I agree- it does feel rushed.
In adding a clock, they've got rid of one of the show's USP's. I think it's a huge mistake. The other thing that has gone, due to this, is Chris's input in the answering time, where he gently probes a player to make sure they are happy with their answer. That for me was always an interesting part, cos you get to hear the player's internal monologue, and suss out if they are just guessing, or really know the answer but lack the confidence to go for it.
What I saw in this first episode, was essentially two contestants being pushed into making rash decisions by the time constraint, and leaving with a measly grand each. It didn't feel like a good outcome to me.