Author Topic: Million Dollar Password taping (Read 22161 times)

Craig Karlberg · « **Reply #30 on:** March 10, 2008, 04:34:36 AM »

A series of speed rounds? Once in its heyday was fine by me, but this borders on overkill. I know, in this hurry-up world, we have to do this & do that in a timed situation & honestly, I don't see it working out on this version & will get old real quick.

As for the bonus, it's been there/done that with the money chain. $25K for a "safety net"? I'd rather have it at $50K. Still, if that's what they want, so be it.

lobster · « **Reply #31 on:** March 10, 2008, 04:55:36 AM »

[quote name=\'bdatcf1\' post=\'180700\' date=\'Mar 9 2008, 07:33 PM\']
I went to the first taping at Kaufman Astoria. Very cool set ala WWTBAM when it first debuted. As for the contestants, they all were nannies and waiters....yeah right! They all looked to be straight out of some agency!
[/quote]

Hm .. I guess if they ever do a follow-up casting call, I'll have to tell them I traded in my web gig to mop floors in a soup kitchen and my wife gave birth to quads..

so how did Regis do?

toetyper · « **Reply #32 on:** March 10, 2008, 10:19:17 AM »

The male celeb is known for games, but not game shows. If you have a PlayStation 2 or Xbox, you've probably heard of this guy

Tony hawk?

/if you have a ps2. time to upgrade

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #33 on:** March 10, 2008, 10:35:26 AM »

[quote name=\'itiparanoid13\' post=\'180717\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 02:10 AM\']
I won't bore you with the incredibly lengthy details I was told about the show. If you care to get into it, just go to my site. But here's the truncated version: it's all lightning rounds and a money chain. Actually, it's Pyramid for Dummies.[/quote]

Full disclosure: I played some runthroughs, only of the endgame. I'd never seen the front game. While waiting to play one day, I was making small talk with the young woman who'd be my partner in the next round. I asked her if she'd ever seen Password on TV. She said she hadn't, "But didn't this show used to be called $25,000 Pyramid?

Quote

Main game: Same celebrity/contestant thing for four rounds. One person gives clues for a password and the other guesses. They have 30 seconds to get five words. One point for each. Celebrity/contestant trade off giving, and after round two the celebrities switch. Most points plays the Winner's Circ...I mean end game for $1,000,000.

End game: Basically, just get a five words out of a certain amount in 90 seconds to go up a tier. There are six levels.

The main game has two minutes of gameplay, and the endgame up to nine? Is something wrong with my math, or is the front game the "fastest finger" of Password?

As for this speed-round main game, the timed format certainly makes it more about words than celebrity banter. That could be considered to be a good thing.

Missed all the tapings this weekend, but I'm still looking forward to this show.

Scani71 · « **Reply #34 on:** March 10, 2008, 11:12:58 AM »

[quote name=\'Clay Zambo\' post=\'180727\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 10:35 AM\']
The main game has two minutes of gameplay, and the endgame up to nine? Is something wrong with my math, or is the front game the "fastest finger" of Password?[/quote]

I count four minutes of gameplay in the main game; four rounds, thirty seconds... two players.

But yeah, I agree in principle that the staging and format is disproportionately balanced towards the million dollar end game - but then again, that seems to be the standard nowadays (Power of 10, anyone?).

Joe Mello · « **Reply #35 on:** March 10, 2008, 11:23:26 AM »

Speaking of the standard, we may see 13 minutes of gameplay per match, but I wouldn't be surprised if the producers see about 40. Also, the "3 clues only" rule seems curious, but considering the tree in makes a little sense.

Cautiously optimistic.

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #36 on:** March 10, 2008, 11:31:01 AM »

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'180730\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 11:23 AM\']
... we may see 13 minutes of gameplay per match, but I wouldn't be surprised if the producers see about 40. [/quote]

I don't see how they could. I'm sure the main-game will take more time to play out, what with host-chat and such--and, of course, we haven't factored in the dramatic pauses while a player decides whether or not to go for the next level. I was just talking about the timed rounds themselves.

Quote

Also, the "3 clues only" rule seems curious...Cautiously optimistic.

As am I. The three-clues per word isn't unprecedented: it's a throwback to Ca$hword. And even main-game passwords in Plus and Super had limits on the number of clues per word.

tvmitch · « **Reply #37 on:** March 10, 2008, 12:03:15 PM »

[quote name=\'Scani71\' post=\'180729\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 11:12 AM\']
But yeah, I agree in principle that the staging and format is disproportionately balanced towards the million dollar end game - but then again, that seems to be the standard nowadays (Power of 10, anyone?).
[/quote]
Not unprecedented, just like you said. See: "Deal or No Deal," first Australian format.

I'll wait until I see it to pass judgment, but boy howdy, I will have a giant problem with this game if the judging isn't consistent.

Any verdicts on that, from those who attended tapings? I don't think such comments would violate disclosures... about the judging and what clues were allowed, etc.

lobster · « **Reply #38 on:** March 10, 2008, 12:35:59 PM »

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'180730\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 10:23 AM\']
Speaking of the standard, we may see 13 minutes of gameplay per match, but I wouldn't be surprised if the producers see about 40. Also, the "3 clues only" rule seems curious, but considering the tree in makes a little sense.

Cautiously optimistic.
[/quote]

I can see 40.

Regis: "And who did you bring with you?"

Contestant: "My Aunt Barbara, Uncle Phil, and two annoyingly boisterous co-workers!"

Aunt Barbara: "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

/holding my breath

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #39 on:** March 10, 2008, 12:56:46 PM »

[quote name=\'lobster\' post=\'180740\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 12:35 PM\']
I can see 40.

Regis: "And who did you bring with you?"

Contestant: "My Aunt Barbara, Uncle Phil, and two annoyingly boisterous co-workers!"

Aunt Barbara: "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
[/quote]

Sure--but I wouldn't count that as game-play time.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #40 on:** March 10, 2008, 02:28:07 PM »

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'180730\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 11:23 AM\']
Speaking of the standard, we may see 13 minutes of gameplay per match, but I wouldn't be surprised if the producers see about 40. Also, the "3 clues only" rule seems curious, but considering the tree in makes a little sense.[/quote]
In fairness, the amount of gameplay in a half hour of Dick Clark's Pyramid was less than eight minutes.

clemon79 · « **Reply #41 on:** March 10, 2008, 03:15:12 PM »

[quote name=\'toetyper\' post=\'180724\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 07:19 AM\']
/if you have a ps2. time to upgrade
[/quote]
Did you know that PS2 sales still run neck-and-neck with all three of the next-gen systems? And that the PS2 ate the PS3's lunch this holiday season, despite, erm, no shortages in the supply channel whatsoever?

No, of course you didn't.

tpirfan28 · « **Reply #42 on:** March 10, 2008, 03:25:51 PM »

Tony Hawk is the male celeb? Eh. Not good, not bad either.

/still just has SNES and N64
//not a damn bit wrong with them or the games, either

BrandonFG · « **Reply #43 on:** March 10, 2008, 03:58:26 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'180752\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 02:28 PM\']
In fairness, the amount of gameplay in a half hour of Dick Clark's Pyramid was less than eight minutes.
[/quote]
Which makes me not understand why Donnymid felt they had to trim :10 from each round. Even with 20-22 minutes, less than half of your show consists of actual gameplay. Even with constant celebrity plugs and mechanics explanation, you could fit in a standard game.

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #44 on:** March 10, 2008, 09:56:21 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'180752\' date=\'Mar 10 2008, 02:28 PM\']
In fairness, the amount of gameplay in a half hour of Dick Clark's Pyramid was less than eight minutes.
[/quote]

Well, not less than. More like exactly. (A little more when there's a tie to break.) But the point is taken, and it's something that always amazed me about Pyramid.

And I sure as hell don't want them playing the million dollar round in a single minute. Just seems odd that the endgame is potentially so much longer than the front game. The key word is, of course, potentially. I'm betting we hardly ever see that sucker go the full nine minutes.