On Thursday, April 19, 2012 10:50:52 AM UTC-4, PGage wrote:
>
> I always found the Bloopers show to be obnoxious and unwatchable, as well
> as made up awards shows like the American Music Awards (apologies to Kevin
> if he worked on these, I am not referring to the production values, just
> the concepts of the shows). But Pyramid was a really good game show - I
> mean really good, probably one of the best ever, at least top 5, maybe
> higher. The game itself was good (I am talking about the original, morning
> version), the mix of game play and celebrity chit chat and hi jinx just
> about right most days, and most of the celebs really seemed to care about
> how they did, and getting the contestants to win. And a hell of a lot of
> the success was Clark, who was never, ever more likable than when he hosted
> that show. I guess most people have forgotten the era of morning broadcast
> game shows (aside from Price is Right, which is a horse of a different
> color to me), and how important they were, especially for those of us who
> had prolonged illnesses as children, or had to watch a lot of tv in the
> summer for various reasons. If it had been up to me I would have made at
> least half of DC's TV obit focus on the Pyramid, which showed him at his
> most urbane, and represents in my mind easily his most important and classy
> contribution to American pop culture.
>
Part of what made Dick a great host on Pyramid was the concern he showed
for the contestants - more than just about any other host ever. And that
was best shown in his Winner's Circle post-mortems. After a contestant
failed to win, Dick would stand there, sometimes for two minutes, and
suggest possible clues until the contestant got the correct answer. It
showed his own intelligence and concern, and it really humanized the show.
When Donny Osmond hosted the Pyramid revival a decade ago, he purposely
chose not to do post-mortems because he thought it was just torturing the
contestant for losing - but it had the opposite effect. It made the host,
and the show, look cold and slick.
Another host who excelled in this area was Art Fleming, the original host
of Jeopardy. But with that show's fast-paced format, Art could do little
more than quickly encourage a contestant who had dropped into negative
values ("Come on, get yourself out of that hole!"). Dick went much further
than that. Oddly, when Dick hosted a Jeopardy-like quiz, "The Challengers,"
in 1991, he acted so sorry and disappointed whenever a contestant got an
answer wrong that it slowed down the game.
I disagree about Pyramid being Dick's "most important contribution to
American pop culture." Bandstand really is his greatest legacy. Before Dick
Clark, rock music on TV was Elvis shaking his hips while grownups
complaining indignantly. Dick may have tamed the music, but he made it
acceptable and showed its appeal to audiences and advertisers. In doing
that, he created a whole industry. And if that's not a significant
contribution to American pop culture, I don't know what is.
Pyramid was never even the most important game show of its time. And you
could argue that Dick was not the most crucial element in its success - it
was Bob Stewart's baby, and Dick was just a hired hand. And the other
Pyramid hosts of his era (Bill Cullen and John Davidson) did fine jobs,
too. But it really was a great show, and the concern and dignity that Dick
Clark gave it helped make it refreshing and classy. He really was one of
the greatest game show hosts ever.
"Here is your first subject. Ready - GO!"
-Tim
--
TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People!
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