Password was a favorite game show of mine as I grew up. A memorable episode of the show "The Odd Couple" in 1972 involved Felix and Oscar going on Password. Alan Ludden hosted.

The game is fairly simple. Two teams of two competed against each other. With each round each team would switch which partner gave the clues and which guessed. The two clue-givers would be given a card showing the password. All the clue-givers could do each turn was say one word to try to make the other person guess the password. If the first team's person guessed the wrong word, the other clue-giver would try to make their partner guess the word with a one word clue. It would go back and forth until one team guessed correctly.

In an episode of the TV series "The Odd Couple," Felix and Oscar are playing Password. Felix gives a clue to Oscar that only someone with a classical education would understand. So of course Oscar misses it and the other team goes on to win that round. During the break, Oscar very emphatically told Felix it was ridiculous. During the next round the password is "Ridiculous". So Oscar gives that same clue, prompting Felix to answer "Ridiculous".

It has been a long time since I saw Password on TV. If I remember correctly, with each guess at the password the possible points went down. For instance you got five points if you got it on the first guess and four points if you got it on the second, etc. If anybody out there can confirm or deny that, please let me know.

Back to my main Game Show page

Back to my main Puzzle page

DnDCrownover@comcast.net (Please put 'puzzle' in the subject)

This page updated on: December 3, 2004
You are visitor number since November 24, 2004.