The $40,000 Chain Reaction (USA; Episode 18)

[dougmorrisontheair]

(scattered groans)

Not SHEET. Audience, please keep your answers to yourself. Bill, your turn to give or take the next letter.

[billmcdee]

I think I have it.  I will take the next letter for myself Doug, but unless I'm mistaken, you can't give me the next letter.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Let's see if the champ's hunch is right.









(ding)

It is. Bill, that star represents the last of a five-letter word. Indeed, we can't give it to you. You'll have to come up with that letter yourself and tell me that word.

[billmcdee]

SHEEN

[dougmorrisontheair]

You've completed another chain.









(ding; audience applause)

Great run by Bill. Let's recap this chain.

Thorne Smith is the author of the Topper series of books. An altogether different Topper was a character played by Charlie Sheen in the two "Hot Shots" movies. We all know about Charlie Sheen and -- duh -- winning. (scattered laughter from the crowd) If you win two or more games consecutively, you're on a winning streak; "Winning Streak", as a few of you might recall, was another Bob Stewart project hosted by Bill Cullen. If you streak on a college campus, you're running around naked. And according to a classic crime drama, "There are eight million stories in the naked city."

That's the chain. Bill's leading Lenny $4000 to $500. Lenny, as long as you can keep him at bay, there's always a chance.

Find out who wins this game -- when you come back to The $40,000 Chain Reaction.

(theme plays; audience applause)

[dougmorrisontheair]

(parting gifts cue plays)

Doug: (in pre-recorded audio) Our contestants will receive some of the following.

From Quoizel Lighting, a choice of brass finish table lamps with bronze highlighting. Compliments contemporary and traditional setting. From Quoizel.

Pop-Ice -- a delicious freeze at home treat. Comes in assorted fruit flavors. Twelve bars per box. Treat your youngsters with refreshing Pop-Ice.

Diet Shasta. If you're tired of the same old diet cola, say, "I wanna pop! Diet Shasta!"

A free rental of the Rug Doctor. Steams carpets clean fast and easy. Available in most supermarkets. Rug Doctor -- steaming mad at dirt.

And a member of our studio audience will receive Sound Choice Party Pak Karaoke System. It has everything you need for great karaoke entertainment in one compact bag. Fun is in the bag -- with the Party Pak from Sound Choice.

And you'll have fun with our new video game version of Chain Reaction...

...for the Nintendo Switch. New words, new chains, same old me. (scattered laughter from the crowd) Anyhoo, each player will receive this. (tosses it toward stage right much like Dawson did with the FF home games from the original series)

(more laughter from the crowd)

After two rounds, Bill with a commanding $4000 to $500 lead. But, Lenny, if you can get control and get on a run, it's a whole new game. So, let's set up our next chain.









(ding)

Our third chain starts with THE CANADIAN and ends with QUOTIENT. Each link in the chain now worth $750; completing the chain scores another $750. $5000 wins the game.

Bill, do you give or take a letter below THE CANADIAN or above QUOTIENT?

[billmcdee]

I'll take a letter for myself above QUOTIENT please, Doug.

(BTW I was unable to fulfill your request over this weekend, had very limited time on the computer, but I haven't forgotten).

[dougmorrisontheair]

Bill starts this round by taking...









(ding)

...an I.

[billmcdee]

INTELLIGENCE

[dougmorrisontheair]

INTELLIGENCE is right.









(ding; audience applause)



redrangerdude
billmcdee


Well, Bill, you're at the doorstep of victory. Lenny, if it gets over here, you'll really have to turn on the after burners.

Bill, how do you play it?

[billmcdee]

I'll take a letter for myself above INTELLIGENCE please, Doug.

[dougmorrisontheair]

For the game, Bill takes...









(ding)

...an S.

[billmcdee]

SUPERIOR

[dougmorrisontheair]

If it's SUPERIOR, you've won another game.











































(buzz)

No. That's not it. Lenny, that buzzer represents the sound of opportunity knocking. Will you give or take a letter below THE CANADIAN or above INTELLIGENCE?

[redrangerdude]

I'll take a letter below The Canadian please.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Lenny launches the comeback by taking...









(ding)

...an O.

[redrangerdude]

Is it OATH?

[dougmorrisontheair]

Justin Trudeau sure had to take an oath, alright. But that's not it. Bill, another potential game-winning move.

[billmcdee]

For myself, a letter above INTELLIGENCE please, Doug.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Bill tries again to win it here with...









(ding)

...S-M.

[billmcdee]

SMART

[dougmorrisontheair]

If it's *SMART*, the game is yours.













































(dings; audience applause; win music plays)

It's SMARTS. It counts. That's the game.

Classing Chain Reaction ruling.  If we're thinking plural and you come up with the singular form, it counts.  Same can be said vice versa.

Dominating performance by the champ. Let's rundown the chain.









(ding)

The Canadian Open is a prestigious golf tournament.










(ding)

"Open sesame" is a quote attributed to Ali Baba.











(ding)

"Sesame Street" is the title of a long-running children's show. "Street Smarts" is the title of a game show that was hosted by Frank Nicotero. If you have a lot of smarts, you also have a lot of intelligence. And an IQ test measures your intelligence quotient.

That's the chain. Lenny, what can I tell ya? The champ over here's been on a rampage.

You did pick up $500 and some nice gifts. Don't forget, in addition to the new Chain Reaction video game, you're also taking home a Nintendo Switch system for your very own.

Please take that along with our great thanks for playing Chain Reaction -- *and* -- all this applause is yours.

(audience cheers)

(board rotates as part of the theme plays)

All right, Bill, so far in this show alone, you've won $7250 -- including the money link from earlier. Overall, you're about three grand shy of cracking the 100-grand barrier.

And you want more?!?!?

(scattered laughter from the crowd)

[billmcdee]

Yes, only because I need money to pay taxes on my current winnings.

[dougmorrisontheair]

(scattered laughter from the crowd)

To the victor go the spoils and the higher tax bracket. That's for sure.

Before you play the final chain, we play Missing Link.







(ding)

Three-link chain here. We'll spot Bill the top and bottom links and the initial letter in the middle; that's the missing link.

If Bill can solve this correctly, all four pennies we just spotted him go to the final chain -- which could be parlayed into $40,000. Each additional letter he needs costs him a penny.

Bill, if you're set, here we go.









(ding)

Bill, your Missing Link game starts with AIR FORCE and ends with METALLICA.

Link in the middle starts with an O. To save all the pennies, what's this missing link?

[billmcdee]

Is it ONE?

[dougmorrisontheair]

Takes one guess -- and ONE is right.








(ding; audience applause)

Sounds like that was a guess.

[billmcdee]

Half a guess anyway.  I know of Air Force One, and although I've heard of Metallica, I've not really listened to them, so not entirely sure how one pertains to them.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Half a guess is better than none.

Air Force One is the name of the U.S. President's plane. "One" is the title of a song by the band Metallica; the video for "One" includes scenes from the early 1970s movie "Johnny Got His Gun".

Bill got his pennies. Come back and see if he can complete the $40,000 chain reaction -- after this.

(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)

And we're back with Bill and another try at $40,000.

Bill, between this bonus round and the next episode, if everything works out right, you could win more than $120,000.  (scattered cheers)  All that's on top of the $97,000 and change you currently have.

If you manage to win out that way, what would you do with that kind of money?

[billmcdee]

Well with what I get after taxes, all would go toward my son's college expenses Doug.