Password (game)

Password is a popular spoken guessing game that encourages deductive reasoning and creativity. The TV version was produced by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions and invented by Bob Stewart, who also created The Price is Right and To Tell the Truth for Goodson before striking out on his own with shows such as The $10,000 Pyramid.

Television versions

The game of Password was adapted into a successful television game show of the same name. Password, hosted by Allen Ludden, ran for 1,555 telecasts from October 2, 1961, to September 22, 1967, on CBS and for 1,099 shows from April 5, 1971, to June 27, 1975, on ABC. The show's regular announcers were Jack Clark and (later) Lee Vines on CBS and John Harlan on ABC.

Related Topics:
Television - Game show - Allen Ludden - October 2 - 1961 - September 22 - 1967 - CBS - April 5 - 1971 - June 27 - 1975 - ABC - Announcer - Jack Clark - John Harlan

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Two teams — each consisting of one celebrity player and one contestant — competed on the show. One player gave the single-word clues; the other player attempted to guessed the password. If the contestant made an incorrect guess, the other team had a chance to guess the word. This continued until one of the two teams guessed the word correctly or until ten clues were given. Scoring was based on how many clues were given when the correct word was guessed, with the team earning ten points for guessing on the first try, nine points on the second try, eight points on the third, and so on. The first team to reach 25 points won $250 and a chance to win that much more in the "Lightning Round" where the contestant tried to guess five passwords within 60 seconds for $50 per word. On the ABC version from 1971–1974, the player wagered any amount of the "Lightning Round" winnings on trying to get his or her celebrity partner to guess a "Betting Word" within 15 seconds.

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From November 18, 1974, to February 21, 1975, Password became Password All-Stars, where teams of celebrities played for charity. Afterwards, Password All-Stars became Password again, but using an elimination round in which four contestants competed with the help of the two celebrities in the first round, with the first two players to guess two passwords playing the regular game with the celebrities. The target was 50 points, the team that reached it could win thousands of dollars in the Lightning Round. An addition to the rules was the "double" option, the first clue giver could call for it and increase the word value to 20 points by giving only one clue. If missed, the other team could score the 20 points with another clue.

Related Topics:
November 18 - 1974 - February 21 - Charity

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The theme song used on Password in 1961–1962 is called "Holiday Jaunt" by Kurt Rehfeld. That was followed by a catchy swing theme by Bob Cobert, which was used until the CBS version's cancellation. (Viewers would often see emcee Ludden snapping his fingers to the Cobert swing tune as the closing credits flashed.) When Password returned as an ABC program, Score Productions provided a theme with a synth-heavy arrangement, similar to the cues heard on The Price Is Right when it returned to television the following year. The theme used in the later years of the ABC 1970s version (beginning with Password All-Stars) was composed by Bob Cobert and called "Bicentennial Funk."

Related Topics:
Kurt Rehfeld - Bob Cobert - Score Productions - The Price Is Right

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Password won the first-ever Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show in 1974.

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Among the more famous Password celebrity players over the years include Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Montgomery, Bill Bixby, Richard Dawson, Carol Burnett, Betty White and Nipsey Russell. Game show hosts Monty Hall, Tom Kennedy (who would eventually host Password Plus), Bill Cullen (Who would sub for Allen Ludden on Password Plus) and Bert Convy (later the host of Super Password) were also invited to play as celebrities. Jack Narz and Jim Perry also played as celebrity players on Password Plus, and Pat Sajak occasionally played on Super Password.

Related Topics:
Lucille Ball - Elizabeth Montgomery - Bill Bixby - Richard Dawson - Carol Burnett - Betty White - Nipsey Russell - Monty Hall - Tom Kennedy - Bill Cullen - Bert Convy - Jack Narz - Jim Perry - Pat Sajak

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Password Plus

NBC brought Password back as Password Plus on January 8, 1979 (originally announced in Variety magazine as Password '79), with Allen Ludden returning as host. The new format involved two teams, each consisting of a celebrity and a contestant, solving puzzles which consisted of five related passwords. Each team was given two chances (reduced from three chances after the first five months) to solve the password. If the password was solved correctly, the team was given a chance to identify the subject of the "Password Puzzle". The first two puzzles in each game were worth $100; each puzzle thereafter was worth $200. On November 3, 1981, coinciding with the show's move to a new time slot to replace "Card Sharks", changes were made to the game. The first three puzzles were worth $100 each, with those remaining worth $200, until one team reached $500. After the $100 rounds have ended, players now switched celebrity partners.

Related Topics:
NBC - January 8 - 1979 - Variety - Allen Ludden

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The first team to reach $300 or more (later $500 or more) played a bonus round known as "Alphabetics", where the team attempted to solve ten passwords beginning with consecutive letters of the alphabet within 60 seconds. If they were successful, the contestant won $5,000; otherwise, the contestant won $100 for each correct answer. Any illegal clues reduced the jackpot by $1,000. Later on, when the maingame rules were changed, the bonus round now featured a jackpot that started at $5,000 and went up that much for each time the same champion did not win it. Illegal clues this time cost $2,500 a pop, but was soon changed in the last few weeks to 20% a pop.

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On the first episode of Password Plus, Ludden walked on stage, clenching his fist back and forth, shouting "Password's Back! Password's Back!" Sadly, a year later, Ludden began experiencing stomach pains, and eventually the saddest story in game show history was about to be written: Allen Ludden had cancer.

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When Ludden was diagnosed with stomach cancer in the spring of 1980, Bill Cullen substituted for four weeks. Ludden returned to the show (with Cullen as a celebrity guest the week he came back), but suffered a stroke in October of 1980 which would eventually forced him off for good. Ludden did make progress in recovering from the stroke, and there was speculation that he may return, but sadly, he was losing his battle to stomach cancer, dying from the disease on June 9, 1981.

Related Topics:
Stomach cancer - 1980 - Bill Cullen - June 9

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Tom Kennedy emceed the show from October 27, 1980 until its cancellation on March 26, 1982 after 800 shows. Cullen was originally considered to become permanent host at that time, but he had already began hosting Blockbusters and referred Kennedy (whose was Cullen's brother-in-law) as a candidate to replace Ludden. Betty White, who also wanted Kennedy to host, would later state that Kennedy took care of Password in her late husband's absence.

Related Topics:
Tom Kennedy - October 27 - March 26 - 1982 - Blockbusters - Betty White

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Gene Wood was the show's regular announcer, with Johnny Olson, Bob Hilton, and John Harlan substituting on occasion.

Related Topics:
Gene Wood - Johnny Olson - Bob Hilton

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Password Plus won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show in 1982, shortly after the show was cancelled.

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Super Password

On September 24, 1984, NBC brought the series back as Super Password with Bert Convy hosting and Gene Wood announcing (although Rich Jeffries was the announcer for the first nine weeks). Gameplay was similar to Password Plus, except that the first puzzle was worth $100 and each puzzle was worth $100 more than the previous one; the first team to reach $500 won. The team that had the lead after the second puzzle played a "Ca$hword" game, where the celebrity player was given a relatively difficult password and the contestant was given three chances to guess that word. The celebrity and the contestant each had five seconds to give a clue or respond, respectively. If the word was guessed correctly, the contestant won a cash jackpot that started at $1,000 and increased by that amount until somebody won. Contestants switched celebrity partners after the Ca$hword. (The "Ca$hword" was separate from the gameplay and did not affect the scores of the game).

Related Topics:
September 24 - 1984 - Bert Convy - Rich Jeffries

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The bonus round no longer had the Alphabetics name (instead being just called "Super Password"), but it was played the same way, except that any illegal clues forfeited the contestant's chance at the jackpot (a la Pyramid). Jackpots started at $5,000 and increased by that amount — sometimes topping $50,000 until somebody won.

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Super Password ran until March 24, 1989.

Related Topics:
March 24 - 1989

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Episode status

All versions of Password except the ABC version are known to exist, and have been seen on GSN. ABC probably destroyed the episodes of its version, and only two episodes are known to exist on the videotape trading circuit.

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In other countries

• In New Zealand, a Maori language version called Kupuhuna is aired 3 nights a week on Maori Television.