The $40,000 Chain Reaction (USA, Ep. 52, charity bonus game)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Okay, we've got some time to spare. We're going to let one of my fellow net game hosts play a final chain for charity.

To qualify, you must host at least one game currently here at NGC.

Next host to respond gets to play.

You in?

[billmcdee]

Yes please.

[dougmorrisontheair]

(theme plays; audience applause)

Welcome back to Chain Reaction. Well, during the break, we took a power surge -- and we also found Bill McDee roaming the halls. So we decided to welcome him here and play a charity version of the final chain. Nice hand for Bill.

(audience cheers)

Bill, please tell us about the great projects you're working on.

[billmcdee]

Yes, roaming the halls, cast adrift!

Well I'm well into my current run of Split Decision, based a bit more off of the 1980s pilot than the one I hosted way back when.

I've also revived Scrabble and am also hosting in the early evening hours a re-tooled $ale of the Century with a few changes to add more interest and hopefully more excitement.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Yes, great to see $ale and Scrabble back -- and Split Decision's a fun game.

Please tell us about the charity you're playing for.

[billmcdee]

Today I am playing for the American Cancer Society.

Cancer has claimed the lives of a great many loved ones in my own life, and a very close and personal friend of mine lost his battle to cancer less than 3 short months ago after putting up one heck of a fight for so many years.

[dougmorrisontheair]

One of my relatives has been fighting the fight for months. And I just found out one of my favorite people in the business is fighting cancer.

So as we thinking of your friend and your friend's family, Bill, let's play this charity version of the final chain.

(audience applause)









(ding)

Now we bring out the money chain because we play this final chain a little differently, Bill. We're starting you off at $250. So you're already $250 to the good. Solve one link correctly and the money doubles to $500. Solve another for $1000 -- and so on. If you can solve all six links in the chain correctly, you'll win for ACS $16,000.

(audience cheers)

So, with that, now let's bring on your charity final chain.









(ding)

This final chain starts with JEFF BAXTER. And as you know, we just reveal the top link -- but we also spot you the first letter of each of the remaining links -- and we give you seven spare letters to use as needed.

Good luck, Bill, we're all rooting for.

Your next link for $500, below JEFF BAXTER, starts with S.

[billmcdee]

Skunk

[dougmorrisontheair]

SKUNK is right.









(ding; audience applause)

The great rock and roll guitarist Jeff Baxter is nicknamed "skunk".

You've got $500, Bill. Because of the power surge we took, we're not able to display your winnings in the bank. But $500 for sure. For $1000, under SKUNK, we've got another S.

[dougmorrisontheair]

(Bump for Bill)

[billmcdee]

Stink

[dougmorrisontheair]

Great guess -- but STINK is incorrect.

Here comes the first spare letter.









(ding)

S-M.

[billmcdee]

Smell

[dougmorrisontheair]

(cuckoo bird sfx)

Form of the word or words in the link. One chance to capitalize on that guess, Bill, without losing a letter.

[billmcdee]

Smelly

[dougmorrisontheair]

SMELLY -- that's what we need.









(ding; audience applause)

Skunks from the animal kingdom are known to be -- smelly.

$1000 now for ACS, Bill. For $2000, the next link starts with a C.

[billmcdee]

I know it won't be it but I have to go with what came to me first.


Crap.

[dougmorrisontheair]

(scattered laughter from crowd)

To S&P, he's referring to a dice game I host on another network.

(audience laughs and applauds)

Ya know -- main event from -- nevermind.

Bill, 'fraid this comic relief costs you another letter.









(ding)

C-A.

[dougmorrisontheair]

(Bump for Bill; because he's playing against the house in a charity version of the bonus round, deadlines are relaxed)

[billmcdee]

Cabbage

[dougmorrisontheair]

No -- it's not CABBAGE. That'll cost you another letter.









(ding)

And that happens to complete the link -- CAT. "Smelly Cat" is a song performed by Phoebe on the sitcom "Friends".

So, 'fraid you stay at $1000. $8000 is possible. Under CAT, there's a G.

[billmcdee]

GUT

[dougmorrisontheair]

Not GUT -- but a good guess though. Let's see if this spare letter helps.









(ding)

G-A.

[billmcdee]

GAMES

[dougmorrisontheair]

Ohh -- perhaps a tic-tac-toe reference you're going for. But that's not it. I bet ya this next letter will help.









(ding)

G-A-R.

[billmcdee]

Garfield!

[dougmorrisontheair]

My hunch was right. GARFIELD is right.









(ding; audience applause)

The fictional cat Garfield debuted in comic strips in 1978.

$2000 now in the bank. Lets see if you can nail this next link right off the bat, Bill. For $4000, it starts with a U.

[billmcdee]

University

[dougmorrisontheair]

YES! Very good, Bill.









(ding; audience applause)

Garfield University was located in my native Wichita, Kansas, in the 1880s. It's now known as Friends University.

$4000 in the bank. And three shots at doubling up to $8000.









Bill, before you make a guess, I'm going to make an executive decision.

For each spare letter you have left, we'll let you cash it in for $1000. (scattered cheers) So if you solve this last link right now, that's a $2000 bonus for the two spare letters you saved on top of the $4000 that would double to $8000.

Here's one chance at a total of $10,000 for the American Cancer Society -- if you can solve the link that starts with P.

[billmcdee]

Penn State