ABC Millionaire Coming Back

[tomobrien]

[quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Jan 26 2004, 03:41 PM\'][quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jan 26 2004, 01:02 PM\'] Super Millionaire [/quote]
Hang on just a second....did you invent that term or did the article use it and I missed it? Because calling it "Super Millionaire" just doesn't work, IMO. WWTBAM..nothing more, nothing less.[/quote]
That's how they're already referring to it on the abc.com website.

[PeterMarshallFan]

I have GOT to get tickets for this. :-)

[Sues Z]

Great news!!

Aren't there still some primetime shows from the original run that never got aired?

[gameshowguy2000]

[quote name=\'DrJWJustice\' date=\'Jan 26 2004, 12:42 AM\'] [quote name=\'NicholasM79\' date=\'Jan 26 2004, 01:15 AM\'] [quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jan 26 2004, 01:04 AM\'] I also hope that the remaining $0 Winners from the Primetime show will be allowed to play on this version, so that they can go from ZERO to TEN MILLION! [/quote]
So they can have a chance to possibly bomb again with even more money on the line? Oh puhleeze. Time for some fresh contestants rather than bringing some back from the past that has so miserably failed. (Llama, anyone?)

The point of the show is to see real people win, not to see already failed contestants get a second chance at so-called "glory". [/quote]
I agree -- once you've had a chance in the Hot Seat, that should be it, for good.  The llama special from the series run in '01 was neat to do once, but it shouldn't ever become a routine event.  Then again, I remember the championships series where none of the millionaires repeated, and at least one (Dan Blonsky, IIRC), missed a middle tier question and left with only $1,000. [/quote]
 Well, look at the first season on the Syndie show: They got EVERY last Llama to come back and win something. And EVERY LAST one of those Llamas won some money.

In the primetime version's first 2 seasons, There were 12 Llamas (One of them female), and only 5 of them made it to the hot seat.

On each of these Llama-Fests, the most money ever won by an Ex-Llama was $250,000.

So, see, some of the Llamas did change a bit.

[gameshowguy2000]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jan 26 2004, 12:53 PM\'] [quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Jan 26 2004, 01:03 PM\'] I'm a little surprised they'd displace 20/20 for WWTBAM, but c'est la vie. [/quote]
Barbara plans to leave 20/20 this fall anyway, so maybe this is preparation?  Anyway, I'm kind of indifferent here.  Will we actually see a $10M question?  Don't bank of it.  Greed had lots of players more content to leave with $200K than go for $2M.  But I see one bit of scheduling shrewdness with placing all Super Millionaire shows at 10pm: since Fox does not program at that hour, they can't drop an extra American Idol or Simple Life in to face SM.  Ratingswise, Thursday will be the night of keep an eye on the most, as SM will go against ER and Without a Trace (note that SM will not oppose Law & Order on Wednesday). [/quote]
 Barbara Walters leaving 20/20? Hmm, that I didn't see coming.

[SplitSecond]

I will wager that if you were able to split time into two separate continua and run two different versions of Millionaire:

1) This "Super Millionaire" format they're currently planning on going through with

and

2) Traditional "Millionaire" with 3 lifelines, the million dollar top prize, and a phone qualifying system that produces a lopsided number of schlubby white male contestants

... you would see the exact same reaction from the public.  The changes the show is proposing will not wreck the show; they will merely distinguish it from the syndicated version.  Funny how several of the same people dismissing the proposed changes out of hand this time are the same ones who were all over the idea (suggested here) of moveable milestones.

Either the American viewing audience is ready for primetime Millionaire again or it isn't.

[pyrawoman]

Pardon me if these things were already clarified above or at some other time, but I have a few questions:

1) Does anyone know for sure if SuperMillionaire is going to use the Fastest Finger or not? I didn't see it mentioned in the article linked to at the start of this thread, but the Prof says it will have FF. (Although I think he only references the NYtimes article.)

2) Does anyone know how to become a contestant for this show? I went to ABC.com and they said the auditions are open, but the link they give only goes to the syndicated version and says the auditions are closed.

3) If they do use the Fastest Finger, does anyone know if that counts and an official "game show appearance" , as far as getting on other game shows go, if you don't actually make it into the hot seat?

Just wondering about these things.

[ChuckNet]

Then again, I remember the championships series where none of the millionaires repeated, and at least one (Dan Blonsky, IIRC), missed a middle tier question and left with only $1,000.

As did Joe Trela, IIRC...and for those interested, GSN's currently up to the ToC in WWtBaM's run.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[ChuckNet]

There are still people in the syndicated contestant pool. Since taping has ended for this season on the syndicated show, they may tap into that contestant database.

I still say the phone game's the best way...brought in players who knew how to play the game and often left w/at least $32K.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[goongas]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...per_millionaire

"The later start time may cost ABC a large family audience; one of the game's early appeals was as a show parents and children could watch together. "

Braun said the strength of ABC's current schedule is its comedies, leaving much room for improvement at 10 p.m. He was also concerned about competing with Fox's "American Idol" and NBC's "The Apprentice" if it was on earlier. "

[goongas]

QUOTE (tommycharles @ Jan 26 2004, 03:41 PM)
QUOTE (Matt Ottinger @ Jan 26 2004, 01:02 PM)
Super Millionaire 


Hang on just a second....did you invent that term or did the article use it and I missed it? Because calling it "Super Millionaire" just doesn't work, IMO. WWTBAM..nothing more, nothing less.

Legally, they have to change the name of the show if the rules differ too much from the original, like Super Greed instead of Greed.

[SplitSecond]

Legally, they have to change the name of the show if the rules differ too much from the original, like Super Greed instead of Greed.

Yes, I think we all fondly remember Super Snap Judgment.

[Speedy G]

[quote name=\'goongas\' date=\'Jan 26 2004, 06:55 PM\']http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...per_millionaire

"The later start time may cost ABC a large family audience; one of the game's early appeals was as a show parents and children could watch together. "

Braun said the strength of ABC's current schedule is its comedies, leaving much room for improvement at 10 p.m. He was also concerned about competing with Fox's "American Idol" and NBC's "The Apprentice" if it was on earlier. "[/quote]
If they're going to be on for five nights, isn't it rather dumb to avoid every single popular show on the air?  You can't just dodge every single show on TV that gets ratings in the hopes that yours are better... or can you?

IANATvExecutive, but wouldn't it be better to place it where your key audience will watch than to move it where they won't, simply in the interest of avoiding the other primetime juggernauts?

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jan 26 2004, 06:48 PM\']

As did Joe Trela, IIRC...and for those interested, GSN's currently up to the ToC in WWtBaM's run.

 [/quote]
 They're showing the TofC on weekends only.

[tvmitch]

There's a German quiz remotely like Millionaire but for much less called "Das Quiz," and as the stakes increase, the *amount of possible answer choices* increases as well. This loses its luster around the 10th question on the show, when contestants have 11 answers to choose from (Clinton was the first president of the U.S.?) but might be something they've added to this version.

"Computer, please take away 3 wrong answers, leaving the right answer and two wrong answers."

Also, on the scheduling, 10pm is actually a brilliant move. Everyone said that kids watched the show with their parents and America Came Together Around The TV And Created World Peace, but kids aren't buying cars or anything AT&T sells.

Maybe Super Millionaire contestants will be the 10 fastest times on the Fastest Finger from the regular Regis run. Hehe.