What makes a good $1,000,000 Question

[tomobrien]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Feb 18 2004, 01:38 PM\']
Yep. What was interesting was that Regis actually talked her out of going with Tonga. If I were Kati, I probably would've been mad at Regis.[/quote]
Well, she was...and let the press know about it.  But she forgot the cardinal rule the producers always tell you: NEVER let Regis talk you into [or out of] an answer.

[starcade]

Matt:  But that's just it -- and why I disagree...  If you don't _KNOW IT_ -- you had better darn well walk away...  And you don't want to get the D&D version of Monty Haul (spelling, I believe, intentional) with one or even ten million dollars on the line.

[gameshowguy2000]

[quote name=\'tomobrien\' date=\'Feb 18 2004, 02:02 PM\'] [quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Feb 18 2004, 01:38 PM\']
Yep. What was interesting was that Regis actually talked her out of going with Tonga. If I were Kati, I probably would've been mad at Regis.[/quote]
Well, she was...and let the press know about it.  But she forgot the cardinal rule the producers always tell you: NEVER let Regis talk you into [or out of] an answer. [/quote]
 And that reminds me of the final episode of Celebrity Millionaire II:

Norm MacDonald was going to say Greenbrier on his MDQ. Then, like you guys said, he was gonna lock it in, but Regis talks him out of it, and THAT's what forces Norm to quit with the $500,000. And, after the lights come up, that's what he guesses. And as Regis said: "Greenbrier? Yeah, you would've been right."

And there's a big OHHHHHH! from the audience.

[starcade]

Matt, one clarification on a second read:

I was actually referring to the type of question that was used on the 50's big-money shows that no one in their sane mind would know even if they knew the subject, not a question on the events thereon...

About the closest we've had to those is on the 2 Minute Drill, with the Questions of Great Significance...

[Ian Wallis]

And he's the FIRST of a handful of players to ever miss the $500,000 question, although many people remember the fall of Kati Knudsen. She had it right, then changed it. Oh! Had she not done that, she would've joined Stephanie Girardi in the "Female $500,000 Winners' Circle."

Except, the way she was going that night, if she had gotten the $500,000 question right I wouldn't have been a bit surprised if she would have been the only person ever to miss the $1 million question.

It's obvious she wanted to go for it whether she knew it or not.

[Kevin Prather]

She said out loud on the $250,000 question that she "really wanted to be the first woman to win the million."

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'starcade\' date=\'Feb 18 2004, 04:19 PM\'] I was actually referring to the type of question that was used on the 50's big-money shows that no one in their sane mind would know even if they knew the subject, not a question on the events thereon...
 [/quote]
 Yeah, I finally picked up on that.

But back to our original disagreement, I think I see where it is we're not agreeing.  If I recall, you said that a good Million Dollar Question is one where the player either DEFINITELY knows it, or DEFINITELY does not know it.  I disagreed, but I think we're looking at it from different perspectives.  

If I'm a PLAYER, then sure, I want one that's so cut and dry that I can immediately make my decision and have no regrets about the outcome.  So from the perspective of the Hot Seat, that certainly makes a good question.  But if I'm the writer or the producer, I want a Million Dollar Question that toys with a player and flirts with the outer edges of his confidence level.  That makes for more drama, more excitement, and a better and more interesting television show.

In other words, a simple decision isn't as interesting as an agonizing, anguished decision.  So a good question ought to be one that gets the more interesting response.

[willmorris]

My personal favorite Million Dollar Question was the one that asked how many days there were in the Islamic calendar.

Choices were 354, 365, 376, and 400.

Now, I got this right, and only because I could reason my way through it.

[Don Howard]

How about this? Regis asks the following: Which of the following cereals did I have for breakfast this morning?
A.) Cheerios
B.) Rice Krispies
C.) Corn Flakes
D.) Crispix

[Kevin Prather]

C, final answer!

[starcade]

I think the kind of "flirting with it", though, could cause a heart-attack -- see the clip of Major Ingram's run for a good indication of that one...

[carlopanno]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Feb 5 2004, 08:55 AM\']

Note: Jeopardy! has 61 answers/questions per show, plus more on hand if there is a mistake during taping.

I'm pretty sure it was mentioned on one of the "behind the scenes" type shows that "Jeopardy" actually has 6 answers and questions per category.  The 6th is prepared just in case something weird happens during the reveal of one of the first five.

I wonder what kind of difficulty the 6th one has - because you can never know for sure at what point you might need it. [/quote]
 When I was at Jeopardy! (1985-1990) the sixth question (the "extra") would be placed among the other four depending on its difficulty. Sometimes they were tough and would go to the bottom of the category, other times they would be easy and would wind up near the top.


Wow -- only been here a couple of days and I can already participate. Cool.

--C

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'carlopanno\' date=\'Feb 25 2004, 12:40 PM\'] Wow -- only been here a couple of days and I can already participate. Cool.

 [/quote]
 And it's a pleasure to have another industry insider with us. Welcome to the family.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'carlopanno\' date=\'Feb 25 2004, 12:40 PM\'] Wow -- only been here a couple of days and I can already participate. Cool.

--C [/quote]
 Yes, it's very cool. Let me be the second to welcome you.

[gameshowguy2000]

[quote name=\'carlopanno\' date=\'Feb 25 2004, 11:40 AM\'] Wow -- only been here a couple of days and I can already participate. Cool.

--C [/quote]
 And let me be the third to lay out the "WELCOME" mat.