The password is…revival!

[tpirfan28]

My take on a possible format:

- Classic "Password"; race to 50 points if 1 hour long, 25 if half-hour.

- Alphabetics bonus round (10 in 60) for $10,000.

- If the contestant wins the bonus, they get a clue to the "MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD" (in the style of the Password Puzzles).  And yes, they would be difficult...probably take four or five to get it, but there are many clues (as many as 10)

- If the contestant does not win the bonus, they get consolation money, and no MDP clue.

- Contestant stay on until they lose or solve the "MDP".  The kicker?  You get one guess at the MDP.  You guess incorrectly, you're done.

The only thing I do not know how to handle yet is illegal clues in the bonus round.

[wheelloon]

If nothing else, it makes me happy that Password is coming back in some form, it's long overdue, to say the least.

With that, it's not the top prize that scares me, not at all, instead, it's the production company. If we had the people at Po10 or 1vs100 handling $1 million PW, I'd be very optimistic, but with Fremantle's record, and especially how much Temptation has been a major disappointment, I'm scared...

I suspected that if PW ever came around again, whoever was would try to do some sort of combo of the past formats, but I have no clue how they could do so and make it worth $1 million, and have it not be seriously broke. Maybe have contestants play regular PW to 50 points, winning them 1k, for a semi-final. Due this for two rounds, then have the winners face each other in a final match to get to 10k (via SP and P+ puzzles?). Then, play a classic lightning round, get as many words as you can in 60 secs, 10 max, to multiply by your in-game winnings that you could keep or risk. Take the risk, you play the FINAL Bonus round, a 60 second Alphabetics, for a chance at ten times what you risked.

As for those who say the game is "too smart" to be done today, I completely disagree. As for the contestants being too dumb, I argue: It seems J! continues to have highly intelligent contestants that provide an intellectual, entertaining half-hour of TV, that 40 million people watch every week. I see no reason why this couldn't be done with a PW, that's part of the reason you have contestant coordinators.

+Plus ('scuse the pun), with the trend of GS's lately, anybody think even if this is a just  moderate success, that its just truly meant to be a springboard for a lower stakes, more classically styled version to be put into syndication? We have 3 potential candidates for 2008-2009, and that's just in October. I see no reason if PW takes off, why there couldn't be 4...

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'wheelloon\' post=\'166317\' date=\'Oct 11 2007, 10:04 AM\']
I see no reason why this couldn't be done with a PW, that's part of the reason you have contestant coordinators.
[/quote]
With the LONE exception of Jeopardy, you haven't seen contestant coordinators work lately, have you?

[Clay Zambo]

[quote name=\'wheelloon\' post=\'166317\' date=\'Oct 11 2007, 01:04 PM\']
If nothing else, it makes me happy that Password is coming back in some form, it's long overdue, to say the least.
[/quote]

Amen.

...Take the risk, you play the FINAL Bonus round, a 60 second Alphabetics, for a chance at ten times what you risked.

As long as we're format-dreaming: I was thinking about the Variety article and how it mentioned both Plus and Super and thought, what's the difference?  And then I remembered: the Cashword.

Since we're playing for a big, honkin' chunk of change, and these being the post-millennial late '00s, we have to find a way to get dark and brooding and dramatic.  And a 60-second race didn't seem to fit the bill.  But Cashword did.  Win $100K in AlphaSuperBetics, and decide you want to risk it all?  Three clues. One tough-ass word.  All or nothing.

I'm not willing to stipulate that playing Password for a million dollars is a good idea (though I'm not turning down any recent offers), but this would seem to provide a sufficiently suspenseful method of delivery.

[BrandonFG]

Part of me wants to give Fremantle benefit of the doubt, given they did a decent job with the Marathon (Card Sharks and Match Game were pretty enjoyable).

However, part of me wants to cringe, esp. since I saw Temptation this morning. I liked the show at first, but the cutting corners out of sheer cheapness and laziness irritates the living hell out of me. Bad producing at its finest.

Regis is a good idea...then again I remember he also hosted the first season of America's Got Talent. All in all, if they get some of the Marathon show-runners, this could work. But, make this about the contestants, and not the celebrities and their projects. This being in New York, I'd even consider trying out, if it looks competently produced. Watch your GSN, Fremantle.

I have no problem with one million being offered, but make the contestants earn it.

Guess what kids, it's Armchair Producer time!
Have a preliminary Alphabetics. Say, ten words, $500 a piece. You get all ten, then you play for the million. That round would be like the 70s Password, three words in thirty seconds. First word is worth $10,000, second is worth $100,000, the third is $1 million. If you fail, then you keep the $5,000 from Alphabetics...maybe $1,000 for each word. That's preliminary, I'll come up with something more extensive later.

However, you have to go 10/10 in Alphabetics to even get to that point. Otherwise, play the next game against your opponent.

[Joe Mello]

As long as we're armchairing...
Front game: Classic Password.  2 new player start each game.  Words start at 6 points, first to 15 wins $1,000.  Loser receives $10 a point.

Mid game: Mini-Lightning round.  3 words in 20 seconds, each word worth an additional 2K, 3K and 4K respectively.  The ending total becomes your base.

End game: Puzzle Round.  3 clues per word, 5 words per puzzle.  Getting a puzzle (after getting the word correct) multiplies your base.  The 5 puzzles are worth 2x, 5x, 20x, 50x, 100x.  If a password to a puzzle is not gotten, the player receives a miss (and cannot guess the puzzle).  4 total misses or 1 missed puzzle ends the game and the player only wins his/her base amount.  The player can quit after any solved puzzle.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'166341\' date=\'Oct 11 2007, 12:10 PM\']
End game: Puzzle Round.  3 clues per word, 5 words per puzzle.  Getting a puzzle (after getting the word correct) multiplies your base.  The 5 puzzles are worth 2x, 5x, 20x, 50x, 100x.  
[/quote]
Swear to GOD, if they slap a money ladder on this thing, I'm gonna kill someone up in here.

(The TV stays here. I paid too much for it.)

[wheelloon]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'166323\' date=\'Oct 11 2007, 01:27 PM\']
[quote name=\'wheelloon\' post=\'166317\' date=\'Oct 11 2007, 10:04 AM\']
I see no reason why this couldn't be done with a PW, that's part of the reason you have contestant coordinators.
[/quote]
With the LONE exception of Jeopardy, you haven't seen contestant coordinators work lately, have you?
[/quote]

True that, and again, this is part of my reasoning why I'm so concerned in having Fremantle handle PW. Likely, they'll try to get Temptation-esque contestants, which I think will be a killer card.

If they were to get Po10 contestants, on the other hand, I could see this working out a bit better. At least it seems the majority of people there can think logically and semi-intelligently, interact with the host and other contestants well, and still put on a pretty smile on cue.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'wheelloon\' post=\'166345\' date=\'Oct 11 2007, 03:23 PM\']
If they were to get Po10 contestants, on the other hand, I could see this working out a bit better. At least it seems the majority of people there can think logically and semi-intelligently, interact with the host and other contestants well, and still put on a pretty smile on cue.
[/quote]
I don't give Fremantle credit for a LOT of things (except maybe The Marathon), but I'd like to think they know that Temptation/$ale of the Century and their other daytime efforts are a little different than a primetime game show played for ONE MEEEEEEL-ION DOLLARS...

Hopefully, they realize that this show is not to be played with young housewives, even if Reege is the host.

/Of course, this IS Fremantle...

[weaklink75]

hmm...




Frontgame-points format- first to 100- double rule in play, no "opposite" rule. Players switch partners when one gets to 50. Winner gets $5,000, loser gets $10 per point.


Winner gets to pick which celeb to play with in the bonus (since no returning champs).
Bonus round has 3 parts:

Part 1:

Alphabetics-type: 10 words, 60 seconds, $1,000 per word.

Part 2:

Super Password: The words in part one are parts of a SP puzzle. They have 10 seconds to think about it, a correct answer wins 10x the money won in part 1. Right or not, they get to play:


Part 3:
Cashword: The player sees the word, and decides how much of the money earned in parts 1 and 2 to risk on the partner getting it. They then decide how many tries they get at it: 3 clues to double the money, 2 clues to triple the money, or one clue for 10x the money. 10 seconds thinking time for each word.
so a perfect game is $1million (10 words in part 1, getting the puzzle in part 2, and risking all the money on the final word and picking one clue and getting it). And since they already have $5,000 safe from the front game, I could see people risking it all on one clue, especially if it's gettable.

[BrandonFG]

CLASSIC PASSWORD:
Played like the original, except first to 50. Whoever reaches the 25-mark first plays a cross between the Lightning Round and (Super) Password (Plus).

CROSS BETWEEN THE LIGHTNING ROUND AND (SUPER) PASSWORD (PLUS):
Team has :45 to get five words, worth $250 apiece. After that, the successfully uncovered go to the Password Puzzle, for a cash prize (no more than $10,000 and that's pushing it...$5,000 could work just fine).

First to 50 wins the game and $100 a point. Runner-up gets lots of love $1,000.

BONUS PART I:
Like Alphabetics, but words are worth $500 a piece. You get all ten, then you play for the million.

BONUS PART II:
Played like the 70s Password, three words in thirty seconds. First word is worth $10,000, second is worth $100,000, the third is $1 million. Might tweak that, just to avoid making two words for $100,000 seem like WAYYYY to much.

However, you have to go 10/10 in Alphabetics to even get to that point. Otherwise, play the next game against your opponent.

[BMaurice06]

Me, I've always envisioned a version that used the Password Puzzle front game (playing for points) and a bonus round which is a combination of Alphabetics (from PP and SP) and Cashword (SP).  Here's what I mean (forgive me if it takes a little long to explain):

The winning team plays for $250 per word in the Alphabetics portion of the round, then they play for ten times the amount in Cashword by trying to get the password within three clues.  If the password is guessed in one clue, the jackpot doubles.

Then again, this is Fremantle were talking about; of course we don't expect them to go down that route.  But as usual, I'll try to keep an open mind on what the million dollar version will turn out to be.  As long as they don't mess with the format and end up booking mostly grade-Z comedians, that's fine.

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'BMaurice06\' post=\'166367\' date=\'Oct 11 2007, 04:58 PM\']
But as usual, I'll try to keep an open mind
[/quote]
Because you really kept an open mind about Temptation, right?

[TimK2003]

Why Million Dollar Password?  Because it was easier to say & list than "Super Password All-Stars Plus"
<ducking>

Here is the official press release from CBS (Again, as I get it from an internal website, I cannot link it).

Per CBS:

CBS ORDERS SIX ONE-HOUR EPISODES OF "MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD" FROM FREMANTLEMEDIA NORTH AMERICA

REGIS PHILBIN TO HOST NEW VERSION OF CLASSIC GAME SHOW
FOR MIDSEASON 2008
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11 — CBS has ordered six one-hour episodes of MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD hosted by Regis Philbin for midseason 2008, it was jointly announced today by Ghen Maynard, CBS Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming & Entertainment Content for New Media, CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group and Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia North America.  The new primetime game show will be a modernized version based on the Goodson/Todman classics "Password," "Password Plus" and "Super Password."
"'Password' is one of the all time classic game shows and we're thrilled to bring it back to television," said Ghen Maynard. "And what better person to host it than one of today's preeminent personalities, the ever enthusiastic and beloved Regis Philbin."
Taped in New York, the new MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD will feature two teams comprised of one celebrity and one contestant, each competing to guess a password revealed only to the studio audience and viewers at home.  The team with the highest score will then have to decide whether or not to keep their earnings or move on to a tension-building final round, where one word can potentially win a one million dollar grand prize.
"I'm thrilled to be part of this great show that I remember so well from a few years ago," says Regis Philbin. "It was a very classy production and Allen Ludden was so terrific. I hope I can continue that tradition on MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD."
As the energetic host of "Live with Regis and Kelly," now in its 20th season, Regis took his daytime success to nighttime with "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "Super Millionaire," and in 2006 returned to primetime, hosting the first season of the hit summer program "America's Got Talent."
 
Over the years, Philbin has received numerous honors for his work in the television industry. In May 2001, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored Philbin with a Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Game Show Host for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," and another Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host for "Live with Regis." He and co-host Kelly Ripa received the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Special Class Special for hosting the 2005 "Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade." Other honors include the 2001 TV Guide Award for "Personality of the Year," and a Broadcasting & Cable Lifetime Achievement Award, a Crystal Apple Award from New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for his contributions to the New York television industry, the Walter Camp "Distinguished American Award" from Yale University, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2006, Philbin was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, as well as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Television Academy's Hall of Fame. In 2006, he broke his own existing Guinness World Record for Most Hours on Camera, setting a new mark of 15,662 hours accumulated over his illustrious career.  
 
Two of his non-televised projects are true labors of love. In September 2004, Hollywood Records released Philbin's album of timeless songs, When You're Smiling, produced by acclaimed producer/singer Steve Tyrell. Based on the album's success, Hollywood Records signed Philbin for a follow-up album also produced by Tyrell entitled The Regis Philbin Christmas Album which debuted in September 2005, featuring duets with Joy Philbin, Tyrell and a special appearance by Donald Trump. It was one of the season's top-selling holiday albums.
 
A native of New York City, Philbin is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received an honorary doctorate of law degree for his contributions to Notre Dame and South Bend. Regis and Joy have two daughters, Joanna and Jennifer.
 
Hosted by Allen Ludden, the original daytime and primetime versions of "Password" first aired on CBS from 1961 to 1967. Additional versions of Password ran on other networks at various times throughout the years 1971-1989, garnering the first ever Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show in 1974.
 MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD is produced by FremantleMedia North America.  Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia North America, is executive producer.
 
* * * *


At least Ginger is nowhere near this Fremantle project, as far as I can see.  

My money's on this show replacing "Viva Laughlin" on Sunday Nights.

[Mr. Armadillo]

I would guess a two-part end game...part one, Alphabetics, where each word gets you $500, but it gets bumped up to $10,000 if you go 10/10.  Then, two Cashwords, the first one easier than the second one.  Each one get you get right adds another zero to whatever you won in Alphabetics.