New "$100,000 Pyramid" Has A Winner's Circle Full of Problems

The ABC Network recently brought back "The $100,000 Pyramid," which was one of my favorite game shows growing up. The game itself is a masterpiece: straightforward to play, big cash prizes, and D-list "celebrities." Former New York Giant and current ABC Network star Michael Strahan is the new host.

After watching the first few episodes, however, there are many reasons why this reboot is not as good as the original. I'll present these critiques in order as they would appear in the Winner's Circle!

$50 Criticism: Theme Song Remix

The original "$100,000 Pyramid" had a classic theme song with horns that came out blaring. The remake uses the original tune, but plays it in a soft, gentle remix that sounds like something on an easy listening station. 

$100 Criticism: No 7-11 Bonus in Round 1

  

On the original "$100,000 Pyramid," there was a bonus prize in each round. For the first round, one of the categories had a "7-11" logo hidden behind it. If you chose that category, Dick Clark would give you the topic (as normal), and if you got all seven clues, you'd win an $1,100 bonus.

In the second round, there was a "Mystery 7" category. If you got the "Mystery 7," Dick Clark would not give you the topic ahead of time, and if you still got all seven clues, you'd win a prize. Usually, the prize was a trip or some sort of electronic device.

The current version kept the Mystery 7, but they don't play a 7-11.

$150 Criticism: Too Much Chit-Chat with the Celebrities

Dick Clark knew exactly how much chit-chat to have with the celebrities, but Michael Strahan has a way to go. Dick Clark would ask the celebrity how he or she is doing and then say something like, "So, Charlie Siebert, how are things going on Trapper John, M.D.? Tell us when the show airs." Then the celebrity could plug the show and move on.

The first game on the reboot had Sherri Shepherd and Anthony Anderson. Michael Strahan spent so much time chatting with the celebrities that he barely spoke to the contestants! The three stars were telling jokes and seemed to be having a great time, but it really slowed down the pace and took too much attention away from the contestants. 

$200 Criticism: Poor Celebrity Play

This is mostly a criticism of Anthony Anderson, who was on the first episode. I understand it's far easier to play the game when watching on TV, but it appeared as though Anthony had no idea how the game worked! The contestants paired up with him lost both rounds, and he seemed to think it was more important to joke around during the game. 

Example: Category is "Types of Trips."

(Word is BUSINESS)

Contestant: It's a trip for work.
Anthony Anderson: Work vacation?
Contestant: It's what you do.
Anthony Anderson: What do I do?
Contestant: Pass!

(Word is ROUND)

Contestant (making spinning motion): It's like this...
Anthony Anderson: Cyclone? Oh, hurricane? Tornado!

Come on, Anthony, those aren't types of trips!

$250 Criticism: Computerized Tile Spins

One of the best parts of the original "$100,000 Pyramid" was the violent spinning of the tiles during the bonus round. The first tile would spin to show the category, and when the contestant got it, the tile spun again to show the prize money. Then, the next tile would violently spin around to show the next category.

The current version uses computerized monitors whose graphics "spin" to show the categories. Although it turns pretty quickly, I feel the old version moved faster. This is important when you have to get six categories in 60 seconds! I don't know if the old version had an intern backstage literally spinning the tiles by hand, but if so, that person had the best job in the world.

$300 Criticism: No $5,000 Bonus for 21-21 Tiebreaker

My biggest criticism with the reboot is that they took away one of the best features of the original show. If the game ended in a tie, the contestants would play a tiebreaker round to see who plays the Winner's Circle. If the game ended in a 21-21 tie (meaning both contestants had earned maximum points during the round), then the winner of the tiebreaker wins a $5,000 bonus!

Imagine my excitement during the second episode when the game ended in a 21-21 tie. But wait! There is no tiebreaker round. The winner is just the person who got his or her 21 points the fastest during regular gameplay. No tiebreaker, no bonus payout. They took away one of the best nuggets from the original show!

Summary:

The new "$100,000 Pyramid" is still an enjoyable show. The game itself is so good that you'd have to work hard to mess it up. Let's hope the ABC Network makes a few adjustments so this version can reach the same echelon as the original!

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Original Blank Board: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/12807180161670226