The $100,000 Pyramid

Michael Strayhorn - yes I'm misspelling it because I have zero respect for him - is a horrible host. Remember when this show used to be the second most intelligent show after Jeopardy? This is Pyramid for Dummies... and it starts with the host and goes downhill from there... Sometimes they have smart, competitive celebrities - but just as often they have someone that doesn't have a single brain cell in their head - like "Housewifes" stars (for lack of a better word) and rappers or comedians who are as dumb as a mud fence... And the judges will allow just about anything to make the celebrities seem smarter than they are... the bonus round is usually a joke... They need to fire Strayhorn and totally revamp this show... otherwise its just a dumbed-down waste of time - like giving playdoh to a kid who can solve a Rubik's Cube.

I'v been watching since Dick Clark was the host. I love the celebrities on the show, the comedy and Michael is a very good host. I would like to be on the show however, I sometimes get nervous and cannot respond quickly even though I know the answer. I have watched two episodes that have had women on from the real houseguest wives, I do not know what State etc they were from. I was disappointed in the episodes, I felt bad for the contestants because these women did not do a sufficient job. The scores were very low and they did not seem to have a large knowledge base, outside of their own world. I believe my 7 year old grandson could have done better. I understand people can have off days, but two different programs, different times and different women. Both episodes were poor, not entertaining. I wish the show would not use the real house wives for the guest stars.

This version of $100,000 Pyramid is the best remake of this show. In the early 2000s, we got the slick Donny Osmond version, which was style over substance. A few years back, we got one on GSN that suffered budget issues, weak contestants and bad celebrities. This one checks off most of the boxes accurately.

First off, host. Michael Strahan takes over the podium and he does a great job. He's friendly, upbeat and really projects a good Dick Clark vibe but with his own touch. He knows when to crack a joke, he knows when to keep the game moving, he even knows when to give the perfect clue. He doesn't do the back rubs like Clark did, but in 2019, that likely would be frowned upon.

The celebrities are pretty solid. The show moved back to NYC, where it taped in the 70s, and maybe it's just me, but it seems the celebrities from NYC are just a bit more cerebral than the ones in L.A. Not all of them are great, but more of them have been strong players than weak players.

The game goes back to the 7 in 30 format, with a set that harkens to the 80s version but modernized. No 7-11 bonus, but the Mystery 7 remains and the prizes are solid. I wish they would change the tiebreaker rule, I don't like the fastest time gets to go to the Winner's Circle format.

Speaking of the WC, the bonus round is way too easy. One of the things I liked about Pyramid was the bonus round was challenging and rewarded intelligence, similar to Final Jeopardy. This one is way too relaxed on enforcing the rules. I've watched multiple episodes where contestants would have been buzzed in the 80s version for what they say. For the big money this show gives out, we should make it a bit more of a challenge.

Overall though, this is definitely one of the better versions of Pyramid. They did a great job remaking it to follow similar format to the 80s.

I've been watching reruns of this show for the past couple of weeks, I think mostly from over five years ago, so I hopefully they've learned and it's better now. But, there have been numerous really bad choices for the celebrities. It's painful to watch. I won't mention any names, but some of these guys seem to not have any idea how to play. I get that they want a good mix of types of celebrities, but some people just aren't meant to be on a game show. Why would they have them on? Shouldn't they know how to play the game before being accepted to help contestants win? It's not fair because the contestants give excellent clues, but some of the celebrities JUST DON'T GET IT! I'd be mad! Just saying.

Otherwise, I'm really enjoying this version with Michael Strahan. I've watched this show since I was a kid and always enjoyed it. Dick Clark, Donny Osmond, and Michael Strahan have all been great hosts. I hope they keep getting intelligent celebrities on who know how to play!

I'm older so I remember how fun, smart and challenging this show was back when. Sometimes watching the supposed celebrities on the show makes me ask, have we really become this stupid? There are some really smart and fun celebs but they are few and far between. Most of the reality show or media "celebs" are plain stupid. They are so self involved they can't get the simplest clues. I feel sorry for the contestants. It's painful and irritating to watch them. Also although it makes the winner's circle game much easier I like the relaxed rules fior what is an acceptable answer. Strahan is good and I'd like to continue to watch but please get better and smarter celebs on. I beg of you!