Saturday, December 20, 2008

Blog DVD Review: The Best of Password - The CBS Years

It is Saturday, so that must mean it is time for our weekly Blog DVD Review! Today we take a look at BCI Eclipse's The Best of Password: The CBS Years. Password was of course the classic word playing game show that still lives on today in the form of Million Dollar Password hosted by Regis Philbin. But before Reege hosted, there were many other incarnations! On this set, we see the early years of 1962-67. See Seth Thrasher's blog DVD review of The Best of Password: The CBS Years:

The Best of Password: The CBS Years (1962-67) (BCI, $29.98) is now on DVD...but you'd better buy it while you can! For those of you not yet made aware, Navarre - the parent company of BCI - decided to close operations at BCI this past week, leaving any additional game show releases in question, as well as leaving doubts about the long term availability of this recently released DVD set. It is entirely possible the initial production run will be the only production run. Given that two of my favorite game shows were in the release pipeline for 2009 - Tattletales and What's My Line – I'd just like to take a moment to strongly encourage Navarre to continue to use the license negotiated by BCI so that fans may enjoy new titles *like* What's My Line, in addition to subsequent editions of Match Game and The Price is Right.
In regards to this release, however, contained within this DVD are 32 episodes of the classic game show Password - all from the 1960s CBS run of the show (hence, the title...). Included are 25 nighttime episodes, as well as seven daytime shows. 24 of the 25 nighttime episodes are in black and white, while the final nighttime episode as well as the 7 daytime shows included are presented in color. Celebrities included in the episodes presented include Carol Burnett, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Fonda, Jack Benny, Robert Goulet, Sammy Davis Jr., Betty White (who ultimately would marry show host Allen Ludden during the series' run), Lucille Ball, Bob Newhart, Vivian Vance, Gene Kelly, James Stewart, Woody Allen, Nancy Sinatra, Frank Gifford, Elizabeth Montgomery...(takes a breath)...Bob Denver, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, Martin Landau, Lauren Bacall, Eddie Albert, Bea Benederet, Peter Lawford; not to mention the first THREE hosts of The Tonight Show - Steve Allen, Jack Paar, and Johnny Carson.
As some of you may be buying the set for the extremely lengthy list of celebrities involved and not the game itself, a quick primer: Password was a game show in which two teams, featuring a contestant and their celebrity partner, attempted to get their partner to guess a word by giving them one-word clues. For example if the password were "dog," the easiest clue to give would be the word "cat," with an inflection to indicate that you're looking for an opposite. You couldn't use hand gestures, and you were limited to only one word at a time. If your partner guessed incorrectly, then the other team got to attempt to play the same word. Control alternated until the word was guessed correctly and points were earned, or the word couldn't be guessed in the maximum number of turns, at which point a new word was played. Guessing a word on the first clue was worth 10 points; the second try was worth 9, with the value decreasing by 1 point for every clue given. First to 25 points wins $250 and goes to the bonus game. Winning team plays the bonus game, in which the clue-giver has 60 seconds to get their partner to guess up to 5 different words. Each word guessed is worth $50, with the top payout being again $250, for a total of $500 per game. Depending on the point in the run, contestants may or may not be allowed to play an additional game.
With that over with, the episodes as presented, are about what you would expect for 45 to 50-year-old television programs whose episodes were never expected to even be reran, let alone released for home enjoyment four decades later. The episodes on discs one through three are all in black and white as the series was only preserved in black and white until very late in the show run. The video is fairly decent, though there are issues with a couple of episodes on the first disc - one in particular has significant issues. The 5th and 6th episodes on disc one (N022 – Jack Benny and his wife Joan; N028 – Anne Bancroft & Robert Goulet) both suffer from strange instances of color noise and distortions in the episodes. The Benny episode is particularly bad, and has another, more major, flaw in the audio. The audio is distorted through the entire episode, with a garbled sound affecting some vocals and sound effects. This episode was never rerun on GSN for precisely for this reason, and it is assumed that the problem exists with the master copy itself. The rest of the episodes look fairly well, and there are no other major flaws.
The episodes are presented in 2 two-disc slimcases inside a box. The packaging art on the slimcases is exceptionally clever, with the artwork depicting tickets to see the show. Having seen a number of old tickets to game show tapings in my day, these images are most likely based on scans of legitimate tickets, with only minor changes (such as insertion of disc numbers) made. The ticket on the first case is from a January 28, 1964 taping. The ticket on case #2 is from November 11, 1965. Also included in the set are "liner notes," whose front cover features a third ticket, this from the September 21, 1964 taping. The liner notes feature a full set of credits, a run-down of the format of the show and its history, information on its creating, and a set of Did You Know trivia bits. At the bottom of the second and final page is a dedication to Allen Ludden and Betty White, as well as credit to the two people who compiled the set and thanks to a few other individuals. While the liner notes aren't nearly as comprehensive as those included with their Price is Right or Match Game DVD sets in particular, they're still a great addition.
The only real problems with this DVD set are the rampant issues with the Jack Benny episode (which, as stated earlier, has never aired on Game Show Network in the channel's 14-year existence for precisely this reason), the smaller problems with the Bancroft/Goulet episode...and the fact that the publisher doesn't exist anymore as they were folded a few days ago. Strong sales of this title in particular could convince Navarre to push forward with future releases nonetheless, so if you're looking for a cheap stocking-stuffer or you're a fan of any of the celebrities involved OR if you're a fan of game shows or you want to see more game shows on DVD, then PLEASE purchase this DVD set. If you discover you're not a fan of the show after purchasing, then fine - sell it online or to one of the retailers who purchase used DVDs. Give the show a chance though and I think you'll like it. Or another reason to but this set is if you discovered the format in its new incarnation on Million Dollar Password on CBS Sundays and love that. Even if you don't, I still might get to see What's My Line, more volumes of The Price is Right, and so much more on DVD if enough people show interest in this set so I can't really recommend this set enough. STRONG RECOMMENDATION.

-- Reviewed by Seth Thrasher
(4/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Password TV.com Page


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, January 21

St. Denis Medical - "Gimme the Scuttlebutt" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
An "intimacy in the workplace" discussion leads Joyce to discover she's out of the loop on office gossip; Alex gets self-conscious about her sex life; Bruce tries to fight a new policy about dating co-workers.

Night Court - "The Jakeout" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After learning that Jake has never been in a long-term relationship, Abby is determined to find his secret dealbreaker; Dan and Julianne go head to head to prove they don't have feelings for each other.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 20)

Tuesday, January 21

  • Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Watch Sterling on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Bobby Cannavale (Angie Tribeca/Will & Grace) - Bobby is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Britt Lower (Ghosted/Man Seeking Woman/Big Lake) - Britt appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She also talks about Severance on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings
  • Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Severance on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Mary Lynn Rajskub (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/How to Be a Gentleman/Veronica's Closet/The Larry Sanders Show), Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) and Brian Posehn (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Mary Lynn, Patton and Brian are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Stephanie Hsu (Laid) - Stephanie is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Frankie Grande (Danger Force/Henry Danger) - Frankie talks about Henry Danger The Movie on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
  • Megan Hilty (Sean Saves the World) - Megan and Jennifer Simard talk about Death Becomes Her on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Ben talks about Severance on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Yvette Nicole Brown (Act Your Age/The Odd Couple/Community/The Big House) - Yvette talks about BET+'s The Family Business on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Chyler Leigh (That '80s Show) - Chyler is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

01/21 - Fox Renews Murder in a Small Town; O.J. Simpson Netflix Docuseries
01/20 - Rewind TV February 2025 Schedule; Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary Score Big for Premieres
01/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 20, 2025)
01/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Frasier Reboot Canceled at Paramount+; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Coming to MeTV Toons
01/17 - Remembering Bob Uecker of Mr. Belvedere, Punky Brewster Creator David W. Duclon, and Others We Recently Lost
01/16 - Apple TV+ Prime Target Trailer; Apple Cider Vinegar Premieres in February on Netflix
01/15 - My Three Sons to Join FETV Lineup Starting February 3; St. Denis Medical Renewed for Season 2
01/14 - Game Show Network Acquires The Wall; NBC's The Hunting Party to Premiere After NFL Divisional Playoff Game
01/13 - Antenna TV February 2025 Schedule; SNL First Two 2025 Episodes Before 50th Anniversary Event
01/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 13, 2025)
01/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Saturday Night Live Hosts Announced; The West Wing Returns to Max After Brief Disappearance
01/10 - The Jeffersons 50th Anniversary Marathon on Antenna TV; FETV to Air Uncut Episodes of Most Series
01/09 - Trailer for Apple TV+ Comedy Mythic Quest; Upcoming Season of Harlem Is Final Season
01/08 - Roy Wood Jr. Comedy Special on Hulu; The Late Show Gets Post AFC Championship Game Airing
01/07 - HGTV's Celebrity IOU New Season; Joey King and Cooper Koch to Announce 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations
01/06 - 82nd Golden Globe Winners; Shoresy Returns in February on Hulu
01/05 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 6, 2025)
01/04 - SitcomsOnline Digest: HBO Cancels The Franchise; Alice Actress Linda Lavin Dies
01/03 - Antenna TV Pays Tribute to Linda Lavin with Alice Marathon; Catchy Comedy Recreates Classic CBS Saturday Night Lineup from the 1970s
01/02 - Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Crossover Event; The Night Agent Returns January 23 on Netflix
01/01 - Happy New Year; Antenna TV's New Year's Day Fresh Start Marathon; ABC's Shifting Gears Official Trailer
12/31 - In Memoriam: Remembering the Sitcom Stars We Lost in 2024
12/30 - Remembering Linda Lavin of Alice; Hulu Releases Chad Powers Teaser
12/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 30, 2024)
12/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Cable Networks No Longer a Priority for Paramount; Paramount+ Removes Vintage Nickelodeon Series
12/27 - Max Renews Creature Commandos for Season 2; Fox's Denis Leary Comedy Gets First Look
12/26 - Cobra Kai Final Episodes in February on Netflix; HBO Slates 13th Bill Maher Comedy Special
12/25 - Merry Christmas from Sitcoms Online; The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Coming to DVD in February
12/24 - 2024 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day TV Marathons
12/23 - Christmas Con Celebrates 5 Year Anniversary; Deli Boys Premieres in March on Hulu
12/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 23, 2024)
12/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Creative Team Put in Place for Big Bang Theory Spinoff; Girls5eva Canceled at Netflix