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{{Short description|American television game shows}}
{{Unreferenced|date=January 2008}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox television {{Infobox television
| show_name = Password Plus | name = Password Plus
| image = ] | image = PasswordPlus.jpg
| genre = ] | genre = ]
| camera = Six cameras, later five | camera = ]
| picture_format = ] | runtime = 22 minutes
| location = ]<br>Burbank, California
| runtime = 22–26 minutes
| location = ]<br>Burbank, California
| creator = ] | creator = ]
| developer = Robert Sherman | developer = Robert Sherman
| presenter = ] (1979–1980)<br>] (1980–1982) | presenter = ]<Br />]<br />]
| producer = Robert Sherman<ref name="eotvgs plus">{{cite book |last1 = Schwartz |first1 = David |last2 = Ryan |first2 = Steve |last3 = Wostbrock |first3 = Fred |title = The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows |edition = 3rd |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=bI11r4a0Gx0C&q=The+Encyclopedia+of+TV+Game+Shows |year = 1999 |publisher = Facts on File, Inc. |isbn = 978-0816030941 |pages = 165–166 |url-access = subscription }}</ref>
| narrated = ]
| executive_producer = ]<ref name="eotvgs plus"/>
| theme_music_composer = ]
| country = ] | director = George Choderker<ref name="eotvgs plus"/>
| announcer = ]
| theme_music_composer = ]<ref name="eotvgs plus"/>
| country = United States
| network = ] | network = ]
| first_aired = {{start date|1979|1|8}} | first_aired = {{start date|1979|1|8}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1982|3|26}} | last_aired = {{end date|1982|3|26}}
| preceded_by = '']'' (1961–1967, 1971–1975) | related = '']'' (1961–1967, 1971–1975)<br/>''Super Password'' (1984–1989)
| num_episodes = 801 (1 unaired)
| followed_by = ''Super Password'' (1984–1989)<br>'']'' (2008–2009)
| num_episodes = 801 (including 1 unaired) | company = ]-] Productions
| italic_title = no
}} }}
{{Infobox television {{Infobox television
| show_name = Super Password | name = Super Password
| image = ] | image = SuperPassword.jpg
| genre = ] | genre = ]
| camera = ] | camera = ]
| picture_format = ] | runtime = 22 minutes
| runtime = 30 minutes (with commercials) | location = ]<br>Burbank, California
| location = ]<br>Burbank, California
| creator = ] | creator = ]
| producer = Diane H. Janaver<br>Joe Neustein<ref name="eotvgs super">{{harvp|Schwartz|Ryan|Wostbrock|1999|p= 213}}.</ref>
| developer = Robert Sherman
| executive_producer = ]<br>Robert Sherman<br>]
| director = George Choderker<ref name="eotvgs super"/>
| presenter = ] | presenter = ]
| narrated = ] (1984)<br>] (1984–1989) | announcer = ]<br>]<ref name="eotvgs super"/>
| theme_music_composer = ] | theme_music_composer = ]<ref name="eotvgs super"/>
| country = ] | country = United States
| network = ] | network = ]
| first_aired = {{start date|1984|9|24}} | first_aired = {{start date|1984|9|24}}
| last_aired = {{start date|1989|3|24}} | last_aired = {{end date|1989|3|24}}
| preceded_by = '']'' (1961–1967, 1971–1975)<br> ''Password Plus'' (1979–1982) | related = ''Password Plus'' (1979–1982)<br/>'']'' (2008–2009)
| num_episodes = 1,151
| followed_by = '']'' (2008–2009)
| company = ]
| num_episodes = 1,151}}
| italic_title = no
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password''}}
}}
'''''Password Plus''''' and '''''Super Password''''' are American TV ] that aired separately between 1979–1989. While elements of the original game show format '']'' were modified for these two programs, both ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' had the same general format with only subtle differences between the two.

'''''Password Plus''''' and '''''Super Password''''' are American TV ]s that aired separately between 1979 and 1989. Both shows were revivals of '']'', which originally ran from 1961 to 1975 in various incarnations. With only subtle differences between them, both ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' retained the format of play as their predecessor, with two teams of two people each—a celebrity and a contestant—attempting to guess a mystery word using only one-word clues. A new feature included a series of five passwords as clues to an overarching puzzle for the teams to solve.


''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' aired on ], and were taped on Stage 3 at ] in ]. ''Password Plus'' was a ]-] Production and ''Super Password'' was a Mark Goodson Production. ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' aired on ], and were taped on Stage 3 at ] in ]. ''Password Plus'' was a ]-] Production and ''Super Password'' was a Mark Goodson Production.


''Password Plus'' aired from January 8, 1979 to March 26, 1982, for 801 episodes (one of which was left unaired until the series hit GSN reruns in the mid-1990s). The program also won a ] for ] in 1982. ''Super Password'' aired 1,151 episodes from September 24, 1984 to March 24, 1989. ''Password Plus'' aired from January 8, 1979 to March 26, 1982, for 801 episodes. The program also won a ] for ] in 1982.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000206/1982/1 |title=Daytime Emmy Awards (1982) - IMDb|website=] }}</ref> ''Super Password'' aired for 1,151 episodes from September 24, 1984 to March 24, 1989.


==Cast== ==Cast==


===Hosts=== ===Hosts===
''Password Plus'' was hosted by ] from January 1979 to April 1980, when he had to take a leave of absence from the show due to health problems. ] substituted for Ludden during his first absence. Ludden returned in May, but he left the program in late October due to further health problems; he did not appear on television again before his 1981 death. Because Cullen had recently begun hosting '']'', also a Goodson-Todman production airing on NBC, ] took over hosting and remained host until ''Password Plus'' ended. ] was selected as the host for ''Super Password's'' entire run. ''Password Plus'' was hosted by original ''Password'' host ] from its debut until April 1980, when he took a leave of absence after being diagnosed with stomach cancer. ], who at the time was hosting the show that preceded ''Password Plus'' on NBC, '']'', filled in until Ludden returned a month later.<ref name="eotvgs plus"/> Ludden left the program again in late October 1980 due to further health problems and was replaced by ]. (By this time, Cullen was hosting '']'', another Goodson-Todman production also airing on NBC.)<ref name="eotvgs plus"/> Ludden made no further television appearances before his death on June 9, 1981, and Kennedy hosted the remainder of the series.

] was the host for the entire run of ''Super Password''.


===Announcers=== ===Announcers===
] was the regular announcer on both ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password''. ], ], ], and ] substituted for Wood on different occasions on ''Password Plus'', including a stretch in 1981 when Wood was recovering from an accident. Harlan substituted for Wood in March 1979, and Olson substituted for Wood in 1980. Hilton substituted on a few 1980 Ludden episodes and also substituted in 1981 and 1982, and Jeffries also substituted for Wood during several weeks in 1981 as well as 1982. ] was the regular announcer on both ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password''. ], ], ], and ] substituted for Wood on different occasions on ''Password Plus''.


Jeffries was the first announcer of ''Super Password'' and served as a regular announcer until November 23, 1984. After the first nine weeks, totaling 45 episodes, Wood replaced Jeffries as announcer on November 26, 1984. Jeffries and Hilton also filled in for Wood on occasion on ''Super Password''. Wood whispered the passwords to home viewers from October 20, 1986 until ''Super Password'' ended. Jeffries was the announcer for the first nine weeks of ''Super Password''; he was replaced by Wood on November 26, 1984. Jeffries and Hilton occasionally substituted for Wood.


==Gameplay== ==Gameplay==
The rules for ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' were almost identical. Two teams, each composed of a contestant and a celebrity, competed. The object, as on the original ''Password'', was for the clue-giving partner to get the receiving partner to guess a given word (the "password"). The giving partner on the first team offered a one-word clue, to which the receiving partner was allowed one guess; there were brief time limits for both the clue and the guess. Teams alternated giving one-word clues until the password was guessed, or until each side had given two clues (three in the early days of ''Password Plus'' until June 15, 1979). Giving an illegal clue (multiple or hyphenated words, going over one word, using over-expressive gestures, forms of the password, made-up words, using too much physical movement, etc.) forfeited the receiver's turn to guess, as did having clue-giving time expire without giving a clue. If the word itself was given away by any of the players, or a clue was ruled illegal after the word had been correctly guessed, the opposing team was given the right to guess the puzzle. If the word was revealed prematurely by anyone other than the players, the word was put on the board and neither team guessed.


===Main Game===
Like the ABC run of ''Password'', the first clue-giver for each password on ''Password Plus'' had the option to give the first clue or pass to the other team. Originally, the team that did not get the previous password was given the option, but this changed a few months into the run. This option was eliminated on ''Super Password'', with the team that got the previous password given first crack at the next one.
The rules for ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' were almost identical. Two teams, each composed of a contestant and a celebrity, competed. The object, as on the original ''Password'', was for the clue-giving partner to get the receiving partner to guess a given word (the "password"). The giving partner on the first team offered a one-word clue, to which the receiving partner was allowed one guess. There were brief time limits for both the clue and the guess. Teams alternated giving one-word clues until the password was guessed, or until each side had given two clues (three in the early days of ''Password Plus'' until June 15, 1979).


The following infractions by the clue-giver forfeited the receiver's chance to guess the password:
Initially, the rules regarding cluegiving were the same as on all previous versions of ''Password''. Beginning with the April 23, 1979 edition of ''Password Plus'' and continuing until the series left the air in 1982, two rules were put into place. The first disallowed any password's direct opposite as a legal clue (such as "loose" for "tight"). The second added a penalty to the game; if a team in control either took too long to decide whether to play or failed to come up with a clue before the buzzer, the other team was given two chances to guess the password. ''Super Password'' did not use these rules.

* Giving more than one word, or a hyphenated word.
* Giving a word that was not dictionary-valid, as determined by a panel of off-stage judges.
* Taking too much time to give a clue.
* Excessive gestures or physical movement.
* Saying the password or any form of it.

Capitalized words, proper names, and foreign words were allowed, as were vocal inflections intended to lead the receiver to the password. A clue-giver was allowed to repeat a previous clue or guess from either team.

As on the ABC run of ''Password'', the team with initial control of a password on ''Password Plus'' had the option to give the first clue or pass to the other team. Originally, the team that did not get the previous password was given the option, but this changed on August 13, 1979. ''Super Password'' eliminated the option entirely, requiring the team that guessed a password to give the first clue on the next one.

The rules regarding clue-giving were the same as on all previous versions of ''Password'', with the exception of two instances exclusive to ''Password Plus''. Beginning with the April 23, 1979 episode and continuing until the series' end in 1982, two rules were put into place. The first disallowed any password's direct opposite, or ], as a legal clue (such as "loose" for "tight"). The second expanded a penalty already present in the game. When the series began, if the clue-giver given the option to play or pass did not decide in time or failed to give a clue, the other team's clue-giver was allowed to give two clues to his/her partner. After the change, the two-clue penalty was extended to any time a clue-giver failed to give a clue in time. In all cases, the two clues had to be given separately, with one guess at the password after each.


===Password Puzzle=== ===Password Puzzle===
The new element of the revivals was the "Password Puzzle." Each password, once revealed, became one of five clues to a puzzle referring to a person, place or thing. The passwords themselves were not worth any money; only the puzzle affected the scores. A guesser who correctly guessed a password was given a guess at the answer to the puzzle. A password that was not guessed by either player was added to the board without a guess at the puzzle, and if it was the final password in the puzzle, the solution was revealed and a new puzzle was played. The new element of the revivals was the "Password Puzzle". Each password, once revealed, became one of five clues to a puzzle referring to a person, place, or thing. The passwords themselves were not worth any money; only the puzzle affected the scores. Correctly guessing a password allowed that participant one chance to solve the puzzle. If a password was not guessed by either player, it was added to the board without a guess at the puzzle. If that occurred on the final password, or if the solution to the puzzle was inadvertently revealed in any way, the puzzle was removed from play, and a new one was played. If a clue-giver said the password or any form of it (including the final password), or if his/her partner guessed it based on any infraction by the clue-giver, it was added to the board and the guesser on the opposing team was given a chance to solve the puzzle as a penalty.


For the final password in a puzzle, if the guesser was incorrect, their partner was given a guess as well. On ''Password Plus'', the puzzle was thrown out if the partner failed to guess, but on ''Super Password'', both members of the opposing team took turns in attempt to guess for the value of the puzzle. For the final password in a puzzle, if the guesser was incorrect, his or her partner was given a guess as well. On ''Password Plus'', if both teammates did not guess correctly, the puzzle solution was revealed and a new puzzle was played. On ''Super Password'', if one team failed to guess the puzzle after all five words were revealed, the opposing team's contestant and celebrity partner were each given a final chance to solve it.


Correctly guessing the puzzle won the contestant money; any remaining clues would be revealed and new puzzles were played until one contestant had enough money to win the game. If the solution to the puzzle was accidentally revealed by anyone, the puzzle was thrown out. A correct guess by either team won money for its contestant, and any remaining passwords were revealed. Additional puzzles were played until one contestant reached the designated goal to win the game.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; margin-right:0" {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; margin-right:0"
|- |-
! width="50"|From ! style="width:50px;"|From
! width="50"|To ! style="width:50px;"|To
! width="50"|Goal ! style="width:50px;"|Goal
! width="75"|Round 1 ! style="width:75px;"|Round 1
! width="75"|Round 2 ! style="width:75px;"|Round 2
! width="75"|Round 3 ! style="width:75px;"|Round 3
! width="75"|Round 4+ ! style="width:75px;"|Round 4+
|- |-
| 1979 | 1979
| 1981 | 1981
| $300 | $300
| colspan="2" align="center"|$100 | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|$100
| colspan="2" align="center"|$200 | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|$200
|- |-
| 1981 | 1981
| 1982 | 1982
| rowspan="2"|$500 | rowspan="2"|$500
| colspan="3" align="center"|$100 | colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|$100
| $200 | $200
|- |-
Line 100: Line 121:
| $300 | $300
| $400 | $400
|-
|} |}


In 1981, the switch in celebrity partners that normally took place before the start of each game was moved to after the third puzzle. On ''Super Password'', the contestants switched partners after the Ca$hword game which followed the $200 puzzle, except in the All-Stars version, there is no switching partners after the Ca$hword game which ''also'' followed the $200 puzzle. In 1981, the switch in celebrity partners that normally took place before the start of each game was moved to after the third puzzle. On ''Super Password'', the contestants switched partners before the $300 puzzle. However, on All-Star Specials, partners did not switch after the Cashword game.


===Ca$hword=== ===Cashword===
"Ca$hword" was an additional bonus on ''Super Password'' played by the winner of the second puzzle for an accumulating cash jackpot. The celebrity acted as clue-giver and was given a more difficult password. If their contestant teammate guessed the password within three clues, he/she won the jackpot which started at $1,000 and increased by that much each time it was not won, without limit, with the highest being $12,000. If at any time an illegal clue was given, the Ca$hword round immediately ended and the jackpot was forfeited. "Cashword" was an additional bonus on ''Super Password'' played by the winner of the second puzzle for an accumulating cash jackpot. The celebrity gave clues to a more difficult password. The contestant won a jackpot which started at $1,000 and increased by that much each time it was not won by guessing the password within three clues. This round did not affect the scores and only awarded bonus money. If the celebrity gave an illegal clue, the Cashword ended immediately.


===Alphabetics/Super Password=== ===Alphabetics/Super Password===
The winning team played for a cash prize in the bonus round, called "Alphabetics" on ''Password Plus'' and, initially, "Super Password" (later simply referred to as "the End Game") on ''Super Password''. The winning team played for a cash prize in the bonus round, called "Alphabetics" on ''Password Plus'' and "Super Password" on ''Super Password''.


The gameplay of the round was the same on both shows. The round featured ten passwords beginning with consecutive letters of the alphabet (e.g., A–J, B–K, etc.), and the celebrity was always the clue-giver. He/she could see only the current password until the contestant either guessed it or passed. As in the main game, all clues had to be one word; the celebrity could use multiple words to form sentences, but had to pause distinctly after each word. For the period on ''Password Plus'' in which opposites were forbidden, this was enforced in Alphabetics as well. The contestant won $100 per guessed word, and the entire jackpot for guessing all ten words in 60 seconds. The gameplay of the round was the same on both shows. The contestant had 60 seconds to guess 10 passwords beginning with consecutive letters of the alphabet (e.g., "A" through "J"), with the celebrity giving one-word clues as in the main game. The celebrity could see only the current password until the contestant either guessed it or the celebrity passed. He/she could use multiple words to form a sentence, but had to pause distinctly after each one. For the period on ''Password Plus'' in which opposites were forbidden, this was enforced in Alphabetics as well. The contestant won $100 per guessed word, and a cash jackpot for solving all 10 before time expired.


On ''Password Plus'', the grand prize was originally a flat $5,000, with each illegal clue reducing its potential value by 20% of the total ($1,000). Later, during the time Tom Kennedy hosted, the bonus round was played for an accumulating jackpot, which started at $5,000 and increased by that much each time it was not won. Illegal clues still reduced the pot by 20% (e.g., a $35,000 pot would have $7,000 deducted for each illegal clue), but this was later changed to a flat $2,500 reduction in late 1981. By the final week, the 20% reduction had returned. On ''Password Plus'', Alphabetics was originally played for $5,000, with the jackpot reduced by $1,000 for every illegal clue given. Coinciding with the changes made to the front game in 1981, for each time Alphabetics was not won, $5,000 was added to the jackpot. Illegal clues resulted in a reduction of the jackpot by twenty percent of its current value; for example, if Alphabetics was played for $20,000, each illegal clue would reduce the value of the jackpot by $4,000. Like the other changes, these remained in place until the end of the series, save for a brief period when the reduction was $2,500 in 1981.


''Super Password's'' bonus round was played for the same accumulating pot. However, if an illegal clue was given, the word in play was thrown out; the contestant forfeited his/her chance at the jackpot, which means that he/she didn't reach the end of the road, but could still win $100 for each correct password. Also, NBC imposed no limit as to how high the pot could go. ''Super Password''{{'}}s bonus round was also played for the same accumulating jackpot as in the final months of the ''Plus'' run. However, if an illegal clue was given, the word in play was removed.


Champions could return for a maximum of seven matches on ''Password Plus''. On ''Super Password'', champions could return for up to five matches. Champions retired after playing the bonus round seven times on ''Password Plus'', or five times on ''Super Password''.


==Tournaments== ==Merchandise==
Three editions of the ''Password Plus'' board game were made by ] in the early 1980s. Milton Bradley made an eight-track cartridge version of the game for its ].<ref name="8track">{{Cite web|url=http://www.8trackheaven.com/archive/omni.html|title=Omni Game|website=8trackheaven.com|access-date=2017-08-08}}</ref><ref name="techmoan">{{Cite web|url=http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2017/8/5/mb-omni-entertainment-system-the-8-track-games-machine-from.html|title=Techmoan - Techmoan - MB OMNI Entertainment System: The 8-track games machine from 1980|website=www.].com|language=en|access-date=2017-08-08}}</ref> In 1983, a version for the ] and ] was going to be made by The Great Game Company. However, both versions were scrapped later on due to ] at the time.
''Super Password'' held its only Tournament of Champions in 1985, with ] & ], and ] & ]. In it, eight of the top winners competed. The front-game rules were identical to the regular season with no Cashword played throughout the tournament. The first-round matches consisted of only one game, with the winners playing ''Super Password'' for $2,500. The semi-final and final matches were best-of-three game matches. In the semi-finals, the first win by a player gave the contestant a chance at $2,500 in ''Super Password'', and winning the match sent that player to the finals and gave the player a chance at $5,000 in ''Super Password''. The winner of the tournament won $25,000 and a chance to double it in ''Super Password''. The overall champion, Natalie Steele, earned a total of $106,000.


A ''Super Password'' video game was released for ], ], and ] by ] in 1988. A version for the ] was also planned around that time, but never surfaced. In 2000, a ''Super Password'' hand-held game by ] was released.
Both shows also held all-star weeks with various stars playing for charity. The end game was played for $5,000 to be split between the partners' respective charities. ''Super Password's'' Cashword was worth $1,000 throughout the entire week. When played on ''Password Plus'', a $5,000 bonus was awarded to the player(s) with the highest total. When played on ''Super Password'', $25,000 or any other money amount, like $40,000, $30,000, $5,000, $15,000 and so forth was awarded to the player(s) with the highest total.


==Program Information==
In February 1986 and again in September 1986, ''Super Password'' also held a week-long "Tournament of Losers," with ] & ], and ] & ]. In it, players who had won nothing on their previous appearances returned to play in a week-long tournament. The Cashword was worth $1,000, and the end game was worth $5,000 all week long. The overall winner of the tournament at the end of the week won an additional $10,000. Regardless of the outcome, all players in the Losers tournaments were guaranteed at least $100 because losers can't go away empty-handed again.


===Broadcast history===
==Merchandise==


===''Password Plus''=== ====''Password Plus''====
''Password Plus'' was first shown at 12:30{{nbsp}}pm ]/11:30 am ] and ], filling part of the time left when the talk/variety program '']'' was cancelled. On March 5, 1979, two months after its debut, the series made its first time slot move to Noon/11:00 am following the cancellation of NBC’s revival of '']''. It moved back to 12:30/11:30 on August 13, 1979 when the Goodson-Todman game '']'' premiered at Noon/11:00. On June 20, 1980, three other NBC game shows were canceled to make room for ]'s ] and in the shuffle that followed, ''Password Plus'' was moved on August 4, 1980 to 11:30/10:30 when the daytime drama '']'' moved from 2:00/1:00 to 12:30/11:30 (this time facing the second half-hours of CBS' '']'' and reruns of '']'' on ABC), with '']'' taking the Noon/11:00 slot on June 23, 1980, replacing '']''. The series returned to Noon/11:00 on October 26, 1981 upon the cancellation of ''Card Sharks'', and remained there for the rest of its run. The final episode aired on March 26, 1982, and through a scheduling shuffle its place on NBC's schedule was replaced by '']'' (which had moved to the network from CBS).
Three editions of the ''Password Plus'' board game were made by ] in the early 1980s. ] made an eight-track cartridge version of the game for its Omni Entertainment System.


===''Super Password''=== ====''Super Password''====
The program returned in September 1984 as ''Super Password'' and aired in the noon Eastern time slot, facing, for its first two weeks, the then 8-year-old ''Family Feud'', then '']'' on ABC. Despite some of NBC's affiliates preempting the 12:00 pm hour in favor of ] or ], as it was also the case with ''Password Plus'', ''Super Password'' remained in the top-of-the-hour time slot for its entire 4½-year run. Later in the decade, however, NBC affiliates began dropping most of the network's entire daytime programming, along with ''Super Password''; the increasing number of stations carrying local newscasts at noon during that time caused the program to experience a decline in viewership. The show's final episode aired on March 24, 1989, the same day '']'' aired its series finale.{{efn|NBC returned the 12:00 pm timeslot to its affiliates after ''Super Password'' ended its run.}}
A ''Super Password'' video game was released for ], the ], and the ] in 1988. A version for the ] was also planned around that time, but never surfaced.


===Episode status and reruns===
In 2000, a ''Super Password'' hand-held game was released.
Both shows exist in their entirety, and can currently be seen on ]. Both shows were previously aired on ]. However, certain episodes were not shown due to celebrity clearance issues that were out of GSN's control.


Beginning on July 2, 2018, ] in ] began airing the first 65 episodes of ''Super Password''.<ref name="GameTV">{{cite web |url = https://www.igametv.com/shows/1609/ |title = Super Password schedule |publisher = GameTV |access-date = June 25, 2018 }}</ref>
==Broadcast history==
''Password Plus'' was first shown at 12:30 pm replacing ''America Alive''. It would be relocated several times during its run between 11:30&nbsp;am and 12:30&nbsp;pm. On June 20, 1980, three other NBC game shows were canceled to make room for ]'s ]. On October 26, 1981, ''Password Plus'' moved to 12:00 noon, a historically low-rated time slot. Many stations aired local news in that hour, while on other stations, it went up against '']'' and ''The Young and The Restless'' on ABC and CBS, respectively. The show ended its run on March 26, 1982.


===Kerry Ketchem===
The program returned in 1984 as ''Super Password'' and aired in the 12:00-noon eastern time slot. Despite low clearances, ''Super Password'' lasted its {{convert/numdisp|4+1/2}}-year run at the same time slot. Later in the decade, though, NBC affiliates were dropping most of their other daytime game shows, along with ''Super Password''. Ratings began to slide. The show's final episode aired on March 24, 1989, the same day '']'' aired its series finale. ''Super Password'' was ]'s last network game show hosted before his death two years later (though he emceed a pilot for an ABC revival of Match Game in 1990 and was too ill to host when it was picked up).
In January 1988, a man later discovered to be a previously convicted felon with active warrants for his arrest appeared on ''Super Password''.<ref name="LA Times">{{cite news |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-15-me-24141-story.html |title = The Password Is Fraud: TV Show Champ Arrested : He Came to Pick Up Winnings, Got Picked Up on Old Warrants |newspaper = ] |last = Muir |first = Frederick |date = 15 January 1988 |access-date = 13 April 2022}}</ref> Kerry Ketchem, who competed on the program under the name "Patrick Quinn", won a total of $58,600 in cash over four days on ''Super Password'', which included a record-tying $55,000 jackpot win in the bonus round. However, his appearance on the show led to his apprehension on charges of fraud.
Ketchem's arrest came as the result of an investigation started when a bank manager in ], called the ] after having seen his episodes. He was discovered to have outstanding fraud warrants in Alaska and ], and producer Robert Sherman was contacted by the Secret Service shortly thereafter. Around the same time, Ketchem—claiming that he was leaving the country on work-related business—called Mark Goodson Productions and asked if he could collect his winnings in person instead of having a check mailed to him, which is the usual standard procedure. Sherman said yes, with the knowledge of the Secret Service, and gave him a date and time. When Ketchem showed up to the Goodson offices he ran down eleven flights of stairs and was apprehended and taken into custody by local officials after being found in the restroom. The arrest came two days after his appearances finished airing.<ref name="Orlando">{{cite news |title = 'Super Password' Then Jeopardy Big Winner On Game Show Identified As Wanted Con Man |url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1988/01/16/super-password-then-jeopardy-big-winner-on-game-show-identified-as-wanted-con-man/ |access-date = March 4, 2016 |newspaper = ] |agency = ] |date = January 16, 1988 }}</ref> Booked on the outstanding Indiana warrant, Ketchem was found to have used his "Patrick Quinn" alias (which came from the name of one of Ketchem's college professors) to commit ] in Alaska;<ref name="Orlando"/> to defraud a used car dealer; and to ] on the life of his ex-wife.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/16/us/luck-runs-out-for-a-winner-as-tv-publicity-boomerangs.html |title = Luck Runs Out for a Winner As TV Publicity Boomerangs |newspaper = ] |date = January 16, 1988 |access-date = September 15, 2013 }}</ref> Ketchem, who had previously spent 18 months in prison on an unrelated felony charge, agreed to a plea deal in May 1988 on charges of mail fraud. He was sentenced to five years in prison<ref name="LA Times"/> and his winnings were rescinded as he was ruled to have violated contestant eligibility rules by using a false name.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1989-02-03/news/8902040031_1_ketchem-password-adding-insult |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140225213252/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1989-02-03/news/8902040031_1_ketchem-password-adding-insult |url-status = dead |archive-date = February 25, 2014 |title = The luck of Kerry D. Ketchem ran out the day... |newspaper = Orlando Sentinel |date = February 3, 1989 |access-date = September 15, 2013 }}</ref>


==International versions==
==Episode status==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:100%; line-height:17px;"
Both shows exist in their entirety. Currently, Super Password can be seen weekday mornings on ], as the final season of Password Plus has been acquired, and airs Saturday and Sunday mornings. Both shows have previously aired on the network at various times as well. However, certain episodes are not shown due to celebrity clearance issues that are out of GSN's control.
|-
! Country !! Title !! Broadcaster !! Presenter !! Premiere !! Finale
|-
| rowspan="2"| {{flag|Portugal}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rCKrJEMtDo | title=Tesourinhos Deprimentes - Palavra Puxa Palavra | website=] | date=April 23, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nit.pt/cultura/03-10-2016-os-concursos-da-rtp-nos-quais-toda-a-gente-queria-participar/attachment/19810 | title="Palavra Puxa Palavra" (1990) }}</ref> || rowspan="2"| ] || ] || rowspan="2"| António Sala || 30 September 1990 || 28 March 1993
|-
| ] || 8 July 1993 || 11 June 1994
|-
| {{flag|Sweden}} || '']''|| ] || ]|| 7 February 1983 || 1994
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}


==See also== ==See also==
*'']'' *'']''
*'']'' *'']''


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==External links== ==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.password-plus.com}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0197176|title= Password Plus}} * {{IMDb title|id=0197176|title= Password Plus}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0086811|title= Super Password}} * {{IMDb title|id=0086811|title= Super Password}}
* {{tv.com show|password-plus|Password Plus}}
* {{tv.com show|super-password|Super Password}}


{{Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show}}
{{S-start}}

{{Succession box| before = ] | title = ] | years = '''Password Plus''', 1982| after = ]}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password''}}
{{S-end}}



]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Password Plus And Super Password}}
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Latest revision as of 07:41, 16 December 2024

American television game shows

Password Plus and Super Password
GenreGame show
Created byBob Stewart
Developed byRobert Sherman
Directed byGeorge Choderker
Presented byAllen Ludden
Bill Cullen
Tom Kennedy
AnnouncerGene Wood
Theme music composerScore Productions
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes801 (1 unaired)
Production
Executive producerHoward Felsher
ProducerRobert Sherman
Production locationsNBC Studios
Burbank, California
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22 minutes
Production companyMark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJanuary 8, 1979 (1979-01-08) –
March 26, 1982 (1982-03-26)
Related
Password (1961–1967, 1971–1975)
Super Password (1984–1989)
Password Plus and Super Password
GenreGame show
Created byBob Stewart
Directed byGeorge Choderker
Presented byBert Convy
AnnouncerRich Jeffries
Gene Wood
Theme music composerScore Productions
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes1,151
Production
Executive producersChester Feldman
Robert Sherman
Howard Felsher
ProducersDiane H. Janaver
Joe Neustein
Production locationsNBC Studios
Burbank, California
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22 minutes
Production companyMark Goodson Television Productions
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 24, 1984 (1984-09-24) –
March 24, 1989 (1989-03-24)
Related
Password Plus (1979–1982)
Million Dollar Password (2008–2009)

Password Plus and Super Password are American TV game shows that aired separately between 1979 and 1989. Both shows were revivals of Password, which originally ran from 1961 to 1975 in various incarnations. With only subtle differences between them, both Password Plus and Super Password retained the format of play as their predecessor, with two teams of two people each—a celebrity and a contestant—attempting to guess a mystery word using only one-word clues. A new feature included a series of five passwords as clues to an overarching puzzle for the teams to solve.

Password Plus and Super Password aired on NBC, and were taped on Stage 3 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California. Password Plus was a Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production and Super Password was a Mark Goodson Production.

Password Plus aired from January 8, 1979 to March 26, 1982, for 801 episodes. The program also won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show in 1982. Super Password aired for 1,151 episodes from September 24, 1984 to March 24, 1989.

Cast

Hosts

Password Plus was hosted by original Password host Allen Ludden from its debut until April 1980, when he took a leave of absence after being diagnosed with stomach cancer. Bill Cullen, who at the time was hosting the show that preceded Password Plus on NBC, Chain Reaction, filled in until Ludden returned a month later. Ludden left the program again in late October 1980 due to further health problems and was replaced by Tom Kennedy. (By this time, Cullen was hosting Blockbusters, another Goodson-Todman production also airing on NBC.) Ludden made no further television appearances before his death on June 9, 1981, and Kennedy hosted the remainder of the series.

Bert Convy was the host for the entire run of Super Password.

Announcers

Gene Wood was the regular announcer on both Password Plus and Super Password. Johnny Olson, Bob Hilton, John Harlan, and Rich Jeffries substituted for Wood on different occasions on Password Plus.

Jeffries was the announcer for the first nine weeks of Super Password; he was replaced by Wood on November 26, 1984. Jeffries and Hilton occasionally substituted for Wood.

Gameplay

Main Game

The rules for Password Plus and Super Password were almost identical. Two teams, each composed of a contestant and a celebrity, competed. The object, as on the original Password, was for the clue-giving partner to get the receiving partner to guess a given word (the "password"). The giving partner on the first team offered a one-word clue, to which the receiving partner was allowed one guess. There were brief time limits for both the clue and the guess. Teams alternated giving one-word clues until the password was guessed, or until each side had given two clues (three in the early days of Password Plus until June 15, 1979).

The following infractions by the clue-giver forfeited the receiver's chance to guess the password:

  • Giving more than one word, or a hyphenated word.
  • Giving a word that was not dictionary-valid, as determined by a panel of off-stage judges.
  • Taking too much time to give a clue.
  • Excessive gestures or physical movement.
  • Saying the password or any form of it.

Capitalized words, proper names, and foreign words were allowed, as were vocal inflections intended to lead the receiver to the password. A clue-giver was allowed to repeat a previous clue or guess from either team.

As on the ABC run of Password, the team with initial control of a password on Password Plus had the option to give the first clue or pass to the other team. Originally, the team that did not get the previous password was given the option, but this changed on August 13, 1979. Super Password eliminated the option entirely, requiring the team that guessed a password to give the first clue on the next one.

The rules regarding clue-giving were the same as on all previous versions of Password, with the exception of two instances exclusive to Password Plus. Beginning with the April 23, 1979 episode and continuing until the series' end in 1982, two rules were put into place. The first disallowed any password's direct opposite, or antonym, as a legal clue (such as "loose" for "tight"). The second expanded a penalty already present in the game. When the series began, if the clue-giver given the option to play or pass did not decide in time or failed to give a clue, the other team's clue-giver was allowed to give two clues to his/her partner. After the change, the two-clue penalty was extended to any time a clue-giver failed to give a clue in time. In all cases, the two clues had to be given separately, with one guess at the password after each.

Password Puzzle

The new element of the revivals was the "Password Puzzle". Each password, once revealed, became one of five clues to a puzzle referring to a person, place, or thing. The passwords themselves were not worth any money; only the puzzle affected the scores. Correctly guessing a password allowed that participant one chance to solve the puzzle. If a password was not guessed by either player, it was added to the board without a guess at the puzzle. If that occurred on the final password, or if the solution to the puzzle was inadvertently revealed in any way, the puzzle was removed from play, and a new one was played. If a clue-giver said the password or any form of it (including the final password), or if his/her partner guessed it based on any infraction by the clue-giver, it was added to the board and the guesser on the opposing team was given a chance to solve the puzzle as a penalty.

For the final password in a puzzle, if the guesser was incorrect, his or her partner was given a guess as well. On Password Plus, if both teammates did not guess correctly, the puzzle solution was revealed and a new puzzle was played. On Super Password, if one team failed to guess the puzzle after all five words were revealed, the opposing team's contestant and celebrity partner were each given a final chance to solve it.

A correct guess by either team won money for its contestant, and any remaining passwords were revealed. Additional puzzles were played until one contestant reached the designated goal to win the game.

From To Goal Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4+
1979 1981 $300 $100 $200
1981 1982 $500 $100 $200
1984 1989 $100 $200 $300 $400

In 1981, the switch in celebrity partners that normally took place before the start of each game was moved to after the third puzzle. On Super Password, the contestants switched partners before the $300 puzzle. However, on All-Star Specials, partners did not switch after the Cashword game.

Cashword

"Cashword" was an additional bonus on Super Password played by the winner of the second puzzle for an accumulating cash jackpot. The celebrity gave clues to a more difficult password. The contestant won a jackpot which started at $1,000 and increased by that much each time it was not won by guessing the password within three clues. This round did not affect the scores and only awarded bonus money. If the celebrity gave an illegal clue, the Cashword ended immediately.

Alphabetics/Super Password

The winning team played for a cash prize in the bonus round, called "Alphabetics" on Password Plus and "Super Password" on Super Password.

The gameplay of the round was the same on both shows. The contestant had 60 seconds to guess 10 passwords beginning with consecutive letters of the alphabet (e.g., "A" through "J"), with the celebrity giving one-word clues as in the main game. The celebrity could see only the current password until the contestant either guessed it or the celebrity passed. He/she could use multiple words to form a sentence, but had to pause distinctly after each one. For the period on Password Plus in which opposites were forbidden, this was enforced in Alphabetics as well. The contestant won $100 per guessed word, and a cash jackpot for solving all 10 before time expired.

On Password Plus, Alphabetics was originally played for $5,000, with the jackpot reduced by $1,000 for every illegal clue given. Coinciding with the changes made to the front game in 1981, for each time Alphabetics was not won, $5,000 was added to the jackpot. Illegal clues resulted in a reduction of the jackpot by twenty percent of its current value; for example, if Alphabetics was played for $20,000, each illegal clue would reduce the value of the jackpot by $4,000. Like the other changes, these remained in place until the end of the series, save for a brief period when the reduction was $2,500 in 1981.

Super Password's bonus round was also played for the same accumulating jackpot as in the final months of the Plus run. However, if an illegal clue was given, the word in play was removed.

Champions retired after playing the bonus round seven times on Password Plus, or five times on Super Password.

Merchandise

Three editions of the Password Plus board game were made by Milton Bradley in the early 1980s. Milton Bradley made an eight-track cartridge version of the game for its OMNI Entertainment System. In 1983, a version for the Atari 2600 and Intellivision was going to be made by The Great Game Company. However, both versions were scrapped later on due to the Video Game Crash at the time.

A Super Password video game was released for MS-DOS, Apple II, and Commodore 64 by Gametek in 1988. A version for the NES was also planned around that time, but never surfaced. In 2000, a Super Password hand-held game by Tiger Electronics was released.

Program Information

Broadcast history

Password Plus

Password Plus was first shown at 12:30 pm ET/11:30 am CT and PT, filling part of the time left when the talk/variety program America Alive! was cancelled. On March 5, 1979, two months after its debut, the series made its first time slot move to Noon/11:00 am following the cancellation of NBC’s revival of Jeopardy!. It moved back to 12:30/11:30 on August 13, 1979 when the Goodson-Todman game Mindreaders premiered at Noon/11:00. On June 20, 1980, three other NBC game shows were canceled to make room for David Letterman's morning talk show and in the shuffle that followed, Password Plus was moved on August 4, 1980 to 11:30/10:30 when the daytime drama The Doctors moved from 2:00/1:00 to 12:30/11:30 (this time facing the second half-hours of CBS' The Price Is Right and reruns of The Love Boat on ABC), with Card Sharks taking the Noon/11:00 slot on June 23, 1980, replacing Chain Reaction. The series returned to Noon/11:00 on October 26, 1981 upon the cancellation of Card Sharks, and remained there for the rest of its run. The final episode aired on March 26, 1982, and through a scheduling shuffle its place on NBC's schedule was replaced by Search for Tomorrow (which had moved to the network from CBS).

Super Password

The program returned in September 1984 as Super Password and aired in the noon Eastern time slot, facing, for its first two weeks, the then 8-year-old Family Feud, then Ryan's Hope on ABC. Despite some of NBC's affiliates preempting the 12:00 pm hour in favor of local newscasts or other syndicated programming, as it was also the case with Password Plus, Super Password remained in the top-of-the-hour time slot for its entire 4½-year run. Later in the decade, however, NBC affiliates began dropping most of the network's entire daytime programming, along with Super Password; the increasing number of stations carrying local newscasts at noon during that time caused the program to experience a decline in viewership. The show's final episode aired on March 24, 1989, the same day Sale of the Century aired its series finale.

Episode status and reruns

Both shows exist in their entirety, and can currently be seen on Buzzr. Both shows were previously aired on GSN. However, certain episodes were not shown due to celebrity clearance issues that were out of GSN's control.

Beginning on July 2, 2018, GameTV in Canada began airing the first 65 episodes of Super Password.

Kerry Ketchem

In January 1988, a man later discovered to be a previously convicted felon with active warrants for his arrest appeared on Super Password. Kerry Ketchem, who competed on the program under the name "Patrick Quinn", won a total of $58,600 in cash over four days on Super Password, which included a record-tying $55,000 jackpot win in the bonus round. However, his appearance on the show led to his apprehension on charges of fraud.

Ketchem's arrest came as the result of an investigation started when a bank manager in Anchorage, Alaska, called the United States Secret Service after having seen his episodes. He was discovered to have outstanding fraud warrants in Alaska and Indiana, and producer Robert Sherman was contacted by the Secret Service shortly thereafter. Around the same time, Ketchem—claiming that he was leaving the country on work-related business—called Mark Goodson Productions and asked if he could collect his winnings in person instead of having a check mailed to him, which is the usual standard procedure. Sherman said yes, with the knowledge of the Secret Service, and gave him a date and time. When Ketchem showed up to the Goodson offices he ran down eleven flights of stairs and was apprehended and taken into custody by local officials after being found in the restroom. The arrest came two days after his appearances finished airing. Booked on the outstanding Indiana warrant, Ketchem was found to have used his "Patrick Quinn" alias (which came from the name of one of Ketchem's college professors) to commit credit card fraud in Alaska; to defraud a used car dealer; and to collect illegally on an insurance policy on the life of his ex-wife. Ketchem, who had previously spent 18 months in prison on an unrelated felony charge, agreed to a plea deal in May 1988 on charges of mail fraud. He was sentenced to five years in prison and his winnings were rescinded as he was ruled to have violated contestant eligibility rules by using a false name.

International versions

Country Title Broadcaster Presenter Premiere Finale
 Portugal Palavra Puxa Palavra RTP2 António Sala 30 September 1990 28 March 1993
RTP1 8 July 1993 11 June 1994
 Sweden Femettan SVT Staffan Ling 7 February 1983 1994

Notes

  1. NBC returned the 12:00 pm timeslot to its affiliates after Super Password ended its run.

See also

References

  1. ^ Schwartz, David; Ryan, Steve; Wostbrock, Fred (1999). The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows (3rd ed.). Facts on File, Inc. pp. 165–166. ISBN 978-0816030941.
  2. ^ Schwartz, Ryan & Wostbrock (1999), p. 213.
  3. "Daytime Emmy Awards (1982) - IMDb". IMDb.
  4. "Omni Game". 8trackheaven.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  5. "Techmoan - Techmoan - MB OMNI Entertainment System: The 8-track games machine from 1980". www.techmoan.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  6. "Super Password schedule". GameTV. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  7. ^ Muir, Frederick (January 15, 1988). "The Password Is Fraud: TV Show Champ Arrested : He Came to Pick Up Winnings, Got Picked Up on Old Warrants". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  8. ^ "'Super Password' Then Jeopardy Big Winner On Game Show Identified As Wanted Con Man". Orlando Sentinel. United Press International. January 16, 1988. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  9. "Luck Runs Out for a Winner As TV Publicity Boomerangs". The New York Times. January 16, 1988. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  10. "The luck of Kerry D. Ketchem ran out the day..." Orlando Sentinel. February 3, 1989. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  11. "Tesourinhos Deprimentes - Palavra Puxa Palavra". YouTube. April 23, 2007.
  12. ""Palavra Puxa Palavra" (1990)".

External links

Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show
Daytime Emmys
Primetime Emmys
Categories: