Headline Chasers

''If it was news and you know it, you'll win some heavy cash on "Headline Chasers"! And now, here's our 'Headliner'.....Wink Martindale!''

This show pits two couples against each other in a game of solving newspaper-type word puzzles called Altered Headlines to win money. The headlines are make-believe although based on real people and events.

Round 1
A newspaper page is revealed on a giant monitor. Its headline has several letters missing with a few left in there. This is classified as an Altered Headline. Then four clues are shown to the couples one by one, with more letters revealing after each. The first couple to buzz-in gets to solve the headline, and if they are correct, they win money; but if they are wrong the opposing couple gets to decide to either see more clues and letters or solve the headline immediately. A correct answer is worth $500 (minus $100 for every clue revealed).

After the headline is solved, the couples are then asked two questions (which are connected to the headline) posed by host Martindale. Each correct answer to each question is worth $100.

Three Altered Headlines are played in this round.

Round 2
In this round instead of headlines, the couples now face real-life and well-known magazines. Each one has a distorted face that the contestants must identify on the cover. Also distorted film clips of news makers are played with the couples trying to identify them by voice only. Again correct answers are worth $500 (minus $100 for every clue revealed. For this round only, the jackpot was frozen for the other team when the first team missed).

Two of each are played in this round.

Round 3
This round is played the same way as round one except that the altered headlines are now worth up to $1,000.

Only this time, the countdown went this way:

Bonus questions in this round are worth $200.

Four Altered Headlines are played in this round and after the 4th headline, one question is asked; then the couples write down how much they want to wager of their current totals, with the higher wagering couple getting the question first. After the question was asked, if the couple with highest wager gets it right they win the money that they wagered, but a wrong answer deducts the money they wagered; then the question passes to the opposing team who will then decide to play or pass the question (same rules apply if they play).

The couple with the most money won the game. Both teams kept their cash.

Headline Extra
The winning couple plays a bonus round called Headline Extra. To start, the couple chooses which subject to solve one last altered headline from. Then the headline was revealed and they have 5 seconds to think it over and then solve the headline; otherwise, if they are stumped they can ask to buy another clue. When they ask for clues they then get 7 seconds to solve the headline. A correct answer is worth $5,000 minus $1,000 for every clue they bought, while failure to solve the headline wins nothing.

The highest possible score is $23,600 and only possible if a couple answered every question correctly, doubled their score with the final question, then won the bonus.

Trivia
This was Wink Martindale's first ever game show he created and/or produced. He created the show by reading newspapers in his Malibu home. That's when he thought, "What a great idea for a game show." In order to host this show, however, he sadly had to leave Tic Tac Dough, his then-current and best-known hosting gig in favor of new host Jim Caldwell.

The original name for Headline Chasers was called "The Front Page".

Music
"Samba de la Noche" by Merv Griffin

Tagline
"Join us again next time for our next edition of Headline Chasers, where we'll meet two new couples and find out who knows more about the events, the places and the faces that made front page headlines. I'm Wink Martindale. Goodbye, everybody." - Wink Martindale (1985-1986)

Links
Rules for Headline Chasers

Screengrabs of Headline Chasers

Tammy Warner's Headline Chasers Page

Josh Rebich's Headline Chasers Rule Sheet