Golden-Road.net

Studio 46 - Non-TPiR Discussion => Out In Left Field => Topic started by: crazypackersfan on April 11, 2020, 02:51:51 AM

Title: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: crazypackersfan on April 11, 2020, 02:51:51 AM
It's back, in celebrity form. I don't know if they taped this thing before or after the quarantine, but there's no visible audience (perhaps some crew people cheering in the back, Jimmy Kimmel said?).

What I love about it most is that they brought back the old dollar value amounts and went back to the way the game was originally played. Kimmel will never be Regis Philbin, but he doesn't have to be. He doesn't take things too seriously, which adds to the humor between him and the contestant(s).

50:50 & Phone a Friend are back, while there are two new lifelines. One is Ask the Host (since there's no audience); apparently Kimmel doesn't have knowledge of the answers, so asking him is just like phoning a friend. The second lifeline works as follows: from $100 to $32,000, a player has a friend or relative sitting behind them helping them out. Once you reach $64,000, that help is gone, but you can bring your helper for one question by trading in one of the lifelines you still have. Apparently this isn't "fixed" like the original Celebrity Millionaire was; the contestant actually used a lifeline before the $32,000 question. Back in the Philbin days, they'd kind of sort of maybe help the contestant automatically get that $32,000.

Overall, it's just so great to see Millionaire in its original form once again. Even if it is quarantined.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: gamesurf on April 11, 2020, 07:37:28 AM
It’s good to Michael Davies back in the producer’s chair stripping away all the junk that’s accumulated over the years. It’s not perfect, but it’s familiar comfort food.

The Good

The Bad

The Weird

Also:

Imagine an alternate universe where TV licensed games got in on the action with an official Jeopardy or Cash Cab daily game promoting the show.

They have Kay Adams from NFL Network hosting an HQ-style postgame on an app. Is this the first official game-show branded HQ-style tie-in?

Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: JayC on April 11, 2020, 11:57:41 AM
It's back, in celebrity form. I don't know if they taped this thing before or after the quarantine, but there's no visible audience (perhaps some crew people cheering in the back, Jimmy Kimmel said?).
It was taped in early March as the stay at home directives were beginning.

Apparently this isn't "fixed" like the original Celebrity Millionaire was; the contestant actually used a lifeline before the $32,000 question. Back in the Philbin days, they'd kind of sort of maybe help the contestant automatically get that $32,000.
The difference is it's just one person helping the contestant versus all of the celebrities playing in the set of episodes like it was on the original Regis version. If neither the contestant or their "expert" knows or isn't sure enough to lock in, they'll use a lifeline before $32,000. The questions up to $64,000, at least IMO, were easy enough to answer without help.

apparently Kimmel doesn't have knowledge of the answers, so asking him is just like phoning a friend.
The host never had the answer until the contestant locked in.

I thought it was a very good show overall, the magic of the original primetime show isn't quite there but it's still nice to have Millionaire back in close to roots form. Love hearing the original music. The set is really nice, it just feels weird and empty with no audience. I thought Jimmy Kimmel did well hosting, he has a nice rapport with the celebrities and had a few funny quips. There was a little too much banter though and stretching things out to create tension. Ask the Host is a fine substitute for Ask the Audience, and I like the twist of being able to use the expert for one more question in exchange for a lifeline. I agree with gamesurf on the graphics though, they look a little low budget. And yes, I hate the "we'll reveal the right answer after the break!" tease.

The HQ style game after the show was fun too, though I could do without the commentary before reveals and between answers.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: SamJ93 on April 11, 2020, 12:32:59 PM
  • “C, final answer.” “We’ll find out if it’s C after the break!” It was cheap when Deal or No Deal did it and it’s cheap now.

To be fair, the original UK version did this too all the way back in the late 90's. The US version actually dialed back the drawn-out reveals a fair bit in comparison.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: pricefan18 on April 11, 2020, 01:45:45 PM
To be fair, the original UK version did this too all the way back in the late 90's. The US version actually dialed back the drawn-out reveals a fair bit in comparison.

I thought about that. This is actually more authentic than even the Regis version relative to the original given that.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: gamesurf on April 11, 2020, 03:05:19 PM
"Authentic" isn't always worth chasing. It's bad practice, especially in 2020.

Most of the drama is in whether or not the contestant will build up their gumption and give a final answer, instead of "are they right?". You already form an opinion on if they're likely to be correct or not as you watch the contestant struggle. You can't stretch that tension out over a three-and-a-half minute commercial break.

If your viewers can skip commercial breaks, it adds zilch to the show. If your viewers can't skip commercial breaks but knew the answer, it was annoying instead of dramatic. If your viewers can't skip commercial breaks and didn't know the answer, you don't want to break the tension and give them three and a half minutes to google "Argo".
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Reloaden on April 12, 2020, 12:57:50 AM
If anyone watched the New Uk version with Jermey Clarkson everything is pretty much the same down to the set lighting and "Asking the host" lifeline with the host explaining they don't see the answer.

The Good
Bringing the show back to its original format
Not Americanizing it keeping it the same as the British Version.
Having Michael Davis produce the show.

The Bad
The Graphics were bad they should of used the British or Dutch Graphics. The old style Graphics doesn't look right.
I am not a fan of celebrity shows after a while the celebrity gets annoying and how clueless they are.
The opening i hated the opening.


 
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Trevor Tuominen on April 12, 2020, 10:28:54 AM
Technically the “reveal the answer after the break” thing has already been done by the British, Aussie, and Japanese versions. Though, I agree, more of those and we stoop to Deal or No Deal levels. Also, Davies has said that he wants to bring Millionaire back twice a year: once with celebrities, and once with civilians. As for the graphics, they’re the British lozenges with the original colors, and the background is the Dutch background. Great version, would love to see civilians play it again.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: BillyGr on April 12, 2020, 02:44:18 PM
50:50 & Phone a Friend are back, while there are two new lifelines. One is Ask the Host (since there's no audience); apparently Kimmel doesn't have knowledge of the answers, so asking him is just like phoning a friend. The second lifeline works as follows: from $100 to $32,000, a player has a friend or relative sitting behind them helping them out. Once you reach $64,000, that help is gone, but you can bring your helper for one question by trading in one of the lifelines you still have. Apparently this isn't "fixed" like the original Celebrity Millionaire was; the contestant actually used a lifeline before the $32,000 question. Back in the Philbin days, they'd kind of sort of maybe help the contestant automatically get that $32,000.

Overall, it's just so great to see Millionaire in its original form once again. Even if it is quarantined.

It appeared that the contestant didn't know about the option for the change of life lines until it was brought up.  Wonder if knowing about it in advance (which, should they do another series those playing would suspect that this will stay) would/will make any difference?

In other words, being that you could exchange it for any unused lifeline, would that make a contestant choose which lifeline to use (if needed) in the first part any different to leave a particular one to be switched out later on.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Mr. Weatherman on April 12, 2020, 09:26:06 PM
I’m surprised no one has pointed this out, but the omission of ‘Ask the Audience’ is due, obviously, to there being no audience present.

If we look at the UK revival format, four lifelines are present throughout the game: 50:50, Phone a Friend, Ask the Audience and Ask the Host.  There is no option to swap a lifeline during the top tier level questions, and if I had to take an educated guess, they are only doing it now to fill the gap of the missing lifeline without reintroducing another old lifeline from the syndicated version.

Also, I do wonder if there are plans to eventually include a ‘Fastest Finger’ segment, assuming the show eventually tapes with regular people instead of celebrities.  The set featured on this celebrity edition is modified slightly to include a space for the celebrity friend, so I don’t believe FF was ever meant to be a feature on this particular version.  That being said, the friend’s computer panel is designed exactly like the UK FF panels. 

When comparing the sets side-by-side, they are nearly identical.  The primary difference is the UK version has a pair of pits for FF that the celebrity version does not — but — a civilian version on ABC would have no need for a celebrity friend, so that makes me wonder if there is or will be an alternate configuration for FF.  Seeing that they are staying true to almost every other facet of the original run, it wouldn’t surprise me to see it come back.

As for my thoughts on the show, I’m not a fan of Kimmel for...reasons...but I think he is doing a fine job and fits the role.  Some say “he’s no Regis,” but I personally compare Regis to Chris Tarrant and think the latter was better in the UK, but that’s my own opinion.

The graphics are identical to the UK version, minus the color scheme being true to the original run.  I might be in the minority here, but I actually quite liked them.

Finally, Mike Richards is an executive producer on the show.  Not sure how many were aware of that or caught it on the end credits, but whatever the extent of his involvement is, I think he’s doing a fine job.  In fact, Davies, Richards and even Kimmel are all listed as EPs.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: PatrickRox80 on April 12, 2020, 09:47:37 PM
In fact, Davies, Richards and even Kimmel are all listed as EPs.

I don't like the trend of new game shows having so many EPs, especially considering Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune have been doing just fine with one for decades. If it's not up to par, then it's too many cooks spoiling the broth. At least this reboot of Millionaire isn't as bad in this aspect as shows like The Misery Index. There's no good reason to have 11 EPs on one game show.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Superballer on April 12, 2020, 09:49:22 PM
Technically the “reveal the answer after the break” thing has already been done by the British, Aussie, and Japanese versions. Though, I agree, more of those and we stoop to Deal or No Deal levels. Also, Davies has said that he wants to bring Millionaire back twice a year: once with celebrities, and once with civilians. As for the graphics, they’re the British lozenges with the original colors, and the background is the Dutch background. Great version, would love to see civilians play it again.
 


Of course, with Kimmel in charge, they need to at least try and get Ben Stein to sign on for any future celebrity run for old time's sake. 
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: gamesurf on April 12, 2020, 09:57:00 PM
It appeared that the contestant didn't know about the option for the change of life lines until it was brought up.  Wonder if knowing about it in advance (which, should they do another series those playing would suspect that this will stay) would/will make any difference?

Contestants have to be briefed on how the game works before they play for legal reasons, so my guess is Mr. Stonestreet either wasn't paying close attention to that rule during the briefing or was just playing along for comic effect.

Also, I do wonder if there are plans to eventually include a ‘Fastest Finger’ segment, assuming the show eventually tapes with regular people instead of celebrities.  The set featured on this celebrity edition is modified slightly to include a space for the celebrity friend, so I don’t believe FF was ever meant to be a feature on this particular version.  That being said, the friend’s computer panel is designed exactly like the UK FF panels.

When comparing the sets side-by-side, they are nearly identical.  The primary difference is the UK version has a pair of pits for FF that the celebrity version does not — but — a civilian version on ABC would have no need for a celebrity friend, so that makes me wonder if there is or will be an alternate configuration for FF.  Seeing that they are staying true to almost every other facet of the original run, it wouldn’t surprise me to see it come back.

I would. Maybe when they were building the set they decided to keep the option open just in case, but they're not going to be flying civilians out to New York anytime soon.

It's a bummer. I'm not overly impressed with any of the celebrities, but it is what it is. It does make more sense to give Jimmy some known personalities to lampoon instead asking him to coax some personality out of nervous civilians. Part of what made original run so good was seeing Regis do it so masterfully, and I miss it, but I see why it was done.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Trevor Tuominen on April 12, 2020, 11:20:16 PM
Actually, the new Millionaire is taped at Culver City, California this time around.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: TPIRfan#9821 on April 15, 2020, 10:42:45 PM
Tonight's episode of Millionaire is going to be a fun one to talk about. Staying broad since it hasn't aired in my time zone.

However, if one wants to know my thoughts on the issue, there's a lot of precedent from the past run on how I would have dealt with it, like this one (https://youtu.be/oZ-LvUECJC0?t=1m53s).
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: goldroadfanatic on April 15, 2020, 11:17:56 PM
What happened at the $16,000 question goes against the rules and precedent of the show. Whenever someone says one of the answers and "Final Answer" afterwards, the show honors the decision and locks it in. If you spoke before you thought, locked in an answer impulsively, and your final answer was wrong, you drop down to the last safe haven and leave with that amount or go home empty-handed.

I understand this game was for charity and there's a guaranteed $32,000 for celebrity players, but I feel that producers needed to be consistent with the rules no matter who was playing. In previous instances, those who locked in an incorrect answer, even if they didn't intend to, were ruled incorrect and left the game with their guaranteed amounts (or nothing) like the clip below.


I'm flabbergasted.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: AvsFan on April 15, 2020, 11:58:57 PM
I think the charity nature of the show combined with the fact that it was an obvious verbal error is what pushed the judges to let her change.

After the commercial break, they should have made her restate her new final answer followed by "final answer", just to make it official.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: LiteBulb88 on April 16, 2020, 12:02:29 AM
I agree with everything goldenroadfanatic said--charity or not, "final answer" has been in the Millionaire vernacular since day 1, and it's meant your answer is locked in and can't be changed. Letting her change her answer was a terrible ruling.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Mr. Weatherman on April 16, 2020, 12:07:29 AM
Man........

This is tough.  Having just watched, I’m inclined to go with the judges.  In the instance pointed about above — which, by the way, I agree with how it was handled then — the contestant never discussed the actual correct answer.  She blurted out the first option that said “Slam-“ without thinking through the remaining answers. 

In tonight’s case, there was extensive discussion, and a consensus was made between the contestant and her guest to select an answer.  Had it not been for that, the judges would have been 100% correct in only allowing the initial ‘final answer’, as was the case before.  However, she did have her choice figured out, and it was clear what her intended choice was.  Barring any prior instances where a contestant had a pre-determined answer, stated the answer but then gave an incorrect choice that couldn’t be reversed, I think they made the right call.  That being said, they’ve now set a potentially dangerous precedent and need to address it.

I’m also not sure I would disagree had they not allowed to her to change her answer.  I’m something like 55/45 in favor.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: PatrickRox80 on April 16, 2020, 12:49:50 AM
"Final answer" means "final answer". She shouldn't have been allowed to change it.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: gamesurf on April 16, 2020, 01:19:43 AM
Every few years, somebody on "Wheel of Fortune" mispronounces a word solving a puzzle they obviously know and loses out on a bunch of money. Every few years when that happens, "Wheel of Fortune missolve" starts trending and there's a collective outrage of "WTF they should have won", even though that rule has been consistently enforced for over 40 years and there's tons of precedent to back that up. It's fair, but that doesn't stop it from making the news in a negative way over and over.

If fairness is the number one issue, she absolutely should have been ruled incorrect and sent off with a "well, we're guaranteeing your charity $32,000 despite the mistake." It isn't fair to the other contestants who made that same mistake and were ruled incorrect if you break that precedent.

But fairness isn't the number one issue. The goal of Millionaire is to make good TV. If I'm Michael Davies, I don't want some controversial decision like that happening on the second episode of my big primetime event, getting the show trending for the wrong reasons, and overshadowing the rest of the series.

I don't like the decision and I think she should have been ruled incorrect, but I see why it was made. Chalk it up as "famous people don't get held to the same standard as regular folks", volume #16,000.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Mr. Weatherman on April 16, 2020, 02:57:17 AM
Our group aside, would it have been as big of a deal if they hadn’t thrown to commercial and instead edited the reveal to look as though the decision was made on the fly?  The pause in action to “let the judges decide” made a greater deal out of the moment for those watching.  I’d have to think articles will be written about this later today.  Might even make television news.  Had it simply been edited as one scene, 99% of the general public wouldn’t think any different and it probably wouldn’t be newsworthy. 

Also, given there was no studio audience, there would be virtually no chance of the ‘stop tape’ moment being leaked.  In fact, they could have easily edited the wrong answer moment out completely, and we wouldn’t even be having this discussion — just depends if it would have been an S&P issue.

In hindsight, S&P may well be the reason the mistake was aired and handled the way it was.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: gamesurf on April 16, 2020, 09:29:39 AM
If this were a Mark Burnett production, I'd bet they would just reshoot her giving her answer entirely.

I do appreciate them keeping that in the cut, even if it wasn't ideal TV and I don't agree with the judge's decision.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Trevor Tuominen on April 16, 2020, 03:02:38 PM
I know I’m in the minority here, but I agree with the judges. Nikki knew the correct answer, but slipped up. Also, this is a celebrity edition. Contestants are guaranteed $32,000 no matter what.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: GameShowKid on April 18, 2020, 07:13:03 AM
I agree with everything goldenroadfanatic said--charity or not, "final answer" has been in the Millionaire vernacular since day 1, and it's meant your answer is locked in and can't be changed. Letting her change her answer was a terrible ruling.
I agree as well.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Flerbert419 on April 18, 2020, 07:45:18 AM
I would have sent her home with the $32,000 - it's the only right thing to do when Words Have Meanings. I wonder if they were afraid to put front and center that it's the minimum and 2/3 of the game really has no impact.

Also, if I still have my Phone-A-Friend I'm switching it for my helper. I know Jimmy continues to downplay his intelligence (he is 2/2 so far), but that 30 second timer versus unlimited time with those in studio seems well worth it.

That being said, they’ve now set a potentially dangerous precedent and need to address it.

Do they? The show is essentially off the air.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: BillyGr on April 18, 2020, 04:06:07 PM
That being said, they'’ve now set a potentially dangerous precedent and need to address it.

Do they? The show is essentially off the air.

Seems they can just say it was allowed as a differential in rules on a Celebrity show, similar to other differences that shows do (like their own guarantee of a certain $ amount, or Celebrity Family Feud where Steve has re-read a question/allowed an answer in the bonus round when time already ran out).
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: gamesurf on April 18, 2020, 07:05:24 PM
I think what Flerbert is getting at is that once this series is over there is no guarantee that Millionaire will even be on US airwaves again, so there isn't much point in responding to the controversy unless they plan on making new episodes.

Plus, it hasn't made a big splash in the news. Nobody outside the hardcore game show community seems to still be talking about it. If their goal was to minimize the amount of blowback they'd get, they've been pretty successful. The only way they could have gotten less negative publicity is by fudging the integrity of the game even more and editing it out entirely, and I respect them for not doing that.

Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Mr. Weatherman on April 18, 2020, 09:39:45 PM
Keep in mind the above quote of mine being referenced was made the night of the show airing — written under the presumption this event would be newsworthy.  So far, I’ve only see one article from a reputable source pop up that really didn’t question the decision that much, so it seems this is flying under the radar quite well.  As such, I, too, disagree with my original comment now that we’re a few days into the future. 😝
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: imhomerjay on April 20, 2020, 08:45:44 PM
Much ado about nothing?

Even if it returns, there’s no need to address something that didn’t cause an issue.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: JayC on May 03, 2020, 07:53:36 PM
The move to 8pm Thursday definitely helped the ratings -- Millionaire rose to 6.22 according to Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/parks-rec-young-sheldon-tv-ratings-thursday-april-30-2020-1292806 (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/parks-rec-young-sheldon-tv-ratings-thursday-april-30-2020-1292806)
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Trevor Tuominen on May 05, 2020, 08:27:27 PM
I’m thankful for that. I expected ratings to go down due to the Glazer fiasco.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: Grand_game2004 on May 05, 2020, 11:17:21 PM
so what's different about this new version of WWTBAM?
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: imhomerjay on May 06, 2020, 12:18:46 PM
I’m thankful for that. I expected ratings to go down due to the Glazer fiasco.

It’s really not a fiasco because most people really don’t over analyze that kind of thing. It’s essentially only something a small group cared about.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Post by: JayC on May 06, 2020, 10:45:41 PM
so what's different about this new version of WWTBAM?
Same money scale as the original primetime version, gameplay is basically the same. The biggest difference is there is no audience so no Ask the Audience lifeline, it is replaced by Ask the Host. It's also celebrity contestants only, and they have a guest with them to help them with the first ten questions. After the first ten, their guest can help them with one more question if they swap him/her for an available lifeline.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Mr. Weatherman on May 07, 2020, 12:08:20 PM
‘Ask the Host’ is taking the place of ‘Ask the Audience’ in lieu of there being no audience; however, the UK offers the lifeline as a fourth option in addition to the standard three (with the audience present, obviously).  If I was a betting man, I would say future iterations that do feature an audience, regardless of celebrity or non-celebrity contestants, will still retain ‘Ask the Host’ as a fourth lifeline, just as the UK has done.  I could be wrong, but it wouldn’t surprise me given how extensively this version is borrowing from the UK reboot.

/side note: I’ve added a ‘?’ to the thread title since it should technically be there 🤓
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Reloaden on May 09, 2020, 04:34:06 PM
Everything is pretty much the same as the Uk Version.

I hope the show returns with cillvillan contestants, The celebrity specials get boring after a while.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: goldroadfanatic on May 17, 2020, 07:26:56 AM
I do wonder if they intended to have Ask the Host as the fourth lifeline, but replaced Ask the Audience with it due to the lack of an audience when these shows were taped.

I was really enthralled at Catherine O'Hara's performance. This is the first time since December 2017 that anybody has won $250,000 on the show. Celebrities who faced the $250,000 question on this version all decided to walk away not risk losing $93,000 for their charity, but Catherine was a risk-taker. I loved how she said she promised her charity $32,000 and she will provide that to them even if she loses before locking in her final answer.  I was really hoping Catherine would trust her gut instinct again to win $500,000, but she played it smart and walked away when she could.

Seeing the "5:00 minutes later" graphic during Dr. Phil's $32,000 question was hilarious. Imagine if they did that for other contestants who took such a long time to decide how they wanted to proceed (see Kati Knudsen (https://millionaire.fandom.com/wiki/Kati_Knudsen), who spent almost an hour deliberating on her $500,000 question).
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: jude_este on May 21, 2020, 04:34:38 PM
Sharing some news this afternoon, the revival has been renewed for Season 2.

https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/abc-renews-the-bachelor-stumptown-blackish-rookie-schooled-single-parents-canceled-1234613327/
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: jlgarfield on May 22, 2020, 04:15:08 PM
^ Very great news. :D

On a personal note, I <3 both Millionaire and Press Your Luck. When I found out that Millionaire was coming back, I realized that it and PYL will be on the same network (but not the same time), it was a freakin' dream come true for me.

So, in celebration, I made this mock movie poster with my artistic skills: https://i.imgur.com/7dMWk6U.png

Enjoy. :D
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: GameShowsRule95 on May 23, 2020, 05:45:37 AM
I don't know about y'all but I'm not all for this Millionaire revival mainly because there are more than a few game shows that deserve a revival more than it does.

Examples of shows I feel are much more deserving of a revival than Millionaire include: Password, Hollywood Squares, Tic Tac Dough, The Joker's Wild (one that is actually closer to the original Jack Barry version, not that TBS/TNT one that might as well be called "The Dogg's Wild"), $ale of the Century, Blockbusters, and Body Language.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: urbanpreppie0004 on May 23, 2020, 09:20:18 PM
Just because there are other shows that could have been revived doesn't mean people shouldn't be happy that Millionaire was brought back. There's only so many shows that an audience can take at one time.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Mr. Weatherman on May 24, 2020, 12:44:44 AM
Let’s also not forget Who Wants to be a Millionaire was designed from the very beginning to be a primetime show, and it’s one whose basic format has held up quite well over the years with only slight modifications needed to bring the set into the 2020s — everything else just...works, music and all. 

There’s a reason why (at least the way this article reads) WWTBAM is getting a full season of episodes, whereas the ‘classic’ game shows are primarily just summer filler.  And given that we’re (probably) getting a full season, it’s safe to assume we’ll see actual contestants and not just celebrities.

Heck, we might even see multiple nights of airings per week like the old days just because this show is so much easier to tape given the circumstances than scripted programming will be...

And random side note: it wouldn’t surprise me at this point if NBC finally gives the green light to a second season of Deal or no Deal to air on the main network, especially since it tapes in Florida and can have an actual audience present.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: gamesurf on May 24, 2020, 01:45:01 AM
Let’s also not forget Who Wants to be a Millionaire was designed from the very beginning to be a primetime show, and it’s one whose basic format has held up quite well over the years with only slight modifications needed to bring the set into the 2020s — everything else just...works, music and all. 

There’s a reason why (at least the way this article reads) WWTBAM is getting a full season of episodes, whereas the ‘classic’ game shows are primarily just summer filler.  And given that we’re (probably) getting a full season, it’s safe to assume we’ll see actual contestants and not just celebrities.

I think it's too soon to assume that we're getting a full season, or that they won't be celebrity episodes. At least, this Deadline (https://deadline.com/2020/05/abc-renewals-stumptown-mixed-ish-2020-21-season-a-million-little-things-the-conners-the-goldbergs-the-rookie-the-bachelor-dancing-with-the-stars-renewed-1202940807/) article seems to imply they're just more celeb eps.

I don't know about y'all but I'm not all for this Millionaire revival mainly because there are more than a few game shows that deserve a revival more than it does.

Examples of shows I feel are much more deserving of a revival than Millionaire include: Password, Hollywood Squares, Tic Tac Dough, The Joker's Wild (one that is actually closer to the original Jack Barry version, not that TBS/TNT one that might as well be called "The Dogg's Wild"), $ale of the Century, Blockbusters, and Body Language.

Deserve's got nothing to do with it. It's not like all the game shows are waiting in a line for their turn and the most patient one gets it.

The question isn't "Which should we renew, Millionaire or Password?" The question is more like "Millionaire, or literally any other show in existence that we could put in that timeslot?". Considering the other options (more crime dramas, sitcoms, reality), I'm happy that a decent game show is getting look at all.

(Plus, most of those shows just aren't natural fits for network primetime TV if you're worried about making them loyal to the originals--although I would about kill for a decent Sale of the Century revival with a primetime-sized budget...)
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: JayC on May 24, 2020, 12:09:56 PM
Most likely the next set of Millionaire eps will be used as a mid-season replacement.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: imhomerjay on May 24, 2020, 01:25:16 PM
Whatever one might like or dislike about Snoop Dogg, his take on Joker was actually pretty darned faithful in the framework to the original when modernized for the 21st century. Now I say this as a regular viewer of that entire contingent of Barry & Enright shows (even, god help me, Play The Pecentages)—by today’s standards, they’re boring and easy as all he....ck. They’d require substantial updates to be viable for something like “Summer Fun and Games.”

All that aside though, what deserves a revival, or introduction, is what the network feels can work best. Millionaire had far more name recognition and familiarity than...Body Language. I mean, really...a fun show, but let’s at least be honest. This is a business after all. It’s a decent option for ABC and earned a slot in the new season based on that performance.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: gamesurf on May 24, 2020, 02:58:45 PM
Whatever one might like or dislike about Snoop Dogg, his take on Joker was actually pretty darned faithful in the framework to the original when modernized for the 21st century.

I will say it’s far more faithful and has much more respect for the original format than I ever would expect from a show with a $420 space on the slots and a category where Snoop gets questions from a talking bong.

But yeah, most old Barry-Enright formats seem very “vanilla” for today’s audiences... I have a hard time imagining them being brought back without some extra gimmick or creative reimagining.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: supersaver87 on May 24, 2020, 06:35:54 PM
But yeah, most old Barry-Enright formats seem very “vanilla” for today’s audiences... I have a hard time imagining them being brought back without some extra gimmick or creative reimagining.

It's possible they could do without; Funny You Should Ask and Common Knowledge are as barebones as you could possibly get, and yet both are going gangbusters.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 24, 2020, 07:13:33 PM
I will say it’s far more faithful and has much more respect for the original format than I ever would expect from a show with a $420 space on the slots and a category where Snoop gets questions from a talking bong.

But yeah, most old Barry-Enright formats seem very “vanilla” for today’s audiences... I have a hard time imagining them being brought back without some extra gimmick or creative reimagining.

Well given the bonus rounds for Bullseye, The Joker's Wild & Tic Tac Dough were all hit X or Z before hitting Y, I can understand why.

The other problem is that the shows are what you see is what you get. There's not much you can do to amplify TTD or Bullseye.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: blozier2006 on May 24, 2020, 10:45:52 PM
There's not much you can do to amplify TTD
The red-box categories send their regards.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: imhomerjay on May 24, 2020, 11:03:44 PM
The red-box categories send their regards.
They didn’t really help. Joker eventually had a gimmick category in every game as well.

They were all the same game, with minor mechanical changes (not counting the short lived couples format on Percentages). It would be like one show where you spin a wheel to determine the value of a letter in a word puzzle and one where you pull a lever to determine the value of a letter in a word puzzle. Radically different, right?

Only Hot Potato went in a different direction, and its bonus game was still a kissing cousin to all the other bonus games.

Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 24, 2020, 11:13:26 PM
My point is look at modern primetime game shows. Do TTD or Bullseye really work? The Joker's Wild is a strong format (outside of the X or Z before Y) that worked with the Snoop Dogg version.

Jack Barry and Dan Enright just didn't come up with enough originalism in their formats that translates in 2020.

It's no surprise shows like Supermarket Sweep are ahead of them.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: gamesurf on May 24, 2020, 11:24:45 PM
The red-box categories send their regards.

I mean, it's something, but it's not exactly in competition for Millionaire's network primetime slot

I'd love to be proven wrong and have Tic Tac Dough 2021 Starring Hugh Jackman become the latest breakout hit, but I don't think it's got enough there to keep people coming back aside from the people who were already fans in the first place.

Millionaire stood on the ashes of a 45-year-old format, yes, but it was retooled from the ground up for modern audiences. If they had tried making The $640,000 Question in 1999 with an isolation booth and "pick your own category" multi-part questions and "let's watch him think for 30 seconds with no host interaction", it would have sucked.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 24, 2020, 11:34:04 PM
I mean, it's something, but it's not exactly in competition for Millionaire's network primetime slot

I'd love to be proven wrong and have Tic Tac Dough 2021 Starring Hugh Jackman become the latest breakout hit, but I don't think it's got enough there to keep people coming back aside from the people who were already fans in the first place.

Millionaire stood on the ashes of a 45-year-old format, yes, but it was retooled from the ground up for modern audiences. If they had tried making The $640,000 Question in 1999 with an isolation booth and "pick your own category" multi-part questions and "let's watch him think for 30 seconds with no host interaction", it would have sucked.

US Millionaire benefited from the UK being the first one to do it. Brits are incredibly strong at making quiz show formats. It was ready-tested to go and became a big hit. Also, back then, the allure of big money meant business. Then syndication happened.

The problem with the Barry-Enright shows is that they just didn't age well. I get the love for Tic Tac Dough (I personally put it with Tattletales in shows I find boring as hell) and The Joker's Wild. But only when you have 1 show with a strong format, the others suffer. Look at the Family Channel interactive games. The Trivial Pursuit one was great. The rest were a boggle jumble and shuffle of hot garbage.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: pricefan18 on May 24, 2020, 11:50:29 PM
I mean, it's something, but it's not exactly in competition for Millionaire's network primetime slot

I'd love to be proven wrong and have Tic Tac Dough 2021 Starring Hugh Jackman become the latest breakout hit, but I don't think it's got enough there to keep people coming back aside from the people who were already fans in the first place.

What if you added a buzz-in element to the game? Make each one a toss-up....or allow the other player to try and answer any questions their opponent got wrong to capture a window themselves. Maybe that'd help?
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: gamesurf on May 25, 2020, 12:32:30 AM
Most of the new "Fun & Games" shows each have a draw that makes it fun to watch, even if you put aside the "game" elements.


Tic Tac Dough has, what, a big computerized tic-tac-toe board? It was novel 30 years ago, but it still just boils down to trivia and tic-tac-toe, and I can get my fill of both of those from my smartphone.

I can't think of what you could do to give it that "wow" factor the other shows have.  It doesn't lend itself well to jokes, there's not that much tension in a game of tic-tac-toe, and a big computerized board may have impressed people in the 80s but that only goes so far in 2020. You'd have to completely take the framework apart and rebuild it into something that may not even resemble the original show.

(I mean, it's not impossible. There's some old ancient Bob Stewart show about guessing prices that got rebuilt from the ground up in the 70's, and I hear it did very well...)
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: GameShowsRule95 on May 25, 2020, 06:18:23 AM
Well surprised to see my post created a lot of responses and turned this thread into a discussion about what game shows translate well into modern day. Let me make some points of mine clear.

1. I'm not saying you have to not like Millionaire being back in prime time. If you like it, go and enjoy it. I'd take a revival of it over another stupid reality show or a revival of that game show that requires no luck known as Deal or No Deal.

2. I think Hollywood Squares could work in primetime because it has a lot of the same elements as Match Game (celebrities, jokes, etc.), and since Tom Bergeron and Whoopi Goldberg are both doing shows for ABC it wouldn't be so hard to maybe bring them back as host and center square respectively.

3. Are you all saying The Joker's Wild needed to be turned into "The Dogg's Wild" to succeed today? I think that format could work today with a very Vegas like set. Would't that maybe attract more people to watch it? Espicially those who aren't fans of Snoop Dogg and can't take his ego. Also, if you like that reboot, like it, I just don't care to watch it.

4. I'm not saying these shows have to be revived in just network primetime format. They could be revived in syndication daytime and primetime, or if the networks get desperate maybe even network daytime.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: pricefan18 on May 25, 2020, 07:06:05 AM
2. I think Hollywood Squares could work in primetime because it has a lot of the same elements as Match Game (celebrities, jokes, etc.), and since Tom Bergeron and Whoopi Goldberg are both doing shows for ABC it wouldn't be so hard to maybe bring them back as host and center square respectively.

You suddenly have me thinking of the MG-HS hour being revived with this....and I mean given Buzzr just began reairing it last year....it'd be an interesting time to try it. Not sure they'd want to though....but at the least pairing them together back to back in an hour block I could maybe see working.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 25, 2020, 10:52:17 AM
Any attempt at putting a MGHSH return should be sent immediately to the graveyard. The show was hot garbage because Mark Goodson goofed up the Hollywood Squares format. The concept of back to back in a block is fine, but as separate shows.

However, ABC needs to be careful, they already own a glut in the market, thankfully they spread the shows out so they can appear year-round, but you don't want too many shows on one network. CBS or NBC or FOX would likely have to swipe Hollywood Squares, which is a low priority because Nashville and Hip Hop Squares already exist.

As to the crack on Deal or No Deal, the concept of the blind luck does have gaming structure attached to it, such as Press Your Luck does. I sense you would've been a bigger fan of the short-lived Show Me the Money, which had a quiz game element to it but was a much worse show.

On the Joker's Wild, yes, the gussying up of the show was needed because Jack Barry and Bill Cullen ran it as a cerebral affair. Same for Pat Finn's, though his format was much more contrived and busy. The modern audience isn't looking for just the game only. 
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: pricefan18 on May 25, 2020, 11:49:43 AM
Any attempt at putting a MGHSH return should be sent immediately to the graveyard. The show was hot garbage because Mark Goodson goofed up the Hollywood Squares format. The concept of back to back in a block is fine, but as separate shows.

Yeah, at the least if they were to somehow want to try it, they'd have to have Hollywood Squares revert to what it was before and after the original MGHSH, aka go back to allowing bluffs and a minimum at best of multiple choice questions. I'd have to imagine anyone wanting to revive it would be smart enough to know that though, especially if you were gonna have Bergeron host it again. I'd be stunned if anyone thought the old format would be a good idea to try a second time. 
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: gamesurf on May 25, 2020, 02:26:06 PM
Even if we're assuming the Hollywood Squares part is done competently--Match Game has already proven it can fill an hour timeslot by itself.

Why would ABC pay two production companies for two formats when they've already proven they can get a good hour of television from just one?

Would ABC be happy paying Alec Baldwin-sized amounts of money for a MG host only to have him sit on a panel for half of the show?
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: imhomerjay on May 25, 2020, 03:36:06 PM
They absolutely wouldn’t. The idea of reviving MGHS makes no business sense whatsoever.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 25, 2020, 04:01:36 PM
It was just a poor idea in the concept of common sense and business sense. The fact that it lasted 9 months was incredible. Not sure I'd call it Mark Goodson's worst idea (Mindreaders might be), but it is up there.

Of course, we talk about the idea of TTD, TJW and Bullseye all having the  same format and causing a problem, Goodson's panel shows suffered from that. You could merge The Name's the Same, Make the Connection, and I've Got a Secret into What's My Line and still only have to produce 1 show instead of 4. (Of course, 3rd Degree did what Make the Connection should've.)
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: imhomerjay on May 26, 2020, 11:09:40 AM
Certainly Barry and Enright weren’t the only copycats. I mean...Battlestars was Hollywood Squares turned sideways. Not a whole lot of effort there. :) 
Agree totally the G-T panel shows were largely the same idea over and over.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: harrisburgpatv on May 26, 2020, 03:35:06 PM
The fact that it lasted 9 months was incredible.

Was it because Santa Barbara wasn't ready quite yet, and they needed a placeholder? But yeah....9 months for that was amazing.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: blozier2006 on May 26, 2020, 04:13:06 PM
Was it because Santa Barbara wasn't ready quite yet, and they needed a placeholder?
That's exactly why it was on, and why it was created in the first place, from what I've read.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 27, 2020, 01:22:23 AM
That's exactly why it was on, and why it was created in the first place, from what I've read.

It's stuff like that led to bombs like Give and Take (the game show). That show was there to fill time until the hour long Price was ready.

It is amazing how much the industry will spend on television shows that have near zero chance of ever succeeding.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: JhayPrice on May 27, 2020, 03:42:40 AM
Jon Bauman was a total flop in this show. Peter Marshall expressed some desire on working with Gene as the HS host, but Goodson decided to go with Bowzer instead. Plus, Gene didn't like Jon AT ALL.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: blozier2006 on May 27, 2020, 04:17:01 AM
but Goodson decided to go with Bowzer instead.
NBC decided to go with Bauman. If Goodson had gotten his way, Gene Rayburn would've hosted the entire hour by himself.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: urbanpreppie0004 on May 27, 2020, 09:16:35 AM
Jon Bauman was a total flop in this show. Peter Marshall expressed some desire on working with Gene as the HS host, but Goodson decided to go with Bowzer instead. Plus, Gene didn't like Jon AT ALL.

After watching the shows, Jon Bauman could have been at least passable, but when you are saddled with a format like that one- no one could have saved it.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 27, 2020, 10:59:03 AM
After watching the shows, Jon Bauman could have been at least passable, but when you are saddled with a format like that one- no one could have saved it.

Look at his performance on The Pop & Rocker Game, he is so much better in a musical format (being a member of Sha-na-na, it fit him well.)
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: imhomerjay on May 27, 2020, 11:35:31 AM
So much focus often seems to be on Bauman and the HS portion, but the MG portion was painful, even with Rayburn. It was just a poorly executed mishmash (except the theme). Facts of Life reruns might have been the better option.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 27, 2020, 12:31:05 PM
So much focus often seems to be on Bauman and the HS portion, but the MG portion was painful, even with Rayburn. It was just a poorly executed mishmash (except the theme). Facts of Life reruns might have been the better option.

There's talk Gene had to do it kicking and screaming, but did host it like a complete pro despite that.

The better answer would've just been the two shows on their own.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: imhomerjay on May 27, 2020, 01:50:39 PM
That also would have been better. Almost anything would have been.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: pricefan18 on May 27, 2020, 09:54:54 PM
Look at his performance on The Pop & Rocker Game, he is so much better in a musical format (being a member of Sha-na-na, it fit him well.)

I think he woulda done better too had he used his Bowzer character. Woulda added some edge, especially to the MG portion I think as a panelist.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: COINBOYNYC on May 27, 2020, 11:48:27 PM
There's talk Gene had to do it kicking and screaming, but did host it like a complete pro despite that.

You're talking about Gene having to work with Bauman, right?  Because my understanding is that for later incarnations of Match Game, Gene was willing to do it but was denied the opportunity due to ageism.  So just the idea that Gene had to do MG/HS "kicking and screaming," in and of itself, doesn't jibe with my understanding, but if the kicking and screaming referred to having to work with Bauman, that makes sense.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: PatrickRox80 on May 27, 2020, 11:59:13 PM
So just the idea that Gene had to do MG/HS "kicking and screaming," in and of itself, doesn't jibe with my understanding, but if the kicking and screaming referred to having to work with Bauman, that makes sense.

The notion that Gene Rayburn was “dragged kicking and screaming” into MG/HSH came from Gene Wood’s own words in a telephone interview. He even laughed at the mention of the show and said that Bauman didn’t fit with the atmosphere.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Alfonzo on May 28, 2020, 05:05:50 AM
So much focus often seems to be on Bauman and the HS portion, but the MG portion was painful, even with Rayburn. It was just a poorly executed mishmash (except the theme). Facts of Life reruns might have been the better option.

It's interesting that you mentioned The Facts of Life. That show and Diff'rent Strokes did so well for NBC in weekday morning reruns that boths shows didn't go into syndication until their seventh seasons, which is unusually late for successful shows.

As for John Bauman, I recall watching MGHS as a kid when it originally aired. It wasn't so much that Bauman was a bad host, he was just rough and unpolished. He did have good chemistry with everybody. With some more time and the right format he might have improved.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Reloaden on May 28, 2020, 05:23:55 PM
Why would we need another version of Hollywood Squares when there's already Hiphop and Nashville Squares both shows are pretty bad because they horse around more then anything.

MG/HS was a pretty bad the show wasn't fun. Gene always looked annoyed or bored and Jon Bauman hosting was pretty bad i don't think Hollywood Squares was his type of show.

ABC is carrying the weight with reviving all the classic game shows. I am surprised CBS and Fox isn't doing anything.

I would love to see The Chase back not the crappy Gsn version
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: jude_este on May 28, 2020, 06:23:47 PM

ABC is carrying the weight with reviving all the classic game shows. I am surprised CBS and Fox isn't doing anything.

They both did try dipping their toes on game show revivals; FOX had the forgotten Love Connection revival with Andy Cohen that aired during the summer months in 2017 and 2018, while CBS announced a Name That Tune revival in October 2017 with current Press Your Luck host Elizabeth Banks though nothing ever came into fruition from that announcement.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: gamesurf on May 28, 2020, 09:17:38 PM
The advertising for Millionaire is getting absolutely ridiculous in how much it spoils.

SPOILER Anderson Cooper gets a million-dollar question. They pull out a million-dollar check and everything in the ads. SPOILER

And Game On! is actually doing better than expected? 4.5M viewers, 0.6 among 18-49. (Fox's Ultimate Tag is down to 2.6M viewers, 0.6 among 18-49.)
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: goldroadfanatic on May 28, 2020, 09:36:54 PM
Tonight was the most excited I've been about the show in a long time. My heart was pounding when Lauren decided to trust her dad and lock in her final answer to win $500,000. She became the first player to win that amount of money since Chip Esten in 2013, and she joined Drew Carey, Rosie O'Donnell, and Norm Macdonald in the Celebrity $500,000 club, which was nice for Jimmy to mention. I don't blame her for not taking a stab at the $1 Million, as she was in a subject area that she was unfamiliar with.

Here's hoping we finish big with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen next week. This has been an incredible return for the show. Let's end it with a bang: The first celebrity $1 Million winner ever on an American version of the show, and the first time anyone clears a question stack in an American version in 17 years.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: rj2345 on May 28, 2020, 10:27:49 PM
You're talking about Gene having to work with Bauman, right?  Because my understanding is that for later incarnations of Match Game, Gene was willing to do it but was denied the opportunity due to ageism.  So just the idea that Gene had to do MG/HS "kicking and screaming," in and of itself, doesn't jibe with my understanding, but if the kicking and screaming referred to having to work with Bauman, that makes sense.

I've read where it was AFTER MG/HS when Gene was starting to be subject to ageism.

It's claimed around the time of a planned revival in 1987  that ET did a birthday shoutout, and gave his real age, and it was after that when his work dried up.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: jude_este on May 28, 2020, 11:25:15 PM
Getting back on topic as this thread has become about The Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour that may need to be merged into a separate thread.

Opening up that I wasn't too keen on a Millionaire revival when this was announced back in January. But over time, I warmed up to the revival as it has been exciting and I have been on the edge of my seat. And given the success it has had in the ratings since the time slot move from Wednesdays after the sitcoms at 10 PM to the time slot normally for a Shondaland drama on Thursdays at 8 PM, it's no wonder why ABC wants to see more Millionaire hopefully next season.

And I can’t wait to see how Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen do in their runs next week and the possibility that one of them might be the first celebrity to win the million dollars on a celebrity edition and the first contestant on the American version to win the million dollars since in 2003.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 28, 2020, 11:54:29 PM
I've read where it was AFTER MG/HS when Gene was starting to be subject to ageism.

It's claimed around the time of a planned revival in 1987  that ET did a birthday shoutout, and gave his real age, and it was after that when his work dried up.

It's also why we ended up with The Movie Masters being one of the few roles he could get after MGHSH.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Spmahn on May 30, 2020, 04:52:01 PM
I’ve been watching MG/HS as well and it really is as brutal as people always said. In the 70’s the questions on Match Game were largely just a setup to a punchline and it was just a matter of how bright the contestants were. Here, the questions are just random and the best answer is rarely obvious.

It also doesn’t help that it appears their casting department asked all contestant applicants whether or not they had ever seen of heard of Match Game before and if they said yes, they’d get the boot, the contestants on every show I’ve seen so far are totally clueless.

Even worse is the celebrities. Yeah, in the 70’s most of the panelists were “game show celebrities” and comedians, but they were quick witted and entertaining. The celebrities on MG/HS are scraping the bottom of the barrel of the 80’s D List.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: urbanpreppie0004 on May 30, 2020, 09:03:12 PM
I wouldn't call them D list by any stretch- they leaned more into the stable of NBC stars from sitcoms, dramas and soaps though.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: blozier2006 on May 30, 2020, 09:10:47 PM
I wouldn't call them D list by any stretch- they leaned more into the stable of NBC stars from sitcoms, dramas and soaps though.
NBC was pretty much "bottom of the barrel" for 1983.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: imhomerjay on May 30, 2020, 11:35:37 PM
NBC was pretty much "bottom of the barrel" for 1983.

D list would have been a step up.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on May 31, 2020, 12:48:40 AM
D list would have been a step up.

Better than MG2, whose panelists were bad minus Rondell Sheridan
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: COINBOYNYC on June 01, 2020, 10:32:22 PM
my understanding is that for later incarnations of Match Game, Gene was willing to do it but was denied the opportunity due to ageism.

I've read where it was AFTER MG/HS when Gene was starting to be subject to ageism.

That's what I meant - the "later incarnations" being the ones after MG/HS.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: jude_este on June 04, 2020, 09:21:35 PM
First off, I hope I got the spoiler format right for tonight's episode as the season 1 finale was exciting and with Anderson Cooper being the second contestant to reach the million dollar question and the first back to back million dollar question on the American version since 2003.

With this being Anderson’s million dollar question:

When scientists tested with an electroencephalogram, which of these food items produced readings similar to a human brain?

Wint-O-Green Life Saver
SPAM
Lime Green Jell-O
Jet-Puft Marshmallow

Anderson used his Phone a Friend lifeline to phone Kelly Ripa who didn’t reply back and he decided to walk away with $500,000 with the answer being Lime Green Jell-O.

While Andy Cohen didn’t fare well with his $64,000 question on a Google Doodle question about Wilbur Scoville and thinking it was test tubes that were featured when it was chili peppers.


This season was a great comeback for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and I hope that season 2 either with civilians or celebrities will be just as exciting as this past season was.
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: LiteBulb88 on June 05, 2020, 01:25:52 AM
More information on the $1,000,000 question from a 1976 NY Times article:

https://nyti.ms/2MxF5TO
Title: Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Post by: jude_este on June 17, 2020, 01:46:23 PM
Some news about Season 2, ABC has released its fall 2020-21 schedule with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? following Supermarket Sweep on Sundays. And according to Deadline, it’s safe to say that the premiere dates may be later than usual because of the coronavirus’s impact on TV production, nor do does the article mention if celebrities or civilians will be contestants.

https://deadline.com/2020/06/abc-2020-21-schedule-the-bachelorette-fall-debut-the-conners-moves-wednesday-black-ish-midseason-cut-one-comedy-night-big-sky-call-your-mother-1202960600/