What Do You Want to See in the ABC “Millionaire” Revival?
Slow news day, so let’s do a fun opinion post. This one’s all on you ladies and gentlemen. As you probably know by now, ABC confirmed the rumors and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? will be returning to the network on August 9th at 8:00PM ET with original host Regis Philbin also returning. It seems basically everyone is excited, and rightly so. The only statement which left speculation is, “the primetime version will be a hybrid of the original “Millionaire” and the tweaked version that now airs in syndication.” What this specifically means is anyone’s guess right now. Why not you guess? What would you like to see from this revival?
Let’s be a bit realistic here. I know some want a giant top prize, but we are in an economic struggle right now. Plus I’d rather see a version of the show where someone could make a calculated gamble to go for the huge money, like with a $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 top prize (preferably the latter). There was no calculated gambles on Super Millionaire. You aren’t making a calculated risk with $2,400,000 on the line. and still more game to play. Lifeline wise I could honestly care less. The only lifeline I don’t care for in the current syndicated Millionaire is Ask the Expert, but the choosing of the Experts has gotten better later this season so that complaint is dying.
There are only three main things I want to see (and don’t want to see). I’ll start with the one I’d rather not see: the clock. It’s fantastic that the daytime and primetime versions seems like different entities so it’s not a giant case of the same thing everywhere. Let’s keep it like that, preferably. That being said if there’s any syndicated Millionaire change I can see carrying over, it’s this one. It has to have saved production costs since they don’t have to wait an ungodly amount of time for an answer.
I think the Fastest Finger deserves a return with this version. Again, it’s more of the separating daytime with primetime thing. But more than anything, especially in this economy, the phone game should come back above all. With how the unemployment rate is right now and the whole financial situation, letting literally anyone in America call the line and play for $1,000,000 all in the course of 24 hours makes for unbelievably amazing television.
But now I leave it up to you all. What do you want to see?
There has to be a clock. Now before you flame me, it’s invisible to the contestant and 90 seconds a question. Give a warning buzer with like 10 seconds left.
There will almost inevitably be a clock, since there is little can be “tweaked” from the original other than the phone-a-friend listing screen, the lack of an aerial view during Ask the Audience, and perhaps double dip replacing 50:50.
For some reason, I’m not too worried about Ask the Expert. The Skype sponsorship idea is more of a syndication thing.
Hm, I have bad news guys. According to the Los Angeles TImes, there will probably not be any continuation of the series after the 2 week run.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/04/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-coming-back-to-abc.html
:(
I would like to see the elimination of the clock as well. I understand why it’s instituted for the daytime edition, but the inclusion of it takes away from what made the primetime edition work: suffering through a question with a contestant. I know sitting through 10 minutes for a question isn’t exciting to most viewers, but it is compelling.
Also, I wouldn’t mind updated graphics like what they have in England. If you see clips from the current show there, the presentation is great.
Also, I know $10 million is out of the question, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a prize of $2 million or even $5 million, although to be civil I think $2.5 million is most likely.
Also, even though it would be nice for Millionaire to return permanently to the schedule, I prefer it as an event. So after this two-week deal, I wouldn’t mind it returning for a similar event style format later on in the season. In the end, it should stay like this.
I DON’T want to see a “Millionaire” revival. The show is played out and I think ABC’s mainly interested in trying to capitalize on the success of the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”. There’s very little about Millionaire I find fascinating any more. I hope if ABC does run it, it’s as a half-hour episode … so there will be room for something else.
How about a revival of “The Joker’s Wild”?
I agree with alex on the Lifelines
No Clock
Keep the same Tier as the Original and bring back the Fastest Finger.
This is what I want to see:
Fastest Finger
NO CLOCK!!!!
Original Lifelines w/ Double Dip & Switch the Question
and the Original Money Tree:
$1,000,000
$500,000
$250,000
$125,000
$64,000
$32,000
$16,000
$8,000
$4,000
$2,000
$1,000
$500
$300
$200
$100
Personally, I think if it were permanent, maybe leaving it at $1M for the top prize would be ok, but if this is a 2 week event, they gotta up the cash a little bit. Definitely get rid of the clock. The best moments on that show are when someone agonizes about a question for big bucks. Original 3 lifelines, don’t add any new ones. Classic fastest finger is a must. If I made the tree, It’d look like this
$2,000,000
$750,000
$400,000
$200,000
$100,000
$50,000
$25,000
$10,000
$5,000
$2,000
$1,000
$500
$300
$200
$100
I hope the 10th anniversary edition of WWTBAM is SUPER MILLIONAIRE and questions are NOT TIMED! The reason is because I like the drama in Super Millionaire with $10,000,000 and stuff. Also, I hate the new TIMED millionaire. First of all, there is less drama. When a person is answering a question in NONTIMED millionaire (especially in the $100,000 question), they make gestures, be all dramatic and ask funny questions like "can I talk to my mom in the audience?". In TIMED Millionaire, they just say A.[polldaddy 1776651 http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1776651/ polldaddy]
Oh. By the way, this is how I want the 10th anniversary millionaire to workout:
1. The show will be treated as Super Millionaire
2. Questions will NEVER be TIMED!
3. Lifelines: Ask the Audience, Phone a Friend, 50:50, THREE WISE MEN, and DOUBLE DIP!
4.There shall be FASTEST FINGER QUESTIONS!
5. The Money prizes will be the same as in Super Millionaire
I think there should be NO CLOCK, so conteatants can agonize and be dramatic on big giant money questions and to make it easier to answer questions. Also, Original lifelines AND Double Dip and Three Wise Men will be the lifelines. PLEAZZ bring the Fastest Finger Q's.
Money tree:
$10,000,000
$5,000,000
$2,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$100,000
$50,000
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
$5,000
$4,000
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000
The Double Dip and Three wise men is eligible for use at $500,000 question or higher
I AM MAD AS HOT WATER! WHY CANT THE PRODUCERS UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE HATES TIME LIMITS ON MILLIONAIRE!
NO TIME LIMITS! Without the time limits, contestants agonize on the big money questions. WITH time limits, there aint any drama.
FASTEST FINGER QUESTIONS! Makes it better
SUPER MILLIONAIRE MONEY TREE!
ORIGINAL LIFELINES + Double Dip, Google It, and Three Wise Men after $100,000 Q
Congraulations, you got your wish