Chris Tarrant Speaks About US TV & Millionaire Live/Million Pound Drop News
It has been reported this week ITV will launch a one off celebrity special of Who Wants to be a Millionaire for Christmas. Unlike previous years, the £1 million pound quiz show will be broadcasted live for only the second time in their 12 year old run.
The original host, Chris Tarrant was speaking to the Metro newspaper on Tuesday who was also taking about the state of US television with Simon Cowell’s The X Factor launching in 2011. He went on to say “There is something ridiculous about the way Americans do shows. There seems to be a thousand people with clip boards shouting. It would drive me mad.” Tarrant was offered to host the US primetime version in 1999 but turned down the role, which was later accepted by Regis Philbin. He explained that “when it started, there was a huge international demand for it. I said no about the States. I said I don’t want my kids growing up in New York. There is no way I am going to work in America.’ He also went on to say, ‘I still like the good old Millionaire with ordinary contestants. It’s a simple format and that’s why it’s sold to 120 countries. In December, we are doing a big live special on ITV that will have a great Christmas buzz.’
Rumours have been circulating the show will be inviting TV chef James Martin and BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans to attempt to win £1 million for charity. This will be Evans’ second attempt on the show. He appeared with BBC broadcaster Terry Wogan for a Christmas special last year. Although they answered all twelve questions correctly in rehearsals, they only walked away with £1,000 in the main broadcast. Early TV listings are showing the live show will be shown at 9pm on Thursday 23rd December.
As mentioned earlier, this will be the second show of the worldwide quiz show that will be airing live. The first live special was to celebrate their 300th show in November 2002. The first live episode introduced the Switch the Question lifeline, which is now used in the revamped format. It is uncertain at this stage whether the celebrities will be facing the Big Bad Clock.
In other news, Channel 4′s Million Pound Drop will return for their Christmas run for four nights from Wednesday 15th to Saturday 18th December. Unlike the first two series, the show will be broadcasted live at the earlier time of 8pm for the first three shows. The Saturday show will be shown at 9.45pm. Some criticism has been claimed by viewers that the earlier timeslot faces stiff competition from the nations favourite soap operas, while the 8pm slot will possibly be shown on a live delay so any swearing is edited out.
The world needs more live game shows. More interactivity. There’s something fantastic about Davina announcing how home players are faring in the game as it’s happening.
I reckon I’ll tune into live millionaire, but I can’t help but feel the UK version is so stale now. While the US version reinvigorates itself, our version doesn’t like radical change at all, which is good, but can only last so long.
A lot of UK Christmas TV to be spoilt on. Between Millionaire and Million Pound Drop we’ve also got a Celebrity episode of Pointless, New Doctor Who, (I believe) and Only Connect special and a TV version of Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently!
Wow, that Tarrant bloke is just full of warm and fuzzy thoughts, isn’t he. What a prick.
For my fellow English, Irish and British folks, how would this radical change idea work for you all?:
Keep the FF game out (unless for selective reasons and/or ideas) for one. Next, change the tree (once again) to the 11-question tree format (the idea Australia had when they began.)
£1,000,000 + £20,000 (for every contestant that fails to win the million)
£500,000
£400,000
£250,000
£150,000
£50,000 (guaranteed sum/Risk)
£40,000
£30,000
£20,000
£10,000
£5,000 (guaranteed sum)
Yes, you are seeing this. For every contestant that fails to win £1,000,000 the top prize will be added by £20,000. Also, for lifelines, there is 50:50 (although, before the game, you can switch it out for Double Dip instead), Ask the Audience, and Phone a Friend is retired after 12 years for an updated lifeline: Ask a Friend (which keeps the current choices for Phone a Friend, but instead has all the contestants be contacted through Skype, video contact, or even backstage for that matter.) As for the Switch, you have the choice before the show to have it now or later. If later, you recieve the Switch at £50,000 and keep the amount as a safe haven. If NOW, you are considered to be playing the Risk format which gives you the Switch and takes away the second safe amount, giving you £5,000 if you miss.
The show should return as the limited 10-night run for this version. As for weekly? How about the UK joining the Hot Seat family? Its possible. Six contestants, a single FF round to prove the contestant up first to play and the order of the players, same time limits as all others (just fit in with the tree), same rules as all others, and the same 11-question tree format with different amounts:
£1,000,000 (top prize)
£400,000
£300,000
£200,000
£100,000
£50,000
£25,000
£20,000
£15,000
£10,000
£5,000 (guaranteed sum)
As for lifelines, however, split it into two separate categories: Sole Lifelines (lifeline that each person is received, which is Pass.) and Team Lifelines (lifelines that are given for all team members to use but is revoked for all other players when the contestant uses it. Those lifelines will be Trust the Audience, similar to 1v.100′s Trust the Mob, and the US lifeline Jump the Question, which will void a player’s pass when used.)
How’s that?
Nice idea you have there, Jordan, although I’d prefer no safety nets at the beginning of the show, like the original format would (even though the American version isn’t doing that anymore). And not to sound like the grammar police or anything, but British is essentially another term used for English people, so when you say British, you’re including the English along with the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish people. ;)
I like this idea, might just freshen up the stale format and give ITV back it’s gameshow jewel.
Thanks. Yet, I have another idea for the 10-a-night idea version.
Lifelines are changed again with all three being replaced. A new one from the US version Jump the Question. This will allow the contestant to either jump over an amount from the question or jump into another round. Ask a Friend still updates Phone a Friend and also after 12 years, Ask the Audience is also retired and is instead updated with Ask a Member (A simpler name for Germany’s Ask One Out of the Audience) and will give an audience member an extra £1,000 in his/her pockets. As for the fourth lifeline, this is where our US shuffling moves comes in. Four choices of lifelines: Double Dip, Ask the Enlightened (more on that in another post), Switch, and also a Bonus Jump lifeline. These choices are randomized and the lifeline is never shown until a contestant reaches the second round of the game.
As for the tree, have a new version of the tree format used in the Japanese version of Super Millionaire:
*£1,000,000
£500,000
£400,000
£200,000
£100,000
Round 2 (two possible answers format. the last question will randomize on whether to be able to walk away or not)
£50,000
£40,000
£30,000
£20,000
£10,000
Round 1 (four possible answers format)
£5,000 is given as a fall back for the first five but the decision is never permanent. As for the second tier, it can be the same amount, it could be any of the five amounts in Round 1, or it can be £0. It is never exactly known since the fate is the same as the first Round.
Thanks. Yet, I have another idea for the 10-a-night idea version.
Lifelines are changed again with all three being replaced. A new one from the US version Jump the Question. This will allow the contestant to either jump over an amount from the question or jump into another round. Ask a Friend still updates Phone a Friend and also after 12 years, Ask the Audience is also retired and is instead updated with Ask a Member (A simpler name for Germany’s Ask One Out of the Audience) and will give an audience member an extra £1,000 in his/her pockets. As for the fourth lifeline, this is where our US shuffling moves comes in. Four choices of lifelines: Double Dip, Ask the Enlightened (more on that in another post), Switch, and also a Bonus Jump lifeline. These choices are randomized and the lifeline is never shown until a contestant reaches the second round of the game.
As for the tree, have a new version of the tree format used in the Japanese version of Super Millionaire:
*£1,000,000
£500,000
£400,000
£200,000
£100,000
Round 2 (two possible answers format. the last question will randomize on whether to be able to walk away or not)
£50,000
£40,000
£30,000
£20,000
£10,000
Round 1 (four possible answers format)
£5,000 is given as a fall back for the first five but the decision is never permanent. As for the second tier, it can be the same amount, it could be any of the five amounts in Round 1, or it can be £0. It is never exactly known since the fate is the same as the first Round.
And also I like this idea of a new intro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjeV2sf49fc&translated=1
NOTE: everything mentioned before remains the same.