$20,000 Pyramid Win ~ 1976 Debbie Kirschenbaum (Part 2)

Deborah Kirschenbaum-Herman partners with David Groh and Phyllis George to win the $20,000 prize - Originally aired November 2, 1976

[@bainsey89]

Further evidence that Pyramid should NEVER be in hiatus. Thanks for sharing, Debbie!

[@jeffreystreger2026]

What an absolutely great win. One of the best wins I've ever seen on any version of "Pyramid". You won $20,000 in 28 seconds! Thank you so much for posting this.

[@richerdchikosky7558]

when she said linens, the clock read 33 seconds. I think she did it 8n 27 seconds. Click did stop at 32 seconds left.

[@scottmiller6495]

An incredible win with plenty of excitement and happiness. This is how wonderful this game show was especially in the early years when 10,000. dollars or more meant something and these people really appreciated it because it was great !!!!!

[@scottmiller6495]

This was really exciting and the world was much better than now absolutely !!!!!

[@passwordplus]

Amen on both comments. RIP Dick Clark, David Groh, and creator Bob Stewart.

[@passwordplus]

And Phyliss George who just died last year in 2020

[@SusanGaskin]

Great show - I almost had as much fun watching the old commercials!

[@1TexasTV]

RIP Phyllis George, and Godspeed.

[@nicoleberry2750]

Love this Pyramid episode and the commercials, especially the one for Kenner Toys with Geoffrey Holder; fantastic.

[@scottmiller6495]

You'll Never Ever See Anything Like This Again Ever PERIOD!!!!!

[@DNSKansas]

Deborah, you were the second biggest winner on this day, only behind Jimmy Carter.

[@sadiedkh]

Yes, she did say "MICK"!! Trust me, I held my breath while the tape was checked!

[@KiddBloo86]

Great job, Miss Debora! Do you remember when your episodes were taped? I saw the 11/2/76 air date, just curious as to how far in advance they taped.

[@fkd1963]

Deborah Herman I hope it was a nice fireplace :)

[@Jack21Spades]

THAT'S YOU!!! GREAT WIN! I thought the word "Nick" was said- that IS an acceptable clue. They would have HAD to accept it.

[@richerdchikosky7558]

Nick would have been acceptable. Nick is s nickname for Nicholas.

[@pressmin]

@@richerdchikosky7558 bzzz, said part of the word

[@tubesocksbrigade3031]

Awesome win!!! Plus,with 32 seconds left,I think that was the REAL record time for any Pyramid show.Because there's people that reconized Billy Crystal's turn at the winner's cricle in 1978 and he had 31 seconds left.So I think Deborah,it's YOU and Phyllis George holding that record with 32 seconds left.

[@fretbuzz59]

Billy Crystal's 1977 record was 26 seconds--34 seconds remaining. Check it out: 2IC4SCCuvsw

[@LostSilverProductions]

Officially, this win would be 5th on the all-time list. Billy Crystal (1976) holds the record with 26 seconds, and then there's a three way tie for second between Florence Henderson (1983), Barry Jenner (1987) and Kelly Packard (2002) with 27 seconds each. No matter what way you slice it though, this is no small feat, and deserves all the kudos for the victory that it is. Well done.

[@jmiller5724]

@@LostSilverProductions Billy was 1977... 😉

[@michaelfalkner1186]

@@LostSilverProductions Actually, this would make four, depending on whether you deal with the stop time or the time she says it.

[@gladfan1989]

That is how you play the game. Just a fantastic win for you. My deepest congratulations.

[@scottmiller6495]

Fabulous clues and a wonderful exciting win WOW !!!!!

[@jmiller297]

"Raquel Welch's BREASTS.... Sophia LOREN'S BUH-RRESTS!!" Lolol!! Loved it... :-D

[@quizshow1977]

How appropriate. Over a decade later, the counterpart happened. Barry Jenner said, "Old women's breasts". The contestant got it (Things That Sag) en route to a $100K win.

[@richerdchikosky7558]

Deborah congrats on your big win! This was my favorite show when I was six years old. As far as if she did Nick, I think that it would be acceptable since Nick is a nickname for Nicholas.

[@byrd56]

I notice that the 4th category, "Things With a Hole", was used twice before--on the first week of "$10,000 Pyramid" in 1973 and on the syndicated nighttime "$25,000 Pyramid" in 1974--as the last category.

[@PatrioticPirate]

I just realized something... VIDEO POSTER!!! IS THAT YOU?!! This is a FANTASTIC win!

[@fstrgray82]

So much to take in here. The emotion from you getting over the hump is amazing.

[@adamkirby2570]

Never knew this was in black and white...so cool!

[@jayman25000]

Great win! Congratulations!!!

[@jasonbertalotto2355]

RIP Phyllis George

[@kennethhuang371]

Debbie K cried when she won $20,000 in 28 seconds; the second fastest time after Billy Crystal. It is always a surprise when you get the 6 subjects in record time. But she shouldn’t get too emotional! Kenneth A Huang 8/4/22

[@tyrese3745]

21:46 - A priceless big win!!!

[@charlesallan-ks6gq]

Stay tuned for One Life To Live next here on ABC

[@63utuber]

It should have been recorded as 27 seconds. She clearly starts (and even finishes) the word "linens" with 33 left on the clock.

[@der22672]

Hi Deborah, thanks for this great blast from the past. And with the original commercials. So cool. Just curious if your watching the current incarnation , The $100,000 Pyramid with Michael Strahan? The game play is essentially the same, a couple of rule changes including the contestant gives the clues in the Winner's Circle now always, not the celebrity. It sure isn't your parents Pyramid anymore. It's definitely gotten a little more racier than the 70's and 80's versions. I think it would be a neat idea if you ever would consider going back on as a contestant?

[@johnpjohnson8112]

Phyllis was also the 1st to do the WC in Record Time :)

[@johnpjohnson8112]

so shouldn't she be mentioned NOT Billy Crystal?

[@louistenore3876]

we had color in 1976

[@domeonce9006]

our family didn't, so this seems VERY REALISTIC to me!

[@dkillalegend]

The second WC run is one of the fastest I've seen so far. No one still has the fastest of all time footage with Billy Crystal at 26 seconds.

[@cdelano81]

The guy who played Rhoda's husband didn't help Deborah win money. But the CBS Sports commentator who worked on The NFL Today for five years, did. Not only that, but Phyllis George gave Billy Crystal a run for its' money on getting to the top of the Pyramid in the least amount of time.

[@adamesser775]

I stand corrected, Debbie! I was 10 when your win aired and you must have been 16!

[@michaelhealy1767]

You better believe it it's from Hollywood sqaures whell of fortune match game nbc and cbs also price is right models hosting from 1976

[@AarHan3]

SHE FINALLY MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :^D

[@63utuber]

RIP, Phyllis George

[@KiddBloo86]

"Made of worms" 🤣 You must have foreseen peel-and-eat twizzlers, which look like worms stuck together!

[@danielraymond5934]

Today is March 6, 2022. Every now & then I’ll go down a Pyramid winners circle wormhole because I always pump my fist when that last box is guessed. I was looking last night & watched some of the Betty White episodes and got sad and thought of the contestants who won with her in the circle. Then I watched the Joan Bellafontaine episode and didn’t realized how back the show went, just going by the quality of the broadcast. I was born in 72 and watched it when I was a school age kid (late 70s-80s). I wondering if Joan was still with us in 2022 but couldn’t find anything. I just saw your episode and realized YOU POSTED YOUR OWN EPISODE!!! Congrats on your win! As someone mentioned in the comments on another clip, 20k was A LOT back then (it still is in 2022!). How old were you here? What do you remember about Dick Clark and Phyllis George? Do you have any other stories from the taping (or after) that you haven’t already mentioned? As the years went on, did you tell anyone & everyone that you won on 20,000 Pyramid? I sure would! Most important: Did you get the fireplace for your parents?

[@michaelhealy1767]

Also family feud pilot episode was had a clip on abc $20000 pyramid ep in 1976

[@sadiedkh]

Adam ... it's been 39 years, but it still feels like yesterday. As I said lower down in these comments the tape WAS checked and it was determined she said Mick! Believe me, they would have taken that money back so fast if it had been otherwise! Also Hart N' Sole, I know I did hold the record for a while. From time-to-time I remember hearing Dick Clark say things like "oh you came so close to beating Debbie Kirschenbaum", but then the Billy Crystal record moved ahead by one or two seconds and that win made the opening segment...I can't recall if mine ever did.

[@wschmrdr]

Third fastest (MG McCormick winning $100,000 being the second) is nothing to sneeze at. Well done! :)

[@KiddBloo86]

I remember an episode, taken down since, where he does mention your record! Now I get it!

[@adamesser775]

She did say "Mick". I can sleep peacefully!

[@garypartyka6075]

Yup She did in fact say MICK. Wow. Good on the judge for letting that go thru

[@davidkendrick4453]

$20,000 in 1976 = $104,000 in 2023

[@kennethdesmondmosley1075]

Quaker’s?

[@adamkirby2570]

Lord...thought she said, Nick! Must have said, Mick👍

[@SurfNetSal75]

Great win! Kind of an easy one on top I thought!

[@paulnguyen8910]

Billy "Mahvelous" Crystal has, Debbie, the record at 26 seconds, which still stands. You did win an extra $18,850 on your 4th try. 33 seconds to spare.

[@zachhoran]

Crystal had his record win a year later. Maybe this tied or beat the record at the time.

[@paulnguyen8910]

@@zachhoran He actually beat this one by 1 second.

[@tonyparrish1978]

I think The $20,000 Pyramid was part of ABC Daytime [Came on before Ryans Hope]. .

[@facebook51ify]

That's from New York's flagship station.

[@7sevo7]

awesome! my mom won $10,000 on this show in sept. '76. adrianne barbau was the celebrity co-contestant. she was then in the opening segment for a while afterwords. i don't know if a tape exists. did you tape this show yourself or get it from an archive?

[@sadiedkh]

I paid a studio in New York to record it on a Betamax cassette so we could play it on my then newly purchased $700 VCR!! Recently I brought the Betamax in to be transferred to a DVD.

[@7sevo7]

Deborah Herman we didn't have a vcr until '82 and they picked my mom out of the audience before the show. she didn't even tell anyone that she was going to try to get on as a contestant until she came home and told everyone that she won. it aired a few weeks later. i remember seeing the check for $6,777. she was smart (still is of course). btw, you looked so nice on the show also. -david

[@jmiller297]

Was she the one that went "GREAT GOD ALMIGHTY!!" when she won? ;-)

[@zachhoran]

@@7sevo7 $6777? I guess they took some taxes out of the winnings before cutting the check.

[@danielraymond5934]

Hi. Not sure if you’ll see this (today is 3/6/22). Congrats to your Mom on her win. Is she still with us? How old were you when she won? Did life change for your family much after? Did she talk about it a lot? Or did life go on for her as a Mom?

[@scottmiller6495]

WOW !!!!!

[@garypartyka6075]

Sorry, even though the intent was "nick" for "Nicholas", that was an (inadvertent) ILLEGAL clue. Period

[@louistenore2185]

28 seconds fantasic

[@michaelhealy1767]

Also match game pm 1976 on abc also cbs TV game show as well on abc tv has a family feud pilot and price is right models hosting as well

[@justinbryant9419]

Do you have part 1 so far

[@nibsvkh]

Video title kills the tension since I know the outcome!🤨

[@larrylollis5875]

Who is this celebrity

[@DBR00]

21:40 did she say “Nick” ? If so, she should have been buzzed for an illegal clue.

[@brockreynolds870]

I can say, that no, she should not have been buzzed, even if she DID say "Nick", because the clue fit the subject, even if it was part of the word. This situation happened with Levar Burton, where he said "so and so across" for things on a crossword puzzle. It was buzzed, and then rescinded, and the contestant won. I think they key is that is only PART of the word, and not the whole word was said... for instance, when Elaine Joyce said "Candy Canes" for types of candy, it was buzzed immediately.

[@joefagan6244]

In Philadelphia Pennsylvania WPVI channel 6 ABC

[@adamesser775]

She should have lost. Phyllis listed the name Nick as a nickname. I'm surprised they didn't catch that.

[@fkd1963]

It is tricky. Could she have said "Dick" or "Rick"? I also thought she said "Nick" which would get a buzz but the judges apparently listened to the tape again and she did not say "Nick".

[@PatrioticPirate]

+Adam Esser ABSOLUTELY NOT. The clue WAS "Nick," but the key word, "Nicknames," is a generic term, under which every clue given (and myriad more) fits. She won that $20,000 legitimately.

[@wschmrdr]

Nick IS a nickname of Nicholas. It's just like using "UCLA" for colleges and universities.

[@flatfingertuning727]

@@wschmrdr Actually, UCLA did buzzed on one episode for a category of "colleges" on the basis that the judge thought the "C" stood for College, but the contestant was awarded the point on review because the initialism is actually "University of California, Los Angeles". Saying a substantial part of the category or synonym thereof is forbidden *even if* the clue would otherwise be valid, a fact which has tripped up many contestants. For category "things that shine", the clue "polished shoes" was zapped because "polish" is a synonym for the transitive meaning of "shine" [Underdog's alter ego, who would fit the category, shines shoes, i.e. polishes them].

[@wschmrdr]

I'm sure we're referring to the same instance, where Dick thought it wasn't going to be acceptable for the reason you described, but after the commercial was upheld as acceptable.

[@patrickhanson712]

Rules must have been different in this originial incarnation... not strictly a list... Plus she said "Nick" embedded in nicknames lol

[@sadiedkh]

Patrick Hanson it was Mick. They checked the tape!

[@garypartyka6075]

She said Mick

[@michaelhealy1767]

Cbs friday july 27 1984 25000 pyramid also match game 1973 1982.also Fri 10 19 1984

[@joefagan6244]

2nd best time 28 seconds .