Scrabble (game show) off their case" for "detective"). Viewers could win a "Scrabble" T-shirt by submitting a word and clue and having them selected for use in the show's opening title sequence. The first round of every game was the Crossword round, in which two contestants competed to guess words as they were laid out on a computer-generated Scrabble board. Originally, two new contestants played each Crossword, with the winner advancing to the Scrabble Sprint to face the reigning champion (see below). On September 29, 1986, as part of a broader format change, episodes were re-structured to include two Crosswords. The first Crossword
Edward R. McDonald letter tiles, featuring the entire alphabet. Each set of tiles are of different colours. At the beginning of the game, the tiles are positioned in the two rows nearest each player, similar to chess pieces. Consonants have various point values as indicated on the tiles, while vowels have no point values. The players form words by moving tiles. Consonants are removed when a word has been formed and the score recorded. Vowels remain in place for the duration of the game. Players score double the point value for the use of an opponent letter in forming a new word. The