| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | |
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| Also known as | Millionaire |
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| Genre | Game show |
| Directed by | Peter Ots |
| Presented by | Eddie McGuire |
| Country of origin |  Australia |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 298 (as of 26 November 2007)[1] |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Running time | 47 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Nine Network |
| Original run | 18 April 1999 – 3 April 2006 22 October 2007 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | 1 vs. 100 (2007) |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| Part of a series on |
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? |
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Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is an Australian television game show which currently offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering 15 successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty as a team. The show was originally based on and follows the same general format of the original version of the show from the United Kingdom, but is now based off the Italian version of the show and is part of the international Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise.
As of 26 November 2007, there have been 298 episodes, 641 contestants, 6,945 questions and the show has given away $29,205,000 cash.
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History
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? debuted in Australia on 18 April 1999 on the Nine Network and was hosted by Eddie McGuire.
Beginning with an eleven question format starting at $1000, this was later changed to 15 and offered a top prize of $1 million. However, in the 2007 revision of the show, the new maximum prize money on offer is $5 million, however in the 2009 revision the top prize reverted to $1 million. The show ran in the Monday 8:30 pm time slot between 1999 and 2006 except for a brief two week period in 2004 where a shortened half hour edition was put up against Seven's Deal or No Deal in the 5:30 pm time slot leading into the 6:00 pm evening news.[2]
This was the very first country to have a fastest finger round where two people answered the fastest at the same time. As a result, another question was asked but neither of them got it right, so another question was asked. The fastest finger later on, instead of giving out one answer, two answers had to be given out to avoid any random guessing from happening. Later still, the contestants playing the fastest finger had to rank the four options in the correct order (as per the question), to avoid people winning Fastest Finger on a guess.
On 9 February 2006, it was announced that McGuire would become the new CEO of the Nine Network,[3] filling a vacancy created by the departure of David Gyngell in May 2005.[4] As a result of this, McGuire had to sacrifice his on-air commitments. However, unlike the The AFL Footy Show where McGuire was replaced with Garry Lyon and James Brayshaw, the network could not find a suitable replacement.[5] The final episode aired on 3 April 2006.[6]
Return of Millionaire
On 29 January 2007, McGuire returned to the working in front of the camera, hosting the Australian version of the quiz show, 1 vs. 100. This was followed up with McGuire announcing on 18 May 2007 that he would be resigning as CEO of the Nine Network, and would be taking on a new position in programming services, as well as more on-screen roles.[7] With the resignation officially taking effect on 30 June 2007, McGuire continued hosting 1 vs. 100 until poor rating forced the hiatus of the program in October 2007.[8]
On 20 August, it was announced that Nine's nightly quiz show Temptation would be rested for the remainder of the year and replaced with nightly half hour editions of Millionaire to be aired between 7:00 and 7:30 pm[9] However, with the return of David Gyngell to the CEO role in September[10] he immediately announced that a new version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? would be broadcast live to air from 7:00 pm for 90 minutes on Monday night and that Temptation would be run on Tuesday to Friday nights from 7:00 pm.[11]
2007 format
| Question | Value |
|---|---|
| 1 | $100 |
| 2 | $200 |
| 3 | $300 |
| 4 | $500 |
| 5 | $1,000 |
| 6 | $2,000 |
| 7 | $4,000 |
| 8 | $8,000 |
| 9 | $16,000 |
| 10 | $32,000 |
| 11 | $64,000 |
| 12 | $125,000 |
| 13 | $250,000 |
| 14 | $500,000 |
| 15 | $1,000,000 |
| 16 | $5,000,000 |
While this version is very similar to the original, with the program's return comes an additional lifeline which is obtained once a contestant reaches the second safe level of $32,000. The lifeline is called "Switch the Question" (also known as a "Flip"), where the contestant may dismiss the current question, see the answer, and to play a new one worth the same dollar amount. However, they will not have any lifelines used on the discarded question returned to them.
The lifeline first appeared in the UK program in a number of celebrity editions, and most recently in its 300th episode in 2002. It was also used the American syndicated version of the program which began in 2004, but was dropped in 2008. The idea was taken from the UK show The People Versus.
The most notable change to the format is the addition of a bonus 16th question, which is worth $5 million. After answering question 15 correctly, they have the option of going for the bonus question. If the contestant gives the correct answer, he or she will win $5 million (the largest top prize in the history of Australian TV game shows). However, if an incorrect answer is given, then his or her winnings will plummet down to only $32,000; a devastating $968,000 loss.
In the past, contestants that use the Phone a Friend lifeline had to give out three phone numbers to choose from. However, in some cases, their friends sometimes were ready to look up the answers (such as asking people around for them, or going online for the answers). In the 2007 version, since the show was live, whenever a contestant was in the studio, their three friends would be seated in another studio room (in a Channel 9 studio in their nearby city) and not see or hear any questions or answers. This prevented any unfair advantage as they can watch the show live and look up the answers online.
Also, if McGuire believes that the contestant is taking too long to make a decision, the contestant may be put on a shot clock of 60 seconds. If the shot clock expires, the contestant is forced to walk away with their current winnings. A similar clock rule was added into the American version of the show.
Another notable change is the elimination of the preliminary Fastest Finger First rounds, similar to the syndicated US show. McGuire simply calls out the contestant's name and he or she comes into the set and immediately sits in the hot seat, as opposed to before when 10 contestants had to answer a question correctly in the fastest time to get into the hot seat.
Hot Seat (2009 format)
| Hot Seat | |
| Also known as | Millionaire Hot Seat |
|---|---|
| Genre | Game show |
| Presented by | Eddie McGuire |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 61 (as of 10 July 2009) |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Running time | 30 minutes (including commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Nine Network |
| Original run | 20 April 2009 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| Question | Value |
|---|---|
| 1 | "$100" ($0) |
| 2 | "$200" ($0) |
| 3 | "$300" ($0) |
| 4 | "$500" ($0) |
| 5 | $1,000 |
| 6 | "$1,500" ($1,000) |
| 7 | "$2,500" ($1,000) |
| 8 | "$4,000" ($1,000) |
| 9 | "$6,000" ($1,000) |
| 10 | $10,000 |
| 11 | $20,000 |
| 12 | $50,000 |
| 13 | $100,000 |
| 14 | $250,000 |
| 15 | $1,000,000 |
Hot Seat (also known as Millionaire Hot Seat) is a revived version of Millionare that began airing on the Nine Network on 20 April 2009, and is hosted by Eddie McGuire, as with the original version of the show. As of 10 July 2009, 61 episodes of Hot Seat have aired, including a special prime time edition that aired on 8 June 2009.
History
Rumours about a new shortened version of Millionaire first began circulating in February 2009,[12] and were confirmed when the Nine Network produced a pilot version of the format titled Millionaire: Russian Roulette in March 2009.[13] The official title was announced as Millionaire Hot Seat,[13] but this was later shortened to simply Hot Seat.[14] The new format was originally promoted as a short-run series,[15] with advertisements featuring McGuire exclaiming “20 nights! $20 million dollars!”.[15] It was announced on 7 April 2009 that Hot Seat will begin airing on 20 April 2009, in the 5:30 pm–6:00 pm weeknight timeslot,[16][17] and will compete against the high-rating game show, Deal or No Deal, on the Seven Network.[16][17] As expected, the show's format was shortened to 30 minutes, and given an overhaul of the rules and gameplay, in a sytem based on the Italian version of the show.
The Nine Network commissioned a second series of the show to begin airing the week after the original 20-episode order had finished airing on 15 May 2009.[18] The second series began airing on 18 May 2009, and it is unclear how many episodes it will contain.[18]
A special prime time edition of Hot Seat aired at 8:00 pm on Monday, 8 June 2009,[19] featuring a contestant, Barry Soraghan, playing for the format's first million-dollar question.[20] Ultimately, Soraghan answered the question incorrectly, and won only $1000.[20] At the completion of the taped episode, Soraghan was visited live on air at his Blackburn home by McGuire,[20] who then awarded him a two-week holiday for him and his family, as well as $5000 in spending money.[20] The episode achieved a ratings figure of 1,224,000 viewers nationally,[21] and was the eleventh-highest rating program for the night,[21] which was a vast improvement from the 812,000 viewers that Hot Seat managed in its regular timeslot on the same night.[21]
Format
Designed to be a faster-paced game than the traditional format,Hot Seat essentially involves 6 contestants playing at once, with each taking turns to climb the money tree. According to the game's Terms and Conditions, the usual 4 lifelines are removed, replaced with a single 'pass' that can, at any one time, transfer the onus of answering the question to the next contestant in line, who cannot then re-pass to the next contestant. Also added are time limits on every question, with 15 seconds allocated for the first five questions, 30 for the middle five, and 45 for the last five. Walking away is no longer allowed, rendering several questions' values pointless, as they cannot be won. If a player fails to give out an answer in the time limit, it is considered an automatic pass. If that question can't be passed on, that player is eliminated and the highest value on the money tree is removed.
The money tree is given a total renovation (see right), with all amounts between $1,000 and $1,000,000 (not inclusive) reduced, and the 10th question milestone is removed. If one of the contestants answers a question incorrectly, they are eliminated, and (unless the question was passed to them) the highest value remaining on the money tree is removed.
The game ends either when all contestants are eliminated, or when the question for the highest value in the money tree is answered. If this last question is answered correctly, the answering player receives the amount of money. If it is answered incorrectly, or all contestants are eliminated before the final question is reached, the last player to be eliminated receives either nothing, or $1,000 if the 5th question milestone is reached.
Notable contestants
Celebrities
$1 million winners
To date there have only been two winners of the million dollars, both on the regular version:
- Rob "Coach" Fulton, 17 October 2005[22]
- Martin Flood, 14 November 2005 (Used the 50-50 lifeline in the final question)[23]
People who answered the final question incorrectly
- Barry Soraghan: 8 June 2009 (Hot Seat Edition)
$500,000 winners
- Trevor Sauer: 4 September 2000
- William Laing: 16 October 2000
- Dave and Denise Moser: June, 2001 (Used the 50-50 and Phone a Friend lifelines in the final question)
- Maria McCabe: 8 April 2002 (Used the 50-50 and Ask the Audience lifelines in the final question)
- Molly Meldrum: 28 April 2003
- Andrew Lockett: 8 September 2003
- Scott Smith: 4 October 2004
- Shane Warne and Trevor Sauer: 14 February 2005
- Clifford Plumpton: 27 June 2005
- Yael Blinco: 21 November 2005 ("Mummy Wants To Be A Millionaire" special)
Some $250,000 winners
- Evan Hudlestone: 6 July 2009 (Hot Seat edition)
DVD
On 27 October 2004, a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? interactive multiplayer DVD game was released.[24]
References
- ^ Gordon-Stewart, Samuel (2006-04-04). "Salute To Eddie!". http://samuelgordonstewart.com/2006/04/salute-to-eddie. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
- ^ Warneke, Ross (2004-06-23). "No big Deal for Nine". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/23/1087844999417.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Hogan, Jesse (2006-02-09). "McGuire CEO show live on air". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/mcguire-ceo-show-rolls-on/2006/02/09/1139379610820.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ "Gyngell resigns from Nine". APP (The Age). 2005-05-09. http://www.theage.com.au/news/Business/Gyngell-resigns-from-Nine/2005/05/09/1115584894573.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Fidgeon, Robert (2006-04-12). "Millionaire host – you decide". Herald Sun. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,18771553-2902,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Gibson, Joel (2006-04-04). "No McGuire, no Millionaire". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,18771553-2902,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Harrison, Dan (2007-05-18). "'I wasn't given the flick'". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/i-wasnt-given-the-flick/2007/05/18/1178995363893.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ "Eddie's quiz 'boned' by Nine". The Courier-Mail. 2007-09-29. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,22502696-7642,00.html?from=public_rss. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Connolly, Fiona (2007-08-20). "Temptation axed for McGuire". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22276288-5006014,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ "David Gyngell to run Nine again". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-10-25. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22480754-5006014,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ "Nine boss David Gyngell puts Eddie McGuire to work". Herald Sun. 2007-10-05. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22536082-5006022,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Knox, David (17 February 2009). "Rumour: A new look Millionaire?". tvtonight.com.au. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/02/rumour-a-new-look-millionaire.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ a b Knox, David (20 March 2009). "Eddie locks in Millionaire". tvtonight.com.au. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/03/eddie-locks-in-millionaire.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ Knox, David (14 April 2009). "‘Millionaire’ not locked in for Eddie". tvtonight.com.au. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/04/millionaire-not-locked-in-for-eddie.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ a b Knox, David (6 April 2009). "Millionaire: “20 nights! $20M!”". tvtonight.com.au. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/04/millionaire-20-nights-20m.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ a b Knox, David (7 April 2009). "Game on. It’s Eddie v Andrew". tvtonight.com.au. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/04/game-on-its-eddie-v-andrew.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ a b Devlyn, Darren (8 April 2009). "Eddie McGuire and Andrew O'Keefe to go head to head". 'Herald Sun'. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,25305874-2902,00.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ a b Knox, David (1 May 2009). "More Hot Seat for Eddie". tvtonight.com.au. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/05/more-hot-seat-for-eddie.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ Knox, David (5 June 2009). "Hot Seat goes primetime, for now.". tvtonight.com.au. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/06/hot-seat-goes-primetime-for-now.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ a b c d Deery, Shannon (9 June 2009). "Barry Soraghan misses million". 'Herald Sun'. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25607609-5006022,00.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ a b c Knox, David (8 June 2009). "Week 24". tvtonight.com.au. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/06/week-24-2.html. Retrieved on 11 June 2009.
- ^ "Our first quiz show millionaire". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2005-10-19. http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/first-tv-quiz-millionaire/2005/10/17/1129401202678.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
- ^ "Second Aussie 'Millionaire' winner emerges". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2005-11-15. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/11/14/1131951103121.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
- ^ "DVD details". Sanity. http://www.sanity.com.au/product/product.asp?sku=937693&affiliate=798. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
External links
- Official website
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? at the Internet Movie Database
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? at TV.com
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