ABC’s Anniversary Edition of “Millionaire” Uses Syndicated Lifelines, Clock, and Fastest Finger
Do you ever watch the syndicated version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, which is only a half hour long, and really wish there was a full hour of it with the same exact rules? You’re in luck! We found out, from ABC’s press material, that the network 10 year anniversary edition of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, hosted by Regis Philbin, is basically the syndicated edition, rule for rule, mixed in with the Fastest Finger competition. Coming to primetime are the original lifelines Ask the Audience and Phone a Friend along with newly added Double Dip and Ask the Expert, both of which come from the former series Super Millionaire (albeit Ask the Expert then was Three Wise Men). Also, to answer the question I was asked most, the clock will be added to each question in this two week primetime revival starting on August 9th. The only new change will be the addition of a single question for a special celebrity guest at the end of each episode. If the celebrity gets it, they get some money for charity.
For the record, I really like the changes Millionaire added this season. I like them a lot; they ended up being far better than I expected, especially the clock. But I just expecting something a bit different in primetime than what is essentially an hour long edition of the syndicated version of Millionaire. Millionaire is still my favorite game show and any version of it I can get on the air (within reason) the better. I figured the clock would carry over, but I didn’t expect both of the new lifelines to follow also. There are more positives than negatives by far. I think Double Dip is far better and more exciting of a lifeline than 50:50, which it replaced this year. The clock adds some of energy and pressure. I imagine it has to save a lot of money (and an ungodly amount of frustration) by cutting down the potential studio time. Ask the Expert is also a great lifeline if you get someone other than Entertainment Weekly writers/editors answering chemistry questions.
But again, any Millionaire is extremely welcomed on television. I’m really glad to see it back and I wish it would stay longer than the two week thing starting August 9th at 8:00PM ET on ABC. I’m just a bit shocked that they transplanted every item from daytime Millionaire to primetime. ABC could have easily done another show like National Bingo Night or Set For Life, but instead we get the always-extremely high quality Who Wants to be a Millionaire to cap off the summer. Television game show wise, it doesn’t get a lot better than that.
Thanks to reader/commenter Matthew for the tip.
Have there been any notes about the clock times? Are they the same?
I’m disappointed the clock is back, but hey, it’s Millionaire. We’ll see how it goes.
As long as we get to play-along “live”, I’ll be happy.
As I’ve seen people jump to answers because of the clock or walk away from questions because they don’t have enough time, I just don’t like the show with the clock as much as I liked it without it. I feel like it takes away too much of the focus from the questions. And I’m not sure that I’d call the Double Dip more exciting – I only think it’s exciting when people use it, but many contestants have chosen not to take the risk of answering twice. I did like watchng the 50:50 back in the day to see if the contestant’s thought remained after the computer – I thought that was quite funny! Maybe they could bring back the 50:50 to allow for the 50:50/Double Dip combo…
I have enjoyed the middle-level question writing this season, and the Ask the Expert lifeline has been more useful that I expected, so that’s still a winner. Top-tier still seems to be quite difficult,but that’s not newI just hope they can keep Meredith!
WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY TREE? Nothing higher than $1 Million?
I don’t mind the clock on the show, now that I know a trick with the Double Dip: When you activate the Double Dip, the clock stops. So, you could just use the Double Dip to give you some extra time, but beware: two wrong answers and it’s the consolation prize for you.
I also like the Fastest Finger, not only are there more chances for contestants to be on the show, but I predict smarter contestants and higher winnings.
Have a nice day and God Bless!
I don’t get the clock-haters, it’s the best thing to have happened to that show.. Hearing some asshat yammer on for 6 minutes about how his sister has visited China and she brought back a pagoda-shaped salt and pepper shaker set as a souvenir, and so my answer is B. Apricots, final answer (on the $2000 question) has always been obnoxious and a candidate for fast-fowarding. The quickfire of the questions on the syndicated show is a great improvement.
As for the Experts.. Please, no more people like Reneé Syler or stupid stupid Jim Cramer. They’re not EXPERTS, they’re TV PERSONALITIES. They had the right idea having people like Ogi, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and even Bill Nye — people who KNOW things — as actual experts. I hope they don’t lose sight of this for the primetime version. It’s OK to have an unknown scientist or Rhodes scholar that no one’s heard of as an expert — we don’t have to have some random A-lister up there just because they’re famous… I fear for the worst with the Regis verison on this..
The celebrity-at-the-end thing.. hah. Come on. It’s going to be a throwaway dumbed-down-for-celebrities easy question and will just be an unnecessary waste of time. Having this especially sucks for the people sitting there hoping to get another chance at the fastest-finger… if they cut off the game early to have the stupid celebrity crap at the end, that shortens the awaiting players’ chances. Enough with the celebrity crap! That’s what killed the original show in the first place, remember
I wonder if the show will be in HD. Love syndicated but tough to watch in standard definition. PLEASE BROADCAST IN HD for primetime!!!
Good to see Fastest Finger and the “Ring of Fire” return.
As far as the clock goes, I can understand why it’s being used, even though I’m not a fan of using it on the prime time edition. I’ll be curious if clock times will be increased for this version, as well as whether the clock will start AFTER Regis finishes reading the choices.
As far as the celebrity player goes – it’s possible the show may be throwing this out to see how it would play in Peoria. If reaction is negative, the concept could be scrapped. Could also be an excuse to get someone from “Slumdog Millionaire” to make an appearance.
For Ask the Expert, I hope the show gets in contact with every player who has won at least $1M on WWTBAM and ask them to serve the Expert role for at least one episode each. If these are 10th anniversary shows, this would be the perfect to honor the show’s history.
Do we know how long each episode will be? Shows like DWTS, Biggest Loser and American Idol love the two-hour format. Could we be seeing 90-minute or two-hour editions of WWTBAM?
I think I remember seeing that they said the shows would be an hour back when they first announced it.
I like the clock, but I would have preferred that they didn’t use it for the primetime edition just to keep the syndicated show and primetime show separate. In all actuality, though, the clock keeps the game moving at a great pace, and Matthew Strachan’s clock-infused musical score really adds a lot to the drama. My only real concern is that it won’t give Regis enough time to do what he does best- talk.
Really, though, I’m just happy to see Millionaire return to primetime with Regis. I’m really looking forward to August 9.
Well, I guess I’m not surprised, though I am a little discouraged that they’re keeping the clock. I feel they miss a lot of drama with the harder questions. Though I can’t deny how useful it’s been on those lower questions. Personally I’d like a compromise where the clock goes away in the final tier. I think that would make the best of both worlds.
I am however excited for the lifelines. I think that double dip is the perfect evolution of 50:50. Too many times it became to coincidental that the computer would leave the best two answers on the screen. This puts all the pressure back on the contestant, and no longer on the game’s integrity.
And I imagine with the primetime version, they could get some very good experts. Ogi? Ken Jennings? Are you listening? I hope they’ll actually fly the experts in to that “3 wise men” studio thing they used. I know the skype thing works great for syndication cause of cost, but for the prime time, lets put the experts in suits and put them in that “secluded bunker” that Regis always teased about.
As for the money tree, I hope its plussed a little bit. If they keep $1 Million as the top prize, I hope they at least go back to the original prime time tree of $32K, $64K, etc.
And this celebrity thing I think is interesting. I don’t know exactly what to make of it. It could be a fun little bonus, or remind us exactly why we stopped watching celebrity millionaire. I think it’ll depend on the celebrities, and just how long we give them.
I really do nor like the idea of the clock coming back because there has been no winner with it yet and the last time somebody won was almost six years ago now. I’m looking forward to the revival but I really hope they do something about that clock, maybe just extend the time limits or something.
lobster, I’m one of those clock-dislikers (I don’t think I hate it) but I also agree that the first few questions should be forwarded through. I say make the show a ten question affair and give them $1,000 guaranteed for making it in like they did that one week. That’s speed up play for sure!
Neville – That’s what ruined the UK version (along with that techno-yucky soundtrack).
The clock is a great addition to the game and definitely speeds up the game. However, the main concern I had with the clock was that a huge part of the game was missing and that was interacting and speaking with contestants. I don’t hate or even dislike the clock, but I simply missed the interaction factor during questions.
Also, does anyone know if they’ll continue the standard Ring of Fire format where ten contestants per episode or will they simply add a contestant when one is already in the hot seat?
James D, I like your suggestion to use all of the past $1,000,000 winners as experts, or at least the original nine who accomplished that feat with Regis in prime time, since these special shows in August are supposed to honor the anniversary of the 1999 ABC network debut of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.” The original nine millionaires have not yet been asked to be experts on the syndicated show, so it seems logical that the two syndicated millionaires would not be asked to be experts on the prime time show. If Kevin Smith and Nancy Christy crash the Regis party, then I hope we Regis veterans will get to crash any future Meredith parties. The current syndicated WWTBAM seems eager to pretend that the Regis era never existed, so it would be nice if the show would start acknowledging its roots and expressing some pride in its history. I must admit that it would be fun to see what’s new with Kevin Smith and whether he ever bought all new socks, as he said he planned to do. And Nancy Christy is a good friend and a fun person who has always been great on the show, whether as a contestant, an expert, or a “wise man.”
So those could be your 11 potential experts, if they choose to bring back the 11 proven contestants who actually accomplished the goal that gave the show its name. (Robert Essig is a special case — he also won a million, but stopped three questions short of the top prize.)
It’s fun to speculate and imagine what each of us would do if we were the producers. I’m excited about seeing Regis back where he belongs. I hope that most of the key elements of the original format will be restored, and that viewers will again catch the spirit and party like it’s 1999!
Good luck to Regis, the contestants, the producers, and everyone else who is making this happen.
I think the clock is largely unnecessary. While I don’t need an elaborate story, I do like hearing contestants give a brief explanation of how they happen to know some of the more arcane bits of trivia. And with a clock, we also wouldn’t have had those “Millionaire Moments” like the contestant agonizing over a music act and finally realizing “LUTHER CAMPBELL!”
(Maybe they just want to have episodes take a set amount of time to tape. Without a clock, taping just could go on and on.)
Assuming the 50/50 was truly random, it would still leave the most-likely wrong answer an average of one-third of the time, fueling cynicism that it wasn’t random. Some contestants got help, others didn’t, so the double-dip is a “choose your own 50/50” of sorts.
wow! I am stunned to see i am in the very small minority who like the clock..! Call me uncultured :) but I only watch the show for the trivia question / game play aspect of it, I really don’t care about the contestants’ long-winded reasoning as to how they came up with an answer.. it’s often uninteresting and a huge waste of (valuable primetime) air time..
And as for Sam’s contention that the clock somehow has something to do with the lack of a $1m winner in six years, I find that to be a ridiculous argument .. show me a time where someone who really knew their stuff was simply snuffed out by the clock rather than because they’ve exhausted their lifelines and didn’t know the answer to their last question? Didn’t happen. If you can’t reason an answer to a question in 45 seconds, you don’t know the answer :p .. If you take out all the banter during Carpenter’s run, I bet he didn’t spend more than 30 seconds deliberating on each question.
The clock is awesome. :D
I’m with the camp that likes the clock. It keeps things moving a long and creates a good amount of natural tension to the show. The never-ending (even when edited) ramblings and back-and-forth babbling about an answer began to get on my nerves, so I like adding the time limit. If it means fewer people willing to take the gamble at the million, so be it.
It’s ironic that everyone who likes the clock says it speeds up the game and puts more focus on the actual game play instead of on pointless rambling, and yet the statistics show that there have actually been fewer questions per show this season than last season, by a significant margin. It is trending toward becoming more of a talk show than ever, but the talk is mostly about the contestants’ heartwarming personal stories and whatever project the Expert is promoting that day, not about the actual questions or game strategy.
I don’t have a strong opinion about the clock. I don’t think it would have hurt me when I was in the hot seat, but it means the show can no longer ask certain types of questions that require systematic thought and analysis, which is unfortunate. To those who complain about past contestants who rambled and babbled, blame the producers and the editors. They decide which parts make it on the air and which parts get cut out.
I noticed that tonight’s National Spelling Bee had a clock. Each contestant could take up to 2.5 minutes for each word in every round. That produced a heck of a lot more stalling and dead air than WWTBAM ever had, and it’s a live broadcast, so nothing gets edited out. It was scheduled to last for 2 hours, but ran over by about 15 minutes. As far as I know, viewers found the format compelling. The focus was on the words and the agony and triumph of trying to spell them. I don’t know why the same principles wouldn’t also apply to “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”
I have to say that I’m inbetween (sort of.) I like the syndicated version a lot, but it shouldn’t replace the primetime version. It would be like as if “Millionaire”’s on FOX. Now, this is only for a 2-week 10th Anniversary, but if this revival is due for a full revival by late fall/midseason, there’s got to be some revisions like:
Clock: The clock has some pros but more cons. Now the good side is the way that contestants are more nervous, the music is more dramatic & the “banked” time. The downside; it ruins the game. “Millionaire” is a reality/game/part-talk show & the clock also destroys that endless cliffhanger feeling on wating. Plus, the clock makes the game even more impossible to win. Now, should the clock be trashed entirely? No. Instead, turn it into a shot clock (like the Aussie Millionaire did.) Have it be a 90-second shot clock and not seen to the contestant until 30 seconds, where then a warning signal would be given. Sure this clock will only be given when it takes too long for an answer (keeping the talk show part in the game.)
Qualifications: The audition process is mediocrely ok. The only problem; you have to look good for the producers. The “Phone Game” was fantastic then and is now. How about putting them together. You can either do the audition (which can also help for the syndicated Millionaire) or a hybrid version of the “Phone Game”. This hybrid would combine the format of the game from the original primetime version & “Super Millionaire”. You dial the number and have five questions to get through with 10 seconds for each. Any wrong answer ended the came & call- no callbacks. The ones that got it correct selects a tape date and is put in a group of 400 people. The group that is selected from the pool then compete against each other for six slots. The other six would be contestants who auditioned for the game. Whichever way, the qualified will be put in a hotel at ABC’s expense.
Ring of Fire: The game is still immensely popular on GSN & syndication & many people would like to go on the primetime return. So, the ring should expand to twelve finalists. There would be four seats for each edge of the ring. And since there’s some video game geeks who say they’re faster due to how fast they press the buttons on the controlers, a filling of the gender gap: Six guys on one side; six women on the other. And, as mentioned above; there will be contestants in the mix with six contestants that auditioned for the game & six that did the “Phone Game” to go on.
Money Tree: Now, $1,000,000 is fantastic, but because of NBC & “Deal or No Deal”, million dollar games are becoming inflated. So, the money should grow. There are three board ideas:
For $5 Million:
•$5,000,000*
•$2,500,000
•$1,000,000
•$500,000
•$250,000
•$125,000*
•$64,000
•$32,000
•$25,000
•$16,000
•$8,000*
•$4,000
•$2,000
•$1,000
•$500
For $2.5 Million:
•$2,500,000*
•$1,000,000
•$750,000
•$500,000
•$250,000
•$125,000*
•$64,000
•$32,000
•$25,000
•$20,000
•$15,000*
•$10,000
•$7,500
•$5,000
•$2,500
And for $1 Million:
•$1,000,000*
•$750,000
•$500,000
•$250,000
•$200,000
•$125,000*
•$64,000
•$32,000
•$25,000
•$10,000
•$7,500*
•$5,000
•$2,500
•$1,000
•$500
Lifelines: Some new things. Original three lifelines (50/50;Ask the Audience;Phone-A-Friend) with some new adaptaions;
Phone-A-Friend would be responsored by AT&T & would also have the contestant’s five pre-selected friends & would also ahve name, place & picture.
Ask the Audience would be re-expanded by AOL and the AOL Instant Messenger, so everyone can play
Also, additional lifelines. When reaching the 1st safe haven, contestant gets Switch The Question (which will go down to two answers if 50/50 was used before.) When the contestant reaches the 2nd safe haven, the contestant will get Double Dip & Ask the Council (which the contestant asks the Millionaire Council the question and 60 seconds to get an answer by the entire council. There are 8 council members [4 are local NYC icons, 3 are game show champions,and 1 is a Myster Member]).
And, as for the $1,000,000 board, $250,000 will be a 3rd safe haven if someone loses $750,000. As for the first two boards, an idea (in consideration to the blogger that got the idea) called the “Progressive Jackpot” will be on the $500,000 mark and will add by $5000 every time refused. If won, the amount will be like a 3rd safe haven & The Jackpot additions will add to the board (ex.: $500,000+$115,000 Progressive Jackpot addition= $615,000 for contestant (no matter what)= $5,615,000/$3,115,000 to play for.
Miscellaneous: All graphics from the syndicated version carried over to primetime, including logo; a new Lifeline Bar will return; all camera shots from the original primetime version & “Super Millionaire”, plus with some new shots will be added to this revival; the screen above will be used regularly on this revival & the opening will be a revised version to the other opening used in the game’s history. Plus, “Enhanced TV” will expand to GSN.com!
Whew, that’s a mouthfull!!!
Here’s my question? Why is ABC bringing back primetime WWTBAM? ABC has the NBA, Desperate Housewives, Dancing with the Stars, Extreme Makeover, Does ABC want to overtake CBS or something and will ABC overexpose the show like it did in its first go around?
Here's a question (PLEASE RESPOND ASAP); are they going to use the new music, intro, and graphics from the U.K.?
If I had to guess, no.
If I had to guess, no. Probably the new syndicated stuff.
Sorry I'm late, but I really don;t like the clock. I believw when a person struggles with a question, it's compelling. We see the person underneath. With the clock, it feels like we barely know them. I don;t mind the return of the Fastest Finger, or the new lifelines, but the clock is where I have to draw the line. I understand it works in the syndicated show, but ever since its inclusion, I can;t watch the show without feeling like its original appeal is lost.
My dream Millionaire would use fastest finger. The money tree would look like this.
2,000,000
1,000,000
750,000
500,000
250,000
125,000*
64,000
32,000
16,000
8,000
4,000*
2,000
1,000
500
200
The lifelines would be: double dip, phone a friend, ask the audience. After the 4,000 save haven you will get ask the millionaires which would let you discuss the answer with 3 game show millionaires not necessarily from WWTBAM. After the second save haven you will be given 60 of google where you can search the web for the answer but will only have 1 minute. If you failed before the 5th question you are given 100. At the end of the show include a game for the contestants who failed to make it on the show called the ring of fire. In the ring of fire the chairs will disappear and 3 podiums will fold out from under the ground. The losers will be in an off stage booth in a line and the first two players will come out to play the first round. Regis will ask pose the pair with a fastest finger. Iif you think you know what answer is first ring in and say it for 1 point. A correct answer awards you the point but the point will be given away to your opponent for a wrong answer. If nobody rings in the pair will take turns picking until the correct answer is picked. After 3 answers top scorer wins $1,000xhow many wins a point and gets to face a new play (the next in the previously mentioned line). When the line is out the champion is given the chance to be in the next game for half there stash but are forced to give up the other half if they play in the hot seat and they also can not win the 100 consolation.