Blackout

Host: Bob Goen
Announcer: Jay Stewart

Premise: Players censor each other's "Pyramid" descriptions of words to fill in horrible puns (Now if you thought "Whew!'s puns were bad, well, you've got something coming...).

In the first round, the champion and his or her partner are given the task of communicating the word to his or her partner, who is sequestered. The challenger may "blackout" 7 seconds of the playback, plus an additional second each time a key word is repeated in the description. If the celebrity partner can still guess, the word is added to a list, and the team can try to solve the pun, by reading the entire statement, word for word. If the partner cannot guess, the challenger's celebrity partner may guess the word, after hearing the original description and the edited playback. Two wins equals a match, and sends the team to the clue screen. Here's an example of one puzzle:
Why did the LAWYER appear NAKED in COURT? He left his BRIEFS at home. That's how bad were talking here.

Bonus Game: The Clue Screen. A great idea for a bonus game. One player sees clues to an identity appear on the screen once every two seconds. When the watcher thinks enough info is provided for the partner to guess, he or she says "Solve it!" and the partner then tries. Each puzzle is worth $200, and six in 1:10 is worth $10,000.

Home Play: Find a tape recorder with erase during playback mode, as well as headphones, and I suppose you could use Body Language type puzzles. The best way to play is for someone to write seven clue words, and the opposing player erases two. Play as usual.
Travis' Review: Mediocre idea, at best. Jay can do better! Clue Screen is good, though.

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