Debt is an American game show hosted by Wink Martindale which aired on Lifetime from June 3, 1996, to August 14, 1998. The show featured contestants who were trying to earn money to get out of debt. Personnel The game was conceived by Sarah Jane West. Its host was Wink Martindale, and Kurt Engstrom was featured as an assistant playing the role of a security guard. Julie Claire was the show's announcer. Gameplay Three new contestants competed per episode, each having accumulated several thousand dollars' worth of debt (usually between $6,000 and $10,000) for various reasons (school loans, paying for a wedding, credit card bills, etc.). For scoring purposes, their debts were averaged before the game began. Scores were shown in negative amounts to indicate their remaining debts. Round 1 (General Debt) In the first round, contestants faced a gameboard with five categories, each with five questions in negative dollar values ranging from −$50 to −$250, in increments of $50. The first choice of question went to the contestant who had the lowest debt before averaging. This contestant chose a category and value, then Martindale asked a "Who am I?" question that all contestants could answer. (Example: "I'm the name of the fictitious, mustachioed 'ranking officer' who hawks the Quaker Oats cereal Peanut Butter Crunch.") Contestants buzzed in to answer and were required to phrase their response as "You are..." to receive credit (although the contraction "You're" also was accepted). (The correct answer to the example is "You are Cap'n Crunch".) A correct answer deducted the question's value from the contestant's debt. A wrong answer, or failing to respond within an allotted time, increased the contestant's debt, and allowed the others to buzz in. The contestant answering correctly then chose the next question from the board. If no one answered correctly, the contestant who gave the last correct answer kept control. A "Debt-onator" was hidden behind one question, judged by the producers to be the most difficult one of the round. Regardless of the displayed value, it was played for −$500. The players were warned when the round entered its final two minutes. Once time ran out or all 25 questions had been asked, the two contestants with the lowest debt amounts moved on to the next round, while the contestant with the highest debt amount was eliminated and received a consolation prize of a $200 savings bond, along with