Password Plus Board Game
In the words of Allen Ludden as he sprinted to his podium during the premiere of Password Plus, 'Password's Back! Password's Back!' January 8, 1979 marked the debut of the third incarnation of the venerable word association game, Password.
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Ludden, who had hosted Password off and on since 1961, was once again at the helm and in a very familiar position. “Two of Password’s best friends,” Elizabeth Montgomery and Robert Foxworth guest starred during the premiere week. Veterans of the game, both played well, and gave the show a great start. Originally, Password Plus was promoted as Password '79, but during an early mock-up, frequent guest star and longtime Password player Carol Burnett remarked that 'this is more than Password, it's Password Plus.' That phrase would be modified and used as the new moniker and also during the show open spoken by legendary game show announcer Gene Wood, who would open each episode by saying 'It's More Than Password, It's Password Plus!' Along with a new name, Password Plus featured new rules and a large difference than it’s earlier cousins.
The game was played for cash, with no mention of a ‘points’ system. What may have been score displays are visible (although covered by the blue carpeting) on the desk front during the first few weeks. Another silver display is present on the front of Allen’s podium during the premiere week. The silver part may have been a reflector for another kind of display. During the second week, the silver portion appears to have been removed, leaving a rectangular recess. Players of the new game were also allowed the option to ‘pass’ a word to the other team if they desired. Initially, six clues were allowed per password, with the option changing hands each time a new password was put into play.
When a new game started, the first option was awarded to the team with the newest player and the returning player would switch partners. Three rules changes were instituted during the first season; the number of clues allowed per password was reduced to four, the option stayed with the team which last guessed a password correctly and most importantly, opposites were no longer allowed as legal clues. An example of the new illegal clue would be ‘up’ for the password ‘down.’ What also distinguished Password Plus from any other version of Password were the additions of the Password Puzzle and new end game, dubbed Alphabetics.
Passwords guessed correctly during normal game play were placed on the Password Puzzle board, and the answer to the puzzle would be a person, place or thing. A maximum of five guessed passwords made up the puzzle, and any player that guessed a word correctly received a chance to solve the puzzle. The first puzzle played was 'Brassiere,' with the clues ELASTIC, SHAPE, LIFT, and CUP. The final clue was never revealed when the puzzle was solved, a practice that changed during the second episode. Up to four puzzles were played per game, worth $100, $100, $100, and $200 respectively. A player that solved the puzzle received the money, and the first side to reach a score of $300 (later $500 in a $100, $100, $200 format) would win the game and have an opportunity to play Alphabetics. The other new plus in Password Plus was the addition of a new end game, called Alphabetics.
During this extra round, the winning player would have a chance to win $5,000 if he or she could guess ten passwords correctly in just one minute. This new end game was called Alphabetics for a reason; the ten passwords would be in alphabetic order (ex: A-J), and the player would be told the first letter. For every correct answer given, the player was awarded $100, and the entire $5,000 for completing the round. An illegal clue during Alphabetics would result in a $1,000 penalty per infraction, but the game continued. Early Alphabetics rounds often featured Allen Ludden emphatically yelling the next letter to the players. A returning champion on Password Plus could play Alphabetics up to seven times before being retired. Following Alphabetics, the returning champion would switch partners and play with the other celebrity.
Printable Password Game Cards
This would change in late 1981 when the $500 format was introduced, and the partners would ‘cross over’ following the second $100 puzzle. Later, Alphabetics featured a progressive jackpot that started at $5,000 and would increase by that same amount each time it wasn’t won.
Plus Copy Board
The maximum jackpot possible was $50,000. Password Plus ran on NBC from 1979-1982 in NBC’s daytime lineup, and won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show in 1982, shortly after cancellation. All 800 episodes were taped at NBC Studios (Studio 4) in Burbank, CA before live audiences.