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Sunday Puzzle: Popular TV shows

NPR

On-air challenge

I'm going to read some sentences. Each sentence conceals the name of a popular TV series past or present. (Ex. Down South, parking meters still line many streets.  -->  "South Park")

1. James loved his mother-in-law and ordered a dozen roses for her birthday.

2. The camp counselor counted twenty-six feet underneath the dining table.

3. For pioneers in the West, wing-footed deer were a highly prized source of meat.

4. The mountain whippoorwill and graceful egret are two of the aviary's most popular birds.

5. The brigadier general was tonight courtmartialed on the Army base.

6. If you'll get on the bandwagon, training will start next week.

7. At the bookstore, I bought a witch-doctor whodunit.

8. The desert nomad mentioned something about a herd of camels.

9. In 1930, rockets were first being designed to fly to the moon.

10.The thieves aim to target smartphones in a California warehouse.

Last week's challenge

Last week's challenge came from Donn DiMichele, of Redlands, Calif. Name a famous current American singer. Replace the last name with a colloquial term for a person from the place where this singer was born and raised. Say the result out loud. Phonetically, you'll get a form of singing the singer doesn't usually do. Who is the singer and what is the kind of singing?

Challenge answer

Carrie Underwood --> karaoke

Winner

Scott Anderson of Beloit, Wisconsin.

This week's challenge

This week's challenge comes from Andrew Chaikin, of San Francisco. Name a popular automobile import -- make + model. Add the letter V and anagram the result. You'll name a popular ethnic food. What names are these?

If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it below by Thursday, November 6 at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle.

Copyright 2025 NPR

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).