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Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Sunday 8pm on ITV (February 2018)

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JC
JCB
The Big Breakfast ran a competition called "Who Wants To Win A Mini On Air?" which I thought was a great name.


The pun titles were always better than the actual actual games during that era of the BB!
Revolution and Whataday gave kudos
JO
Jonwo
I admit to being a little shocked at the huge phone bill racked by Diana's brother. It's good that Ofcom eventually cracked down on the premium rate phone line.
BR
Brekkie
Is the revived show just cast now and the prize money out of ITV coffers? Also wonder if both the premium rate issue and the syndicate scandal portrayed tonight are part of the reason they switched focus to celeb episodes.
JO
Jon
Also wonder if both the premium rate issue and the syndicate scandal portrayed tonight are part of the reason they switched focus to celeb episodes.

Not really. The show changed to auditions at some time in the late 00s. The celeb episodes simply got higher audiences at the end of Tarrant run, it costs more to like Celebrity episodes than civilian ones remember.
WH
Whataday Founding member
There's a snippet of the pilot here:

DW
DavidWhitfield
Not sure if the music in that clip was put in for that clip alone or whether that was to be the theme tune of the programme. If the latter is true, then I'm pleased they decided to rethink that. The theme tune and the music within the programme helped to make the show as atmospheric as it was.
DM
DeMarkay
Not sure if the music in that clip was put in for that clip alone or whether that was to be the theme tune of the programme. If the latter is true, then I'm pleased they decided to rethink that. The theme tune and the music within the programme helped to make the show as atmospheric as it was.


It indeed was.
JB
JasonB
The Big Breakfast ran a competition called "Who Wants To Win A Mini On Air?" which I thought was a great name.


Wasn't there a blooper with Liza Tarbuck getting caught in the moment and replacing the word Mini with something a little naughtier?

According to this: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=D4obDAAAQBAJ&pg=PP139&lpg=PP139&dq=take+me+over+the+rainbow+and+up+to+cloud+nine+simon+cowell&source=bl&ots=bRhraY8OMZ&sig=ACfU3U149IlzZXJ4_CSSdaxWnkRQ9PGeRg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiLlO_6xeboAhUITxUIHSN1AisQ6AEwCXoECA8QKg#v=onepage&q=take%20me%20over%20the%20rainbow%20and%20up%20to%20cloud%20nine%20simon%20cowell&f=false

Simon Cowell was involved in the pilot theme tune and wanted it in the charts before the show premiered.
JO
Jonwo
One notable absent from Quiz was Steven Knight who was the one of the creators of Millionaire and later went on to create Peaky Blinders.
JO
Jon
Is the syndicate stuff true?

Yes it seems it is true. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8188309/Who-Wants-Millionaire-duped-5million-dodgy-quiz-gang.html

Paddy Spooner's Australian and UK runs are on YouTube.

Australia their format originally omitted the first 5 questions but this later went to 15 Questions.

UK


You can see they made him seem a lot more interesting in the show.

It was noticeable it started to seem like it was mainly middle class men getting on the show, which really takes lot of the drama away.
JO
Jonwo
One aspect I thought was probably made up for Quiz was having Paul Smith and the other guy being involved in the day to day running of the show. Surely by the time the show was established, they would have passed that onto someone else.
DA
davidhorman

The ironically titled £64,000 Question (which has its name roots in 64,000 sixpences, which is the modern day equivalent of about £1500 and later 64k shillings - about £3k today)


More of a justification than a root - the name/number came from the American gameshow. It also never had a £ symbol in the title - it was originally missing (1950s), then was still a $ when Bob Monkhouse hosted in the 90s.

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