Television series
The $10,000 Pyramid
- Light-hearted
- Dip in and out
A delightfully frictionless game show where celebrities and contestants team up to guess words by giving each other clues, built around a pyramid-shaped board. Dick Clark hosts with his characteristic ease, the pacing is zippy, and the whole thing feels like hanging out with funny people who are genuinely trying to help each other win. Perfect for background viewing or getting the whole family shouting answers at the screen.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like watching fast verbal guessing games where a partner's clumsy clues are half the fun, and you're curious how daytime TV looked in 1973.
Skip it if you want a sleek modern production or lots of runtime, since it's a single brief season of 20 half-hours with dated 1970s staging and little beyond the word game.
What it asks of you: Roughly half an hour per episode, with the rhythm of a live studio game: quick rounds, a lot of shouting and laughing, and little patience for slow reflection.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Hollywood Squares1966
Celebrities in a grid, contestants trying to out-strategize them in tic-tac-toe. It's pure social geometry—watching Peter Falk or Wally Cox deliver zingers while you puzzle through the game is endlessly rewatchable.
But Some episodes are slow-paced by modern standards, and the jokes don't always survive their decade. The formula repeats after a while.
Tattletales1974
Married couples compete by predicting how their spouse answered trivia questions. It's voyeuristic and funny—you learn why these people stayed together, or why they shouldn't have. Dick Clark hosts this one too.
But The intimacy dynamics can feel dated or uncomfortable now. Some couples clearly aren't having fun, which reads differently than it did in the seventies.
Press Your Luck1983
Contestants navigate a grid of squares, avoiding the Whammy. It's pure adrenaline and player agency—you watch someone make real decisions under pressure, not just answer trivia. Host Peter Tomarken is genuinely excited to see you succeed.
But The special effects haven't aged gracefully, and the game relies heavily on luck. Smart play doesn't always win.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The $10,000 Pyramid
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Win, Lose or Draw1987
Both hinge on the chemistry between celebrity and contestant to transmit information under time pressure. Pyramid uses words; this uses visual chaos. Same engine, different fuel.
A game show built on Pictionary—celebrities and contestants draw clues instead of speaking them. It's tactile, immediate, and hilarious when someone can't draw. The chaos of people shouting at bad sketches is pure joy. Hosted by Peter Tomarken.
But The drawing quality varies wildly, and sometimes the clue is genuinely impossible to visualize. If you need the game to feel fair, the artistic element will frustrate you.
More like this (1)
Super Password1984
A refinement of the Password formula with faster pacing and higher stakes. The celebrity regulars seem genuinely invested, and the word-guessing mechanics are satisfying to watch unfold.
But It feels incrementally rather than significantly different from the original. If you've seen Password, this is a lateral move.
People
Cast
Dick ClarkHost
Writing
- Bob StewartCreator
Recommended by
Jeopardy!, Idiotest, Tattletales, Super Password, Celebrity Family Feud, Match Game, Password