$100,000 Pyramid returns to Friday nights starting March 16th

[Mystic]

I don't think I've ever seen an episode of $50k Pyramid.

Do any still exist?

[Lingofan97]

I don't think I've ever seen an episode of $50k Pyramid.

I think so. It's not like $10,000 Pyramid and 80's Wheel of Fortune where all the episodes are basically gone.

[ryan22184]

The only Pyramid episodes that don't exist are the $10,000 shows (save for those 3 weeks from November 1973), and $20,000 episodes through mid-June 1978. $50,000 episodes, nighttime $25,000 episodes and the 1991 episodes are all under CBS Television Distribution at this point, which GSN doesn't have the rights to. This is the break down of what still exists:

$10,000 Pyramid: 15 episodes
$20,000 Pyramid: 260 episodes
$25,000 Pyramid (Cullen): 150 episodes
$50,000 Pyramid: 90 episodes
$25,000 Pyramid (CBS): 1,404 episodes
$100,000 Pyramid (Clark): 549 episodes (The Friday episode of the Robin Riker/Dick Cavett week from 1988 has never been rerun by GSN, which would make 550)
$100,000 Pyramid (Davidson): 170 episodes

Aside from the two versions that GSN usually airs, your next best bet is the $20,000 version. Even with 260 episodes available, that has been rarely seen since 1998 (aside from late-2002 when it was part of Pyramid Thursday).

Ryan

[Lingofan97]

Any Pyramid would help GSN right now. They show just buy a good majority of those 549 episodes of 100K Pyramid, and also 25K Pyramid too.

[jhshifris]

$20,000 Pyramid: 260 episodes
$25,000 Pyramid (Cullen): 150 episodes

But, does GSN still have those, Ryan, or do they have to get the rights to those again?

[Lingofan97]

But, does GSN still have those, Ryan, or do they have to get the rights to those again?

GSN doesn't own anything they wouldn't show, except Syndie Deal or No Deal.

[ryan22184]

The $20,000 episodes are controlled by Sony. They are as easy to get a lease for as the $25,000 & $100,000 shows that GSN has been getting. The Cullen episodes, being controlled by CBS Television Distribution, would mean that GSN has to get a lease and then convert the episodes to their type of broadcasting method (Digibeta, etc.).

Ryan

[jhshifris]

I assume that converting those is a lot of work for GSN to do. Does Sony also own the Davidson version?

[ryan22184]

The $20,000 episodes have been converted, as they have aired in the past. All it takes is a lease from Sony to air them. The "Pyramid" ownership breaks down like this:

Sony:

$10,000 Pyramid
$20,000 Pyramid
$25,000 Pyramid (CBS)
$100,000 Pyramid (Clark)
Pyramid (2002)

CBS Television Distribution:

$25,000 Pyramid (Cullen)
$50,000 Pyramid
$100,000 Pyramid (Davidson)

Any of those bottom three GSN would have to go out and pay for from CBS Distribution. The cost there is probably higher than just going to Sony to grab any of what they have. Like I said, 15 episodes of the $10,000 version are available, and the last 260 $20,000 episodes are available. Entire runs of the CBS version and the Clark $100,000 version are with Sony, as well. However, considering the fact that CBS episodes of "The Joker's Wild" were found, as well as episodes of the game show "Spin-Off", it's not completely out of the realm of possibility that the first season of the $10,000 version isn't out there somewhere. Tapes might be buried under stacks of old "Young & the Restless" tapes somewhere. You never know.

Ryan

[jhshifris]

I never heard of Spin-Off. Sony also owns Donny's version but Donny himself said that he never wanted it seen anywhere again now that he hated doing it.

[Mystic]

I remember when they found those lost episodes of The Jokers Wild! Game Show Network raced to bring them to air! They aired every Sunday Night, but they cut it before the entire run had passed. I really want to find my tapes of those episodes, I'm still searching...

[sshuffield70]

In all honesty, I saw a lot of the $50,000 Pyramid eps and it's way too cheap compared to it's brethren to be worthy to re-air. That, and the haphazard format went against it. Its' successors were certainly a lot more polished.

[ryan22184]

I never heard of Spin-Off. Sony also owns Donny's version but Donny himself said that he never wanted it seen anywhere again now that he hated doing it.

Believe me when I say you aren't missing anything with "Spin-Off". As for Donny's opinion of "Pyramid", I find that odd considering the fact that after the US run ended, he went over to England to host their version. Unless he absolutely needed the paycheck, I don't see why he'd want to go back to doing something he hated. You'd have a better chance of getting Bob Eubanks to host The All-New All-Star Diamond Head Game.

Ryan

[ryan22184]

In all honesty, I saw a lot of the $50,000 Pyramid eps and it's way too cheap compared to it's brethren to be worthy to re-air. That, and the haphazard format went against it. Its' successors were certainly a lot more polished.

I agree. Not even Dick Clark and the use of established players helped it any. From what I can remember, the show had some very high-profile time slots, too. Seeing as it was the first time the show had a regular tournament built into the show, I can see how there would be trial and error, but it still came off very cheap. I don't recall ever reading anywhere how the tournament play was done on the $20,000 version, and the episodes are gone from that era. Before anyone asks, there was a 7-day tournament with past champions playing for an additional $20,000 sometime in 1977. It only happened once during the run, though.

Ryan

[Lingofan97]

I would just not want GSN to air Donny's Pyramid again. Stick to Clark's. The version everyone likes. Spend your money on that.