ABC Plans Limited Primetime Run of ‘Millionaire’ for August

[bellbm]

According to TV Week, ABC will bring back a 10th Anniversary edition of Millionaire, to air in August.

The article says the format will be a hybrid of the original version and the tweaked version airing in syndication.

I imagine they will bring back the fastest finger element, but I hope they get rid of the timer for each question.  Regis is great at making the game dramatic, and clock takes that element away.

Full article is here

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/04/abc_pla...rimetime_ru.php

[Hastin]

Great! Can't wait for Primetime Millionaire to be back again. Using this every summer as a stunt (like Wipeout) would be fine for the format, and hopefully give the syndie one a boost as well.

[BillCullen1]

Well they got Reege back, which is a plus. I wonder if it'll be the Super Millionaire format which they tried the last time it was on network prime time TV.

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'213738\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 02:24 PM\']
Well they got Reege back, which is a plus.[/quote]
This also means Password is pretty much dead, of course, but it's a trade I'm willing to make.

[Neumms]

Coming in '10: CBS celebrates the 60th anniversary of "What's My Line." (Or so we can hope.)

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'213740\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 02:28 PM\']
Coming in '10: CBS celebrates the 60th anniversary of "What's My Line." (Or so we can hope.)
[/quote]
Expect them to do the same thing they did for the 50th and 40th anniversaries.  Or the 25th, for that matter.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'213738\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 12:24 PM\']
I wonder if it'll be the Super Millionaire format which they tried the last time it was on network prime time TV.[/quote]
Well...
[quote name=\'bellbm\' post=\'213732\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 11:55 AM\']
The article says the format will be a hybrid of the original version and the tweaked version airing in syndication.[/quote]
I'm guessing no.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' post=\'213741\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 03:33 PM\']
[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'213740\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 02:28 PM\']
Coming in '10: CBS celebrates the 60th anniversary of "What's My Line." (Or so we can hope.)
[/quote]
Expect them to do the same thing they did for the 50th and 40th anniversaries. Or the 25th, for that matter.
[/quote]
Yes, the 25th anniversary show got kicked over to ABC, didn't it? At 11:30 at night!! Dweeblings.

[Jimmy Owen]

Well, CBS did bring back IGAS in primetime for its 24th anniversary.  

/In '76, I wonder if any station ran TTTT at 7, $25KP at 7:30 and IGAS at 8 for 90 minutes of uninterrupted Cullen?

[rwalker]

What are they doing for contestants? Getting the same pool from Meredith's show, or an entirely different pool of them altogether?

If they cast or want people to try out, I'm in. I'll try like heck.

[chad1m]

Thought: Will this have any impact on GSN's current scheduling of Millionaire at 8:30 pm?

[TheInquisitiveOne]

Props to ABC for recognizing Millionaire's 10th anniversary with the old-school fortnight special. I intend to watch.

What interests me is the fact that it will be a hybrid of both old and new...this gives me an idea of what they might do...

From the ABC side:

• Fastest Finger Questions
• The Old Money Ladder (16K, 32K, 64K, 125K...)
• The Phone In Game

From the Syndie Side:

• The current lighting scheme
• The current computerized font displays
• Double Dip Replacing 50:50
• The timer (maybe in an attempt to squeeze more in from the night's field of 10?)

Whatever the case may be, I am so looking forward to it.

Chad, to answer your question, if there is some sort of scheduling conflict, I'll be willing to bet that there would be no significant impact that would hurt either show.

The Inquisitive One

[efbyon]

Another thought that crossed my mind...I would think ABC would do everything they can to obtain the US broadcast rights to Slumdog Millionaire and pair it up during one of the nights of this new run of prime-time Millionaire.  Maybe they could even include some commentary from Regis during the commercials.

Also, since this will be about a month before the start of new season of Syndie Millionaire, would they try to squeeze in a plug?  "And of course, if you can't get enough of Millionaire..."

Fred

[Craig Karlberg]

This is gonna be one interesting summer for sure, capped off with Millionaire's 10th Anniversary event lasting 11 nights.  Nice of them to "combine" the old & new elements of the show.  If they add the timer, I'd like to see the one currently being used in the Aussie version.  That's one neat timer a la Mission Impossible.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'TheInquisitiveOne\' post=\'213779\' date=\'Apr 23 2009, 01:53 AM\']
What interests me is the fact that it will be a hybrid of both old and new...this gives me an idea of what they might do...

From the ABC side:

• Fastest Finger Questions
• The Old Money Ladder (16K, 32K, 64K, 125K...)
• The Phone In Game

From the Syndie Side:

• The current lighting scheme
• The current computerized font displays
• Double Dip Replacing 50:50
• The timer (maybe in an attempt to squeeze more in from the night's field of 10?)

[/quote]
I wouldn't mind if they did the list of "topics", either from the syndie side, just don't consider the timer.

[quote name=\'TheInquisitiveOne\' post=\'213779\' date=\'Apr 23 2009, 01:53 AM\']
Chad, to answer your question, if there is some sort of scheduling conflict, I'll be willing to bet that there would be no significant impact that would hurt either show.
[/quote]

Exactly, the simultaneous airings only occur in only a couple of time zones.  The westerners don't necessary have that conflict.