Here We Go Again: ABC May Revive “Millionaire”
TVWeek is saying ABC is “seriously considering” a network primetime revival of the show that basically saved them and saved the genre, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? with host Regis Philbin. If it happens, it’ll be in August which will be nice since it’ll be right before the Fall 2009 season starts so it can get a good time slot and it’ll be the 10th anniversary of the show in America. Isn’t it staggering the show’s been on for ten years. I owe a ton to Millionaire; it’s the first game show I ever liked and it’s what got me started in the genre, so it holds a special place for me. Since I don’t know how much celebrating the syndicated version will do for this occasion, having the primetime version come back for a series of episodes, like how it originally started will be great.
And then we run into problems. I want this to happen unbelievably badly, but ABC doesn’t exactly give me a ton of faith in this department. I constantly hear things about Millionaire coming back, and it pops up in trade magazines or websites occasionally. Then it all becomes a huge joke as ABC decides that something like Set For Life or Dance Machine or National Bingo Night will send the country all a-twitter instead. I have been saying it for years: reasons behind ABC not reviving Millionaire to plug some holes instead of pumping out low rated material that had no chance of being popular, like season two of Duel, is flabbergasting. I want it to happen badly. It should happen both from a scheduling standpoint and from the fact that it’s going on a decade. But ABC hasn’t given me a ton of faith in it.
ABC does seem serious in looking at revivals now, though. Who would have ever thought The Mole would come back? I thought that was a lost cause. But they shocked many with it. It could happen. Especially with Regis behind it, who doesn’t seem to be bogged down with Password for a long time for a slew of reasons. And as TVWeek said, the economy is horrible right now. So many people are jobless. You see some of those people from the audition process on daytime Millionaire. If ABC brings back the phone game, you’ll see a lot more of those people. In daytime, people start crying when they win $8,000 or $16,000. It’ll be unbelievably great television in this tough time. Plus this isn’t during the writer’s strike where if the show was coming back (like rumored) it seemed like it would have been rushed. ABC has a long time to figure this out. The daytime version will be taping so it won’t be expensive or a bother to get a staff for it at all. As long as ABC does nothing as stupid as they did with Super Millionaire and air it at 10PM, it’ll be fine. I think it’s time for a Millionaire revival, ABC. Let’s see it.
This question is for you all. What becomes interesting is in what way will it be revived? Sticking with the daytime top prize of a million, or going a bit higher to like $2,000,000 or something? I’d almost say why not go with Super Millionaire but basically that entire show, save for the $10,000,000 top prize, carried over to daytime so there’s nothing new there. I really think it would be interesting to see it come back for a bit more than the daytime version, like $2,000,000; but follow the original rules of the show. It’s the 10th year on the air. It’ll be a fun nostalgia trip to play it how it was back then.
Hi Alex,
I completely agree with you that Millionaire should be brought back, whether it’s Super Millionaire or some other incarnation. Let’s face it– the show was POPULAR, and it could be again. Of course, we have to consider the viability of the daytime version of Millionaire should that happen. Everybody knows that when Millionaire first started in primetime, the questions were much easier. Nowadays, getting to $8K or $16K on daytime is quite an achievement.
The greatest objection to daytime Millionaire is how it selects its contestants. The audition process is subjective and much less populist. I think part of the reason what made primetime Millionaire was so fun to watch was (1) the phone game and (2) the Fastest Finger.
Playing the phone game was a lot of fun, and it imparted a belief in fairness– you didn’t need to be charming, good-looking, or eloquent– just knowledgeable. And you didn’t have to travel to NYC during the summer for a chance to audition. You could simply call from the comfort of your home.
The Fastest Finger round also was very populist, rewarding people with an appearance in the hotseat on merit (and not because of charm, looks, or eloquence). Having Regis try to make often introverted contestants look good was part of the fun of watching Millionaire and there was always genuine suspense as to what would happen.
Today’s daytime Millionaire robbed us of many of the features of what made primetime Millionaire so great. It would be great for ABC to bring back the phone game and the Fastest Finger. It made people feel they too could appear on the show and so we watchers identified with the contestants.
It’s too bad ABC doesn’t realize what a goldmine they’ve been sitting on all these years. In these financially difficult times, a primetime Millionaire will captivate and thrill.
Michael Davies has mentioned in the past that he would like to see any new version of primetime WWTBAM be “event television,” just like the early editions of the show — a new episode a day over a 1-2 week period, 2-4 times a year.
That’s how it should be done — do it a week or two in August. If successful, bring it back in November or December (after DWTS ends its run), and so on. Don’t just throw it on the schedule and hope it can hold its own against, say, “NCIS” for a couple of weeks. WWTBAM peaked early because of the decision to treat it like just another TV show. Same thing happened with DoND and Moment of Truth.
The show needs to be unique to its daytime counterpart, which means going back to the show’s roots. Phone-in qualifications, the Ring of Fire and Fastest Finger must return, along with flying in contestants, putting them up in a hotel, etc.. Daytime WWTBAM is fine for what it is, but leave what makes that show unique to Meredith (with the possible exception of the DD and ATE lifelines — I could see a primetime WWTBAM go the Super Millionaire route with the extra lifelines, particularly if we see a $10 million jackpot up for grabs).
I have a feeling one of the main reasons we’re hearing about a primetime revival is the success of the film “Slumdog Millionaire”. It won the Golden Globe for best film drama, and is the current favorite to take home Best Picture. Perhaps ABC, Buena Vista, 2waytraffic, etc., believe the critical and growing box office success of the film will equal a renewed interest in the show.
I think broadcast network TV is intellectually bankrupt. And with a recession in full gear, and everyone looking to save money, it’s no surprise that the broadcast networks are doing what they always do – look back and recycle.
“Millionaire” is a good show, but I think it’s already overrun. It kicks off the prime time schedule on GSN, runs on other places on their schedule, and also runs in syndication. Is “Millionaire” the only game that can entertain America? I hope not; it would tell me that, collectively, our taste has become bland and single-minded.
In saying that, “Millionaire” would be a better choice than “Duel”. I strongly disliked “Duel”, largely because the host was stiff and plastic. The host carries the show so the wrong choice is disastrous.
I don’t have much faith in the suits at the over-the-air networks. All they want is something that will guarantee that viewers tick up on the A.C. Nielsen people meters so they can bilk advertisers. It’s not a question of quality anymore…it’s pretty much only about numbers.
I’ve started watching DVD sets of shows from the 70′s like “Mary Tyler Moore”. No comparison.
I love the idea that Millionaire could come back. But I think they have to be careful on how they do it. Here are just some ideas.
1. Use the Super Millionaire amounts, and make the questions JUST slightly easier. As costly as it might be to pay someone a million dollars, WWTBAM is still a much less expensive show to produce than CSI or another hit tv show. They can afford to give us more big winners in a prime time format. Maybe not $10,000 but a 2.5 winner here and there would be great television.
2. Allow the format to be different than Daytime millionaire. Get rid of the time limits for the prime time version for example. You can keep their lifelines, but I would also bring back switch the question for the final tier. That would mean the contestant starts out with three (audience, phone, dip) and can earn additional ones as they go along (expert at 1000, and switch at the next level.
3. Bring back the fastest finger. The biggest complaint about the FF and the phone game was that it favored guys who were already used to playing video games and could push buttons faster. If thats the case, just stipulate that each ring of fire must have 5 guys and 5 girls. It should even up the gender gap a bit.
4. Keep the essentials of the set the same, but freshen it up. The new steps are nice. As is the video screen. But part of the thrill of the original was the set. Maybe rebuilding the set in a larger studio to hold a larger audience would be a good start. More lights, new camera angles would all help freshen up the look.
5. Give it a regular ONCE A WEEK time slot. I liked it as event programming, but I dont think it can hold up longer than few runs if its just a sweeps event. If its an event show, it’ll be big the first time. almost as big the second time, and just slowly go down and down. I think this show could work really well in the Sunday at 7:00 time slot and move AFV to Friday night. There it only runs against 60 minutes and occasional football. Given its family draw it could do very well there.
This is the greatest news I’ve heard in a long, long time. In my opinion, primetime Millionaire was the greatest television series of all time. It impacted so many people’s lives, and drastically changed the television landscape.
Bringing back Millionaire as an event on ABC is the best decision ABC could make. But Regis, the master, would have to be the host. PLEASE let this be a true rumor.
CBS reportedly has not officially cancelled Password. What does ABC do if Regis isn’t available?
You do know that Million Dollar Password isn’t live and it taped a very long time ago? Plus he signed a contract with ABC a bit ago so his future on Password, a CBS show, was in limbo anyway. He’ll be fine.
I am seriously crossing my fingers for this. I really want this to happen.
As for the format I hope they don’t use the daytime rules. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just everything has a rushed production value (and considering it’s a half-hour it’s understanbly so.)
I would like to see one of two things.
(1) They just used the original format and rules which is what made the show great in the first place.
or
(2) The opposite like bringing in new lifelines, rules, money tree, set, etc. sort of like what they did for Super Millionaire but better.
Oh man. (And that’s the good kind of “oh man.”)
I really like the idea of bringing Millionaire back to primetime…tough times aside, it makes for really good television. The only thing I’d do? Keep the current lifelines (I actually like Joe’s idea, #2 in his post), and bring back the old dollar amounts ($32K, $64K, $125K).
Great. ABC is righting one of the biggest wrongs they’ev ever done. The one thing that they shouldn’t do (and, again, I can’t stress this enough), overexpose it. Put it on one (maybe 2) night(s) a week.
I also agree with James D. (to an extent). You can air it as “event television”. If I was an ABC executive, I would air it on Monday & Tuesday Nights until Dancing With the Stars is ready, sort of like CBS should do with Million Dollar Password with either The Amazing Race or Survivor. And speaking of Million Dollar Password………
CBS didn’t officially cancel MDP, according to a CBS executive, they’re considering bringing it back during the summer (which is the same thing they said about Power of 10 last year, but, unlike Po10, this is believeable).
To Myke25: Regis can do both shows because, as A.D. said, Millionaire is live whereas Million Dollar Password isn’t. So it’s possible that he can do both.
I was talking contractually. Does MDP prevent him contractually from appearing on another network in prime time? I understand the laws of time and space and know the difference between live and recorded material. ;-)
At one point, Dick Clark appeared in three shows on three different networks…Bandstand on ABC, Bloopers on NBC and $25K Pyramid on CBS…and $100K Pyramid in syndication…but they never competed with each other in the same daypart.
Until CBS officially cancels Password, are Regis’ hands tied?
Dan,
I liked it, too…but I liked season one better.
Yes!!! I have predicted that it would come back pretty recently… I am really excited, especially with Regis back. I hope they change very little, in fact i hope they go back to the 50/50…
I would prefer it exactly like before, with the Fastest Finger, the $1 million cash prize, and the original 3 lifelines and nothing else. But either way it would be OK. As long as there is no clock. I don’t overly hate it in the daytime version but I defintely don’t want it in the nighttime one.
I would really love to see Millionaire back in Primetime! I think it would be a great asset to the ABC timeslot. However, two things they need to stray away from that pretty much killed it the last time: 1) NO CELEBRITIES! I mean you can have one every now and then, but it got to the point where that there were no REAL contestants. It was especially annoying because they would be able to get the answers from their panel up to $32,000..that means you had to sit and wait for them to finally be challenged. 2) It needs to be on once (maybe twice) a week. They were killing it by playing the show four times a week then having random specials. I mean Millionaire is a fun game but it can get annoying after a while if you are NOT a game show fan like we are.
Now with the format:
1. I think they should get rid of the clock for the primetime. I really hate the thing in the first place, but it would take away from what drew people into Millionaire in the first place…the drama of people answering questions for large sums of money.
2. I think they should bring back 50:50 (I never understood why they got rid of it) Then give the double dip at the final third of questions.
3. When I host Millionaire at this bar I have this thing called the Progressive Jackpot. Once you reach the second safe level you will play for the next dollar prize and the progressive jackpot..it increases by $5000 for each contestant that doesn’t take it. It works well because it makes it more suspensful for the contestants (although we are only playing for hundreds of dollars and not thousands) and it prevents people from just haphazardly taking the money at question number. In other words no “free guess” What do you think?
4. I really think that the 12-question format they have in the UK would be better. It really get straight into the “real” questions. I think that is what people want to see. The people who answer the first five usually aren’t that interested or too young to understand the show. The money tree (recently changed) below is the one I use for the game I play.
$2 MILLION
$750,000
$500,000
$250,00
$150,000*
$100,000
$50,000
$25,000
$10,000
$5,000*
$2,000
$1,000
Other than that…a few set changes that spruces it up and some better camera angles would be great. I am excited. It is almost like a blank slate for Millionaire. Let’s see where this goes?
Martin…I’m not really sure I understand the progressive jackpot. Is it available ONLY on The Big One? And you mentioned something about the “no free guess” (presumably on question #11).
And the more you bring it up, maybe the 12-question tree for primetime isn’t such a bad idea…
To KBGUY09: According to Wikipedia, Regis has not yet commited to Millionaire (he’s probably waiting on the fate of MDP). I do agree on the clock thing. Seeing as it is a hour long show (compared to a half hour on the daytime version), there’s no need for it.
To myke25: You have a good point. Dick Clark did do Bloopers, American Bandstand, and both versions of Pyramid, not to mention his annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, so who’s to say that Regis can’t do 3 shows (Live with Regis & Kelly, Million Dollar Password, & Millionaire)?
To Dan: I liked Duel too, but ABC messed that show up. It would’ve been successful if it was on Fox and with a better host (not to say that Mike Greenberg wasn’t a good host, but he just didn’t fit this show).
I forget where I read this, but I believe Regis signed a new contract to continue hosting his daytime talk show late last year. As part of that contract, he has to be “more restrictive” on non-daytime show TV projects.
If MDP returns with new episodes (in addition to the two unaired episodes), I could see Regis departing from the show — particularly if CBS opts to film again in Los Angeles. Regis is now 77, and I have a feeling he would prefer to work in and around NYC.
That clock needs to be destroyed. Perhaps after the fifth question give them the Ask The Expert, and after the 10th, Double Dip, and keep 50:50, Phone a Friend, Ask the Audience.
dropzone5
This is how the progressive jackpot works.
After question 7 (in the 12-question format) all contestants have the chance to win a progressive jackpot. The jackpot starts at $25,000 ($25 in the bar) and $5,000 ($5) is added each time a contestant doesn’t take the progressive jackpot. The only way you can win the jackpot is by taking the money between 150,000-2 MILLION or winning the 2 MILLION. So if the progressive jackpot is at $25,000 and you take the $150,000 your total prize winning will be $175,000 ($175). From playing in the bar it adds a level of jeopardy to the shows as most people don’t guess at question number 8 they just take the money. Also, when making the decision whether to go forward they are always keeping the progressive jackpot in the back of their mind. I think it would work great in the normal show because it will allow bigger cash amounts to be given away also.
To EVERYONE,
I forgot to mention to two options you have in playing. Option #1 is you can play for $2 Million ($2000 in the bar) like a normal game. Option # 2 is you can play for $4 Million ($4000 in the bar) and you will lose the second safe level BUT you gain a lifeline (switch the question). We have tried it out for the last couple of weeks but have gotten mixed signals…what do you think about it?
So they have to walk in order to win the jackpot, if they don’t win the top prize first? Hmm…I don’t know about this one. I think it might work if it kicked in after the “free guess” question, since putting it into effect right after the safe haven is essentially pointless. Nobody’s going to walk when they’d win the same amount of money for missing.
Your second option that you outlined, actually, is similar to what the German version does (except, I don’t think they increase the prize at all). I’m personally not a fan of it, but I’m only one of several million, after all. You’d certainly see more people walking and possibly winning that extra jackpot…but honestly, I think the jackpot becomes more of an afterthought the higher up you go.
As I said on GSN*, no. I’d rather see Duel come back (I actually thought Greeny was alright), or the return of 1 vs. 100 to NBC, than the return of (IMO) “The Regis Show”.
[* Yep, I'm the infamous (Miss) tattooed.]
If they do this, it should be an “event,” and on at 8:00 each time. It’s a “family show,” and shouldn’t be on at 10.
Clock: I know some people hated when contestants would preface their answer with comments, but Millionaire is part talk-show. It’s why they’re sitting in chairs instead of at lecterns across the stage from each other. I also liked hearing them explain how they got the right answer. The clock takes all that away. I’d rather watch a guy spend 5 minutes fumbling around and “arguing” with Regis before finally recalling “LUTHER CAMPBELL!!” leading him to the right answer than watch a clock tick down.
50:50 – I suspect one reason for getting rid of it was that people didn’t believe it was random, as sometimes, the remaining wrong answer was “the other one they were considering.” With three wrong choices, that will happen, on the average, one-third of the time, which gives an advantage (unfairly so?) to the other two-thirds. The Double Dip essentially allows you to pick your own 50-50 (with the drawback that you’re either in or out, and can’t walk away).
Celebrities: I agree about keeping it all-civilian. “Ask the Expert” can be used to include celebrities. The problem with the original run wasn’t that it ran so many nights in a week, but that there were so many celebrity editions, then too many reruns of those editions. No one knew when a new regular episode was on.
First 5 questions: Don’t eliminate them. These allow a warm-up for contestants, allow for some humor in the “D” choices, and allow the youngest viewers to have the fun of playing along.
I agree with a lot of the comments that people on have made and hope that the producers of the show come to this site to see your ideas.The only thing I would like to see is if they feature celebrities on Millionaire to only do it once a year.The appeal of the show to me is that an ordinary person can become a millionaire.I am not interested in seeing wealthy celebrities play for their favorite charity. There were way too many celebrity editions on the original Millionaire.Bring the show back to its roots with some of the ideas that people have suggested and ABC may once again have a hit on their hands.
I like the idea that Millionaire could be coming back to primetime, and I also like the idea of who it might be scheduled. Personally, I think it needs to be on for 2 weeks or so at a time, maybe 3 times a week with several months in between. Personally I would not recommend that they use the original format – it’s been driven into the ground. I would like to see them use the Super Millionaire format for the primetime edition. Like it’s been said so many times, our economy is bad at the moment, and offering $10 Million to regular people would be outstanding (also not airing it in a 10PM time slot would help quite a bit too)
With it being the show’s 10th year anniversary, I think a $10,000,000 prize fits the bill perfectly. As long as they keep it in a good time slot with a phone game and pay for all travel expenses, I think it would do good in 2 weeks bursts a few times a year.
I have heard about this revival as well, but I’ve also been hearing unconfirmed rumors that this would only last 2 weeks. If anybody else knows more about this, have a complete and exact source and Press Release from ABC, feel free to comment.
They should give the revival show a subtitle of sorts. I was thinking…Return of the King. Or am I sounding a little over the top? :)