Password Plus

[TLEberle]

Off and on, I've been watching Password Plus whenever it was on and I had access to the channel. I don't think I've ever seen this before. The first three words in the password puzzle were Prostitutes, Family and Gambling. The fourth clue was not only blocked out in the lower third but a censor bar covered it when the puzzle was in view. Additionally much of the audio from that word was dropped. The puzzle was revealed as "The Mafia."

I'd be willing to bet damn near anything that the fourth word was Italian, but I have no idea why the tape would need to be edited in that fashion, or whether it got to GSN that way, or GSN made those edits for some reason.

[Patrick Patterson]

I'd be willing to bet damn near anything that the fourth word was Italian, but I have no idea why the tape would need to be edited in that fashion, or whether it got to GSN that way, or GSN made those edits for some reason.

I think that the word may have been Sicilian; it looked like Patty Duke's clue was "Italian" and then Bill Cullen said "Southward" (they didn't mute that out). That said, except for potential concerns about cultural sensitivity, I'm not exactly sure what happened.

[chad1m]

Here's an ATGS response from waaaaay back in 1999. Chris Clementson claims that "there was concern that Italian Americans might be offended by the clue "Sicilian" being associated with the Mafia," but the censors didn't get to it until after it had already been produced.

[jjman920]

Here's an ATGS response from waaaaay back in 1999. Chris Clementson claims that "there was concern that Italian Americans might be offended by the clue "Sicilian" being associated with the Mafia," but the censors didn't get to it until after it had already been produced.

Glad to see the censors changed their minds in time for The Golden Girls seven year run.

[JMFabiano]

Was this episode ever seen unedited?  It sounds to me like NBC was the one who did the censoring, reading the ATGS posts.

[Bryce L.]

http://password-plus.com/Sicilian.rm

This will answer at least some of the issues with this incident...

[TLEberle]

http://password-plus.com/Sicilian.rm

This will answer at least some of the issues with this incident...

Anything for those of us who refuse to use Real Anything?

[Mr. Matté]

From Mr. Cease to Exist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=zNyKp8tcFpc#t=44s

[Unrealtor]

http://password-plus.com/Sicilian.rm

This will answer at least some of the issues with this incident...

Anything for those of us who refuse to use Real Anything?

VLC Player opened it for me.

[chris319]

I never withheld a puzzle which might be considered to be in bad taste. That was for the higher-ups to worry about. However, my bottom desk drawer was an area Dennis Gagnon used to refer to as "Category 13". If I felt a puzzle might have unfavorable legal implications, off it went to Category 13, a.k.a. the "I'll Research It When I Get Around To It" department, or the "Oh No, We're Gonna Get Sued" department.

[JMFabiano]

http://password-plus.com/Sicilian.rm

This will answer at least some of the issues with this incident...

Got it.  Still wondering when this ep. was censored...

[WarioBarker]

Still wondering when this ep. was censored...

Almost certainly in post-production back in the day, since Allen addressed the matter in a later episode and gave the censored password ("Sicilian"). And the censoring was done well -- until the Password Puzzle shows up, it looks like the word wasn't loaded in and the microphones were being dodgy.

my bottom desk drawer was an area Dennis Gagnon used to refer to as "Category 13". If I felt a puzzle might have unfavorable legal implications, off it went to Category 13, a.k.a. the "I'll Research It When I Get Around To It" department, or the "Oh No, We're Gonna Get Sued" department.

You wouldn't happen to still have some of those puzzles, would you?