# Password (1961)

> A 1960s American television word game in which celebrities and contestants trade one-word clues to get a partner to say a secret password.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/4763

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 174
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: reality
- Created by: Bill Todman, Mark Goodson, Bob Stewart
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Allen Ludden, Jack Clark, Mitch Miller, Barbara Rush, Juliet Prowse, Red Buttons, Abe Burrows, Gary Morton
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054560/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, playful, nostalgic, wholesome, lively

## Synopsis

Password (1961-1966) is an American television game show created by Bob Stewart for Goodson-Todman Productions and aired on CBS. Hosted by Allen Ludden, who had previously been well known for hosting the G.E. College Bowl, the program is a classic daytime quiz built on a simple premise: contestants and celebrity partners take turns giving single-word clues to get the other to say a secret password. Announcer Jack Clark joins Ludden on the set, while guest celebrities rotate through the panel, bringing their own wit to the guessing. The engine of each episode is the tense rhythm of a clue, a guess, and a near miss, with the board and the ticking pressure of the round carrying the momentum. The show runs six seasons across 174 episodes, a light format that moves quickly and rewards quick thinking over elaborate preparation. Its tone is breezy, playful and nostalgic, the wholesome sociable energy of mid-century American television. Fans of Match Game, Family Feud and What's My Line? will find a kindred spirit in its blend of word play, celebrity banter and studio-bound competition. Although later revivals followed on NBC, ABC and CBS, this original run remains the defining version of the format.

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