* 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"); Columbia [=TriStar=] Television, which succeeded Merv Griffin Enterprises as production company in 1994, sued Disney over it, forcing the change in format for season 2.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: It hasn't been rerun since it ended in 1998.
* ScrewedByTheLawyers: The reason for the format change in Season 2, detailed in FollowTheLeader above. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Fans preferred the second format to the first]].
* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Despite pulling in respectable numbers, ''Debt'' was cancelled after two seasons. The reason? The show was skewing too heavily toward the male demographic for a network with the tagline "Television for Women".
* 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 an interesting matchup.)
----