| Host | |
| Jim Perry | |
| Announcer | |
| Dave Devall | |
| Broadcast | |
 | |
| Packager | |
| Glen-Warren Productions | |
"Hunt for the (insert category) behind these headlines. (insert headlines) If you said (insert answer), you're right, and have joined HEADLINE HUNTERS! And now let's join/here's the host of our show, JIM PERRY!"
Headline Hunters was the game of guessing events based on headlines.
Gameplay[]
The object of the game was for contestants to identify a person, place, thing, or event from clues given in the form of headlines, a format inspired in part by CBC Television's Front Page Challenge. Three players competed on each episode and their job was to score as many points as possible.
Host Perry would begin the game by giving the players a category in which the subject fell. Once he did so and gave the starting point value for the subject, Devall would begin reading the headlines one at a time. Four subjects were played in each round, with a total of five headlines for each. For each headline revealed, the point value would be reduced. As the round progressed, the points increased accordingly.
Players could ring in at anytime, and if a player correctly identified the subject he/she earned the amount of points in play. A wrong answer deducted those points (never below the zero mark, unlike in Jeopardy!) and the player was locked out for the remainder of the subject.
Only one player could answer on each headline. When another player buzzed in immediately, they had to wait for the next headline before answering.
In the third round, a special guest subject was featured. The special guest was always the third/forth subject of the round and gave their own headlines instead of the announcer. In order to receive credit for a correct answer the players could either identify the person in question or something associated with him/her. After the special guest or his/her claim to fame was identified, Perry would bring him/her out for a brief interview.
There was no limit on how many rounds could be played, as the game was played to time.
Point Values[]
| Headlines | Identity #1 | Identity #2 | Identity #3 | Identity #4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headline #1 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 |
| Headline #2 | 50 | 100 | 200 | 300 |
| Headline #3 | 40 | 50 | 100 | 200 |
| Headline #4 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 100 |
| Headline #5 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
Hidden Headline Word[]
There was one word in one of the answers that was chosen by the producers as the night’s hidden headline word. The first player to guess the identity featuring that word won a bonus prize, theirs to keep regardless of the game's outcome.
Deadline[]
After the time-up buzzer sounded, the Deadline was played. One final subject and set of headlines were played, starting at 500 points and decreasing by 100 for each headline revealed until either all five headlines were revealed or someone identified the subject.
The player in the lead at the end of the Deadline won a prize, became the champion, and advanced to the Rapid Round for bonus cash.
Rapid Round[]
In the Rapid Round, the champion was given 60 seconds to identify as many subjects as possible from a set of "Quickie Headlines", with one headline given for each subject. The champion could pass if he/she could not identify the subject, and there was no limit as to how many subjects could be played. $10 was given for each correctly identified subject.
Grand Tournament[]
At the end of each season, the nine highest scorers of that season would compete against each other in a tournament-style format. Three semi-final matches were played, and the winners would then compete in a "Night of Champions", where the winner would take home a grand prize package that consisted of prizes such as a trip, a car, a boat, a room of furniture, or even some cash.
Quickie Headline[]
At the end of each episode, Perry asked a "Quickie Headline" to the home audience, for which the answer appeared during the end credits.
External links[]
A 1978 "Night of Champions" Episode of Headline Hunters, without opening or full closing, shown on veoh
A 1979 regular season episode, without opening, shown on veoh
1981 Opening