Million Dollar Password
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| Million Dollar Password | |
|---|---|
| Format | Game show |
| Created by | FremantleMedia, based upon a format created by Bob Stewart for Goodson-Todman |
| Starring | Regis Philbin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Vincent Rubino |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Original run | June 1, 2008 – Present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Million Dollar Password is an updated version of the game show Password. It premiered Sunday June 1, 2008 at 8 pm ET/PT, 7 pm CT/MT.[1] The series is taped in New York, and the initial order consists of six, hour-long episodes, each comprising two games. The show is hosted by Regis Philbin and is the second million-dollar game show that Philbin has hosted (the first was the American prime time version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire).
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
This format of Password departs somewhat from its predecessors in terms of gameplay. The first half of the game is the elimination game which features two contestants, and two celebrity guests. The contestants alternate playing 30-second rounds in which they attempt to match as many as five given words with a celebrity partner using the traditional one-word clue method. There is no limit on the number of clues for each word. Words can be passed on and returned to later; the gameplay has similarities to the bonus round of the original series, as well as the elimination round of the various Pyramid series.[2]
The contestants are each paired with one of the celebrity partners for the first two rounds, and then switch partners for the next two rounds. The rounds alternate between the contestant giving and receiving clues, such that they give and receive once to each celebrity. After four rounds, the contestant who has matched the most words moves on to the Million Dollar Password game. For the final round, the contestant who is trailing in score plays first; Their opponent does not need to play their final round if they are still leading after that, and otherwise has their round cut short as soon as they have passed their opponent's score. If the teams are contestants are tied after four rounds, a tiebreaking word is given to both teams, starting with the winner of a coin-toss. The teams alternate giving clues and responses in "Classic Password" format, until one contestant gets the word and wins the game.
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The Million Dollar Password round has a six-step prize ladder (shown at right) with a top prize of $1,000,000.[3] The contestant's partner in this round is the celebrity with whom they earned more points in the elimination game; if they earned the same number with both celebrities, their partner is the last celebrity they played with. The contestant may choose to give or receive the clues for the entire round. For each step of the ladder, the cluegiver must get their partner to say five given passwords within 90 seconds. For each word, the cluegiver may give a maximum of three clues; they may pass, but can not return to a word.
Successful contestants may take their winnings and leave, or may attempt the next prize level; the gameplay remains the same, but at each subsequent level, the number of available passwords is reduced by one. Failure to complete a level ends the game; a contestant who fails on the first two levels wins nothing, while completing the second level guarantees contestants $25,000, even if they fail at a subsequent stage.[2] Contestants who complete the $100,000 level are shown the first five of the six passwords for the $250,000 level before being asked for a decision. Contestants leave the show after one game, win or lose.
Throughout the game, the giver must wait for a guess before giving a new clue, and only one guess may be given per clue. Breaking either rule forfeits the word. In this Password revival, antonyms are acceptable clues, but hyphenated words are not.
Sande Stewart, the son of Password creator Bob Stewart, is the consultant to the show.
On the June 12, 2008 edition, Betty White became the first celebrity to play in all American versions of Password.
[edit] Ratings
| # | Air Date | Celebrity Players (Games Won) | Rating | Share | 18-49 | Viewers (m) | Weekly Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday, June 1, 2008 | Rachael Ray (0), Neil Patrick Harris (2) | 6.8 | 12 | 2.2/7 | 10.69 | #3 |
| 2 | Sunday, June 8, 2008 | Rosie O'Donnell (1), Tony Hawk (1) | 6.3 | 11 | 2.2/7 | 9.62 | #3 |
| 3 | Thursday, June 12, 2008 | Betty White (1), Susie Essman (1) | 6.3 | 11 | 2.0/7 | 9.52 | #2 |
| 4 | Sunday, June 22, 2008 | ||||||
| 5 | Sunday, June 29, 2008 | ||||||
| 6 | Sunday, July 6, 2008 |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080414cbs02
- ^ a b http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/preview-of-million-dollar-password/ "Preview of Million Dollar Password"
- ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/12/entertainment/main3359960.shtml?source=RSSattr=Entertainment_3359960 CBS News: Regis To Host "Million Dollar Password"
