To Say the Least

Format

Two teams, one of men and one of women, each had one civilian player and two celebrities. The goal was to identify a subject using as few words as possible. One team member played while the other two were isolated.

Both onstage players saw a clue of six to ten words and the subject. They took turns removing one word at a time. Either player could challenge the opposing team's offstage players to guess, who then returned and saw the clue. If the clue was reduced to one word, the teammates of the player who removed the next-to-last word had to guess.

Dashes at each end of the clue indicated where remaining words appeared. A correct answer won the game; a miss gave the win to the other team. The first team to win two games won the match, earning the civilian $100 and a prize package.

All-Star Game

The winning contestant and all four celebrities played the All-Star Game for a cash jackpot. Each celebrity stood behind one of four numbered doors, assigned randomly. The contestant received a subject and clue, then eliminated all but three words.

The first celebrity saw the clue and guessed; a correct answer gave the contestant $100. The contestant and that celebrity removed another word, and the second celebrity guessed for an additional $200. Regardless of those results, the two celebrities and contestant removed one more word, and the remaining two celebrities guessed one at a time.

If either guessed correctly, the contestant won a jackpot starting at $2,000 and increasing by $1,000 each game it went unclaimed. Contestants stayed until they lost two matches or played seven All-Star Games. Winning four consecutive matches earned a new car.

Broadcast history

To Say the Least was Tom Kennedy's third NBC show to debut within a year. His first, 50 Grand Slam, was canceled after 13 weeks in December 1976 and replaced by a daytime Name That Tune, which was canceled in June 1977 after 26 weeks. The show aired at noon Pacific and initially did well against CBS' The Young and the Restless and ABC's The Better Sex. When The $20,000 Pyramid took ABC's noon slot in early 1978, ratings fell, and To Say the Least was canceled in April 1978, replaced by reruns of Sanford and Son.