Password Plus
In 1979, NBC revived the classic game show Password and added in a few new features to give the show a "plus." There were two contestants and they were paired up with a celebrity. Then the celebrity or a contestant tried to communicate a "password" by using one word clues. When the password was sovled, the word would go up on the password puzzle board. That password would be a clue that would describe a person, place, thing, or event. A person who solves the puzzle in the first game won $100. The second game was worth $100. The third game was worth $200. The first person to reach $300 was the winner of the game and went on to play Alphabetics for a chance to win $5,000.



In Alphabetics, there were 10 words arranged alphabetically (i.e. 10 words starting with B going all the way to the letter K. The first password started with the letter B). The celebrity partner would try to communicate the 10 passwords using one word clues in 60 seconds or less. Each correct guess was worth $100. If all 10 words were guessed, the contestant would win $5,000. A few months into the series, a new rule was added stating that no opposites could be used as clues during the main game or Alphabetics.


(The contestant on the far left is Rich Cronin, president of Game Show Network.)

In 1980, Allen Ludden became ill and Bill Cullen hosted for four weeks until Allen came back. Later in that year, Allen had to leave the show due to cancer. Bill Cullen could not take over the show because he was already hosting another NBC game show, Blockbusters. Tom Kennedy was chosen to be the new host of Password Plus. Sadly, Allen Ludden passed away in 1981.

In 1981, the format of the game changed. The first three games were worth $100 and contestants changed partners after the third $100 puzzle. The fourth puzzle was worth $200 and the contestant who reached $500 won the game. In Alphabetics the rules stayed the same except the jackpot went up an additional $5,000 each time the jackpot was not won. Password ran on NBC daytime until the March of 1982.

HOME