Password Plus

[wdm1219inpenna]

Is it possible one reason the show was "canceled" in 1982 was due to Allen Ludden's death?  I thought Tom Kennedy was a superb emcee on that show, and everything else he ever worked on.  I suspect too part of Password Plus' demise had to do with time changes in NBC's daytime lineup if I'm not mistaken, yet a little over 2 years later, "Super Password" was on, which was almost virtually the same game as "Plus".  Had Allen lived and had the show not changed times, I wonder if it would have had a pretty long run, into the early 1990s.  Just something odd to me that I wanted to share...

[Jimmy Owen]

It's hard to speculate, but Allen seemed a bit more passionate about the show.  More than any other host, he would encourage viewers to tell their friends about the show; talk about how viewership had increased and the like.  The frequent time changes didn't help, though.

[SRIV94]

Had two of NBC's three other games not been jettisoned within a month of P+'s departure (only WoF survived), there might be some merit to that.  NBC was sagging in all dayparts and they seemed to be desperate to find some formula that worked (like turning to a mostly soap lineup at the expense of their game shows).  And it's not like Kennedy came aboard and the show was cancelled on the spot--it ran another year and change with Kennedy at the helm.

By the time of SP's debut, NBC's fortunes were turning around in prime time, so executives became a lot more patient and willing to stay the course in daytime as well (which didn't mean there wouldn't be short-lived shows--but you had lynchpins that would enjoy pretty healthy runs [$otC and SCRABBLE ran about six years, SP 4 1/2, CLCN four years first-run, then two years of reruns, and of course, WoF]).

[Ian Wallis]

I think the main reason it was cancelled was due to ratings.  I don't think the host of the show had anything to do with it.  After a strong start, reportedly the ratings weren't great throughout the entire three-year run.  NBC probably figured the time had come.

[Dbacksfan12]

I wonder if it would have had a pretty long run, into the early 1990s.  Just something odd to me that I wanted to share...

SP didn't make it into the early 90s, and I think it had the better format (just not a great host).  Why do you think the host made a difference?

[PYLdude]

Besides the point, who's to say that Allen would've stuck had he made it through? Gene Rayburn wasn't done any favors after his advancing age was put out there.

[Vahan_Nisanian]

The noon timeslot, that's what killed it. NBC most likely didn't have anything better to put on. Or am I thinking of SP?

[clemon79]

The noon timeslot, that's what killed it. NBC most likely didn't have anything better to put on. Or am I thinking of SP?

You are. On the Wesside, P+ ran at 10:30 right after Wheel of Fortune.

[TLEberle]

and I think it had the better format

What differences were enough to call it better?

[clemon79]

and I think it had the better format

What differences were enough to call it better?

I see the argument, really. The Cashword was a nice little interlude in the middle of the game, and was compelling when it hadn't been won in a while, and I was never a fan of the 20% reduction thing in Original Recipe Alphabetics, so the miss-one-and-yer-screwed of the SP bonus was welcomed.

That said, the plodding pace, the meh host, the uninteresting set, and the generic theme, at least for me, leave me strictly a P+ man.

[TLEberle]

That said, the plodding pace, the meh host, the uninteresting set, and the generic theme, at least for me, leave me strictly a P+ man.

I'm actually discussing this very topic with Mark as we type, and there's something to be said for each version, like Super Password always having one practice puzzle and then a best-of-three to determine the winner.

[BillCullen1]

I think one thing that might have killed PP was the dragged out format that was introduced when Tom Kennedy took over. It took $500 to win a game and the first three puzzles were worth $100. This meant it took four to six puzzles to win a game, possibly more if a puzzle wasn't guessed when the last word was revealed. The week with Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows saw this happen several times. I remember it was painful to watch.

By doing this, it was all but ensured that the Alphabetics round was not played twice on one show, which is what the producers may have wanted.

[SRIV94]

The noon timeslot, that's what killed it. NBC most likely didn't have anything better to put on. Or am I thinking of SP?

You are. On the Wesside, P+ ran at 10:30 right after Wheel of Fortune.

Yes, but when Perry CS was cancelled in October 1981, P+ moved into its slot (and BATTLESTARS took P+'s).  The CS slot in question--12N ET (P+ ran five months in that slot before it was gonzo).

[SRIV94]

I think one thing that might have killed PP was the dragged out format that was introduced when Tom Kennedy took over. It took $500 to win a game and the first three puzzles were worth $100. This meant it took four to six puzzles to win a game, possibly more if a puzzle wasn't guessed when the last word was revealed. The week with Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows saw this happen several times. I remember it was painful to watch.

By doing this, it was all but ensured that the Alphabetics round was not played twice on one show, which is what the producers may have wanted.

The dragged out format didn't start until late in 1981 (a week or so after P+ moved from 11:30 to 12N).  And whatever desire the producers might have had about the number of playings of Alphabetics was slightly offset by the escalating jackpot offered when it was not won (which was also introduced the same week).

[parliboy]

Even though both format changes came about at the same time, was one of them more of a "driving force" than the other?