Buzz
During the early 1970s, Bob Stewart, the mastermind behind iconic game shows like The Price is Right and Password, pitched a clever word-guessing game titled Cash on the Line to producer Mark Goodson. While Goodson admired the concept, he declined Stewart’s request to include “Stewart” in the Goodson-Todman production company name. Undeterred, Stewart established his own production company and debuted the show in 1973 under the new name The $10,000 Pyramid.
The series went on to secure nine Emmy Awards, trailing only Jeopardy! in accolades. Over the years, it underwent multiple title adjustments to reflect inflation and featured a rotating roster of hosts, including Donny Osmond. However, our focus remains on the classic era of Pyramid, hosted by Dick Clark and Bill Cullen, which we consider the most iconic. Join us as we revisit this golden period!
1. ROB REINER MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST CELEBRITY TO WIN $10,000 FOR HIS CONTESTANT PARTNER.
June Lockhart and Rob Reiner were the celebrity guests during Pyramid’s premiere week in 1973. The video quality above is poor, a result of the VCR technology available at the time, but it still reveals some early hiccups. Judges were slower to buzz in and more forgiving with questionable clues, while hand gestures were still allowed in the Winner’s Circle. Notice the makeshift plywood covering the bottom row of the money board—originally, there were 10 categories in the final round. However, just two days before taping, Bob Stewart realized 10 categories were too many for 60 seconds, so the bottom four were covered, leaving six categories to win.
2. THE NETWORK PRESIDENT FEARED THE SHOW MIGHT BE FIXED.
Fred Silverman, then president of CBS, monitored the initial tapings of The $10,000 Pyramid via closed-circuit TV from his office. When two contestants won the $10,000 prize in the first week, he grew suspicious of foul play and nearly canceled the show. After investigating with the production team, he concluded everything was legitimate. Ironically, Rob Reiner later confided to Dick Clark that he doubted the show would last more than 13 weeks—because it was too easy.
3. MANY ASPIRING ACTORS AUDITIONED TO BE CONTESTANTS—DESPITE THE PRODUCERS’ PREFERENCES.
Filmed in New York, The $10,000 Pyramid became a lifeline for struggling actors seeking extra income between gigs. In a 1981 interview with The Washington Post, contestant coordinator Edythe Chan revealed that she meticulously screened applicants to avoid an overabundance of professional hopefuls. However, it was an open secret that actors formed underground groups to practice and prepare for auditions. Veteran contestants even offered tutoring sessions to help their peers ace the tryouts. One such actor, David Graf, won $10,000 in 1979 (equivalent to about $34,000 today) and later found fame in the Police Academy series. He returned to Pyramid in 1985, this time as a celebrity guest.
4. WILLIAM SHATNER LET HIS EMOTIONS GET THE BEST OF HIM.
In September 1977, William Shatner, after defeating his former Star Trek co-star Leonard Nimoy, confidently approached the Winner’s Circle. However, his momentum faltered when a verbal slip during the final category cost his partner $20,000. The category was “Things That Are Blessed,” and instead of saying “The Virgin Mary,” Shatner mistakenly began with “The Blessed...” His reaction to the mistake was a stark display of poor sportsmanship.
5. BILLY CRYSTAL SET A PYRAMID RECORD.
Billy Crystal, known for his role in Soap, achieved the fastest time to reach the top of the pyramid, completing it in just 26 seconds in November 1977. Barry Jenner, an actor from Dallas, came close to matching Crystal’s record in 1987, securing $100,000 for his partner in 27 seconds.
Dick Clark’s favorite celebrity contestants, aside from Billy Crystal, included Tony Randall, Soupy Sales, and Patty Duke Astin.
6. TOM POSTON’S PYRAMID PERFORMANCE WAS FAR FROM IMPRESSIVE.
While Billy Crystal shined, Tom Poston faced a different fate. The Newhart actor set an unfortunate record in 1986 when he failed to answer a single category in the Winner’s Circle, earning his partner a total of $0.
7. WRIST RESTRAINTS WERE INTRODUCED TO ENFORCE THE “NO HAND GESTURES” RULE.
A key rule during the Big Pyramid rounds prohibited clue-givers from using hand gestures or body language to assist their partners. (Judges were strict—Adrienne Barbeau was once disqualified for blinking excessively while hinting at “Things That Flicker.”) To ensure compliance, wrist restraints were added to the clue-giver’s chair in 1974.
8. DICK CLARK EXPERIENCED THE SHOW FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
Dick Clark often strolled to the Winner’s Circle, offering unsolicited advice on clues contestants could have used after losing the big money round. It was easy for him—he wasn’t under time pressure or relying on the prize money. However, when he finally took a seat as a contestant with $25,000 on the line, he admitted that coming up with “obvious” clues was far harder from the contestant’s perspective.
9. THE SHOW’S CREATOR WAS ALSO A SKILLED PLAYER.
In 2012, composer Ben Lanzarone and his wife, actress Ilene Graff, hosted a casual game night for their showbiz friends, featuring Pyramid. Among the guests was Bob Stewart, the show’s creator, who, at 91, proved he could still compete with the best.
10. THE TOP BOX CATEGORY WAS MEANT TO BE CHALLENGING.
The top square in the Winner’s Circle, known as “The Money-Saving Clue” by Pyramid staff, was deliberately more abstract and obscure than the others, forcing contestants to think critically. On the final episode of The $20,000 Pyramid, Clark humorously unveiled a pyramid filled with “Clues That Could Have Saved Us Money.”
- Trustworthy Used Car Dealers
- Popular NBC-TV Shows (NBC was struggling in the ratings at the time)
- Oil Companies Facing Bankruptcy
- Renowned Japanese Rabbis
- Things Kissinger Didn’t Mess Up
- Famous Italian TV Directors (a nod to Pyramid director Mike Gargiulo).
