A review of the premiere episode in the trade publication Billboard found it "quite satisfactory" in documenting how defense money was spent but "somewhat less successful" in reducing viewers' pain of paying taxes. The review commended use of a pie chart in conjunction with film that showed related military activity when each segment of the chart was discussed. Overall, the review said the episode was "much too talky", with some participants hesitant or uncertain while others were "just plain dull".
