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Author Topic: Password thoughts  (Read 7166 times)

mbclev

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Password thoughts
« on: March 24, 2004, 12:00:55 PM »
It was 15 years ago today that "Super Password" aired its last show, and I hope "Password" in some form comes back on the air soon.  It is too great a game not to be on television.  If it does come back, I'd like to see a host that keeps his or her mind in the game in unusual situations, which leads to this:  I know that some people seem to like Bert Convy's hosting duties on "Super Password", but I beg to disagree.  Bert usually seemed to be flustered when an unusual situation came up.  Examples of this include:

     1.  He always seemed to be incredulous when someone gave an illegal clue
          during the Cashword as if it never happened before.  He was also flustered
          (usually) when someone gave the password as a clue.

     2.  During the fall 1986 Tournament of Losers, Constance McCashin saw the
          word "often" in the bonus round and gave what I thought was "a lot" and
          thought she would be flagged for an illegal clue.  Not until about a year
          later when I was taking a business communications class at Cleveland
          State University did it hit me; the professor either said or wrote the word
          "allot" and then I realized that's what Constance might have said in that
          bonus round, and in those cases, the clue giver gets the benefit of the
          doubt, but Bert never bothered to explain it to the audience.  (A similar
          thing happened when Constance was on "Win, Lose, or Draw" when the
          phrase in play was "No right turn" and Constance said "Do not turn to the
          right" and I thought that answer would be accepted, but it was not, and
          Bert never explained why it wasn't.)  Tom Kennedy did a good job doing
          this on "Password Plus".

Bert also actually laughed at Stacy Keach's personal problems right in front of Keach's "Mike Hammer" co-star, Lindsay Bloom, when she appeared with James Widdoes on the show, and Bert also said the bar pick-up line "You come here often?" to a contestant.  (If Allen Ludden had said a thing like that, he would have been excoriated!)

Jimmy Owen

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« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2004, 12:29:05 PM »
Bert's did last longer than ABC Password and P+, so SP does deserve some props.  I think Bert was one of those hosts who had a fan base that would watch him in any show, so any minor failings were overlooked.
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Ian Wallis

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« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2004, 04:00:21 PM »
I liked the time that the password "cloth" came up on the 5th clue of the puzzle.  Bert then quietly says "hmmm...cloth".  Betty White was the female celebrity, and the look she gave Bert was priceless!

I've got this on tape from Casey Kasem's Top 10 Game Show Moments of the Year (or something to that effect) that they counted down on "Game TV" one time.

As for "Password" coming back, it's now been off for 15 years (longer than any other time in its history).  Back in '89, I'm sure the producers probably thought it would have come back before now, but since the televison landscape has changed since then, would a format like that work today?
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inturnaround

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« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2004, 04:17:18 PM »
[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 04:00 PM\'] As for "Password" coming back, it's now been off for 15 years (longer than any other time in its history).  Back in '89, I'm sure the producers probably thought it would have come back before now, but since the televison landscape has changed since then, would a format like that work today? [/quote]
 Well, look at Lingo. It's as simple as that game, perhaps simpler and it seems to be doing well for GSN. Not only that, but it has name recognition.

I don't think it'd work as a syndicated game and none of the networks are looking for anything like this for any place on their schedule. Maybe if Pax woke up one day and had money to spend on games or if GSN wanted a tried and true format for a new original.

So, I think the format would work, it's just a matter of finding it a place out there. Odd that even though there are more channels now than ever, there's lack of interest in what has worked so well before.
Joe Coughlin     
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tvrandywest

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« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2004, 04:28:51 PM »
[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 01:00 PM\'] ... would a format like that work today? [/quote]
 I beleave Inglish iz a dyeing langwage amung the masss awediance - Most peeple's vokabulery iz so limmitted that the newances of words' meenings and yoosages necesary to plaay the game goodly wood be mising, ore bee beyond the grasp of moost vyooers.

But there is a chance for success on FOX if the champ's playing of the lightning round involved real lightning.   ;-)


Randy
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adamjk

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« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2004, 04:34:34 PM »
Quote
I beleave Inglish iz a dyeing langwage amung the masss awediance - Most peeple's vokabulery iz so limmitted that the newances of words' meenings and yoosages necesary to plaay the game goodly wood be mising, ore bee beyond the grasp of moost vyooers.


LOL Randy

DrBear

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« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2004, 04:49:34 PM »
[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 03:28 PM\'] I beleave Inglish iz a dyeing langwage amung the masss awediance - Most peeple's vokabulery iz so limmitted that the newances of words' meenings and yoosages necesary to plaay the game goodly wood be mising, ore bee beyond the grasp of moost vyooers.

But there is a chance for success on FOX if the champ's playing of the lightning round involved real lightning.   ;-) [/quote]
 For heaven's sake, don't give 'em ideas!

But tat wuld be funi.
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ITSBRY

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« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2004, 05:21:01 PM »
Quote
But there is a chance for success on FOX if the champ's playing of the lightning round involved real lightning. ;-)

YES! and the next incarnation of "High Rollers" should have contestants with high tech heart monitor devices strapped INSIDE a huge pair of tranparent dice. After they're rolled down a hill (we'll call it the "extreme dice table") and the number is removed, someone is voted off, forced to eat cow guts and dropped through a floor while being subjected to a plethora of cleverly worded barbs from a snooty English host.

Ok, where can I pick up my Executive Producer's name plate? :-D

ITSBRY
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chris319

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« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2004, 06:16:15 PM »
A trend in the Englishlanguage thanks to theInternet is that peopletendtosmush wordstogetherintoone. This isbecause youcanthavespaces in a URL forexample the URL for "General Electric" is actually generalelectric. This would makeitharder to judge Password if somebodythought "mashedpotatoes" was a valid onewordclue. It's not but theremaybe peoplewho spellitthatwaynow.

catkins522

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« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2004, 10:35:58 PM »
And, btw....WHEEL 2000 IS NEU! NEU! NEU!

Charles
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Card Shark

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« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2004, 10:51:53 PM »
[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 06:16 PM\'] A trend in the Englishlanguage thanks to theInternet is that peopletendtosmush wordstogetherintoone. This isbecause youcanthavespaces in a URL forexample the URL for "General Electric" is actually generalelectric. This would makeitharder to judge Password if somebodythought "mashedpotatoes" was a valid onewordclue. It's not but theremaybe peoplewho spellitthatwaynow. [/quote]
 That and like the over-reliance of the like word like would like cause people to like use that in like every clue.
Adam Strom

MyCapableAssistant

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« Reply #11 on: March 24, 2004, 11:25:16 PM »
[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 02:28 PM\'] [quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 01:00 PM\'] ... would a format like that work today? [/quote]
I beleave Inglish iz a dyeing langwage amung the masss awediance - Most peeple's vokabulery iz so limmitted that the newances of words' meenings and yoosages necesary to plaay the game goodly wood be mising, ore bee beyond the grasp of moost vyooers.

But there is a chance for success on FOX if the champ's playing of the lightning round involved real lightning.   ;-)


Randy
tvrandywest.com [/quote]
 BUZZZZZ
Shouldn't that be: **EYE** beleave?

J.R.

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« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2004, 11:45:12 PM »
LOL ! BTW, AFAIK WDYC ? IDK ! ROTFL !

TTFN !
-JR
-Joe Raygor

tvrandywest

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« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2004, 01:07:45 AM »
[quote name=\'JRaygor\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 08:45 PM\'] LOL ! BTW, AFAIK WDYC ? IDK ! ROTFL ! TTFN !
 [/quote]
 E-I E-I O

Old MacDonald
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Preview the book free: click "Johnny O Tribute" http://www.tvrandywest.com

Jay Temple

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Password thoughts
« Reply #14 on: March 25, 2004, 01:32:29 AM »
I think, given the current market conditions, the best chance would be an hour of prime time, straddling.  Either of the two classic formats would be viable:

1) You couldn't get away with 10 clues per word, but you could probably get by with six, and the game ends on when one team reaches 15.  Instead of two games and you're out, just say that you're gone after you lose two out of three to the same opponent.

2) One hour of current programming time would probably be enough for one full game of the puzzle format, a bonus round under whatever name, and most of another game.

For the bonus round, there's no need to re-invent the wheel.  I don't care what you call it;  just use Alphabetics.
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