History Trivia / Debt

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: The reason for the format change in Season 2, detailed in FollowTheLeader above. This is a case of Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad as fans preferred the second format to the first.

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: The reason for the format change in Season 2, detailed in FollowTheLeader above. This is a case of TropesAreNotBad as fans preferred the second format to the first.

* FollowTheLeader: General Debt in the first season was a clear {{Expy}} of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', down to Wink reminding how much time was left in the round (though Alex would routinely say "less than a minute" while Wink says "less than two minutes"); Merv Griffin sued Disney over it, forcing the change in format for season 2.

* FollowTheLeader: General Debt in the first season was a clear {{Expy}} of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', down to Wink reminding how much time was left in the round (though Alex would routinely say "less than a minute" while Wink says "less than two minutes"); Sony sued Disney over it, forcing the change in format for season 2.

* FollowTheLeader: General Debt in the first season was a clear {{Expy}} of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', down to Wink reminding how much time was left in the round (though Alex would routinely say "less than a minute" while Wink says "less than two minutes").
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: ''Debt'' hasn't been rerun since it ended in 1998.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Rumors floated around during the run about possibly moving it into syndication or even the broadcast network schedules (as it was produced by Creator/{{Disney}}[=/=]Creator/{{ABC}}'s syndication division, then known as Buena Vista TV; they also held half a stake in Lifetime, and still do, albeit now under A&E's auspices), with an increased prize budget (up to and including a grand prize of a contestant's entire ''mortgage'' being paid off). Outside of a few test reruns on local stations, nothing ever materialized. (Consider that one year after ''Debt'' got canned, ABC premiered the total opposite of this show, ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''; if ''Debt'' had gone on ABC, it would've been a interesting matchup.)

* FollowTheLeader: General Debt was a clear {{Expy}} of Series/{{Jeopardy}}, down to Wink reminding how much time was left in the round (though Alex would routinely say "less than a minute" while Wink says "less than two minutes").

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Wink Martindale was best known for his work on ''Series/{{Gambit}}'' in the 1970s and ''Series/TicTacDough'' in the 1980s.
** This was one of several games on which [[Series/FindersKeepers Larry Toffler]] competed as a contestant...'''after''' his hosting gig.
** Frank Nicotero (of ''Series/StreetSmarts'' fame) was a contestant on the show -- and he won!

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Rumors floated around during the run about possibly moving it into syndication or even the broadcast network schedules (as it was produced by Creator/{{Disney}}[=/=]Creator/{{ABC}}'s syndication division, then known as Buena Vista TV; they also held half a stake in Lifetime, and still do, albeit now under A&E's auspices), with an increased prize budget (up to and including a grand prize of a contestant's entire ''mortgage'' being paid off). Nothing ever materialized. (Consider that one year after ''Debt'' got canned, ABC premiered the total opposite of this show, ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''; if ''Debt'' had gone on ABC, it would've been a interesting matchup.)

** This was one of several games that [[Series/FindersKeepers Larry Toffler]] competed on as a contestant...'''after''' his hosting gig.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Hasn't been reran since it ended in 1998.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Rumors floated around during the run about possibly moving it into syndication or even the broadcast network schedules (as it was produced by Creator/{{Disney}}/Creator/{{ABC}}'s syndication division, then known as Buena Vista TV; they also held half a stake in Lifetime, and still do, albeit now under A&E's auspices), with an increased prize budget (up to and including a grand prize of someone's entire ''mortgage'' being paid off). Nothing ever materialized. (Consider that one year after this show got canned ABC premiered the total opposite of this show, ''WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''; if it had gone on ABC, it would've been a interesting matchup.)

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Rumors floated around during the run about possibly moving it into syndication or even the broadcast network schedules (as it was produced by Creator/{{Disney}}/Creator/{{ABC}}'s syndication division, then known as Buena Vista TV; they also held half a stake in Lifetime, and still do, albeit now under A&E's auspices), with an increased prize budget (up to and including a grand prize of someone's entire ''mortgage'' being paid off). Nothing ever materialized. (Consider that one year after this show got canned ABC premiered the total opposite of this show, WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire; if it had gone on ABC, it would've been a interesting matchup.)

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Rumors floated around during the run about possibly moving it into syndication or even the broadcast network schedules (as it was produced by Creator/{{Disney}}/Creator/{{ABC}}'s syndication division, then known as Buena Vista TV; they also held half a stake in Lifetime, and still do, albeit now under A&E's auspices), with an increased prize budget (up to and including a grand prize of someone's entire ''mortgage'' being paid off). Nothing ever materialized.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Rumors floated around during the run about possibly moving it into syndication or even the broadcast network schedules (as it was produced by Creator/{{Disney}}-Creator/{{ABC}}'s syndication division, then known as Buena Vista TV; they also held half a stake in Lifetime, and still do, albeit now under A&E's auspices), with an increased prize budget (up to and including a grand prize of someone's entire ''mortgage'' being paid off). Nothing ever materialized.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Rumors floated around during the run about possibly moving it into syndication or even the broadcast network schedules (as it was produced by Creator/{{Disney}}-Creator/{{ABC'}}s syndication division, then known as Buena Vista TV; they also held half a stake in Lifetime, and still do, albeit now under A&E's auspices), with an increased prize budget (up to and including a grand prize of someone's entire ''mortgage'' being paid off). Nothing ever materialized.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Rumors floated around during the run about possibly moving it into syndication or even the broadcast network schedules, with an increased prize budget (up to and including a grand prize of someone's entire ''mortgage'' being paid off). Nothing ever materialized.

----

** Wink Martindale was best known for his work on ''{{Gambit}}'' in the 1970s and ''TicTacDough'' in the 1980s.

** Frank Nicotero (of ''StreetSmarts'' fame) was a contestant on the show -- and he won!