Author Topic: Millionaire Changes (Read 60486 times)

parliboy · « **Reply #225 on:** September 15, 2010, 12:25:54 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'247607\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 08:39 AM\'][quote name=\'Loogaroo\' post=\'247598\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 03:32 AM\'][quote name=\'chad1m\' post=\'247591\' date=\'Sep 14 2010, 09:10 PM\']Nope, still don't. It should be hard to see a $250,000 question.[/quote]
Not so hard that it never happens.[/quote]
That's you're opinion of what might be the result of the season after watching two episodes. As a debate point, that's pretty weak.
[/quote]
They've changed the format to either a small degree ($25,000?) or large degree (OMGWTFCLOCK) almost every year now. We've had the show for 11 years; that's long enough to have a decent feel for what changes do to the show. Even this year's changes.

That said, whether we see many BIG winners has much less to do with changes in format, and much more to do with question difficulty. Consider The Price is Right. They overhauled their budget by making prices more challenging and by making non-bimodal guesses much harder. Here, it doesn't matter whether $25,000 is at the start of the stack or near the end; either way, they're going to have some questions. Some are easy, and some are hard. And if enough of them are hard, more people will bail earlier.

Personal thought: Yes, winning a lot of money should be hard on this show. But for a show called "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", for a show that the host simply calls "Millionaire", I would like to see a question 15 14 about once a season. It's perfectly reasonable that some or all of these people don't pull the trigger. But I don't want it to happen by someone being handed a gift stack, either. Yes, I know this is an incredibly hard thing to balance without having a lot of people go deep in their stacks, but I really believe that it's better television overall if they can manage that balance.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #226 on:** September 15, 2010, 12:30:46 PM »

[quote name=\'parliboy\' post=\'247617\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 12:25 PM\']They've changed the format to either a small degree ($25,000?) or large degree (OMGWTFCLOCK) almost every year now. We've had the show for 11 years; that's long enough to have a decent feel for what changes do to the show. Even this year's changes.[/quote]
I'm not sure I even agree with that. This is a major change and I don't see how past performance helps us that much in figuring out how people are going to run this new ten-question gauntlet. Still, I'm fine if people offer the opinion that it might be harder to win big amounts based on these changes. Offhand, I'd say that I agree with that. But Loog had now said twice, with great empasis, that a $250,000 question will never happen, and two episodes out, the evidence is just not there yet to say that as a definite fact.

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #227 on:** September 15, 2010, 12:59:16 PM »

Quote

I would like to see a question 14 about once a season.

In my area the show is only on a digital channel which I can't get (but my parents can...), so I haven't watched the show much in the past year or so. However, IIRC, we HAVE seen at least one million-dollar question each season. I'm fine with that. I think we would all agree we don't want to see someone handed a "gift stack", but having one or two players at least reach that question - even if they don't play it - is decent. I'm sure we'd all lose a lot of interest in the show if it happened 10 times a season.

Neumms · « **Reply #228 on:** September 15, 2010, 01:07:23 PM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'247622\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 11:59 AM\']

Quote

I would like to see a question 14 about once a season.

However, IIRC, we HAVE seen at least one million-dollar question each season. I'm fine with that. I think we would all agree we don't want to see someone handed a "gift stack", but having one or two players at least reach that question - even if they don't play it - is decent. I'm sure we'd all lose a lot of interest in the show if it happened 10 times a season.
[/quote]

Especially now that they cast the show, they should be able to find players who can get to the last question of a reasonable stack and maybe, once a year, answer it. The show is on every weekday, for heavens' sake. If that blows a daytime budget, that to me is reason to do without a daytime show. Or lower the prize money and change the name of the show.

Oh for the days of Jim Perry's Card Sharks, when one did have the chance to win $28,800 but they didn't talk about it all the time because it wasn't terribly likely.

JasonA1 · « **Reply #229 on:** September 15, 2010, 03:49:38 PM »

Caught my first episode of the new season today. Disappointed to see contestants using jumps on "trivia easy" questions ([color=\"#FFFFFF\"]"what was the Earl of Sandwich doing while eating the first sandwich" and ESPECIALLY "which insurance company has the perky girl in the white outfit in its ads?"[/color]) but it's to be expected given who they cast for this version.

The biggest difference for me this season was that I saw it. I've watched the syndie version less than ten times up to this point. They took a show that was long in the tooth, and injected enough variety to (hopefully) bring people back. If anything's going to keep it from returning, it's the sheer age of the show, rather than this format. I would imagine a certain number of people jumped ship when $16,000 became rarefied air, or a clock suddenly accompanied all the decisions.

Did the Star Wheel really sully those last five years of Match Game?

-Jason

weaklink75 · « **Reply #230 on:** September 15, 2010, 06:29:28 PM »

On the ep today, they had the full credit roll- and I noticed Jay Wolpert listed as a "consultant"- is that new?

itiparanoid13 · « **Reply #231 on:** September 15, 2010, 06:32:54 PM »

It is new. He made a lot of what you see now. Michael Davies was a consultant also (he's no longer the EP).

dale_grass · « **Reply #232 on:** September 15, 2010, 06:35:51 PM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'247622\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 11:59 AM\']In my area the show is only on a digital channel which I can't get (but my parents can...),[/quote]

For many the solution would be as easy as walking up a flight of stairs.

I'm going to watch Millionaire when I can. The show was engaging for me and I'm surprised at the fact that I enjoyed hearing the contestants talk over their answers once again. Time will tell if it stays engaging; here's hoping it will.

mxc0427 · « **Reply #233 on:** September 15, 2010, 07:40:08 PM »

What does Regis think of the new format? Here is the interview with Meredith from today's "Live!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-HMyjpxfEo

TLEberle · « **Reply #234 on:** September 15, 2010, 08:45:39 PM »

[quote name=\'JasonA1\' post=\'247631\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 12:49 PM\']Did the Star Wheel really sully those last five years of Match Game?[/quote]If you're Richard Dawson and your trademark part of the show is now left up to chance, yes. If you're a contestant and now have a chance to double your payday with no additional work or risk? Course not.

tvwxman · « **Reply #235 on:** September 15, 2010, 09:34:30 PM »

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'245983\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 02:22 PM\']Sounds like a neat idea for a game show....

...but it's not millionaire anymore.[/quote]
I'm replying....to myself. I know.

It's a neat format....but my prediction stands (hey, that sounds like a good career move for me!). It's just not millionaire.

Sorry Jay, this one you should not have tinkered with. You've jumped the shark with this.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #236 on:** September 15, 2010, 09:40:00 PM »

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'247663\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 06:34 PM\']It's a neat format....but my prediction stands (hey, that sounds like a good career move for me!). It's just not millionaire.

Sorry Jay, this one you should not have tinkered with. You've jumped the shark with this.[/quote]
I think you're contradicting yourself here. You say it's a neat format. Past formats and name notwithstanding, isn't that a good thing? If it's a good format, it's a good format.

Steve Gavazzi · « **Reply #237 on:** September 15, 2010, 09:55:31 PM »

[quote name=\'Kevin Prather\' post=\'247665\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 09:40 PM\']I think you're contradicting yourself here. You say it's a neat format. Past formats and name notwithstanding, isn't that a good thing? If it's a good format, it's a good format.[/quote]
Not if you see a show called "Millionaire," turn it on, and see that for all intents and purposes, it isn't Millionaire.

(I haven't seen the show this season. Or last season. Or the season before last, even. I'm just trying to spell out the logic.)

Joe Mello · « **Reply #238 on:** September 15, 2010, 10:51:16 PM »

[quote name=\'Kevin Prather\' post=\'247665\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 09:40 PM\']I think you're contradicting yourself here. You say it's a neat format. Past formats and name notwithstanding, isn't that a good thing? If it's a good format, it's a good format.[/quote]
If I went to a football game, and as the game started, both teams put on skates, grabbed long L-shaped sticks, and then spent the duration of the game trying to push a small black object into a net, I'd be entertained, but I would be irked at the lack of football.

I, too, am disappointed that the new "Millionaire" isn't really "Millionaire," but not very. My general sentiment is somewhere on the order of "meh"

parliboy · « **Reply #239 on:** September 16, 2010, 01:05:55 AM »

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'247675\' date=\'Sep 15 2010, 09:51 PM\']If I went to a football game, and as the game started, both teams put on skates, grabbed long L-shaped sticks, and then spent the duration of the game trying to push a small black object into a net, I'd be entertained, but I would be irked at the lack of football.[/quote]
And if I went to a football game, and saw guys in a jersey and shorts trying to kick a round ball past a goalkeeper for 90 minutes, I would know that I live in a heavily Hispanic community, and that I am watching football.

And if I went to Australia for football, and the losing team had 80 points, and the field is 160 meters long, I'd know that I am watching football.

Every country seems to have a slightly different format for the show. The question in my mind is, at what point does that format not fit the implied contract that the viewer has with the show? This, I do not know.