Celebrity Millionaire is back

[brianhenke]

From Gameshownewsnet:

   The syndicated version of WWTBAM will have celebrities in the hot seat, playing for their favorite charities, during the November sweeps.

   Michael Davies says that the celebrity versions of WWTBAM in the Regis Philbin-hosted version were successful. Successful? After the first dose of Celebrity Millionaire in 2000, more and more celebrity editions were added (Musicians, Athletes, Supermodels, etc.), and the ratings tanked. Most people around here know what happened.

   Brian

   Will Smith played Hutch?

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'brianhenke\' date=\'Sep 22 2005, 06:51 PM\']From Gameshownewsnet:

   The syndicated version of WWTBAM will have celebrities in the hot seat, playing for their favorite charities, during the November sweeps.

 

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It'll be fine if they don't do more than two weeks of it a year. I'm wondering if Davies decided to do this in the wake of Katrina and the impeding Rita, although there was talk about one this Summer in the wake of Live 8.

[tvmitch]

For a cause like Katrina/Rita, sure, have celeb editions if it benefits one of the best causes. Some of the best celeb editions Millionaire did were after 9/11. Just no overkill, please.

And please, please, please. No guaranteed $25K. Let them play. Have celeb couples play if need be. But no guarantees. Make 'em work for it.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'mitchgroff\' date=\'Sep 22 2005, 07:10 PM\']And please, please, please. No guaranteed $25K. Let them play. Have celeb couples play if need be. But no guarantees. Make 'em work for it.

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That annoyed me, too, but I'm guessing that it won't be an issue, since there's no Fastest Finger on this version, meaning no ring of celebrities shouting out hints.

[tvmitch]

You'd think so, but at one time, Kermit the Frog was in the audience.

Huh? Huh? Haha.

[davemackey]

Of course, I'm always amused at the Perfesser's take on this - he says "The series has resisted suggestions to date to have celebrities play for home viewers, rather than non-profit organizations."

I think the word "my" got edited out of there, as in "The series has resisted my suggestions to date..."

[TLEberle]

You gotta be kidding me.  Playing for home viewers.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Sep 23 2005, 12:35 AM\']You gotta be kidding me.  Millionaire playing for home viewers.

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At least two other games, 70s syndicated LMAD and Scrabble, had celebrities playing for home viewers, so it has happened before

[PYLdude]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Sep 23 2005, 08:08 AM\']At least two other games, 70s syndicated LMAD and Scrabble, had celebrities playing for home viewers, so it has happened before

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That wasn't the point. The point is that Perfesser is saying that regular people should benefit more from these celebrity weeks than charitable causes. That's awfully damn selfish of him.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'PYLdude\' date=\'Sep 23 2005, 10:05 AM\']

That wasn't the point. The point is that Perfesser is saying that regular people should benefit more from these celebrity weeks than charitable causes. That's awfully damn selfish of him.

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If the regular people were those in Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama/sadly, soon to be Texas I fear who are/will be affected by these storms, it won't be as selfish.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Sep 23 2005, 10:32 AM\']
If the regular people were those in Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama/sadly, soon to be Texas I fear who are/will be affected by these storms, it won't be as selfish.

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zac, stop typing. as if it weren't possible for you to sound like a bigger geek, you're succeeding wildly.

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Sep 23 2005, 08:08 AM\'][quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Sep 23 2005, 12:35 AM\']You gotta be kidding me.  Millionaire playing for home viewers.

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At least two other games, 70s syndicated LMAD and Scrabble, had celebrities playing for home viewers, so it has happened before

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Not the point.

The Perfesser is trying ever to advance his agenda that celebrities on game shows should be playing for home viewers. He wants us to go back to the days of people sending in postcards. Like they did on "You Don't Say!" when they sent in phrases for the Bonus Board. He's also trying to keep celebrities off "Super Millionaire", if it ever comes back if, say, ABC suddenly has to cancel "Desperate Housewives" or somesuch.

It makes me feel better if a Drew Carey is going to spread his $500,000 around to people who really need it, rather than one lucky schlub who spent whatever a postcard costs nowadays and sent it off to the show.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Sep 23 2005, 05:38 PM\']The Perfesser is trying ever to advance his agenda that celebrities on game shows should be playing for home viewers. He wants us to go back to the days of people sending in postcards. Like they did on "You Don't Say!" when they sent in phrases for the Bonus Board. He's also trying to keep celebrities off "Super Millionaire", if it ever comes back if, say, ABC suddenly has to cancel "Desperate Housewives" or somesuch.

It makes me feel better if a Drew Carey is going to spread his $500,000 around to people who really need it, rather than one lucky schlub who spent whatever a postcard costs nowadays and sent it off to the show.

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Probably wouldn't be a postcard, but a signup at aol.com.

Davies could do the Great Compromise of the Aussie version on celeb shows--charity gets half, viewer gets half and no minimum (the better to see Richard Hatch go down in the first five questions).

Personally, it's just one week out of 39 (and since the whole season will be in the can by December, probably the only week).  As long as they book some people who will work well with Meredith and either have no minimum or a $1,000 minimum (first five questions are OK, because they're the easy ones to begin with), I will not complain.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Sep 23 2005, 05:38 PM\']The Perfesser is trying ever to advance his agenda that celebrities on game shows should be playing for home viewers.[/quote]
When isn't he trying to advance his own agenda ,while construing it to make it look like its not.

I'd hate to be in his broadcasting class.

BEVERLY: OK students, The Price is Right is a great example of bad television.  Sources think that Janice Pennington was fired because of her age....

[inturnaround]

The more money that's going to charity, the higher the level of celebrity you're going to get. I mean, would any B-Lister come to NYC to play for Joe Schmoe of Kokomo? No, they would not. For that, you'd need to get a D-Lister like Kathy Griffin or Mario Cantone.

And since Disney owns Kermit now, I wouldn't be surprised to see him again. Especially since they're doing a huge 50th anniversary relaunch starting next month with 4 of the movies being re-released and a big tour.