EXCLUSIVE: Password, the game show from Jimmy Fallon and hosted by Keke Palmer, is returning to NBC for a second season.
However, Deadline understands that filming of season two of the series has been postponed as a result of the writers strike with The Tonight Show host Fallon among those not wanting to cross the picket line.
The series was expected to film shortly on the Universal lot.
It marks the second major non-scripted series impacted by the writers strike; Deadline revealed earlier today that Mayim Bialik pulled out of hosting the final week of season 39 of Jeopardy! as a result of the strike.
Password launched last August and the first season’s episodes averaged 4.2M total viewers. NBC said it was the number one new show of summer 2022 and the most-watched summer alternative series premiere in two years.
The show was not among NBC’s unscripted renewals unveiled in March as the network set its summer lineup with series such as America’s Got Talent, Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, American Ninja Warrior and LA Fire & Rescue, but that was more as a result of Palmer’s recently giving birth to her son.
The series sees contestants partnered with Fallon and other celebrities to face off in a game of words. Fallon will play in each of the hour-long episodes as the celebrity/contestant duos compete for cash prizes by guessing a secret password using only one-word clues.
The first season featured celebrity guests such as Martin Short, Chrissy Metz, Yvette Nicole Brown, Tony Hale, Chelsea Handler, Heidi Klum, Meghan Trainor and Jon Hamm.
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Password is produced by Fremantle in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio and Electric Hot Dog. Fallon, Jim Juvonen, and Jennifer Mullin will serve as executive producers, along with John Quinn who will also serve as showrunner.
Password was created by Bob Stewart for Goodson-Todman Productions, which is now owned by American Idol producer Fremantle. The series originally launched on CBS in 1961 and ran for over 1,500 episodes before moving to ABC in 1971. NBC revived the show in 1979 and 1984, and CBS also made a primetime series Million Dollar Password in 2008.