New Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Wondered what everyone thinks of this all new Who Watns To Be A Millionaire or NWWTBAM for abreviated fans! The new series starts next Tuesday with all new rules, all new gameplay, possibly a revamped theme tune and theme beds and the biggest change in the UK version since it started in 1998:-

- Introduction of a big bad clock tick tocking in the background during all/some (?) questions. Tick tock, start the clock!
- Addition of an extra lifeline "Switch" at the £50,000 mark.
- No Fastest Finger round.
- Phone a Friends faces will be seen in the background, as will other well-known symbols in the game.
- Lighting used will be more atmospheric and tense than in previous series.

Apparently, different countries versions of the show have been compared and the production crew have selected the best bits/come up with their own ideas to make the UK version much more tense and gripping than ever before. Some aspects have been thought about before but never actually utilised but Chris Tarrant is all for the new changes. The money tree will remain the same as far as I know. Unsure if the graphics will be tweaked?

Sounds promising! As always, I will be watching. Any thoughts?

Although the changes sound good, I wonder if it will improve the ratings - how will people know to tune in for changes? I don't think they are dramatic enough for word-of-mouth to have much of an effect.

I saw a trailer on ITV1 this morning.

It's this whole dramatic, tense crap that's ruined most modern gameshows nowadays, in my opinion. Therefore, I don't know what to think in this case as WWTBAM was, arguably, one of the first to adopt the 'serious gameshow' tone, making it more unique than cliché.

Whether emphasising the whole style of the show will help, I can't tell. I'll be tuning in, nevertheless. I just hope they do it right.

I think one of the things I'm looking forward to is seeing how they use the phone a friend!

From the Millionaire website a lot of the graphics seem to CGI'd on the bit where Chris normally walks on.

It was an LED screen, not CGI.

You can see the screen/studio graphics here:

http://millionaire.itv.com/tvshow.php

http://www.twitvid.com/VM1WN

Oh ok - just from the small images on the Millionaire wesbite it looks CGI - will look even better if it's real.

Seeing the series is being broadcast now on ITV1 HD, is there any indication as to whether the set has been completely revamped [but still looking similar], or if they've simply thrown in an LED screen in the walkway? I'm presuming at least the lighting will have been tweaked.

I think it's just been revamped. The most major change is the LED screen and there not being any fastest finger screens around the studio.

New Who Wants To Be A Millionaire follows in 20 minutes!!

Hi all

It's working well.
I just wished they used the American sound fx and soundtrack - it works better