Fall TV: Lingo on GSN, a Popular Logic and Word Game

Five letter words can't be that difficult. It must be easy to spell them and to guess them. How many five letter words can possibly start with a K or with a Q? Not many?

GSN challenges this idea with their game show, Lingo. Teams of two players guess five letter words. They are given the starting letter and must guess the word from there.

The game show is not mean, though. The teams are given clues to know if the letters are correct or incorrect.

When a team guesses a word and the letters are not in the given word, the letter stays in a blue square. When the letter is in the word, but not in the correct place, it is lit up in a yellow ball. When the letter is in the correct place, it is in a red square.

A team has five tries to guess the word before it is thrown over to the other team who also gets a bonus letter.

Once a team correctly guesses a word, they are allowed to draw out two balls from a clear plastic bowl connected to the podium. There are numbers on the balls and then these numbers are darkened on a board full of numbers, similar to a bingo board. Some of the numbers have already been covered and the teams are trying to complete "a lingo."

There are also red balls, or stoppers. If a team gets one of these, they do not get to draw more lingo balls and the guess for the next word is thrown to the opposing team.

The winning team goes on to a bonus round. It is similar to the regular game play. This time they get a starting letter and one other letter in the word. They are to guess the word just like they did in the regular game.

When time is up, players are able to draw as many balls as words they guessed correctly. If the correct number is picked first in order to complete a lingo, the grand prize is won. If not, the players continue to draw as many balls as are allowed until a lingo is completed.

Any word game enthusiast will love this game show.

It is hosted by Chuck Woolery and co-hosted by Shandi Finnessy. The humor and jokes between the two are enough to keep those who are not word game enthusiasts watching. As for the general male population, Shandi can keep them tied to the screen.

Be sure to tune in to GSN at 6pm et/5pm ct Tuesdays through Saturdays to catch Lingo.