WWBTAM is officially cancelled after this season

[TLEberle]

Well, if I'm remembering the leaked emails correctly, this cancelation will send the rights to Millionaire in the US back to Sony, who can do a reboot of the original format (or whatever they're doing internationally) when they feel the time is right.

But when is that time? Assuming that the only change they made is to the dollar values, does sitting down to answer trivia questions grab people anymore on primetime TV? The Wall has up to three million dollars on the line and Spin the Wheel looks to have a ton of money on the line, not only would it have to be Super Millionaire, but that the bigger money amounts would have to be attainable and several times over.

I come to bury Millionaire, not to praise it, but I think it has done a service in bringing game shows back to primetime viewing--I just wish that the majority of the games were better in general.

[Joe Mello]

But when is that time? Assuming that the only change they made is to the dollar values, does sitting down to answer trivia questions grab people anymore on primetime TV?

You could've asked the same thing about "naming a series of items to your partner that fit a given list" or "guessing the best punchline to this joke" or "praying the RNG gods smile favorably upon you" and yet we have Pyramid, Match Game, and soon Card Sharks and PYL.

One has to think that the pendulum that swung away from hard quizzes on TV eventually returns and something as simple as Millionaire could be seen as a refreshing throwback for a 2nd time.

[Stackertosh]

I never liked Millionaire as a daily show i thought it was better in primetime a few nights a week. When Regis hosted it, it was must see tv ("Did you see the guy last night winning $64k last night?!) with all the changes they done over the last few years format, host, music and cues the show doesn't feel like Millionaire anymore. The last time i really watched Millionaire was with the clock i thought it was exciting.


I found Chris Harrison to be a boring bland host. Terry was annoying as heck and Cedric was okay.



Off topic but Family Feud has shown its age and tiredness i wouldn't miss that show if it went off the air.

[PYLdude]

I for one think the show got three more years out of itself than it really should've had.

You know how critical I was of Meredith early (and I do still believe she took awhile to hit the stride I enjoyed because her style just didn't do it for me) but once she left the void it created wasn't easy to fill. Whatever you felt about Cedric as host is just that (and that's cool, he wasn't everybody's cup of tea), because the staff from the previous regime was still there and still running the show very well. Once Rich Sirop and Geoff Rosen left, that's when I think it all went to pot (I can't speak for James Rowley brcause I didn't deal with him) because you lost that driving force.

As much as I like Terry Crews the performer, his hosting job was just disastrous. That's when I figured the time was right to pull the plug. To me, when Chris Harrison came in and they got back to basics, that was a much needed shot in the arm. Bought them at least a couple of extra years they never really should've had to begin with.

[jjman920]

If I read correctly, three years. I wouldn’t be surprised if the show returns by 2025. Give the public a chance to miss it, and it comes back, just like any other wildly popular game show.

I could see the show coming back five years from now to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Maybe have Meredith host and see if a series of specials can kick off a new primetime run. So here's to 2024 with fingers crossed.

[johnnya2k3]

I never liked Millionaire as a daily show i thought it was better in primetime a few nights a week. When Regis hosted it, it was must see tv ("Did you see the guy last night winning $64k last night?!)

And Millionaire was must-see TV with Regis; he was watched by more viewers in primetime than on his daytime show (which explains Millionaire becoming the #1 show in all of television in 1999-2000).

[BrandonFG]

I never liked Millionaire as a daily show i thought it was better in primetime a few nights a week. When Regis hosted it, it was must see tv ("Did you see the guy last night winning $64k last night?!)

And Millionaire was must-see TV with Regis; he was watched by more viewers in primetime than on his daytime show (which explains Millionaire becoming the #1 show in all of television in 1999-2000).

Yes. Probably because primetime shows generally get more viewers than ones that air in the daytime. Bizarre concept, I know.

[Loogaroo]

The one thing I could see happening with a prime-time reboot is, on top of a refreshing of the set design (bringing it more in line with the UK set), a 16th question that's a free shot for $2M.

Now granted, I'm playing with money that isn't mine here, but it's a big way to set the show apart from previous runs. I mean, you'd have to win the million first to even have a chance at the double, which is not likely to be an easy feat, plus you can add the stipulation that there are no lifelines allowed even if you had any left.

[Kevin Prather]

The one thing I could see happening with a prime-time reboot is, on top of a refreshing of the set design (bringing it more in line with the UK set), a 16th question that's a free shot for $2M.

Now granted, I'm playing with money that isn't mine here, but it's a big way to set the show apart from previous runs. I mean, you'd have to win the million first to even have a chance at the double, which is not likely to be an easy feat, plus you can add the stipulation that there are no lifelines allowed even if you had any left.

I like the idea, but not the free shot. I'd do what India and Australia did.

[PYLdude]

I never liked Millionaire as a daily show i thought it was better in primetime a few nights a week. When Regis hosted it, it was must see tv ("Did you see the guy last night winning $64k last night?!)

And Millionaire was must-see TV with Regis; he was watched by more viewers in primetime than on his daytime show (which explains Millionaire becoming the #1 show in all of television in 1999-2000).

Yes. Probably because primetime shows generally get more viewers than ones that air in the daytime. Bizarre concept, I know.

Briefly playing devil's advocate here:

Let's say stuff goes according to plan and the syndicated Millionaire becomes an accompanying show to the primetime series. Does it benefit the syndie series in any way? I ask that largely because of the ratings problems the first season brought and how close we were to not even having a second season, never mind sixteen more.

[TLEberle]

But when is that time? Assuming that the only change they made is to the dollar values, does sitting down to answer trivia questions grab people anymore on primetime TV?

You could've asked the same thing about "naming a series of items to your partner that fit a given list" or "guessing the best punchline to this joke" or "praying the RNG gods smile favorably upon you" and yet we have Pyramid, Match Game, and soon Card Sharks and PYL.

This doesn't really answer my point, though.  We're now at a point where "$1 million" is no longer eye-catching or noteworthy, and we now have a game show on the air that looks like it asks no more of the contestants than to grab a peg on a giant wheel and give it a spin. The fact that ABC is plugging holes in their summer schedule with nostalgia-friendly game shows is nice--and nobody watches Match Game for the money--but I hope you're right that quiz questions as format foundation won't dry up completely.

[Dbacksfan12]

but I hope you're right that quiz questions as format foundation won't dry up completely.

In an era where people seem to have shorter attention spans, I'm guessing a show that pumps out, perhaps 15 question in a half hour (I haven't watched in years) isn't nearly as compelling as the competing show that features 61 every episode.

I think a competing quiz could be successful if the pace was faster; I believe Split Second would do quite nicely.

[Loogaroo]

"Short attention spans" is always a complaint people have about today's audiences, so I don't know how far that flies here.

The original WWTBAM would ask maybe 30-40 questions in a one-hour episode, depending on how far up the ladder the contestants got (a deep run would mean more time spent on an individual question, thus fewer questions overall). But with a few exceptions, even if a lot of time was spent on a single question it was probably because of the Lifelines being spent on it and then the time taken to re-assess the situation. As long as the story keeps moving forward I don't think people have a problem with the gross quantity of questions asked per show. What drove us nuts during the DOND era was that trivial decisions would be given long expanses of airtime to litigate and then resolve, in an obvious attempt to fill out an otherwise short game.

[chrisholland03]

What drove us nuts during the DOND era was that trivial decisions would be given long expanses of airtime to litigate and then resolve, in an obvious attempt to fill out an otherwise short game.

My opinion aligns with this.  Unless there's a new or less conspicuous manner to build drama, it becomes fatiguing after a few episodes, and the 70% of the audience that is watching via DVR is going to fast forward.

[Fedya]

As long as the story keeps moving forward I don't think people have a problem with the gross quantity of questions asked per show.

Compare Millionaire to 500 [sic] Questions.