but be realistic


betty white
william petersen
gary sinise
jon stewart
stephen colbert

Yeah, you're new here! :)

CBS should consider using some of their primetime stars to do this, and I'd go for having each episode use cast members from its shows. For example, week one would be Two and a Half Men. Week two is one of the 17 CSI shows, week three Criminal Minds and so on. Maybe even get Drew to cross-promote his two shows (one of which is Fremantle of course).

Maybe even throw in one of their veteran (but canceled) shows, i.e. Everybody Loves Raymond or King of Queens. Doris Roberts, Brad Garrett, and Jerry Stiller all have game show experience.

The only problem is that two of Raymond's co-stars now star on FOX sitcoms.

And of course Betty White.

I guess my dream team of Marcel Marceau and Ray Charles won't happen.

If it were ABC, I would bet someone else's money that the entire lineup of celebs would have been from Disney connections, from ESPN to movies. They'd have someone in a Baloo the Bear suit if they could.

And of course Betty White.

Jon Stewart v. Stephen Colbert would be classic.

There's gotta be plenty of celebrities that were around for many versions of Password that I'd want to play. Vicki Lawerence v. Dick Martin would be nice too..donno if it would happen though.

And of course Betty White.

You know who they should TOTALLY get on the show? Betty White.

I'm not sure how we put "realistic" alongside a noted recluse like Petersen. Sinise maybe.

A problem I see is that some big celebrities might have done it if it was all in fun, but might not because of the million dollar pressure. Arlene Francis once said that on a panel show, if the celeb screwed up the contestant MADE money, but on something like Pyramid, if the celeb screws up he costs the contestant ten thousand dollars. Imagine that attitude with one hundred times the stakes.

Having said that, I think you're absolutely looking at the level of celebrity that participates in Dancing With The Stars. There's no way they'll go the Bob Stewart route and get unheralded supporting actors just because they're good game players. They're also not going to be able to get current A-listers who have nothing to gain and credibility to lose. So somewhere in the middle.

And of course Betty White.

Y'know, I haven't seen Betty White's name mentioned. Don't you think she'd be great?

/But not as great as Pat O'Brien.

Betty should be on there for the obvious reasons.

Drew Carey would play the game well, I'd believe, and it'd be great cross-promotion, as others have said.

If it's not "below" him, I'd like to see Barker back in the celebrity chair *Barker vs. Carey would be awkward but interesting to see*.

David Caruso might bring some of the younger CSI:Miami crowd with him, and I think he also has the intellect to play the game (that is of course, based only on interviews and shows I've seen with him, you wouldn't know for sure until you saw him in action)

Jeff Probst, Phil Keoghan, and Letterman would be other obvious, cross-promotional choices that might bring in younger crowds and can also play well, but I can't say confirm the latter for sure, again.

Otherwise, I gotta give a root for Pat Sajak to get back in the Password chair. He did well in the 80's on SP, and he's mentioned before on his websites and on Wheel that's it's one of his favorite classic TV shows. He's also a good friend of Regis's, and as most of us know, fills in for him on "Live." If Pat was asked, I'm sure he would give it a go, and probably do very well. Trebek also would have the ability to play the game well, but I'm not sure how willing he'd be to do it...

This is a good option. He has experience with word games (and of course P+), is already in New York, and has shown he's a game show fan.

Dickie Beals and Arnold Stang.

1) it's below him.

2) he's senile.

3) Fremantle wants NO-THING to do with him, considering his new (and old) legal troubles.

I was waiting for a Barker fanb0i to suggest this, though. Congratulations on being the first.

Ben Stein seriously.

There's a whole bunch of broadway stars that should be on there. Brian Stokes Mitchell comes to mind, as does Roger Bart. Agreed about Stewart/Colbert.

And of course Vanna White.

/D'OH!

That could never be more wrong. Not a Barker fanboiz in the least, and I think I've made that obvious other places on here. Off-the-cuff accusations will get you nowhere, as you should be well aware...

Sajak fanboiz? That might be a different story, but no, I have not been fond of Barker for quite some time now. Nevertheless, I still think it would be interesting to see him PLAY a game again, instead of trying to own it, if he could do it.

As for who'd win in a Carey vs. Barker match up anyway? No doubt, I'd still be rooting for and going all-in on Carey, even if I wanted Barker to play in the first place.

You have to get him to play first. This isn't Match Game 76, where he guested as host of a modestly successful daytime game show among about 12-15 other daytime game shows, thus keeping his ego in check.

In recent years, he's proven that he can't stand sharing the spotlight with others, and would be damned to be a celebrity panelist.

ANNOUNCER: The Password is (whoooosh!) greatest...
BOB: Meeee...
CONTESTANT: Horndog?

What about making the contestants GIVE the clues - that way it's all on them and they can't blame the celebrity.

You're kidding, right? The celebrity could still blow it by not coming up with the correct response, and could even be more humiliated for screwing up when presented with decent clues.

Sajak v Carey would probably make a pretty decent pairing.

There's a fair number of ways they can avoid screwing this up, but I put the odds at about 77:23 they don't bother with that.

And of course, Betty White.

The chances of a player winning when the celebrity gives bad clues: 1%
The chances when the celebrity gives an illegal clue: 0%
That alone is why, if there's no choice, I'd prefer the celebrity receive the clues.

The very fact that the plusses and minuses of this is being discussed is a fine example of why playing Password for <David Letterman> ONE MILLION DAMN DOLLARS </DL> is a really, REALLY bad idea.

That's fair enough, and I have little doubt that a contestant can have more control by giving clues. That's still a long, LONG way from "that way it's all on them and they can't blame the celebrity." Believe me, if you didn't win a million dollars because your dimwit celebrity couldn't come up with the right responses despite your perfect clues, you're going to blame the celebrity.

DICK CAVETT

Which makes the whole thought exercise a bit of a waste, doesn't it? I could craft a list as long as my arm of actors and actresses that I'd like to see.

The problem with any such list is that we haven't had Password on the air in going on 20 years. There's no reasonable way to know whether they'd be any good. So why bother?

Which isn't to say that it won't stop some of our membership from trying.

Looking at Michi-Matt's criteria, I think you could find some decent-level stars who did quite well on Hollywood Squares or Donnymid. Not everyone on those two shows were F-lister seventh bananas, IIRC.

One word.

Coolio.

/he'll be available

Definite yes' on both Betty White and Dick Cavett.

Ok, let's go for broadcast gold. The oldest set of celebrity contestants: Betty White and.....Walter Cronkite or Mike Wallace.

Mike's probably cursing the powers that be for passing him over on the hosting job again. :^)

-Kevin

I would *LOVE* to see a Battle of the Bobs -- The Producer vs the Compos....

Oh...I'm sorry, I though we were talking about *Bob* Stewart vs *Bob* Colbert!!! <ducking> :-P

*shoots tomato-loaded machine gun at Tim*

Jeez, Tim, get the names right if you're gonna make the joke. It's Bob COBERT, not Colbert.

(Nitpicky, yes. But I don't like it when people make jokes that fall flat because they don't know what they're talking about.)

I'm surprised nobody has suggested Betty White yet...

Who's that?

She was on The Golden Girls, I think. No idea why she'd be a good fit for this game show.

Well, there is this one person who hosted a short-lived game show and won a Daytime Emmy for it...She was so personable and had a good sense of humor to boot.

If only I could remember her name.... :)


/91 Minutes until the official end of the Barker Era on TPIR!
//Thank Goodness!!!

I am truly surprised that nobody suggested the woman who was married to Allen Ludden. She was so good when she was on his Password shows. Unfortunately, her name escapes me at this time. :-)

Sure there is. They come to the office and play the game. If they're inept you don't book them. This was the practice followed on P+ and MG for all talent who didn't have an established track record.

Betty White, for example, has an established track record and is exempt.

What worries me is that today, even minor celebs insist on doing interviews where the subjects are limited, the questions are either submitted in advance or kept in a tight range, and nothing out of the ordinary can happen. You expect them to be able to handle a game show test?

Except, of course, Betty White.

TimK2003 wrote:



I mis-read this at first and thought is read "Battle of the Boobs"....

I suppose that would be Adrienne Barbeau vs. Charo, or at least the youthful versions of those two....

Jeri Ryan v. Emily Procter, to keep it on the network. :)

How about Charles Osgood from "Sunday Morning" versus Ashley, from Wednesday night's "Kid Nation"?

Or that woman who played Sue Ann on the Mary Tyler Moore Show up against Charlie Sheen?

(Others snipped)

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/2007/10/bettywhite.jpg

I lol'd. :)

So did I.

Katie Couric and Julie Chen.
Sorry. It's the headaches.
Perhaps Jim Nantz would play the game well.
Along with one of those actresses from The Golden Girls.

There's no way for me personally to be able to know that beforehand. That's what the OP is asking. "Name people you want to see Password." Like I said, the lists of "good players" and "people I want to see" might be entirely mutually exclusive. There are not enough exemptions for me to draw up a list.

6 episodes, presumably 12 celebrity slots...

Who we'd like to see, based on responses:

Betty White
Dick Cavett
Charles Osgood
Jon Stewart
Stephen Colbert
Doris Roberts
Jerry Stiller
Vicki Lawrence
Dick Martin
David Letterman
Ben Stein
Pat Sajak

Who they'll get:

Kathy Griffin
Mario Lopez
Carrot Top
Brande Roderick
Nicole Richie
Dustin Diamond
Danny Bonaduce
Kevin Federline
Tom Green
David Faustino
Corey Feldman's wife
Ricki Lake

(or their equivalents)

Now, see, I wanted George F. Will and William F. Buckley.

Oh, and that actress from "Life with Elizabeth"*


*I told you I was old.

I wonder if we don't see any celebs under 30 on the show. Since the last original episode of Password (ok, it was Super Password) aired in 1989, today's twentysomethings have never seen a revival or updated version of the show (except for GSN reruns). They don't know who Allen Ludden was (or know the name of his wife - another Betty White reference), or why he was called "Mr. Password."

You wonder if we're going to see a Password in name only. You remember the last attempt of a revival of a G-T show - Card Sharks 2001. We know (painfully) HOW that turned out. I hope that Fremantle/Pearson/All-American keeps the Password we know and love, and not do things that make the game more appealing to the twentysomethings who've never seen Password while turning off the game show fan base. Clip Chips, anyone?

Brian

Of course, we also don't know for certain that these people *can't* play they game. It's even possible that, back when SP was still on, it was one or two of them's favorite show (though I wouldn't count on it). It's been gone long enough that I wouldn't expect anyone (except you-know-who, of course) to play all that well to begin with, but if you had them (and the prospective contestants, for that matter) watch a week's worth of old shows before taking the test to get a feel for the game then there's at least a chance they'll do well enough for a start. Assuming all the other aspects of the show (format, writing, etc) don't ruin it before the first word is played.

Or you could intentionally get stupid players and do the show for comedy... but that doesn't fit with a million dollar prize.

Actually, I'd like to see Ricki Lake on the show. I think she's a smart cookie. (Do people still say that?)
And, despite my dire prediction, I expect to see Betty White.