Pyramid (game show)

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, 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. On November 11, 2024, it was announced that The $100,000 Pyramid would be renewed for an eighth season, which premiered on March 9, 2025.

The Pyramid's game boards feature six categories arranged in a triangle (referred to as a pyramid), with three on the bottom row, two on the middle row, and one on the top. Most variations of gameplay feature two teams, each composed of a contestant and a celebrity. The game's central premise involves teams taking turns, with one player attempting to describe mystery words or phrases to their teammate against a time limit. The higher scoring team wins the game and plays the bonus round, known as the Winner's Circle.

At the beginning of the game, the host reads off six categories from which the team in control picks. These denote the common subject of a series of words or phrases to be described within that category, and usually take the form of wordplay (such as "Playing footsie" leading to a category of "things you do with your feet"). One member of the team is then displayed one word or phrase at a time on a monitor, and must describe each to their partner within a time limit. The team member giving the clues may use verbal clues that do not contain any part of the answer (for example, using "high up" for "height"), as well as non-verbal clues such as gestures. One point is scored for each item correctly guessed, and words for which illegal clues are given are eliminated from play. The clue giver may also choose to pass on a word; while a point is still awarded for any word correctly guessed after passing, no further clues may be given on a passed word unless time remains after all other words are guessed. All versions of the show feature a maximum of seven words and a 30-second time limit for each category, except for the 2002-04 version, which used six words and 20 seconds.

Three rounds are played, with each team playing one category per round until all six have been played or one team has attained an insurmountable lead, whichever comes first. Teams decide which member will give and receive for the first round; the roles are reversed for the second, and they again choose for the third.

In versions prior to the 2010s, tie scores were broken by an additional round of gameplay. The team that scored the tying point was offered a choice of two different letters of the alphabet. That team then played seven words beginning with that letter, after which the opposing team played words beginning with the other letter. The tie was then broken by whichever team scored more points or, if both teams solved all seven words, whichever team did so in a shorter amount of time. The 2016 version breaks ties by whichever team achieved their score in the shorter total time.