“Who Wants to be a Millionaire” Plans the “Tournament of Ten” for $1,000,000
Who Wants to be a Millionaire begins its eighth season on September 7th and they’ve got a new gimmick that’s almost assured to give away $1,000,000 for the first time in about seven years. The syndicated game show, hosted by Meredith Vieira, will begin the “Tournament of Ten” on the first episode. Every player for the 45 first episodes will be seeded on the leader board based on how much money they won and how quick they were to answer questions. The preliminary segment will end on November 6th and the actual tournament will take place from November 9th through the 20th.
Each of those days one of the contestants who placed on the top ten will have the chance to answer one $1,000,000 question, starting with seed ten and going up to number one. No lifelines can be used. The contestant has the option of walking away and not answering the question, keeping all previous winnings. However, if the contestant answers and loses, that person loses whatever he or she won previously and goes home with the last milestone achieved. If the contestant answers correctly he or she is in the running for the $1,000,000 prize but has the chance of being knocked out by the next contestant. It comes down to the final game on November 20th where the top seed has the chance to answer the $1,000,000 question and win the top prize. So, for instance (and this will probably be many of the situations), if you have $100,000 and are in the tournament you can take your initial winnings and go home or you can guess. If you miss you lose $75,000 and drop back to $25,000. But if you get it right you’re in the running for $1,000,000 so long as no one above you answers it correctly.
So what are we thinking? It is a bit gimmicky but to be perfectly frank I think the show needs a reminder that it is possible to win the top prize, even if it’s like this. It’s been an unbelievably long time. It has to be close to 1,000 episodes since the last winner. It seems just about impossible to win. I mean they even dumbed down the questions on the ABC version that just finished and they couldn’t have a winner. I’d rather see someone answer all 15 questions correct and win, but just seeing someone actually get it is unbelievably refreshing. Just be careful about being too gimmicky.
The show has also announced the first few Experts in line for the Ask the Expert lifeline. The first week is John Carpenter, the first $1,000,000 winner, from September 7th through the 11th. After that is Alexandra Wentworth (September 14-18), Ashleigh Banfield (September 21-25), Mo Rocca (September 28 — October 2), Robin Meade (October 5-7), Rene Syler (October 8 & 9), Cokie Roberts (October 12-16) and Ken Jennings (October 19-23).
Logo courtesy of Valleycrest Productions Ltd.
What if someone wins a million during the first 45 shows? Could they potentially win two million dollars?
This is another case of Michael Davies making a big deal about nothing and using you to pimp his show. The guy hasn't had a good, fresh idea in a long time–maybe ever. The prime time show didn't do well and the syndicated version has had it, too. This gimmick won't help.
Seeing as four of the five shows from the last week made the top 20 on the Nielsens, and three of those won their time slot, I'm quite curious about your definition of "didn't do well."
If you want to play with the numbers, you can say anyting you want. Not a single episode ranked in the top 9 for the week, earned a 2.0 rating for the important 18-49 demo, or received more than 10% of the viewing audience. Any impartial analysis of the 11 episode series would indicate it was not a ratings success.
Million dollar winners are ineligible to play the "Tournament of 10"
I mean what I say. I don't think the ratings are going to magically improve but they need something with big excitement to help out. They had a ton of $250K winners last season and nothing more. This adds excitement. Goal number one of producing a television show is to rope in viewers any way you can or face cancellation. It's no big surprise or secret that daytime Millionaire's ratings were down last year. If they can bring in a few more eyeballs with a gimmick then the job is a success.
I was wondering this too, since the "Ring of Fire" nine have a better shot of answering the final question correctly. So, if I understand you right, this tournament is for those who haven't answered the $1,000,000 question correctly. So, if someone wins $1,000,000 during the prelims, they get their $1,000,000, but can't play in the tournament. Then, someone else who didn't win the $1,000,000 is most likely to win themselves the big bucks. So, could we see game show millionaires #29 AND #30 this season? (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_game_show_w… for my reasoning).
Have a nice day and God Bless!
I was wondering this too, since the "Ring of Fire" nine have a better shot of answering the final question correctly. So, if I understand you right, this tournament is for those who haven't answered the $1,000,000 question correctly. So, if someone wins $1,000,000 during the prelims, they get their $1,000,000, but can't play in the tournament. Then, someone else who didn't win the $1,000,000 is most likely to win themselves the big bucks. So, could we see game show millionaires #29 AND #30 this season? (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_game_show_w… for my reasoning).
Have a nice day and God Bless!
Miserable, miserable idea. See your favorite contestants chuck away their winnings or get usurped by a higher seed.
Miserable, miserable idea. See your favorite contestants chuck away their winnings or get usurped by a higher seed.
While I understand what Davies and the show are doing (and I'm OK with these gimmicks as long as they're not over the top), I feel as if something went missing in the planning and preparation stages for this. I just don't like the idea of a player correctly answering the MDQ, only to not get the money because a higher seeded player correctly answered his/her MDQ. Perhaps the show could have done something that combines old-school Millionaire with $100K Pyramid — put the 10 contestants in the Ring of Fire, and make them answer an FF to get a chance at the MDQ. If they miss it (or don't answer), go back to the Ring of Fire. Keep going, one contestant a day, until we have a winner. Also, do we know if the contestants who are invited back to play in the tournament get hotel/airfare paid for?
Oh I agree that something's off with it. I like the idea of the Fastest Finger element a lot.
The thing is the show clearly wants to give away a million dollars (apparently many people do too; as I repeat over and over it's been way too long) but there's no way to do it with the normal game unless you dumb down the material greatly and make everyone call shenanigans on it. Beyond adding Fastest Finger, like you suggested, they've done just about all they can without revamping the game.
Alex: I respectfully disagree with your saying "there's no way to do it with the normal game". Granted, the game has changed with the addition of the clock. However, the show did have several millionaires. Yes…I know…it's been years since the last one. However, if it was done in the past, it can be done again. I think they're "messing with the formula" (which I have always been against for any show). I think trying to get a millionaire "any way they can" will wind up hurting them in the end. I don't think it will help for the long haul. Yes, it will produce a millionaire one way or another. However, the excitement (after this tournament) will soon fade.
I'm sorry, I should have been clearer and I see what you're saying.
I meant there's no way to basically tell people, "Look, we can actually give away the money after all!" without doing drastic changes. I'm sure if we held on long enough someone would win.
how about they do it where if you answer the question, you split with how many others get it right:
If two get it right, then they each get $500,000 (as a bonus)
If 4 get it right, they each get $250,000 (as a bonus)
And if only 1 gets it, then they get $1,000,000 (their winnings upped to it)
Yes, I agree with your last statement. We just need to be patient. Then again, most TV watchers aren't as patient, anymore. Some would probably say "We want a winner…and we want it NOW…no matter what has to be done." Granted, some may think that will work. Personally, I disagree…and, from the looks of some of the previous posts, I'm not alone.
Wouldn't that cheapen it? What happens if all 10 get it right…$100,000 for each? What if someone went into the tournament with $250,000? They only wind up with $100,000…either total or extra? Either way….no thanks.
considering they've already taped those shows, it takes away any wonder if there's been a $1M winner to that point–there hasn't if they're doing this
What happened with that new money tree I heard about?
I saw on the WWTBAMBORED that there was a tree of
$1,000,000*
$500,000
$250,000
$100,000
$50,000
$25,000*
$16,000
$12,000
$8,000
$6,000
$5,000*
$4,000
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000*
I guess it didn't get worked in…
The "Ring of Fire" concept only makes sense if you tape a lot of shows in a taping session. Remember, these contestants have to come back for a single show to try their hand.
What I am wondering is whether they will know what happened before, i.e. whether anyone already has the million in their pocket…if someone has, it could affect the decision to risk the earnings and go for it. Fir this reason is makes sense to have an absolute commitment from the top 10 before the tourney starts.
The seeding system also has the devious effect of allowing the lower seeds to have a lesser risk monetarily, and the higher seeds more risk — balanced off by the advantage of going later and becoming king of the hill.
Last question — what is the clock for the Million Dollar Question? Do they get to use banked time, or is it 45 seconds? or something else?
As long as this is a one-time stunt, I'm ok with it. Other shows have brought back past winners for another shot at the top prize (most notably Jeopardy! & The $100K Pyramid). With more competition from 5th Grader and LMAD, Millionaire needs to stay on the front burner.
The one thing that disturbs me is the fact that the players are risking their previous winnings for a shot at the Million Dollar Question. No one in J!'s Million Dollar Masters Tournament was risking their jackpots to play.
Do they get to see the question, first? I assume they do, but that isn't clear.
I think it is no clock… or banked time from their game
Honestly I would do it a completely different way
(With Seedings)
Top 8 Winners of the 2009-2010 Season
1 vs. 8
2 vs. 7
3 vs. 6
4 vs. 5
Each are asked a question (similar difficulty to $25,000) and (same for 1 and 8, but different question for 2 and 7)
If only 1 gets it right they move on to the semis but if both get it right, who answered quicker moves on (30 seconds)
Then (if lower seeds win)
1 vs. 4
2 vs. 3
A 2nd question ($100,000 difficulty) will be asked (45 Seconds) and then the same rules apply with Round 1
Winners move to Finals
A 3rd Question ($1,000,000 difficulty) will be asked (60 Seconds+Banked Time)
The contestant who answered both questions the quickest will play for $1,000,000
If he answers right he wins $1,000,000, if he answers wrong, the other contestant wins $1,000,000
Or…
1 Question for each 10 Top Winners
If you answer right you win $1,000,000, Period
If you answer wrong you win $25,000, losing your previous winnings
No clock, like the celebrity's game from PTBAM
But if they really wanted to increase Million Dollar Winners, they would go to a 10 Question Format
$1,000,000- 60+ Banked
$250,000- 60
$175,000- 55
$100,000-50
$50,000-45
$25,000 *-30
$10,000-30
$5,000-30
$1,000* -15
$100-15
They would give away LESS MONEY
and make it easier to win MORE MONEY
Your more likely to risk $225,000 instead of $475,000…
It was ditched at the last second.
They get to see the question first.
Well, it's about time the show responded with their "lack of Millionaires" in over 5-6 years. The Japanese are beating us!
It gave ABC better summer ratings.
I would've suggested dumbing down the money tree like the days when America made the most top-prize winners, but everyone complains these days about how runs like Carpenter's and Basin's were too easy, so that might be the reason Davies didn't go with that method. Lets see how it goes though.
Er Chris, from what I understand, the Japanese version, like most game shows over there, is played mostly for laughs, and get this……..most of their winners have been celebrity guests, playing a comedy style version of the game.
Those numbers are skewed, really. I would take them with a grain of minuscule salt. :p
Exactly. The daytime ratings aren't the same as prime time's. It's like comparing apples to oranges. If ANC wants to bring the prime time version back at some point, that's fine with me. The daytime version is basically stuck at a 2 for awhile. I don't think this gimmick's gonna get eyeballs any more than let's say Wheel or J! for that matter.
The one thing that bothers me about this is that those who won $25K are given a "freebie" while those who won say, $500K might keep what they won. I WILL allow some risk at $50K & maybe $100K, but $250K & up? Nuh uh!
I prefer the ToC option where if one player answers the $1M question correct, it ends right then & there(no need for the other player(s) to risk what they won) & we go back to normal.