I love old game shows. Most of the new crop is awful. "Millionaire" is one of the few exceptions. It's blessedly simple, yet interesting.
There have been several remakes in the last decade. "Match Game" in 1998 was beyond hideous. "To Tell the Truth," one of my all time favorites, in 2000 was just as bad. All too often, producers take a classic, add gimmicks and hope it works. All too often, it flops.
"Million Dollar Password" made its debut, for a limited run, Sunday night. I didn't expect much. I was shocked. It was really, really good. Regis Philbin stayed true to the classic. He stayed out of the way. The front game is a cross between "Pyramid" and "Password." It works. The end game, where you have a shot at $1 million, is just as good. It passed my test. I was yelling at the screen during the show. You can't help getting caught up in the game.
