show. For the Australian game show, see Pyramid (Australian game show).
Pyramid
GenreGame show
Created byBob Stewart
Written byMichael X. Ferraro
Shawn Kennedy[1]
Anna Lotto[2]
Karen Lurie[3]
Directed byMike Gargiulo
Bruce Burmester[4]
Paul Nichols
Bob Loudin
Paul Overacker
Rob George
Rich DiPirro
Presented byDick Clark
Bill Cullen
John Davidson
Donny Osmond
Mike Richards
Michael Strahan
AnnouncerBob Clayton
Jack Clark
Steve O'Brien
Alan Kalter
Johnny Gilbert
Charlie O'Donnell
John Cramer
JD Roberto
Brad Abelle
Theme music composerKen Aldin
Bob Cobert[4]
Barry Coffing
John Blaylock
Alan Ett
Scott Liggett[5]
Bleeding Fingers Music
ComposerBob Cobert
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes1,211 (1973–1988)
40 (2012)
92 (2016–present)
Production
Executive producers
  • Bob Stewart
  • Vin Rubino
  • Constance Schwartz
  • Michael Strahan
ProducersAnne Marie Schmidt
Sande Stewart
Francine Bergman
Jane Rothchild
David Michaels
Erin Perry[4]
Stephen Brown
Cathy Cotter
John Ricci Jr.
Jonathan Bourne
Running time22 minutes (1973–2012)
44 minutes (2016–present)
Production companiesBob Stewart Productions
(1973–1988)
Basada, Inc.
(1973–1974, 1978–1981, 1986–1988)
20th Century Fox Television
(1985–1988)
Stewart Tele Enterprises
(1991)
Columbia TriStar Domestic Television
(2002)
Sony Pictures Television
(2002–2004, 2012, 2016–present)
Embassy Row (2012)
GSN Originals
(2012)
SMAC Productions (2016–)
Carolco Television Productions
(1991)
Original release
NetworkThe $10,000 Pyramid:
CBS (1973–1974)
ABC (1974–1976)
The $20,000 Pyramid:
ABC (1976–1980)
The $25,000 Pyramid:
Weekly syndication (1974–1979)
The $50,000 Pyramid:
Daily syndication (1981)
The (New) $25,000 Pyramid:
CBS (1982–87, 1988)
The $100,000 Pyramid:
Daily syndication (1985–1988, 1991)
Pyramid:
Daily syndication (2002–2004)
The Pyramid:
GSN (2012)
The $100,000 Pyramid:
ABC (2016–present)
ReleaseMarch 26, 1973 (1973-03-26) –
present
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Pyramid is an American game show franchise that has aired several versions domestically and internationally. The show was developed by Bob Stewart. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted on CBS on March 26, 1973,[6] and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series. Most later series featured a full title format matching the original series, with the title reflecting an increasing top prize. Two teams, each consisting of a celebrity and contestant, attempt to convey mystery words and phrases within a common category, against a time limit, to win cash and prizes. The title refers to the show's pyramid-shaped gameboard, featuring six categories arranged in a triangular fashion. The various Pyramid series have won a total of nine Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Game Show, second only to Jeopardy!, which has won 13.

Dick Clark is the host most commonly associated with the show, having hosted the network daytime version from 1973 to 1980 (which moved from CBS to ABC in 1974, and increased its namesake top prize from $10,000 to $20,000 in 1976) and The (New) $25,000 Pyramid from 1982 to 1988 on CBS. Clark also hosted two weeknight syndicated versions, The $50,000 Pyramid in 1981 and The $100,000 Pyramid from 1985 to 1988 (concurrent with the daytime show).

Bill Cullen hosted the first weekly nighttime version of The $25,000 Pyramid from 1974 to 1979. John Davidson hosted The $100,000 Pyramid in 1991, and Donny Osmond hosted a version simply titled Pyramid from 2002 to 2004; both aired five episodes per week. Game Show Network's The Pyramid, hosted by Mike Richards, who was an executive at format owner Sony Pictures Television, aired a single forty-episode season in 2012.

The current incarnation of The $100,000 Pyramid debuted June 26, 2016, on ABC with Michael Strahan as host. It has aired on Sunday nights during the summer months since, completing its fourth season in September 2019. On November 20, 2019, the series was renewed for a fifth season, which premiered on May 26, 2021.[7][8][9][10] On January 6, 2022, The $100,000 Pyramid renewed for a sixth season and the show moved from New York to Los Angeles.[11][12] The sixth season premiered on July 10, 2022 and ran until August 28, 2023. The seventh season premiered on September 28, 2023.[13][14]

  1. ^ https://findawriter.wgaeast.org/member/e78d1473-ee96-43e9-aa2b-a8dd8e2e50cb [bare URL]
  2. ^ https://findawriter.wgaeast.org/member/36da04eb-7b07-4ebc-b796-ffec5f3e0f81 [bare URL]
  3. ^ "Karen D Lurie - WGA Directory".
  4. ^ a b c Schwartz, Ryan & Wostbrock 1999, pp. 220–221.
  5. ^ "The Pyramid cast and crew". IMDb. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  6. ^ Ken Tucker (April 18, 2012). "A Dick Clark appreciation: The deceptively laid-back, conservative revolutionary". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  7. ^ "ABC Renews "Summer Fun & Games" for 2020" (Press release). ABC. November 20, 2019 – via The Futon Critic.
  8. ^ "Press Your Luck, Match Game and Other ABC 'Fun & Games' Get Return Dates". 14 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Upcoming Game Show Schedules Impacted by Coronavirus". 17 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Revised Premiere Dates for ABC Summer Series "The Ultimate Surfer," "Press Your Luck," "The $100,000 Pyramid" and "Card Sharks"" (Press release). ABC. April 28, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
  11. ^ "The $100,000 Pyramid Renewed for Season Six". BuzzerBlog. 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  12. ^ "HOME". Casting Pyramid. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  13. ^ "ABC Announces Summer 2022 Unscripted Premiere Dates, Series Greenlights, New Specials and Renewals" (Press release). ABC. April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via The Futon Critic.
  14. ^ "Watch The $100,000 Pyramid TV Show - ABC.com". ABC. Retrieved 2024-02-23.