ROUND 1:

Three contestants are shown with their debts, and they are averagedto the same amount. They are then shown a 5x5 board, each with a category, ranging from -$50 to -$250. The contestant with the lowest debt chooses a category with a value, and they are asked a question, which usually began with "I am...". The contestants would then buzz-in with a response, starting with, "You are...". If they are right, they are subtracted from the amount, according to the chosen total. If not, the amount is added to the debt and the other players get a chance to answer.

ROUND 2:

The 2 remaining players are now in a round called "Gambling Debt." Wink shows a category, and the players then bid against each other in how many questions they can answer out of 5, until one says "Prove it!" (via-Name That Tune's Bid-a-Note round). The first category is worth -$300, then progresses to -$400, -$500, -750, and -$1,500 as the categories go along. When a category is being played, the one answering the questions must answer the allotted bidded number to win the negative amount from their debt. If not, it goes to the opposer. This process continues until all categories are used up, or one is so mathematically ahead, that the other cannot catch up. The one with the lowest amount of debt wins the game, as the other falls back with a piggy bank and a $500 savings bond.

ROUND 3:

Round 3 was "Get Out of Debt". The winning player was given a category and would have 60 seconds to get 10 questions right. By doing so, they would eliminate their entire debt that they had before the debts were averaged at the start of the show. If not, they kept their main game winnings. But then, one more thing to do.

ROUND 4:

Now, it came to one final question for the round called "Bet Your Debt". A contestant is then shown their chosen category from the world of pop culture. They would then decide on whether or not to risk it to play for double the money, or keep it safe and walk off, though they'd hear the question anyway to see what would've happened. If they failed to answer the question correctly though won the bonus round first, they'd receive another $1,500. Losing the bonus round and failing to win the final question got another $1,000.

SEASON 2 CHANGES:
In season 2, the set got an overhaul change. The board trilons changed to a 9-panel screen, as well as the endgame board. And also, when a category was picked, the entire category was played from -$50 to -$250 in 5 questions. The "Debtonator" question was changed to an entire category and the values were doubled to -$100 to -$500. To make special effects for the explosion sound, the camera aiming at Wink would shake and he would act as if there was a realshake from an actual atomic bomb. You were also not required to say "You are..." before the answer. The endgame rules remained.

-Game show veteran, Wink Martindale hosted many shows in his career, including Trivial Pursuit, High Rollers, Headline Chasers, but more notably Tic Tac Dough
-Future GSN's Street Smarts host, Frank Nicotero was a contestant on this show
-Lifetime is notably the channel with the motto, "Television for Women." Although they also aired Supermarket Sweep and Shop 'til You Drop, those 2 shows futurely went to PAX. However, Debt got the ax because it was bringing in male viewers. Sadly, it never went anywhere else, so it was therefore cancelled
-The pose you see was Wink's intro pose, and he broke it when the door opened. This pose was shown in every intro. And also, his opening quote was, "Well, the country's in debt. You're probably in debt. But most important, these 3 players insert names have come to us with their real-life debt, and one of them may be lucky to get out of it by the end of the show."
-According to the Debt rulesheet at Loogslair, game show man and comedian, Ray Combs was found dead of his hospital suicide on the day Debt premiered

MY GRADE
I loved this game show a LOT! The only thing that scared me at first was the intro, where this lady was found at her desk in the middle of thousands of papers, and then a shake and a giant Wink would pick her up to help her get out of debt. Of course, that was computerized. I'm used to it now. But also, when this show got the ax thanks to Lifetime, I was again saying, "Bye bye, Wink." The show was awesome, except the savings bond were a bit low. Can't we raise the stakes some?

4.5 stars