Comments on: Preview of “Million Dollar Password”

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:45:58 +0000

There seems to be a misconception that thought, strategy, and quiet are boring. The original Password, which was introduced on Garry Moore’s show, featured two teams (contestant and celebrity) alternating, trying to guess the SAME password. They even went through up to 25 guesses before throwing out a word. It was that thoughtful, quiet, banter that made the game so fun to watch.

All subsequent versions of the game (including Password Plus and Super Password) followed the same concept for the general game, although annoyingly attempted to “speed it up” by limiting guesses to a paltry 4 - 2 for each team.

The only thing I liked about the later versions of the game was the “Alphabetics” bonus game, which added the excitement of guessing 10 words in 60 seconds.

But trying to make the whole game essentially one-on-one (losing the back-and-forth action and strategy) and adding the time pressure of the bonus round to regular play is just too much change. The original fun of the game is gone.

Heck, even the original password featured a hushed golf-type announcer saying “The Password is…” How unexciting by today’s standards!

This version of Password is tantamount to playing golf with bazookas instead of clubs - just to make the game faster. And forget the golf carts - let’s make the players run as fast as possible to get to their next shots. Wouldn’t it be great to add a sprint and shot clock to golf? That would be exciting, wouldn’t it?

But that wouldn’t be golf. And this, my friends, is NOT Password.

One more thought - if the producers think the fast paced music and timers are so critical to the show’s success, I would refer them to the hugely popular myriad of poker television programs now. Maybe that’s why they’re so popular - it is the only remaining game show genre with quiet, strategy, and competition without gimmickry.

By: Thomas Dickensheets

Thomas Dickensheets — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:37:08 +0000

I remember the 1960’s Password. I like the old password. I like Super Password.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:38:41 +0000

Why didn’t they try to incorporate the Password Puzzle into this? That was what you saw in Password Plus and Super Password - 5 words that all fit together to describe a certain thing. And then the winner would move onto the “Alphabetics.” I thought those were very fitting updates to Password, and I enjoyed them very much (watching on Game Show Network, anyway). I always found ‘regular’ Password boring, and these much more exciting.

Certainly they could have just chaged these with larger amounts of money or something, maybe with a Tournament of Champions round worth 1 million. But I do think 1 million dollars is a lot for Password.

By: Charles

Charles — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:46:09 +0000

Aaack. So far I’m not impressed. I agree with the poster that said that they’re trying to “Millionarize” Password. I had hoped to see a return to the classic game where 25 points won. The theater-in-the-round thing is way overdone - does everyone have to have an dark, arena-size stage for a game show now??

I didn’t like the revival of “Pyramid” much either, and I doubt I’m gonna be bowled over by this one. But I’ll watch the first show at least.

By: myke25

myke25 — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:18:50 +0000

“Mr. Quiz”-
First…don’t call me “pallie.” My name will do nicely. You can sometimes be pretty condesending for someone who dares to call himself “Mr. Quiz.” Let’s be civil here, ok?

Password vs. Pyramid:
Yes, it’s a pretty common POV that Pyramid was considered “Son of Password.”
If Bob Stewart had any fault, it was his tendency to recycle game concepts. (See Chain Reaction vs. GO)
What really separated Pyramid from the original Password was the big money bonus round. Password’s Lightning Round was never played for a lot of money. After Pyramid became a hit, soon every new game show had a big money bonus round…including Password Plus. Alphabetics was even staged a lot like Pyramid’s Winner’s Circle. That’s what I meant when I said that Password begat Pyramid, which begat P+. I should have been more clear.
As for You Don’t Say, there wasn’t a clearer case of intellectual property theft until Temptation! ;)

TPIR:
Just how was I being unfair? Posters here were worried that a faster-paced Password would ruin the game. I was merely citing that some of us old farts thought the same thing about the “New” Price Is Right back in ‘72. And when I look at the Cullen shows today, I can really tell the difference in pacing. But we got over it and TPIR has been thriving ever since. Heck, the pacing’s faster now than when the new show premiered in ‘72! A few remakes have performed better than the originals. That could be said of TPIR, Match Game, even Pyramid…though I still enjoy the Cullen $25K Pyramids the best! I was just saying that faster isn’t necessarily bad. Let’s give this new Password a chance before condemning it sight unseen. We might like it even if it’s not just like the original.

By: James

James — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:47:11 +0000

Yeah, I know Fremantle didn’t do PWAS…my point is, when people wrote in when PWAS was on, it got results. Have any of you hardcore game show fans tried writing similarly to a company you think did you wrong? (I know now it seems more TV people are bigger tightasses though and won’t admit they are wrong)

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:57:43 +0000

Well, at least that video convinced me not to have high hopes.

Really, they didn’t need to change much of the format, I think Password Plus is still fast enough for today’s viewers. All speed rounds do are turn most game shows into spectator events, as opposed to playalong games, and for some formats, it works well. I don’t think it works very well for Password.

If they wanted an exciting round with a million dollar jackpot, they should have just done Alphabetics, 26 in 2 minutes. Make it a money tree similar to the bonus round in Winning Lines. You’d have a minimal amount of large winners, but you could set 20 to be around the average giveaway each week for whatever they wanted to spend on it. 26 in 2 minutes would be near impossible, but just within reach where it’d be interesting.

As is, it’s hurry up and wait, and I don’t think there’s enough built in drama to keep viewers during the wait part.

By: MrQuiz

MrQuiz — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:21:12 +0000

To James: Fremental, er, uh, Fremantle had nothing to do with PASSWORD ALL-STARS. This was 1974-75, and the company that packaged it was known by its original name: MARK-GOODSON-BILL TODMAN PRODUCTION(s). The complaints levied by viewers was aimed at ABC, who knee-jerked when PASSWORD started to slip in the ratings (it was on opposite the original JEOPARDY! on NBC at the time). The “alphabet network” all but demanded Goodson-Todman do something to improve its numbers. That something was to rework the format, which Mark Goodson was quite adamant about doing. The rest, as they say, is history.
(as an aside, a similar scenario involving LET’S MAKE A DEAL, ABC insisted Monty Hall expand to a one-hour format, and incorporate that “deal wheel,” or whatever the hell it was. In any case, Mr. Hall tried in vain to convince the “alphabet network” suits it would be a bad move. In the end, he was right, not unlike what happened with PASSWORD)

By: dropzone5

dropzone5 — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:37:01 +0000

*sigh* They just HAD to whip out the ol’ money tree again, didn’t they? I don’t really think Password fits into that mold…escalating jackpot, maybe, but not a friggin’ money tree…

I’ll wait for this one, though. But it could’ve been a bit more thought-out than what we have.

By: The Great Butler

The Great Butler — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:05:32 +0000

If Fremantle wasn’t producing this you wouldn’t see half the bashing you do…