I just watched Ken Jennings try his luck at winning a million dollars ( it's available on YouTube), and sadly, even he couldn't win the top prize. Now I was sure he would because of that 74-day winning streak on Jeopardy. But when he got stuck and had to use all three lifelines on one question, I wasn't so sure anymore. And why exactly does this show need to be continued anyway? A millionaire (on this show) is a rarity, which brings to mind only one question: Why bother? I always enjoyed WWTBAM with Regis, but after his departure, the show lost its magic. To say that Meredith Viera was no Regis is a big understatement. If her heart was in it at all, then it was only in the game, and nothing more. She may have been a decent host, but she wasn't a memorable one. And even more changes were made, besides different hosts. The contestant or the host don't sit anymore. Plus, there's no longer a fastest finger segment, which, in my humble opinion, was a great way to decide who gets to play next. Why they removed it is a big question. Does standing up change anything? Hard to tell. Now, Regis did host Super Millionaire a couple years after he left and returned for the 10th anniversary edition. But that's about all the additional Regis you're gonna get. This is like a scripted show. You lose an original, yet the show continues. It's probably not a good enough reason to cancel it, but it would certainly help if it weren't on anymore. I wonder what Regis thinks of the changes made to the show he once made not only popular, but memorable. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't like them either. After Regis left, the show should have gone with him.
18 Reviews
Meredith is wonderful
bjorksjoga3 January 2003
I didn't care for Regis Philbun as host. He seemed to make the contestants feel so uncomfortable. However, Meredith Viera is a wonderfully funny woman, and she is very comfortable with the contestants, and her smile is as warm as the noon time sun. So I hope that the show lasts for a long time, and Meredith stays on my television at 8:30/9:30 C until she decides that it is time to move on.
Fun game show
Catherine_Grace_Zeh16 July 2006
First off, I must say that this is a fun game show. Also, I'm not sure if I've seen every episode. However, I do know the show very well. Every time I watch it, I have a lot of fun playing along and watch. This made me long to be a contestant. The thing I liked most about it are the questions. Despite the fact that I don't know that many answers, I still have fun playing along. I hope the WUSA Network keeps it on so I can play along and watch again. If that happens, I will be really happy. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I'll always remember this show in my memory forever. Now, in conclusion, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good.
Not too much is good about this show anymore!
sethallen62310 March 2011
More than a decade after its U.S. television debut, it happens that "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" is definitely no longer as great a game show as it once was. I do tolerate Meredith Vieira as the hostess, but her hosting style is somewhat boring, and does little to preserve the enthusiasm, humor, and excitement given the show by Regis Philbin in the prime-time version. In addition, I dislike the dumb things she says to contestants on higher- level questions, when making them nervous into thinking that they got their questions wrong. However, I like that she is very comfortable with the contestants, and is better at pronunciations than Regis. I hate how the show's format has changed so many times over the years... I think "Millionaire" is better in its classic format than in any other. Nowadays, it seems that the "Millionaire" game has been ruined... It's not what it used to be... And the fact that it's only a half-hour show makes it even worse... However, despite all of its flaws, I still think that the syndicated "Millionaire" is entertaining and very fun to watch and play along with. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who was a die-hard fan of the prime-time shows or who is a respectable trivia buff.
There's nothing good about it anymore
The_Light_Triton24 September 2008
When it debuted in 1998, Millionaire was the greatest Gameshow on TV at the time. it was fun to watch and even more fun to play along to. The theme was the darkest thing ever and a lot of fun to listen to. But ten years later, the game has sunk deeper into the depths of bad.
The first mistake is not airing it at night.
The second mistake is removing regis and making Meredith the hostess.
The third, reducing 32,000 and 64,000 to 25,000 and 50,000 and so on.
And the fourth? Adding a Friggin' time limit! Yes, they've added a time limit to answering questions. contestants used to be able to take over half an hour to answer a really hard question. now, for the first tier, contestants have 15 seconds, second tier, they have 30 seconds, and for the final tier, they have 45 seconds. what good is that? it just irritates contestants and makes the show look like the 2000 computer game that came in General mills cereals.
Such a good game has been ruined. it used to be entertaining and fun to watch and play along to. nowadays, it's just a thing of the past.
2/10
The first mistake is not airing it at night.
The second mistake is removing regis and making Meredith the hostess.
The third, reducing 32,000 and 64,000 to 25,000 and 50,000 and so on.
And the fourth? Adding a Friggin' time limit! Yes, they've added a time limit to answering questions. contestants used to be able to take over half an hour to answer a really hard question. now, for the first tier, contestants have 15 seconds, second tier, they have 30 seconds, and for the final tier, they have 45 seconds. what good is that? it just irritates contestants and makes the show look like the 2000 computer game that came in General mills cereals.
Such a good game has been ruined. it used to be entertaining and fun to watch and play along to. nowadays, it's just a thing of the past.
2/10
Not what it used to be.....
RHeckman00@hotmail.com27 August 2004
some people may not have liked Regis, but cmon, at least he gave the show some enthusiasm, humor, and excitement.....The show is sooo boring these days with the female host....She is boring, her jokes are dull, and she has no enthusiasm whatsoever....After a contestant answers a higher level question, she will try to make the contestant nervous into thinking he/she got the question wrong, but she'll say some of the absolutely dumbest things while doing so....Also, quite frankly, some of the guests are outright weird....I mean, seriously, do they screen any of these people before they let them on the show....Regis's Millionaire is a game show classic, but the newer version just isn't making the grade
Millionaire Got it Wrong
iseulthealy14 September 2014
Saw the first ever USA show of this at beginning of September 2014. One of the questions was: which painter painted The Scream which sold for over 119 million USD in 2012. Then it gave 4 answers but the right answer was not there. The contestant just took the money without answering. The Show said it was painted by Picasso. And they were right up to a point but it was not Picasso's painting called The Scream that sold for $119 million in 2012. It was The Scream painted by Edvard Munch. And that artist's name was not in the 4 options given to the contestant. That's very sloppy research.
Any cursory look on the web will show exactly that it was Edvard Munch who painted The Scream which sold for the astronomical amount to financier Leon Black.
Any cursory look on the web will show exactly that it was Edvard Munch who painted The Scream which sold for the astronomical amount to financier Leon Black.
Boring...
donrogers421 July 2006
The first five questions (up to $1000) are ridiculously easy. They are a formality; hardly any contestant ever misses these. A waste of everyone's time.
The next five questions are somewhat more challenging, though still too easy for my taste. Earning $25000 is something of an achievement on any other show, but contestants of average ability do it regularly here.
The $50000 question is usually pretty good -- about as hard as a Jeopady! Daily Double.
Beyond that level, the questions suddenly get preposterously hard, to the point that virtually no contestant ever risks answering them.
I mean, what is the point?
The next five questions are somewhat more challenging, though still too easy for my taste. Earning $25000 is something of an achievement on any other show, but contestants of average ability do it regularly here.
The $50000 question is usually pretty good -- about as hard as a Jeopady! Daily Double.
Beyond that level, the questions suddenly get preposterously hard, to the point that virtually no contestant ever risks answering them.
I mean, what is the point?
Musical Chairs--but with hosts and format.
keelhaul-8085615 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The original show with Regis was actually pretty good. Tons of families tuned in for a variety of questions to test their knowledge.
After Regis-- WTF is going on with this show??? I turn it on during daytime(it now airs in the afternoon) and there is literally a new host or new format going on every few weeks it seems. It was Meredith Viera, then Terry Crews?!?!?! Then Cedric the Entertainer!!!! LOL. Now it is some other dude that I don't even know.
They changed the hour-long format into this cheesy 30 min. show, with too many commercials and WAY too much extra time deliberating and talking in what seem to be scripted, contrived dialogue with the host, or edited that way. By the time you get halfway interested in the show and get a routine, they stop the regular show part to bring some random bozo from the audience to answer a question or two during the last 5 mins. They changed some of the lifelines several times and the method in choosing contestants, it seems.
The original format was just fine. I don't know why nitwits and producers and pretty much everyone else you have to work with or work for, or watch their productions, or shop for their products= ALWAYS SEEM TO BE FIXING SOMETHING THAT ISN'T BROKEN!!!! WHY? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHY??? It becomes ridiculous.
The contestants all have to give you some dumb backstory on every question, no matter how simple, to explain why they narrowed the choices down, or why their brother's cousin once brought them a monkey from China, so they know the answer must be "China", or something weird. Then they debate whether they should lock it in as their final answer to forbidding music for 3 mins. You don't even have time to enjoy the show because they waste so much damn time on mindless talking/drivel/commercials.
The strange group of hosts they have briefly hired is just bizarre. Terry Crews seems really cool, and is funny in some movies, but he just doesn't fit the part at all. Cedrick is funny, but he looks like a pimp doing his comedy routine, and doesn't really bring a serious presence to the show. Meredith looked like an aging grandma that I was never crazy about. The other guys hosting now, I don't even know, or are really generic and boring. The pool for hosts seems like "List of Random Class Clowns and Dorks I knew in high school", or they just throw darts at a wall of names. Just silly.
The format has been ruined, and ruined a potentially great institution. This show had a lot of good stuff and should be better than it is now. If you want to watch a great 30 min. game of intellect, watch Jeopardy!!! It moves with lightning speed and variety, and doesn't change hosts and rules every month without reason.
After Regis-- WTF is going on with this show??? I turn it on during daytime(it now airs in the afternoon) and there is literally a new host or new format going on every few weeks it seems. It was Meredith Viera, then Terry Crews?!?!?! Then Cedric the Entertainer!!!! LOL. Now it is some other dude that I don't even know.
They changed the hour-long format into this cheesy 30 min. show, with too many commercials and WAY too much extra time deliberating and talking in what seem to be scripted, contrived dialogue with the host, or edited that way. By the time you get halfway interested in the show and get a routine, they stop the regular show part to bring some random bozo from the audience to answer a question or two during the last 5 mins. They changed some of the lifelines several times and the method in choosing contestants, it seems.
The original format was just fine. I don't know why nitwits and producers and pretty much everyone else you have to work with or work for, or watch their productions, or shop for their products= ALWAYS SEEM TO BE FIXING SOMETHING THAT ISN'T BROKEN!!!! WHY? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHY??? It becomes ridiculous.
The contestants all have to give you some dumb backstory on every question, no matter how simple, to explain why they narrowed the choices down, or why their brother's cousin once brought them a monkey from China, so they know the answer must be "China", or something weird. Then they debate whether they should lock it in as their final answer to forbidding music for 3 mins. You don't even have time to enjoy the show because they waste so much damn time on mindless talking/drivel/commercials.
The strange group of hosts they have briefly hired is just bizarre. Terry Crews seems really cool, and is funny in some movies, but he just doesn't fit the part at all. Cedrick is funny, but he looks like a pimp doing his comedy routine, and doesn't really bring a serious presence to the show. Meredith looked like an aging grandma that I was never crazy about. The other guys hosting now, I don't even know, or are really generic and boring. The pool for hosts seems like "List of Random Class Clowns and Dorks I knew in high school", or they just throw darts at a wall of names. Just silly.
The format has been ruined, and ruined a potentially great institution. This show had a lot of good stuff and should be better than it is now. If you want to watch a great 30 min. game of intellect, watch Jeopardy!!! It moves with lightning speed and variety, and doesn't change hosts and rules every month without reason.
No feeling, no nothing.
gmttgn10 February 2017
I liked Millionaire because it had feeling. But when they changed the format, the graphics, the music, it just took all that away. There's no suspense, no drama, no nothing. It's just nothing now. The new host is not really exciting either. I liked Millionaire with the hot seat, the suspenseful music, the ominous lighting, and Regis Philbin. But they just threw it in the trash and ruined it. If the guys behind Millionaire decide to redo the format right now, they should do it right. The classic format is the way to go. Just offering one million dollars is not enough. The audience should react to the events going on in this particular game show, because that's how the creators intended it to be. Overall, not as enjoyable as it was 15 years ago.
What a very good show!
braveswiz3 October 2003
In order to keep the budget to a minimum, they decided to nix the Fastest Finger round and keep the top prize going. Meredith is the greatest host than Regis is, and had newer top right graphics for those entering the $16,000 level and used a "classical" ending if someone won a million bucks. This show is always a keeper at 4:30 on channel 24 before the 5 o'clock news come on.
Syndication Is Not Better (SPOILERS)
I_Am_The_Taylrus20 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS
The original Who Wants to be a Millionaire is just a bit better, but this is a very fun game-show. Sure, Meredith Veira is definitely not as good as Regis Philbin, but she can still be a pretty good game-show hostess. There is a couple of complaints, though. Firstly, the questions are way harder in this than the original Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Only Kevin Smith and Nancy Christy have won the big prize.
Here is the basis of the syndicated version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. It is pretty much like the original with some changes. Contestants go to the hot seat and answer questions to get to $1,000,000. The money is different, though. Instead of $32,000, $64,000, and $125,000, there is $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000. There is also another life-line when you get $25,000, Switch the Question. There is also no Fastest Finger. The contestant just comes in.
Overall, this is a great game-show that has some minor adjustments from the original but still is very fun. The only other complaint I have it, before you win $1,000,000, you get less money. It used to be $32,000, now it is $25,000. Anyway, aside from that and the questions being much tougher and that this is only a half-hour long I still had fun, and so will you.
9/10
Recommended Shows: The New Price is Right.
The original Who Wants to be a Millionaire is just a bit better, but this is a very fun game-show. Sure, Meredith Veira is definitely not as good as Regis Philbin, but she can still be a pretty good game-show hostess. There is a couple of complaints, though. Firstly, the questions are way harder in this than the original Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Only Kevin Smith and Nancy Christy have won the big prize.
Here is the basis of the syndicated version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. It is pretty much like the original with some changes. Contestants go to the hot seat and answer questions to get to $1,000,000. The money is different, though. Instead of $32,000, $64,000, and $125,000, there is $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000. There is also another life-line when you get $25,000, Switch the Question. There is also no Fastest Finger. The contestant just comes in.
Overall, this is a great game-show that has some minor adjustments from the original but still is very fun. The only other complaint I have it, before you win $1,000,000, you get less money. It used to be $32,000, now it is $25,000. Anyway, aside from that and the questions being much tougher and that this is only a half-hour long I still had fun, and so will you.
9/10
Recommended Shows: The New Price is Right.
I do!!
ThunderKing67 September 2020
WWTBAM was a great brain buster show because of the music, it was intense, the 1st host and it was basic.
The music was superb. It made the game feel so intense. It helped you think. When you say that's my final answer and that music stops for a moment to reveal the wrong or right answer its so heart-thumping.
It was an intense show. The game starts easy then get hard as you grownup the ladder. The questions were related to politics and pop culture, Geo and history mostly.
Regis was the best host. He had the Charisma. The other host couldn't imitate therefore WWTBAM slowly faded away.
It was a simple game. Be smart, answer correctly get win the Mill.
Verdict: That's my final answer.
The music was superb. It made the game feel so intense. It helped you think. When you say that's my final answer and that music stops for a moment to reveal the wrong or right answer its so heart-thumping.
It was an intense show. The game starts easy then get hard as you grownup the ladder. The questions were related to politics and pop culture, Geo and history mostly.
Regis was the best host. He had the Charisma. The other host couldn't imitate therefore WWTBAM slowly faded away.
It was a simple game. Be smart, answer correctly get win the Mill.
Verdict: That's my final answer.
A great show!
jnaizer19 February 2003
A great show, it's great that they decided to keep the top prize $1,000,000 considering it's syndicated and usually the budget is tighter. It's still exciting, although I do miss Regis as host, Meredith is good (and better at pronounciations) but a little too dull at times for such a high adrenalin show like Millionaire.
Delightful content... Horrible production... Still watch it
piercejeans1 May 2017
OK... nobody gets everything right. The Producers forgot that people at home are actually TRYING TO PLAY ALONG IN THE GAME. The announcer... Chris... is excellent and perfect for the show. The lights and music and noise... is way too overproduced. The camera motion is enough to make Dramamine noneffective. The Titanic had less sickening motion.
OK... if we were just looking for a pretty light show... well done. Except its all blue.
If you are looking to play along, being that mostly smarter more intellectually oriented people will be attracted to such shows... good luck. The constant breakaways and sweeping lights and momentary question viewing makes it almost impossible to be there with the contestants. Rookie mistake. Always keep in mind the viewer point of view.
I would love to see the dollar ladder and the question in a box in a corner of the screen... all the time. It's very hard to read and concentrate on long questions when they are only on screen for five seconds. Same mistake as Family Feud... you can't see the answer board long enough.
Yes, I play along at home with both Millionaire and Family Feud... but the Producers only want you to look at the people and be distracted by the pretty lights. Sigh.
OK... if we were just looking for a pretty light show... well done. Except its all blue.
If you are looking to play along, being that mostly smarter more intellectually oriented people will be attracted to such shows... good luck. The constant breakaways and sweeping lights and momentary question viewing makes it almost impossible to be there with the contestants. Rookie mistake. Always keep in mind the viewer point of view.
I would love to see the dollar ladder and the question in a box in a corner of the screen... all the time. It's very hard to read and concentrate on long questions when they are only on screen for five seconds. Same mistake as Family Feud... you can't see the answer board long enough.
Yes, I play along at home with both Millionaire and Family Feud... but the Producers only want you to look at the people and be distracted by the pretty lights. Sigh.
Chris Harrison Makes This Show Unique
dinergirlt23 January 2018
After much disappointments with hosts Cedric The Entertainer and Terry Crews Who Wants To Be A Millionaire has really made a smart and wise move when Chris Harrison was announced as the new host and it really has worked magic for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire not only in ratings but it has made an impact in TV. From the moment Who Wants To Be A Millionaire starts you will be hooked and want to play along with each contestant every day you watch. And it will leave you in suspense with every episode you watch. This is one game show that I rarely miss an episode every weekday morning because it's very addicting to watch. My only wish that Who Wants To Be A Millionaire would improve on in future episodes is make them last longer than 30 minutes and not promote Las Vegas hotels during the first commercial break and have Chris Harrison have new things to say to contestants at the end rather than "Forever It's Been A Part Of This One" I truly think that Chris Harrison really has brought new life to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and I believe he should've replaced Meredith Veira as first choice because he truly brings a new interesting image to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and truly he's the best thing since sliced bread in the game show industry
Incorrect question answers
timaberglund12 March 2019
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