| Host | |
| Craig Ferguson | |
| Broadcast | |
  | |
| Packagers | |
| all3Media America/Studio Lambert | |
The Hustler was a short-lived mystery game show where five contestants working together answered questions to fill-up their own aim of growing and winning a collective prize pot.
Premise[]
Five contestants complete in a 10-question trivia contest. One of them is "The Hustler", a player who knows the answers to the trivia questions, as they are inspired by notable events in their lives.
Before a question is asked, a hint about the hustler is revealed, tying in to the question about to be asked. Then, the question is asked, and the team gets 60 seconds to work out the answer and come to a consensus. If the team's agreed-upon answer is correct, they put money in their bank. If the team is wrong, or they cannot come to a consensus on a response, the money is forfeited.
After three questions, all 5 players take a ballot and mark on it who they think should be eliminated. The host collects the votes and sends them off via a pneumatic tube delivery device. This "vote" is something of a ruse, however, as only the Hustler's vote actually counts, and the player the Hustler chooses is eliminated from play and leaves the stage. (Host Ferguson usually asks the eliminated player who they think the Hustler is at this point.) After the sixth question, the remaining four players again "vote" who should be eliminated, with the Hustler's choice being dropped from play. The remaining three players play the final four questions before the endgame determines the winner(s).
The first nine questions are worth $10,000 each, while the tenth question either doubles the bank (on a correct answer) or halves it (on a wrong answer or failure to agree on an answer). This makes for a possible maximum jackpot of $180,000.
After the 10 questions are asked, the remaining three players vote on who they think the Hustler is by displaying a tile with the names of both opponents (one on each side) flipped to the side with the name of who they think is the Hustler. Once these initial votes are made, the players get either 1 or 2 additional minutes (depending on the episode) to debate who the Hustler actually is and may change their vote(s) if desired. At the end of this debate time, there must be a majority vote (two players must agree). Once the final votes are locked in, the host has the Hustler reveal themselves by standing up; if the majority is right, they split the money, but if they're wrong, the Hustler wins all the money.