Two couples competed. Host Martindale showed the couples a headline, which contained missing letters (e.g., S--C- M-R--- CR--H-S; BU--RS P---C). The first couple to correctly identify the headline (STOCK MARKET CRASHES; BUYERS IN PANIC) won cash ($100 to $500, depending on how much of the headline had been revealed) and could earn more cash by answering two questions related to the headline. On occassion, headlines from magazine articles and distorted film/video clips from historic news events were also the basis for questions. Two rounds were played, with the second round headlines worth $200 to $1,000. The highest scoring couple after two rounds played a bonus round, where they were shown one more headline. If they could identify the headline without any additional help, they won a $5,000 bonus; otherwise, up to four additional clues could be purchased at $1,000 each.
