Million Dollar Password
I’m on vacation so hopefully these automatic posts work. It’s always a gamble. Here’s a quick little place you can throw your opinions about Million Dollar Password which debuts tonight at 8:00PM ET on CBS.
Network: CBS
Airings: Sundays at 8:00PM ET
Host(s): Regis Philbin
Vote for how many stars you think the show deserves to the right, and then leave a comment!
Million Dollar Password is a revamp of the classic word game format. In the new version’s elimination round, two contestants play four rounds of 30 second guessing games, with five passwords to get per round. The players switch celebrities at round three. Most points at the end of round four plays for $1,000,000 in the money round. Here, the contestant and celebrity with who he or she played the best in the main game must get five words out of a certain amount in order to move up the money chain. After winning $25,000; the player can’t leave with less than that. After six successful rounds, the player wins $1,000,000. Not completing a goal in any round loses money won up to that point and the player leaves with the last milestone.
I get to be the person who few agree with as usual: I’m just not a big fan. I can stand the game play if necessary but even then I have issues. We get more gameplay out of the first few minutes than we do in the money round, the round they are actually trying to promote more. It’s the issue I had with Friend or Foe?. They answered more questions in that last 60 seconds than they do in the rest of the game. On Password it’s basically the reverse of that: more game play in the first five minutes of a game than the actual portion they promote. And I still don’t think the money round format works. This comes from me, again, just not thinking Password works for a million dollar format, at least in the format we have here which is essentially Pyramid without the giant pyramid.
My main issue with the show is the presentation. The set’s nice and fine, but the rest is just not working. The constant applause after each word is distracting and throws off the vibe of what they are wanting to make: a tense word game. And that’s not working either. I’m feeling no tension or connection, I’m just watching. The music is bland background noise like I’d expect from Chain Reaction. I feel like I’m watching Sony’s Pyramid, to be quite honest. The never ending whooshes and sound effects get old very quickly as well. Again, just like Pyramid. Regis almost seems out of his game here. He gets no chance to connect with contestants which is what he was good at. Donny Osmond from Pyramid would have been just as good and probably cheaper. But they seemed to advertise the show on the fact that it had Regis which was a troubling sign to me from the start. No, this is far from a bastardization of a format like Fremantle did with Temptation. And who knows, maybe this will lead to a syndicated series eventually which is where this show works. However, it’s not working as a dramatic format, the presentation is just too much, and it needs more even pacing.
[rating: 3.5/5]
I’d prefer the prelim round to be a tad more casual and closer to the original Password front end game… like a first to fifty points setup. I don’t want it to be speed round after speed round. I think they should clock the clues individually instead of the whole, or give more words and less levels on the ladder. Just something different that a whole bunch of speed rounds.
I still liked it, though. Worth tuning in to again, methinks.
Everyone keeps talking about Alphabetics… I don’t know that the ADD viewer would like that. I think the money ladder works, too. The one thing that I would have liked to have seen was the puzzles. I was a little upset when I didn’t see that.
Overall though, I really enjoyed the game and was having fun playing along… thinking of words as clues and really rooting for the players!
I enjoyed it and can’t wait for next week… and for Betty White sometime soon!
Honestly, I thought the show was FANTASTIC.
The gameplay was fast, but slow enough to let you tink about clues that you would give and get involved in the drama, and the celebrities were really fun.
Everyone keeps complaining about how it’s not like Password Plus or Super Password, but, honestly, I never really enjoyed the gameplay of those two very much. The core of the game has always been trying to get people to guess the words and finding the “definitive” clue to a certain word. The puzzles were okay, but they always felt like an unnecessary add on. And the new Bonus Round is certainly more dramatic than Alphabetics ever was.
I’d suggest a couple of changes, that others gave mentioned: raise the safety to $50,000, and let the contestant choose which celebrity they take to the Bonus Round.
Other than those few things, this show is really fun (and hopefully) a big summer hit.
I can’t believe I’m saying this but Freemantle managed to mess with a classic and make it pretty good. No this isn’t your Grandfather’s password, or even your father’s Password plus, or (for those of you who are my age.) your Super Password. I have to admit at the 100k level I was screaming at the TV when the guy went for it. I agree though that he kinda got shafted with the “mystery” word. I also have to agree that the player should be able to choose who they want to go for the $1,000,000 with. Either that or complete the 2nd half even if the game is over, so that the contestant in theory would have an equal shot of having either celebrity.
I think the reason for the speed round is that they want each show to be self contained, i mean God Forbid a show should stradle! I am in advertising and i pulled some preliminary Nielsen numbers for the show and it looks like CBS has a hit. I pulled local markets the top 13 markets and in most cities MDP was either #1 (all but 1 or 2) in Households and demo. So will see what happens next week. And yes i can’t wait for Betty White (btw, that show will air on a Thurs not sunday…..tony awards are on the 15th BW episode airs the 12th)
First, it is important to keep in mind that Pyramid was a derivative of Password, so some commonality is not surprising.
1. The front game is basically lightning rounds from the original Password, except for 30 seconds each — does it feel like the front game of Pyramid? Absolutely, but it’s still lightning rounds. The fast pace is really engaing here.
2. The celebs switching with the contestants was a nice touch just as in the original Password (though it was after each game that the switch occurred).
3. The end game is exciting, but perhaps drags too long. Perhaps bag the first level altogether, or use Alphabetrics-style first-letter hints and reduce the time limit a bit. The three-clue limit is actually good here because it forces thoughtful gameplay and makes each clue count. A $100,000 safety would be better, to allow contestants to get a “free” chance at the $250K. The previews answered my question of why anyone would go for the $250K, but don’t screw the contestant, let them see ALL the words before they decide. Not perfect, but it was a decent enough end game to bring me back. AND LET THE CONTESTANT CHOOSE WHO THEY PLAY WITH IN THE END GAME!
4. You could see the pain in NPH’s eyes when the contestant lost the big money and shooted down to 25K — you could tell he felt he let the contestant down and was embarrased into silence. It’s almost too much at stake for a celebrity partner to bear, isn’t it? But great drama, as the contestant was clearly destroyed and still gave NPH a half-hearted hug on the way out.
Overall, better than I thought it would be, nice compact 1/2 hour format per game (times two), easily could make the run to syndication with a few tweaks.
I actualyl found the show to be enjoyable, and moved along, no long drawn out drama.
I hate in teh final round that there is a risk free level. By that, I mean once you get to $25,000, you automatically will try for the $50K. I wish they had structured the money tree as is, but made each level a risk. IE, instead of being guaranteed $25K when you reach the level, the contestant would be guaranteed nothing until they hit the $50K level. Once they earn that, then they are guaranteed $25K if they lose.
It worked OK for millionaire, but I just wish it were a tad bit different here.
I thought the show was pretty good, and I’m an “old school” password fan. Regis did pretty good i thought. I agree with the people that said that the applause during the elimination round is too distracting. The bonus round is well laid out. I like the idea of having less words to used the higher you get.(5-10,5-9)etc. Overall, i would give it a B
Glad other people thought it was too noisy with all the audience clapping. What really drove me crazy, though, was the constant music playing under everything–even the interviews and game play. It was like an annoying mosquito buzzing in your ear when you’re trying to sleep. Enough, already!
I liked the show but hated the set, I think it is too much to have $1,000,000 flying on bars around the set. If they added some color beams that could change colors (I.E. Deal or no deal) and made it more like deal and millionaire, but leave the rising platform, I liked that.
I liked the show but hated the set, I think it is too much to have $1,000,000 flying on bars around the set. If they added some color beams that could change colors (I.E. Deal or no deal) and make it more like deal and millionaire, but leave the rising platform, I liked that.
I was surprised and impressed. My disappointment was that the password puzzles weren’t used which is my thing I loved about password. I loved the fact that it wasn’t drugged out long drama. Neil Patrick Harris is a pretty good password player rachel ray not so much. I actually liked the look of the set and maybe I’m alone here. It kind of remind me of a classic look with primetime appeal to it. I really wish the contestants would have been sitting but all in all I will tune in next week to watch Million Dollar Password. Regis did very well on this too. The bonus round was better than I thought it was going to be which was a surprised to me. All in all i will give this show an A Minus
My verdict is mixed; Regis did a top-notch quality job, but the front game resembles Pyramid too much and the bonus round is just a tad too complex though exciting. Also, they really do need to sedate the crowd during the gameplay; this show is way too loud. I compare this version to Drew Carey’s hosting of The Price is Right: not quite the best, but definitely not the worst.
I watched it again this morning and it’s not as bad as I first thought it to be. Alot of my original complaints still stand as I said in my earlier post. It’s just not a original concept for a show anymore. What I mean by this is it seems like you can add a money tree to any game show and almost anybody will watch it. I was hoping that Password would still have a lot of it’s original gameplay and show to the game show world that you do not need a money tree to have a hit. It’s like with reality shows. As a matter of fact I can describe every premise in every reality show in the following paragraph:
“In the begging there will be “X” amount of people and each week and at the end of every episode someone will levae (via judge or voting, etc.) At the end of the series (which is usualy some long boring drawn out finale) someone will win the grand prize (Usually a million bucks)”
This was a great concept in the begging and now that every network follows this (Bravo is the most guilty with the following shows Top Chef, Top Model, Top Janitor, etc.) it’s become boring and tedious. Why can’t there be a new concept going back to my original point that is my main complaint with password. It’s like every game show that has been made in the last ten years. What ever happened to being innovative and being an original?
I could go on all day why this version of password is infierior to the others but instaed I’ll go in to my official review.
On the Loogaroo scale here’s how I rate this version of password.
Gameplay: 1 pts./3 pts.
As I stated earlier this game suffers from the cliche money ladder but the front game is not as bad as I originally claim. It does resemble loosely the old lighting round. The main problem is the bonus round. It is just unforgiving. It either should just be the time limit or the word limit. Both of those together is just over the top. The main difference between Pyramid and Password is Password is more of a thinking mans game and Pyramid is fast and frantic. Either way the game could use better pacing.
Host: 3 pts./3 pts.
Regis does a excellent job and has a nice report with the celebrities. He’s is just as good as all the other password hosts IMHO(but no one still holds a torch to Allen).
Presentation: 1 pts./2 pts.
While the set does look stereotypical, it is original. I love the animated walkways. The only thing I hate is when the set raises in the bonus round. It reminds me of the “Winner’s Circle” from Pyramid. The music is awful. It’s not produced well at all and sounds like all the other million dollar game shows that have existed before it. This also goes for the SFX.
Execution: 0 pts./2 pts.
The whole production feels thrown together and it seems like they didn’t go for the celebrities that knew how to play the game (although they got Betty Whit and I can’t wait to see that ^___^ .) Instead they get Doogie Howser who looked like a deer in the headlights the entire game.
Total Score: 5pts./ 10 pts.
Average
I may be in the minority here, but I didn’t think that the bonus round was at all bad. I realize that beside, perhaps, a 26-letter Alphabetics, there’s not really a way you can give away $1,000,000. If you’re going to make Password for a million, you have to revamp the bonus round. The bonus round was executed pretty well, in my opinion.
I, however did NOT
This mash-up of Password, Pyramid and the Power of 10 (strange that they’re all “P” shows) actually turned out to be quite engaging.
The only real problem that I saw was the set. The big jumbotrons seemed to remind me of the old Candid Camera, and the bullseye with the $ in the middle was a bit too cheesy for me. Unfortunately, they also brought the “loud” aspects of the Power of 10, which many have griped about already. I thought it was funny when NPH had his fake laugh before the second half contestants. The red, on the other hand, was actually a welcomed change, as opposed to all of the blues seen in the past (I’m not counting “The Chair”), but it could have toned down a bit on the strobe light.
Regis did do well in this debut, but I felt at times he was rushed. Maybe it was the music, yet I almost counted the number of times his voice went up after a sentence. I think he also had to do some voice-over work, which I’m never a fan of.
As for the gameplay, I really don’t mind the Pyramid portion of it, but I wish they brought the puzzle portion back like the past and slowed it down a tad. I enjoyed the money game (except when it seemed like there was a public execution going on in the last :15 of that final bonus round), however there needs to be some tweaking to it. I like the safety at 25k, and I don’t think you’d like to have it much greater than other shows are sporting. The clock is completely useless if you have the three clue limit, and the words on each level need to be the same (and increasing) difficulty. Clever that they would shows the clues before deciding though. I don’t know if I would be in favor of an Alphabetics, since it would probably have to play out like the WonderWall if there’s no returning champion. For once, the money tree will do.
I’d give it a 7/10. This’ll be a great show once it goes to syndication, but I’ll enjoy it on Sunday’s for now. Rachel Ray was awful and should stop being on TV.
I enjoyed the show and had the same peeves at most people did here so I won’t bother to repeat them. However, some people are saying how the show is going to fast. Try to remember 2005 when DOND first came on the airwaves here in America. The show got through roughly 2-2 1/2 contestants a night. It was moving fast. Then they decided to stall. A lot. Talk with the contestant. Talk with the family. Bring a surprise guest. Go to commercial 3 or 4 more times. Same thing with PlayMania.
So although I would like more banter with the contestants and celebrities, be thankful that the show is running too fast rather than too slow. Overall I think this is very good. Super Password is still my favorite, though.
The other things I do not like about the show is the music and the set. Every show does not have to be a tense show. I think using a Super Password-like set, even in primetime, would still work.
Where is the happy theme song? Where is the whispering announcer “The password is…” Where is Dr. Riesen A. Goodman or his equivalent? I miss Allen Ludden’s gaze into the camera when the clue was offbeat. Where’s my clock ticking? Tick Tock. Do I need hear that music and the audience constantly applauding? I have always been a Regis fan, but this show is too impersonal with the high tech set and eerie “Millionaire” music throughout. The fast pace made me nervous and it wasn’t fun. Made me want to take a “bufferin” (one of the original Password sponsors!) The password is : Disappointed.
Does anyone know what happens when the elimination game ends in a tie? It’d be cool of they played classic Password for the tie breaker. Both teams play the same word. Best two out of three wins.
Jeff, unfortunately we live in a world where game show announcers just aren’t very necessary anymore. Except for Price and Wheel where you have a lot of merchandise to describe, most game shows just offer cash. Not much for an announcer to do these days.
I do agree about the lousy, predictable theme music…if you can call it that.
An actual clock tick would be more naturally suspenseful than that artificially dramatic underscore. Even Pyramid’s flute-clock sound haunts me years later.
And it would have been retro-cool to have Regis close with “The Password for tonight is __________.”…followed by a quote or proverb sent in by a viewer, just Like Allen.
But even with a few blemishes, the show wasn’t bad. But I was almost expecting Regis to start the bonus round by saying, “Here’s Your First Password. Go!”
i liked the show! Fremantle didnt screw this one up. If i had to bring such a show as Password into the 21st Century i would do it like this. I was surprised to hear at the end that it was taped in NYC so it makes it the first old Goodson Todman Show to return to NYC.
The million dollar game was beautifully done. I knew that NPH was screwed when “FIASCO” came up. How do ya give a clue for that.
I love the set. And i liked it how the celebs introduced their partners in the front game, a suttle throwback to the original version of Password. I think were all looking forward for Betty White’s apperance on the show. Let the master show us how its done.
Overall, I give it an “A” for effort, but at the same time, there are a few things that got me po’ed on this version of “Password”…
1. The audience was WAY too loud – now it is one thing when someone wins the money (i.e. $10,000, $25,000, etc.), but after EVERY CORRECT ANSWER? The audience was subdued on the other “Password” formats, but not here!
2. There could have been a neater theme to the show – since Fremantle owns Mark Goodson Productions, and Score Productions is still in business, why didn’t they let them compose the them (especially since the show is on CBS, where Score Productions made the music for “Up To The Minute?”
3. I thought that Neil Patrick Harris did a great job – Rachel Ray on the other hand… “MDP” needs to get celebrities who can stand up to the ‘pressure’ more (like “Mrs. Betty Honey” White will!)
4. I think that the end game should be more like the Alphabetics/Super Password round, as it would take longer to win the money, and I also miss the puzzles as well.
5. I like Regis as host, and he doesn’t have to be as overbearing as he was on “Millionaire” either.
6. The set was too much like “Millionaire” and Donny Osmond’s version of “Pyramid” – too ‘techno’ for my taste – an updated version of the “Super Password” set would have worked just as well, and been more ‘homey’ to boot!
7. In a way, I’m glad there is no announcer, or Fremantle would probably have stuck Rich Fields on it – then it REALLY would have been a LOUD show!
In closing, I liked it, but “Super Password” is still my all-time favorite version of the game – I’ll always LOVE the ‘TESTIMONY’ episode with Patty Duke and Rip Taylor!
Eh, not sure how I felt about this one. My first thought was very similar to most posts here – that the beginning round was just Pyramid with one word clues and no categories. The bonus round was just Ca$hword with a money ladder. I think they could have done better than this. Regis really was almost pointless during the show. They could have hosted the show with a robot. Very C- for me…I wasn’t impressed but I wasn’t totally depressed either.
I heard the ratings were good though.
At least somebody agrees with me. It’s too bad this show is relying on Regis and $1,000,000.
I felt it was good, but it seemed like the six steps to a million makes it too quick of a journey to big money. It works for the Power of 10, but I don’t think it works for Password. It probably was made that way because CBS wouldn’t make a full commitment to the program.
If they did, I would break the format into 3 segments since it looks like Pyramid in Password’s body:
Win one main game to play the 5 of 10 set for $10,000.
Keep that and leave, or risk it for the first “safe haven” of $25,000.
Win that, then you return to try and win a second main game.
Win two main games to play the 5 of 8 set for $50,000.
Keep that and leave, or risk it for the second “safe haven” of $100,000.
Win that, then you return to try and win a third main game.
Win three main games to play the 5 of 6 set for $250,000.
Keep that and leave, or risk it for the $1,000,000.
I wouldn’t add it, but I would okay with showing a preview of the 5 passwords at the million level for that enticement factor.
I seem to recall a couple of choice ditties from a Futurama episode when I read a couple of these posts here: when it comes to television, unexpected things make people feel scared and TV viewers want to see the same thing they’ve seen a thousand times before.
There’s hell to pay when the new Password doesn’t have any puzzles, that’s for sure. :P
First off, I hate this posting software. It’s not posted what I’ve written three times.
Second, I give Password three stars. I like the gameplay, but I think Chris R’s idea of using the fast and exciting front game to break up the plodding endgame would be better. The set is too dark, too red and too disjointed. The music is easily forgettable and a synthesized cliche. The celebrities were nice, but not the best players, same as the contestants. Regis was a non-entity, which I’m trying to decide if that’s a good thing or not.
Also, I have to point out, since people have been complaining about the “3 clues” not being a part of “Password” history: I haven’t even seen “Cashword” in this whole thread. Obviously people are forgetting about the “Cashword” game on Super Password, where you only got 3 clues for the bonus check.
So, maybe you don’t like it, but, you can’t say they were not taking various “aspects” of different Password elements over the years with that rule in the new game.
Excellent point, davec. I realized that just the other day, but I never posted it.
I LOVE this version. It’s “Password” meets “Pyramid” meets “Millionaire”. FINALLY, Fremantle did something right for a change (although I’m still not a fan of the company). I know CBS is probably celebrating the return of Password in prime time.
They did something right? I’m sorry, but I have to disagree. The “Password meets Pyramid meets Millionaire” is exactly what’s wrong with the show, IMO.
I’d like to see “Super Password” with the 3-part Lightning Round from “Password ’75″. That would be an exciting show.