the champion had to solve in 45 seconds. The host read one clue at a time, whose answer had to be smushed onto either the beginning or ending of the given word. (For example, given the word "inbred" and the clue "Tom Sawyer's partner and star of his own Mark Twain book," the correct answer would be "Huckleberry Finbred," obtained by smushing "Huckleberry Finn" ahead of "inbred.") The champion could pass on a clue and return to it after playing through all five if time allowed, but a miss put the clue out of play. He/she won $8,000 for solving all five smushes before time ran out, or $1,000 per correct answer otherwise. Critical reception Noel Holston of Newsday gave the show a mostly-positive review. He praised the show for increasing the difficulty in later rounds, and for mixing pop culture and "broader knowledge". Although he was critical of the show's "low budget" visuals and payments to winners, and critical of Dergan's role in the show, he ultimately described it as "contagiously enjoyable if you're the sort who loves puns and wordplay." Writing for a Dallas Morning News article which was reprinted in The News Tribune, Kevin McDonough said that the show "has the casual feel of a game played during a long car ride or at a party." References External links 2001 American television series debuts 2000s American comedy game shows 2001 American television series endings USA Network original programming Television series by Embassy Row (production company) Television series by Sony Pictures Television