Scrabble without the Scrabble®

[Casey Buck]

I think it's a shame that a clue-based Scrabble hasn't been done in nearly 30 years. The primary thing that has stymied a revival (and for that matter, reruns on Buzzr) is Hasbro and possibly Exposure Unlimited.

So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?

There's only three things that you'd have to change that I could think of:

1. The name, obviously.
2. The tiles to determine the letters to place. Maybe change that to just simply picking two numbers, like on the 1990 pilot.
3. The pink and blue square bonus money mechanic.

Other than that, isn't the rest of the game Fremantle's domain?

[TLEberle]

I mean, Camouflage was pretty dang close.

[parliboy]

So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?

So basically, make a Words with Friends game show?

[Strikerz04]

So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?

So basically, make a Words with Friends game show?

Bingo.
(and that's also not a name suggestion, either)

[Joe Mello]

So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?

I'm semi-joking, but my suggestion is "Caesar's Challenge without the Caesar's"

[parliboy]

I'm semi-joking, but my suggestion is "Caesar's Challenge without the Caesar's"

That just won't work.  You can't have Caesar without the dressing.

[PYLdude]

So that got me thinking, can you do a Kirkland Signature version of Scrabble without infringing on Hasbro's IP?

So basically, make a Words with Friends game show?

Bingo.
(and that's also not a name suggestion, either)

Weren’t they actually attempting to do this?

[Casey Buck]

So basically, make a Words with Friends game show?

Not quite. When I referred to Scrabble, I meant "TV Scrabble", as in the Woolery 80s version (complete with the punny clues and the Sprints). Is there a solid enough game there without having the Scrabble chrome?

[parliboy]

Is there a solid enough game there without having the Scrabble chrome?

Yes... if the quality of the presentation itself is high enough.  Political considerations set aside, Chuck's hosting style was anything but cookie cutter.  He knew how to steer the ship, and he knew when to let the ship steer itself.   Too many "hosts" don't know how to do that.

[Clay Zambo]

When I referred to Scrabble, I meant "TV Scrabble", as in the Woolery 80s version (complete with the punny clues and the Sprints). Is there a solid enough game there without having the Scrabble chrome?

The game is certainly entertaining enough. If you want some way to connect one answer to another, it could be last-letter-of-one-answer-becomes-first-answer-of-the-next.

[Neumms]

2. The tiles to determine the letters to place. Maybe change that to just simply picking two numbers, like on the 1990 pilot.

I've had the same idea. The letters could pop up at random how they did in the Scrabble Sprint. I'd also love to see them play the Sprint alternating turns using something akin to a chess clock, like Grand Slam.