The $40,000 Chain Reaction (USA, Episode 13)

[koopakid17]

Take below Mario.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Champ's going to go with the other unsolved link...









(ding)

...which starts with L.

[koopakid17]

Luigi.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Great guess -- but it's not LUIGI. James, back to you.

[Deleted]

Let's add another to the L shall we?

[Deleted]

and I'll take it!

[dougmorrisontheair]

James is taking the next letter below MARIO...









(ding)

...L-O.

[Deleted]

Lopez

[dougmorrisontheair]

That's it. LOPEZ.









(ding; audience applause)

And with that, we have a tie ballgame.


jman8606
koopakid17


$3750 for James and $3750 for Kevin. The unsolved link starting with T is the only one left -- and it's now worth $1500 total -- $750 for the right answer and the other $750 for completion of the chain.

The player who completes this chain will exceed the goal of $5000 -- and go on to play for a possible $40,000.

James -- it's up to you. Are you giving or taking the next letter?

[Deleted]

Take it!

[dougmorrisontheair]

With enthusiasm, James takes, for the game...










(ding)

...T-O.

[Deleted]

Tonight!

[dougmorrisontheair]

If it's TONIGHT, we have a new champion.



















































(dings; audience applause; win music plays)

We have a new champion.

Congratulations, James. You'll play for up to $40,000 shortly. First, let's recap this chain.









Turns out we started the chain with some music and ended it with some music.

A hit song by the group America is entitled "You Can Do Magic". A brand name of air freshener is Magic Mushroom. See, and you thought we were going for a stoner reference or something.

(scattered laughter from the crowd)

Anyhoo, a mushroom gives Mario extra strength in the Super Mario Bros. games. Actor Mario Lopez is also an anchor of the entertainment news program "Extra". "Lopez Tonight" was a talk show hosted by George Lopez. And "Tonight" is the title of a hit song by Def Leppard

That's the chain. Kevin, 'fraid we have to say farewell. But we say farewell with a nice piece of change. You picked up $1000 from the money link. Monies you racked up today join your prior winnings for a nice check worth $13,400.

Nice hand for Kevin.

(audience cheers)

(board rotates as part of the theme plays)

James, again, our congratulations. $5250 already and a chance to win more. It all starts with our Missing Link game. Since it's your first time, I'll explain how it works. For winning the game, we give you four pennies.







(ding)

In a moment, I'll spot you the top and bottom links of this three-link chain -- and the first letter of the missing link, which will be in the middle.

Correctly solve with just that first letter -- and all four pennies go to the final round with you. But for each additional letter you need, it costs you a penny.

The pennies you save can later be converted into tens of thousands of dollars.

If you're set, here comes the Missing Link game for today.







(ding)

It starts with ENCYCLOPEDIA and ends with BAG. The link in the middle starts with B. To save all four pennies and try to turn them into $40,000, what's that missing link?

[Deleted]

Brittanica?

[dougmorrisontheair]

Not BRITTANICA. That'll cost you a penny.







(ding)

B-R.  And I just realized something fellers.  "Encyclopedia" is spelled wrong.

(inaudible dialog from the judge)

That's a good point, too.

James, we're about to do you a major favor.  First, for those playing, dare I say, the home game, we were going for BROWN.

We should note BAG was a last minute replacement for UPS -- because we didn't want "U-P-S", initials for United Parcel Service, to be confused with "ups" (rhyming with "cups"). 

In the shuffle, we inadvertently left out the O in the top link.  In addition, the judge says "book" could've been just as good an opening guess as "Brown".

Encyclopedia Brown's the name of a fictional character -- and brown's associated with UPS. 

So -- we're canceling Missing Link, giving you back the penny -- and you'll try to convert four cents into $40,000.  (audience cheers)  Sound good to you, James?

[Deleted]

Sounds good to me! But I knew what you were talking about!

[dougmorrisontheair]

Helping us wipe the eggs off of our faces isn't necessary -- (scattered laughter) -- but thank you.

James has four pennies in the bank. See if he can complete the $40,000 chain reaction -- after a few folks get a tongue lashing.

(scattered laughter from the crowd)

(theme plays; audience cheers)

[dougmorrisontheair]

(Doug in pre-recorded audio as theme plays)

If you'd like to be a contestant on The $40,000 Chain Reaction, call toll free 1-800-555-40CR. That's 1-800-555-4027.

(audience applauds)

James Greek's our new champion and has a shot at $40,000. James, to win that money, all you have to do is successfully complete the final chain.

On the final chain, we only spot you the top link...









(ding)

...which is QANTAS. You'll notice we also spotted you the initial letter of the remaining links. We also gave you seven spare letters to use as necessary.

Each time you give me a wrong guess, it costs you a spare letter. But for each right answer you give me, your money multiplies by ten.










(ding)

And there you see how that loot can build up in the money chain. Go six-for-six the rest of the chain and you pocket $40,000.

(audience cheers)

Remember, James, it is crucial to go six-for-six. If you spend a spare letter on what ends up being the last letter in the link, we can't credit you with a correct answer. Also, if you have no letters left and you give a wrong guess, the final round ends right there and then.









(ding)

Your final chain's back in view, James. Best of luck. Under QANTAS, your next link starts with K.

[Deleted]

Kangaroo?

[dougmorrisontheair]

Oooooh -- great guess. Kangaroo's in their corporate symbol. But that doesn't fit the chain. Here comes a spare letter.









(ding)

K-O.

[Deleted]

Koala?

[dougmorrisontheair]

If it's not one, it's the other. And KOALA is right.









(ding; audience applause)

Qantas is an Australian airline -- famous for using a koala in its advertising.

Okay, James, 40 cents in the bank. Let's go for $4. Next link under KOALA starts with B.

[Deleted]

Why it should be bear!

[dougmorrisontheair]

(scattered cheers)

You convinced some folks in the crowd -- but it's not BEAR. (scattered groans) It'll cost you another letter.









(ding)

B-L.

[Deleted]

Blue?

[dougmorrisontheair]

Great guess. BLUE is right.









(ding; audience applause)

Koala Blue was a boutique co-owned by Olivia Newton-John. Now it's the name of a wine she has released -- and I think some of our Missing Link writers drank some of that wine.

(audience laughs; smattering of applause)

Four bucks in the bank, James. From here, each additional right answer adds another goose egg to the scoreboard. So let's go for $40. Under BLUE is an E.

[Deleted]

What I hsve blue eyes!

[dougmorrisontheair]

Good guess -- but the EYES don't have it here I'm afraid. There goes another letter.









(ding)

E-X.

[Deleted]

Example?

[dougmorrisontheair]

Not EXAMPLE. Here comes another letter.









(ding)

E-X-O.