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Post by ladykelsey on Jun 26, 2014 18:26:56 GMT -5
When Million Dollar Password debuted on CBS I was forced to watch it on the recommendation of my father and I saw what an awesome comeback game show it was for Regis Philbin and I liked Million Dollar Password even more when Betty White was on it. But I think the main problem with Million Dollar Password was that it was a way for CBS to promote it's stars of it's shows. Take For example Julie Chen is from Big Brother and when Phil Keoghan appeared on Million Dollar Password he was on The Amazing Race and I think that's why Million Dollar Password was short-lived and was cancelled. It would sure be nice if CBS would revive Million Dollar Password because it was a cool show and deserves a revival in the near future. Million Dollar Password reruns also aired for a short time on GSN but it remains one of the most popular game shows in the world, Do you remember when Million Dollar Password was big?, Kelsey
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Post by Frank on Jun 29, 2014 23:38:20 GMT -5
watching it made me want to throw things at the tv.
Password was North
Clue: South Guess: East
Clue: East Guess: West
Clue Pole Guess Antartic
The password was Valet
3 straight clues was car,
then of course you have William Shattner as a celeb
I guess the producers wanted to make sure the million wasn't won.
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Post by thekid965 on Jun 30, 2014 9:21:07 GMT -5
This, I feel, was the fundamental problem of Million Dollar Password: No matter the place it occupies in the game show firmament, the fact was that Password in any form had been off of TV for fifteen-plus years by the time CBS rolled out the Million Dollar version. To put that in perspective, that's longer than the span of time between Password's world premiere on CBS and the final ABC episode. It's certainly longer than it had ever laid dormant before.
Playing Password is a learned skill. Like any learned skill, it tends to atrophy from disuse. Without a steady stream of reminders of how this game is supposed to be played (unless you count GSN repeats, and let's face it, the ratings for GSN repeats have never exactly set worlds on fire), it's understandable that people would forget the "right way" to play it. As a result, you get a lot of sloppy play like what you describe. Had MDP lasted longer (i.e., had it actually been "big" as Kelsey intimated at the end of her post), it's entirely possible the players, contestant and civilian alike, would have regained those lost skills.
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Post by wildjackmonroe on Jun 30, 2014 11:13:01 GMT -5
^ I agree, some might argue that Password has been on in reruns, but I'd say most people probably don't watch those outside of game show fans. To use another example; I noticed a similar thing that happened on Donnymid (the show came back in 2002 and first-run episodes last aired in 1991), especially in reruns since reruns on Pax and GSN showed the series in the order that it was taped. Some celebrities had gotten more of a hang of it on their second or on their last episode of theirs that was taped.
Personally while I did enjoy Million Dollar Password for what it was, I think it would have been better if Password were brought back in a 5-day a week first-run syndication format for $100k.
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Post by thekid965 on Jun 30, 2014 12:59:32 GMT -5
Not to delve too far into the realm of "dream" revivals, but I still like the concept I came up with around about the turn of the century for a Password comeback. With a few modifications, such as an hourlong timeslot, it could work today if ABC or NBC ever decided to get back in the daytime game show business (CBS is pretty much cared for now).
In a nutshell, I wanted to incorporate elements of most every previous incarnation of Password into a single, sensible format. It would have worked something like this:
* Show opens with three contestants in a Qualifying Round straight out of Password All-Stars: The two celebs alternate giving clues until a player buzzes in with the correct Password. First two players to get three Passwords advance to the next stage, and the odd one out is eliminated.
* The two survivors then play "classic" Password to a set time limit, with the original '60s format (possibly with a "Double" option?). When time is called, whoever has the higher score wins and plays a Lightning Round for bonus money ($250/word, $2,500 for all five, followed by a Betting Word just like the ABC version for up to $5,000).
* That winner then plays a returning champion in a round involving Plus/Super-style puzzles. This round is played for money; puzzles start at $1,000 for solving the puzzle on the first clue, then decrease by $200 for each subsequent clue that's needed. Again, this is played to time, with the winner becoming the new champion and hiving his/her cash score doubled.
* The bonus round is Alphabetics; the jackpot starts at $25,000 and increases by $5,000 each day until won. Consolation money is $250/word.
There's a lot going on here, but an hourlong format could possibly handle it -- and the changing gameplay could ameliorate any perceived "sameness" in the format when you expand its timeslot, much like what happened to Family Feud when CBS expanded it to a full hour. (The money figures quoted are more for the sake of discussion than anything else, and are open for adjustment.)
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Post by wildjackmonroe on Jun 30, 2014 16:59:29 GMT -5
Honestly, I would rather the show come back in a half-hour format. Though if the show came back and it ran in first-run syndication chances are we'd be getting double runs, so it becomes a bit moot.
Gotta say with your ideas, I love the idea of the puzzles being used again. They really made Plus and Super fun to watch and added just that little something to the game to keep things fresh and exciting. If a new version surfaces I hope they try to use those again. They'd be better off updating with higher stakes or a slightly different twist or something to make it stand out a bit without being too dramatic IMO.
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Post by Mandoli on Jun 30, 2014 17:04:56 GMT -5
They'd be better off updating with higher stakes or a slightly different twist or something to make it stand out a bit without being too dramatic IMO. You see what happened to Millionaire? The format's been tinkered with way too many times. As long as a syndicated version doesn't screw up what worked well, it'll do great. (Or at least decent. Not necessarily great.) What could be changed from the original/Plus/Super so that it could do the following: - Fit in with the modern-day period of game shows. - Not become a completely different version of itself. - Not become "too dramatic".
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Post by Frank on Jun 30, 2014 22:33:33 GMT -5
also MDP was too predictable because it didn't straddle to my knowledge.
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