Password (1971)

Password
Premiere	April 5, 1971
Finale	June 27, 1975
Creator	Bob Stewart, Mark Goodson, Bill Todman, Howard Felscher (development of this version)
Host	Allen Ludden
Network/Provider	ABC
Style	30-minute game show
Company	Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, ABC, Peak Productions
Episodes	1,099
Origin	USA

Password is a game show that aired on ABC. It was the third version of Password.

Two teams, each made up of a celebrity and a civilian, compete. One member of the team is shown a "password," which is shown to the home audience. The team member must give a one-word clue to his/her partner in an attempt to say the password. The point value starts at 10, then each time the word is not guessed, the turn goes to the opposing team and the point value is reduced by a point. The team correctly guessing the word scores the points.

The team scoring 25 points wins the game, $100 for the civilian player, and plays the Lightning Round. The celebrity has 60 seconds to convey five passwords to his/her partner with each correct guess worth $50. Contestants change partners for game two.

The show had a couple changes compared to the first version of Password. Contestants could keep playing as long as they kept winning. Also, after the Lightning Round, the contestant had the option to play a "Betting Word," a difficult word he/she had to convey to the celebrity partner in 15 seconds. The contestant could bet any or all of the money won in the Lightning Round or decline it altogether. In November 1974, the show changed to a new format and rebranded itself as Password All-Stars. Six celebrities competed in a qualifying round with two giving clues and the other four ringing in to guess passwords from those clues. The first two to three points went up with the clue givers to play Password, with an arrow determining who gives the first clue. That person can play for 10 points, pass to the other team, or play it for double (20 points). First team to 30 points plays "20-20" for twenty more points, trying to communicate two difficult words within a 30 second time frame.

It went back to Password under changed rules for the rest of its run. In this last format, four regular contestants (two of them returning players) played "All-Stars'" qualifying round. The two players getting three passwords go up with the celebrities to play regular Password. If the clue giver chooses to play the first clue, it's worth 20 points. A pass to the other makes the first clue 10 points with the usual reduction of a point for each succeeding clue. First team to 50 points plays the Lightning Round which is changed as well. The celebrity has 30 seconds to communicate three passwords to the teammate, each worth $25 plus $5 for every second left. That total becomes what each password of a second set of three are worth.

Apart from about two or three episodes on YouTube, this version of Password is completely wiped. The tapes used were repurposed to record Family Feud in 1976.

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series

DVD Releases

Title	Release Date	#
Episode Collections - Various Series
The Best of Password	December 2, 2008	4