50 years ago today...

[mbclev]

...the game show "Password" debuted on CBS at 2 P.M., Eastern time, with Tom Poston and Kitty Carlisle as the first celebrities, and Allen Ludden hosting.  Anyone can share memories of this game if they want to.

Among my memories from the original era, besides the second theme to this show, was during one particular lightning round, Amanda Blake gave the clue "gun" and the contestant responded "smoke" (probably knowing her being on "Gunsmoke").  Of course, from the "Super Password" years, I remember enjoying Constance McCashin (of "Knots Landing" fame) being on the show and playing the game extremely well.  (So well, in fact, that she won the 1987 all-star week and $12,800 for the Association for Retarded Citizens [now known as the ARC].)

[geno57]

A favorite of mine, as soon as I was old enough to appreciate it ... and a timeless classic.

Obviously, it didn't lend itself very well to a suspense-ridden "Million Dollar" game.  But I wish someone would come up with a good way to present Password to today's audience.

[Vahan_Nisanian]

I sometimes wonder how long the original Password would have lasted if it wasn't for CBS' decision to pre-empt the show in favor of Robert McNarma's speech. That was the only reason The Newlywed Game on ABC became a runaway hit. Otherwise, it would have faded into obscurity.

[Bob Zager]

Today is also the 50th anniversary of the premiere of "Make A Face," hosted by Bob Clayton, on ABC-TV.  Though it didn't have the success "Password," did, Clayton had success with "Concentration," and his announcing duties on Bob Stewart's shows in the '70s!

While on the subject of "Password," I saw the anniversary edition home game at Barnes and Noble books yesterday for around $20.  Only difference is there's 2,000 words in this version, and the "magic revealers," show "PASSWORD 50TH" on them.

...Of course, from the "Super Password" years, I remember enjoying Constance McCashin (of "Knots Landing" fame) being on the show and playing the game extremely well.

She played the game very well, and frequently appeared on "Pyramid," after it returned to CBS-TV, 29 years ago last month!

Ms. McCashin was a contestant on the Bill Cullen version of "Pyramid," in 1974.  She was partnered with Ed Asner, and chose to give him the clues in her one trip to the winner's circle.  She'd won $900 (the most you could, without completing the board), after failing to get Ed Asner to say, "Things in Hell."  He ended up saying "Oh, Hell!" after the round was over, and kept saying the word a few more times after that!

[TLEberle]

That was the only reason The Newlywed Game on ABC became a runaway hit. Otherwise, it would have faded into obscurity.

Lolwhat?

[Jay Temple]

That was the only reason The Newlywed Game on ABC became a runaway hit. Otherwise, it would have faded into obscurity.

Lolwhat?

Is this what happened? It would make sense.

Password aired opposite The Newlywed Game. CBS pre-empted the former, so viewers turned to the latter and liked it.

[TLEberle]

Is this what happened? It would make sense.

Password aired opposite The Newlywed Game. CBS pre-empted the former, so viewers turned to the latter and liked it.

And I reject his thesis that TNG would have gone to the dustbin of history but for one bungling network head.

[J.R.]

I sometimes wonder how long the original Password would have lasted if it wasn't for CBS' decision to pre-empt the show in favor of Robert McNarma's speech. That was the only reason The Newlywed Game on ABC became a runaway hit. Otherwise, it would have faded into obscurity.

I wish to play my "PROOF OR NOT REAL" card.

[joker316]

Is this what happened? It would make sense.

Password aired opposite The Newlywed Game. CBS pre-empted the former, so viewers turned to the latter and liked it.

And I reject his thesis that TNG would have gone to the dustbin of history but for one bungling network head.

As do I, TNG would have eventually won the timeslot due to the fact that it was perfect counterprogramming to Password (younger skewing game vs. older game). It's demise was due more to Fred Silverman's desire for a certain soap opera project to air; the pre-emption just helped speed things up a little.

As for the 50th of Password, let me say that I have always enjoyed both playing and watching the show, and it helped me learn to read when I was a kid (my mom said I got more use out of her home game than she did). Personally, I don't think it can come back like the "good old days"; but one can always hope.

[thomas_meighan]

Pre-empting certain half-hours for news conferences or (in this case) government hearings wasn't all that unusual in those days, and the practice wasn't limited to extended events like Watergate. The New York Times' TV listings from the 60s-80s show many occasions when scheduled programs were bumped for whatever reason, sometimes by only one network.

I've thought about all the stories regarding Password being killed by the July 11, 1966 pre-emption *alone* and I share others' skepticism for a few reasons:

--No Nielsen numbers are ever cited one way or the other.
--If the Senate hearing was carried live in all time zones, then Password would have aired on the West Coast and Love of Life would have been pre-empted three hours earlier*.
--ABC had a weaker station lineup at the time.
--Days of Our Lives was beginning to mount a challenge at 2 PM. Its numbers increased from a 5.3 in its first season to 6.9 in its second.

Even if Password had trounced TNG, it still would've had Days to contend with on NBC and might have been finished by 1968 or 69 no matter what.

[*edit: or Andy Griffith reruns, depending on how CBS arranged
its West Coast feed in those days.]

[Winkfan]

Too bad that what's left of GSN isn't doing anything to commemmorate this occasion. I mean, it wouldn't have killed them to air a marathon of classic episodes from the various Password versions over the years.

To quote Allen himself, "Think about it....."

Cordially,
Tammy

[clemon79]

I mean, it wouldn't have killed them to air a marathon of classic episodes from the various Password versions over the years.

Wouldn't make them any money, either. Or else they would DO IT.

[mbclev]

Ms. McCashin was a contestant on the Bill Cullen version of "Pyramid," in 1974.  She was partnered with Ed Asner, and chose to give him the clues in her one trip to the winner's circle.  She'd won $900 (the most you could, without completing the board), after failing to get Ed Asner to say, "Things in Hell."  He ended up saying "Oh, Hell!" after the round was over, and kept saying the word a few more times after that!

Who was the other celebrity on that particular show?  (From what I've seen, Ed Asner made two appearances on the Cullen "Pyramid" in the 1974-75 season.  The first show he did, the other celebrity was Bernadette Peters, and on the other show, Peggy Cass was the other celebrity.)

[mmb5]

I sometimes wonder how long the original Password would have lasted if it wasn't for CBS' decision to pre-empt the show in favor of Robert McNarma's speech. That was the only reason The Newlywed Game on ABC became a runaway hit. Otherwise, it would have faded into obscurity.

In the same vein, the Tonight Show/Hugh Grant thing was not a singular event that switched the ratings in the Leno/Letterman battle.  It helped, but was already trending towards that before nor was it an immediate switch after.

[Matt Ottinger]

I sometimes wonder how long the original Password would have lasted if it wasn't for CBS' decision to pre-empt the show in favor of Robert McNarma's speech. That was the only reason The Newlywed Game on ABC became a runaway hit. Otherwise, it would have faded into obscurity.

In the same vein, the Tonight Show/Hugh Grant thing was not a singular event that switched the ratings in the Leno/Letterman battle.  It helped, but was already trending towards that before nor was it an immediate switch after.

Good analogy.  Yes, it's interesting to note and point to these little programming oddities, and sure, if you were a game show fan in 1966 and your old reliable show was not on that day, you'd be likely to check out the new one.  (I sure would have.)  But just like you can't say "If not for the Hugh Grant episode, Leno would never have overtaken Letterman in the ratings" you also can't say "If not for that Password preemption, The Newlywed Game would have faded into obscurity".

For the record, when Maxine Fabe tells the story (is that the oldest version?), she simply says that the preemption allowed Newlywed Game a large sampling that it might not have gotten otherwise.  She never says it's the "only" reason the show became a runaway hit, and rightly so.