The final Christmas special, broadcast on 24 December 1988, attracted 12.5 million viewers, but an eleventh series was not commissioned.

The overall objective of the game was to survive elimination through to part three of the show, and try to unravel a series of cryptic clues in order to win the star prize.

In the first series, the winners of the quiz would return the following week to compete again, while the other two couples would progress to part two, but from the second series, this changed to the worst-performing couple being eliminated, taking home the money they won in the quiz and a ceramic model of Dusty Bin.

After three acts, the couples would decide on which object they would like to reject in the hope that it was Dusty Bin, after hearing the first two rhymes again and then take part in the final elimination question.

Ted would then re-read one of the earlier two clues, before the couple chose their second item to reject before that prize was then revealed to them.

The clues became notorious for being almost impossibly difficult and obscure, having only a remote connection to the prizes, which contestants sometimes did not appear to grasp even after Ted had revealed it to them.

For example, a wishbone brought on by Sonny Hayes came with the clue "Take one that never changes, add a pub and a precious stone, bring them all up-to-date, and now, you're on your own.

The early series of the programme featured a regular cast of comedy performers including Chris Emmett, Mike Newman, Felix Bowness, Debbie Arnold and Duggie Brown.

Previous dance/hostess troupes who appeared include Lipstick (choreographed by hostess Libby Roberts) and the Gentle Secs.

Other hostesses who appeared on the show include: Mireille Allonville, Jenny Layland, Patsy Ann Scott, Annie St John, Karen Palmer, Gail Playfair, Tula, Alison Temple-Savage, Libby Roberts, Fiona Curzon, Karan David, Wei Wei Wong, Caroline Munro and Lynda Lee Lewis.

Acts who appeared included: Gloria Gaynor, George Roper, Ken Dodd, Charlie Williams, Bonnie Langford, Duncan Norvelle, Black Lace, Bernie Winters, Stutz Bear Cats, Kit and the Widow, Wall Street Crash, Kiki Dee, Michael Ball, 'Nasty Nigel' Lythgoe, Martin "The Beast" Francis, Tom Pepper, Fay Presto, Pete Price, Manhattan Transfer, Shane Richie, the Flaming Hamsters, Stan Boardman, Fascinating Aida, Showaddywaddy, Kajagoogoo, Frankie Howerd, Colm Wilkinson, Wilfrid Brambell from Steptoe and Son, Sinitta, Five Star, Indigo Lady, Cheryl Baker, Phil Cornwell, Jaki Graham, Nana Mouskouri, the Chuckle Brothers, Brian Conley, Roy Walker, the Drifters, John Sparkes, Wayne Sleep, Andrew O'Connor, Gareth Hunt, Peter Beckett, Syd Lawrence (with his orchestra), Humphrey Lyttelton, Frankie Vaughan, Jessica Martin, the Foxes, Mud, Keith Harris and Orville, Mick Miller, Diane Solomon, Tony Christie, Cover Girls, Lyn Paul, the Searchers, the Rockin' Berries, Stephanie Lawrence, Don Lusher (with his band), Madeline Bell, Georgie Fame, Wayne Dobson, the Real Thing, Rebecca Storm, Richard Digance, Anna Dawson, Marion Montgomery, Bill Maynard, the Krankies, Terry Scott, Carmel McSharry, Bob Carolgees, Diana Dors, Lionel Blair, Alvin Stardust, Phil Cool, Vince Eager, Mike Reid, Nicholas Parsons, Sheila Steafel, Danny La Rue, Les Dennis, The Wurzels, Joan Benham, Ken Colyer (with his jazzmen), Frazer Hines, Charlie Williams, Pan's People (as Dee Dee Wilde's Pan's People), Rita Webb, The Great Soprendo, Bernard Bresslaw, Charlie Drake, Aimi MacDonald, Mark Heap (the Two Marks), Vince Hill and Paul Da Vinci.

The other songs performed were Smile (Though, Your Heart is Breaking), Eye of the Tiger accompanied by sketches of Charlie Chaplin and a boxer.

The prize announcers were: Anthony Schaeffer (1984–1985) and later John Benson (1986–87), who had provided the famous voice-over for Sale of the Century.

The first Christmas show for 1978 (but broadcast in January 1979 due to industrial action at YTV) featured three celebrity partners, paired according to their fields of work, with Pat Coombs and Julian Orchard (comedy), Terry Wogan and Clodagh Rodgers (pop music), and Mick Channon and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint (sport).

The DJ Janice Long appeared as a contestant[2] on the very first episode with her then husband, Trevor, in July 1978 Ted Rogers would regularly make a lightning fast 3–2–1 hand gesture.

This became an important gimmick of the show – and a school playground favourite – mainly because it was quite difficult to do, and resulted in a rude hand gesture if performed incorrectly.

The original robotic Dusty Bin, and his Yorkshire Terrier dog Garbage, was put together by Ian Rowley, in his converted chapel workshop in Rodley, Leeds.

He used over 73 microprocessors, which was cutting edge 1980s remote control robotic technology in that day, at a cost around £10,000 to manufacture – which was a small fortune in those days – to control Dusty and Garbage, and in 151 shows, some of Dusty's & Garbage's antics included dressing up as a caveman and dinosaur, bullfighting as a matador and bull, dressing up as a baby, driving into the studio in a Ford Model T, juggling balls like a clown, playing the piano like Elton John, flying round the studio with a James Bond jetpack, escaping from chains like Harry Houdini, riding a bike, spraying Ted Rogers with paint and even driving a tank into the studio, to bomb the audience with confetti.

Also, as part of Comic Relief 2007, the BBC showed a short sketch based around The Proclaimers' 1988 song "I'm Gonna be (500 Miles)".

Directed by and starring Peter Kay, it featured Dusty Bin dancing with a gaggle of forgotten celebrities from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

A 2001 episode of ChuckleVision entitled "Let's Get Quizzical" features Ted Rogers as a downmarket game show host.

The host - played by Les Dennis - presents as the final clue a suitcase and the rhyme: "I pack my bags to go on one, and stay in a nice hotel, and see the sun shine through the palm trees; this a travel agent might sell."

When the character got past the force field, they entered a room that contained their ship and the lift that would take them off the planet.

However, the lift is unpowered so on some further exploration the character comes across another room in which, there are 3 switches and the clue reads – "3,2,1 – No Dusty, Bin Rules.".

The two time (Scottish) BAFTA award winning jester and pro-gamer, Brian “Limmy” Limond regularly analyses old episodes of the show on his Twitch stream.

Hosted by Dusty Bin (though, Rogers appears in series clips used for the game), it offers both questions from original broadcasts and current ones.

For instance, couples only won a brand new metal dustbin if the final clue revealed was "Dusty Bin".

Other less extravagant prizes have included: a sofa that turns into a pool table, gold nuggets, a share in a racehorse, a family set of folding bicycles, a year's supply of fish, and matching 'his and hers' sheepskin coats.