Is Who Wants to be a Millionaire looking for new digs?

[gameshowcrazy]

Usually at this time of year, the Millionaire website has information up for auditions beginning in May, but there is nothing there as of yet.

I’m just speculating, but I feel this could mean two possibilities:

#1—they have dropped the walk-up auditions in the spring and will pull contestants from the pool they already have as a person is now in the pool for up to two years.  They will then have auditions only during tapings of the show.  This would not only save them the extra time paid to the contestant coordinators during the spring, but might also help boost audience numbers at the tapings as that seems to have dropped off.  The audience is still mostly full, but there are empty seats in the upper rows now.

#2—because of the cancellation of All My Children and One Life to Live, and ABC putting on two shows to replace those, only OLTL was filmed at the ABC studio in NYC, and they may be planning on having both the new shows in NYC, therefore needing another soundstage, possibly leaving Millionaire out in the cold?

Does anyone know the real story?

[Fedya]

I thought one of the soaps wasn't going off the air until at least January.  Wouldn't Millionaire be done taping for the season by then?

[gameshowcrazy]

I thought one of the soaps wasn't going off the air until at least January.  Wouldn't Millionaire be done taping for the season by then?

Millionaire would wrap in November, the entertainment industry usually has a winter break, so that wouldn't leave enough time to tear down and pack the Millionaire set, put up the set for a new show and have it ready to go when OLTL goes off the air.

If it wasn't for a new show coming on, I would think you might be on to something, but I would think (yeah, I said think because this entire thread is all about speculation and opinion) a new show would need to get the set built and test it.  To test the set would deal with sound checks and lighting issues, make sure the stove won't blow up, blah, blah, blah.  I think that would take too much time (maybe someone here would know roughly how long that sort of thing takes for a new show)

The reality is, I know they could just be running a different schedule than they have in past years, but I'm hoping to find out whuzzup.

Does anyone here know if Millionaire tears down every year, or do they leave it up?  I could see the possibility of using the soundstage for something else the rest of the year, but I have no idea for what.

[MikeK]

When did the length of time in the contestant pool go up to 2 years?  When I tried out last summer, we were told that if we were chosen, we were in the pool only for the 2010-11 season.

[gameshowcrazy]

When did the length of time in the contestant pool go up to 2 years?  When I tried out last summer, we were told that if we were chosen, we were in the pool only for the 2010-11 season.

Either last season or the season before, it was put in the rules page on the show's website.  It technically wasn't two years, but for current season and next season was the wording.  Basically since taping goes from July or August to October or November, and they USUALLY give you about a month's notice, you could possibly pass the test in October of 2010, be in the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 pool, meaning you could only get the call up until say September or October of 2011.

I don't know for sure what was stated at the two testings I did last year, but because of the new format, I was sure to read the complete rules on the website and it did have the two year (or it may have said season) guideline.  I'm not sure if it had that the prior season, but it might have as I have read all the rules a few times.

[Jimmy Owen]

Is it a sure thing that the show is continuing production?  From Meredith wanting to stay home to take care of her ailing husband and the middling ratings this season, to the lack of tryouts and possible loss of studio space, it doesn't seem like there's much enthusiasm to go on.  For those of you who attended NATPE, was the show being pitched for renewal for 2011 and beyond?

[BrandonFG]

Is it a sure thing that the show is continuing production?  From Meredith wanting to stay home to take care of her ailing husband and the middling ratings this season, to the lack of tryouts and possible loss of studio space, it doesn't seem like there's much enthusiasm to go on.  For those of you who attended NATPE, was the show being pitched for renewal for 2011 and beyond?

I think it's renewed thru at least 2012.

[gameshowcrazy]

Meredith is under contract until 2012, and the reason for leaving the Today show was the early hours.  She basically gets up in the middle of the night to get to 30 Rock to do the show, and then on to Millionaire.  Millionaire was taping six shows a day last season (up from four in previous years), so she wasn’t getting out of there until maybe 7 or 8pm.

Pretty much enough time to go home and go to bed to start over again.  This will shorten her day by a large amount.

Ratings may have been down, but they are still great for a syndicated show, and since the costs are fairly low, it is a profit maker in and of itself, even without other revenue streams, that makes it a good bet for renewal even if contracts were up at this point in time.

Starting this thread wasn’t meant to begin rumors or get anyone worrying about the fate of the show, just was wondering if anyone knew why the change in pattern that has been consistent for several years now.

[Matt Ottinger]

Ratings may have been down, but they are still great for a syndicated show, and since the costs are fairly low, it is a profit maker in and of itself, even without other revenue streams, that makes it a good bet for renewal even if contracts were up at this point in time.

The model Family Feud has followed for a long, long time.

[gameshowcrazy]

Ratings may have been down, but they are still great for a syndicated show, and since the costs are fairly low, it is a profit maker in and of itself, even without other revenue streams, that makes it a good bet for renewal even if contracts were up at this point in time.

The model Family Feud has followed for a long, long time.

Yeah, and considering that $5/point in 2010 would be $1.32 in 1976 dollars, they should be rolling in it :p