Before each show, two men go on blind dates with the same three women. All five then appear on the show together, where the men answer questions about their dates and about the women in a succession of rounds. Correct guesses score them "stuffed hearts", and whoever has the most hearts at the end of the game is crowned "Ultimate Stud".
Round One
On alternating turns, each man is shown three different statements from the women on a certain aspect about themselves. The man chooses one statement and guesses which of the three women said it; if correct, he wins a stuffed heart to place somewhere on his person and is then given another guess from the remaining two statements. If incorrect, he gets nothing and his turn ends.
Round Two
Prior to taping, the women were asked a series of questions about the men ; the men alternate guessing which man the women chose for each question; each correct guess scores another heart.
Final Round (Double or Nothing Dream Date)
Near the end, each man reveals which of the women they want togo out with again, and where he would like to take her on their "dream date", after which each woman reveals their choice; as an added twist, the women also have the option of choosing neither man. If one man's choice and the woman's choice match, they get to go on their "dream date", with all expenses paid. If both men match their choices, the one with more stuffed hearts wins the date; in the rare event that both men have the same number of hearts and both their choices match, they are both declared winners.
Special Episodes
The show occasionally featured variations on the normal theme:
In some episodes the genders were reversed, with two women dating the same three men; these episodes were alternatively titled "Studettes".
Some men who did not win on earlier episodes were brought back for another chance, while others who became audience favorites, regardless of prior outcome, were also brought back.
Although the show earned high ratings among younger viewers during its run, it was canceled to make room for The Chevy Chase Show, which lasted only five weeks.
Notable contestants
Ronald Goldman appeared as a contestant in 1992, two years before he was murdered in 1994.
British channel Sky One purchased Studs in 1992 and heavily promoted the show. However, Studs was unsuccessful in Britain; The Sunday Times reported Studs, along with Sky's other recent imports, Chances and E Street, "all did poorly with UK viewers". The show was also screened in New Zealand, late weeknights on TV2 in the early 1990s. In Australia, it aired on Network Ten.
International Version
An equally short-lived Spain version of the show title as :es:Contacto con tacto|Contacto con Tacto hosted by :es:Bertin Osbourne|Bertin Osbourne aired on :es:Telecinco|Telecinco from 1992 until 1994.
Merchandise
A board game was manufactured by TDC Games in 1992.
