In the United States, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (also known simply as Millionaire) is a television game show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 (originally lump sum; now annuitized) for correctly answering 15 successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The show is based on and follows the same general format of the original version of the show from the United Kingdom, and is now part of the international Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Quiz show redirects here. ... USD redirects here. ... Lump sum is a one-time payment of money, as opposed to a series of payments. ... In the United Kingdom, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers a maximum cash prize of one million pounds for correctly answering successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (disambiguation). ...

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire debuted in the United States on August 16, 1999 on the ABC television network, and was hosted by television personality Regis Philbin. In its initial run, it had the question mark at the end of the title just like its British counterpart. When it returned for its second run, the question mark was removed from the title. is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ... Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality and occasional actor known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, and presenter at various events. ...

The network version, whose episodes were originally shown just a day after their taping in New York, became explosively popular in 1999, and at its peak was airing in prime time four nights a week on ABC. The show was popular enough to find rival networks creating or reincarnating game shows of their own, and created a brief renaissance of sorts for United States based game shows (e.g. Greed, Twenty One, etc.) as well as a flurry of American versions of UK originals, such as Winning Lines and The Weakest Link. Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ... Greed (or Greed: The Series) was a short-lived American television game show where a team of contestants answered a series of multiple-choice trivia questions for a potential prize of up to $2 million (later $4 million during the five Super Greed episodes). ... Twenty One host Jack Barry (center), with contestants Vivienne Nearing and Charles Van Doren Twenty One is an American game show that aired in the late 1950s. ... Winning Lines is a National Lottery game show produced by Celador that premiered on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 13 June 1999, originally hosted by Simon Mayo. ... The American version of the game show Weakest Link aired on NBC from April 16, 2001 to July 14, 2002 (with several episodes left unaired until some appeared on PAX in 2002, with the remainder eventually airing on GSN). ...

ABC used Who Wants to be a Millionaire in so many prime time slots that when the show's popularity faded by the fall of 2001, it was left with a dearth of original programs on June 27, 2002. ABC's overall Nielsen Ratings suffered as a result of the show's decline in popularity. Michael Eisner, then CEO of The Walt Disney Company (ABC's parent), a former page at Jeopardy! and The Price Is Right, thought that the show would be successful like many other daytime television shows. However, he had realized too late that a hot show like Millionaire would tire more quickly in prime time than in daytime. [1] is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are often referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ... Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) was CEO of The Walt Disney Company from September 22, 1984 to September 30, 2005. ... Disney redirects here. ... Jeopardy redirects here. ... This article is about the current version of the U.S. game show. ... Daytime television is the general term for television shows produced that are intended to air during the daytime hours. ...

Millionaire's place as a daytime show was granted when ABC's sister company, Buena Vista Television, revived the show as a daily syndicated offering with Meredith Vieira in 2002. This version, also taped in New York, began airing its sixth season episodes on September 10, 2007, and has earned Vieira an Emmy for best game show host. Buena Vista Television is the television syndication firm of Disney/ABC Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company, that handles the TV distribution of product from Disney, Touchstone Television, and ABC. The company also produces and distributes its own shows, such as The Tony Danza Show, Ebert & Roeper... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Meredith Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality, game show hostess and journalist. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... An Emmy Award. ...

Format

The goal of the contestant is to answer 15 multiple-choice questions correctly, each of increasing diffuculty. Each question is worth a specified amount of money, with which a contestant may walk away at any time he does not know the answer to a question.

• • Question Values (1999-2004)
• $100
• $200
• $300
• $500
• $1,000
• $2,000
• $4,000
• $8,000
• $16,000
• $32,000
• $64,000
• $125,000
• $250,000
• $500,000
• $1 Million

• • Question Values (2004-present)
• $100
• $200
• $300
• $500
• $1,000
• $2,000
• $4,000
• $8,000
• $16,000
• $25,000
• $50,000
• $100,000
• $250,000
• $500,000
• $1 Million

Lifelines

If the contestant needs help at any point, he can use one, two, three, or even all four of his lifelines. These enable the contestant to get help from family & friends, the audience, and even the computer.

• Phone A Friend: Thanks to AT&T, you can call anybody anywhere in the country and see what they think the answer is. You'll have 30 seconds to give them the question and for them to give you the answer.

• 50:50: The computer will narrow it down to two possible answers, instead of four. One will be the right one and one will be a wrong one.

• Ask The Audience: You can ask the audience to see what they think is the most possible answer.

• Switch the Question: The computer will replace the question you have trouble with and replace it with another question valued at that amount.

Note: "Switch the Question," must be earned by answering the $25,000 question. It can be used on either the $50,000 Question, the $100,000 Question, the $250,000 Question, the $500,000 question or the $1 Million question. Any other lifelines used prior to this lifeline on the same question are considered lost and will not be reinstated. This article is about the current AT&T. For the 1885-2005 company, see American Telephone & Telegraph. ...

Special Editions

The show has had various special editions such as: Celebrity Edition (where winnings go to a charity), Champions Edition (where big winners come back and split their winnings with a charity), Zero Dollar Winner Edition (where those who took home nothing got a second chance) Family Edition where, for example, a father may be with his son who face the questions together. Also notable is an edition aired in February 2001 in which H&R Block calculated the taxes of winnings so the contestants could earn their stated winnings after taxes, called Tax-Free Edition. In the final 2 seasons, there was also a Couples Edition where married couples play in the Hot Seat together. In recent years, special contestant episodes such as Play to Pay for Your Wedding Edition (featuring engaged couples), College Edition (featuring undergraduate college students), Teacher Edition (featuring schoolteachers), and Walk In & Win Edition (featuring audience members who haven't taken the audition test) have aired annually. The first season featured a Twins Edition (featuring twin contestants), which played similar to the Couples Edition and Play To Pay For Your Wedding Edition. H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) is the leading tax preparation company in the United States, and claims more than 22 million customers worldwide, with offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. ...

Themed question shows featuring questions concerning professional football (Super Bowl Edition), celebrity gossip (Celebrity Scoop Edition), and the movies (Netflix Million Dollar Movie Edition; Academy Awards Edition) have aired on occasion as well. The winning Super Bowl team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy. ... Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), is the largest online DVD rental service, offering flat rate rental-by-mail to customers in the United States. ...

The prime time show began as a half-hour show aired over several consecutive nights, but was made into a multi-weekly hour-long show when it was added permanently to the schedule in January 2000, allowing more Fastest Finger contestants to reach the Hot Seat in each episode. In special events it may be extended from half an hour to an hour. Episodes of the syndicated show run 30 minutes in length every weekday. Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ...

Champions Edition

In 2000, previous Millionaire contestants were on a special edition where they would go for the hot seat again only this time they'd play for charity. Examples of people who were on it were the first millionaire John Carpenter, Dan Blonsky, Neil Larrimore, Stephanie Girrardi (the first woman to see the million-dollar question) and more.

Rule changes

By January 2001, the U.S. edition of the show struggled from not having a $1 million winner for over five months, so producers instituted a one-time skins game-type bonus of $10,000 per episode retroactive from the last episode the top prize was awarded. The bonus started at $1,710,000 and increasing by $10,000 in the next hour show that was not won. With this bonus instituted, the top prize grew to $2 million (over 100 shows), making the first attempt at the million dollar question (by Gary Gambino in February 2001) actually worth twice its value. Eventually, the bonus grew to $2.18 million, when Kevin Olmstead won the eventual prize on April 10, 2001. However, two such prizes were awarded due to an error in a question during the time the bonus was in place, when Ed Toutant won the top prize and the bonus was at $860,000 on January 31, 2001. When he continued in an episode not aired until September 7, 2001, he also answered all 15 of his questions correctly, and was given $1 million and the $860,000 bonus. It has not been reinstituted since. USD redirects here. ... A skins game is a golf event in which players compete for prize money on each individual hole. ... Dr. Kevin Olmstead (born March 20, 1959) is an environmental engineer from Ann Arbor, Michigan. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2001, contestants (from previous primetime episodes) who missed a question in the first tier and left with no winnings were invited back for a special edition of Millionaire. This was repeated in 2003 for contestants from the first season of the syndicated program.

In 2002, unlike the U.K. version where some questions have joke answers, the $100 question always have a joke answer posed by Meredith Vieira as the last answer choice.

In the original US version of the show, the board went ...$16,000, $32,000, $64,000, $125,000... That is when the format changed to Merideth Viera's hosting and the board being redone at that point. This is also where the Switch the Question lifeline was added once you reached the $25,000 mark. After was $50,000 (instead of $64,000) and $100,000 (instead of $125000).

Finally, the Ask the Audience lifeline was expanded. Instead of just the studio audience giving answers, users of the AOL Instant Messenger could participate too. If they had asked the screenname MillionaireIM to allow his or her participation, then they would receive an instant message if a contestant used his or her Ask the Audience lifeline. The message would contain the question and four possible answers, and they would send their answer back. This was the first time in history that the public had been able to interact with a game show while it was being taped. When the tape was shown, the results of the poll would first show the studio audience's response, then the IM users' response. The AIM side of the lifeline failed to work at times. In these instances, the game show's policy was to allow the contestant to only rely on the studio audience's response. The AOL Instant Messenger Ask the Audience lifeline has been suspended as of the fifth season of the syndicated version of the show following the withdrawal of sponsorship of the program by AOL. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is a free, advertisement-supported proprietary instant messaging and presence computer program which uses the OSCAR instant messaging protocol and the TOC protocol. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... An instant messenger is a computer application which allows instant text communication between two or more people through a network such as the Internet. ... Quiz show redirects here. ...

Popularity

The show initially drew in up to 30 million viewers a day three times a week, an unheard-of number in modern network television. In the 1999-2000 season, it averaged #1 in the ratings against all other television shows. The next year (2000-2001), it also frequently placed within the top three or top five programs; finishing at #3 in the ratings[2]. However, the show's ratings began to fall during the 2000-2001 season, and by the start of the 2001-2002 season, the ratings were only a fraction of what they had been one year ago. ABC's reliance on Millionaire's popularity led to the network's falling quickly from its former spot as the nation's most-watched network.

The show was immensely popular in that one could qualify for the show by competing in a telephone contest with hopefuls across the country by dialing a toll free number and answering three questions by putting things or events in order by using your telephone keypad. The 10,000-20,000 people who answered all three questions correctly were entered into a random drawing in which approximately 300 people would compete for 10 spots on the show using the same phone quiz method.

Episodes of the ABC version have been rerun on GSN since September 2003 (except August 1999 & 2002 shows). Prime time Who Wants to be a Millionaire is still the highest-rated regularly-scheduled program on GSN. GSN redirects here. ... Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are often referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ... GSN redirects here. ...

Spin-offs

Celebrity versions

The show began to dabble in celebrity versions of the game in mid-2000, at the height of its popularity. The first version featured stars such as Drew Carey, Rosie O'Donnell, Queen Latifah, and Dana Carvey; later celebrity players included P. Diddy, Vanessa Williams, Chevy Chase, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, Norm MacDonald, and future Millionaire host Meredith Vieira. Later, Carol Alt, Martin Short, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Charlie Sheen, Jon Stewart, Joey McIntyre and more. Drew Carey is the only celebrity to be on Millionaire twice (First time was $500,000 and then the second time was $32,000 which was a drop from $125,000 for a grand total of $532,000). Rosie O'Donnell is the only celebrity to be on Millionaire and then later be a Phone-A-Friend. She along with Steve Martin, Sam Simon and Kim Basinger are the only celebrity phone-a-friends. P. Diddy ($125,000), Jon Stewart ($125,000), Queen Latifah ($250,000), Martin Short ($32,000 which was a drop from $250,000), Heidi Klum ($250,000), Kelly Ripa Consuelos ($250,000), John Leguizamo ($32,000 which was a drop from $125,000), Martina McBride ($125,000), Lance Bass ($125,000), Emeril Lagasse ($125,000), Nick Lachey ($32,000 which was a drop from $125,000), Denis Leary ($125,000) and Drew Carey (see above) are the only Millionaire celebrities to also go on Live With Regis and Kelly (Ripa being the co-host). Drew Carey, Rosie O'Donnell and Norm MacDonald (in that order) are the only celebrities to win $500,000. The show was a huge hit in the ratings, and since they were playing for charity, and for fear that celebrities would be too embarrassed to miss an early question, all players were allowed to receive help from their fellow players to attain the $32,000 level, resulting in some humorous exchanges when a celebrity player got stumped. A classic example of this occurred in an episode (second episode of second celebrity edition for $300) where Jon Lovitz could not identify limes as the second ingredient in Sprite (after lemons), which prompted Kermit The Frog, who was there just for support, to amusingly ask him, "Hey Jon, What color am I? (referring to the fact that he and limes are both green)," after which Lovitz answered the question correctly (Kermit in which is the only muppet and celebrity audience member to be on Live). ABC began to rely heavily on celebrity episodes - for most of the 2001-02 season, fully half of the series were celebrity or other "special editions", a move which coincided with the show's drop from the top of the ratings. Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor, and game show host. ... Rosie ODonnell (born March 21, 1962 in Bayside, Queens, New York) is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning American talk show host, television personality, comedienne, film, television, and stage actress. ... Latifah redirects here. ... Dana Thomas Carvey (born April 2, 1955, in Missoula, Montana) is an American actor and comedian best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and the spin-off movie Waynes World. ... Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969[1]) is an American record producer, CEO, clothing designer, actor, and rapper. ... Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. ... For other uses, see Chevy Chase (disambiguation). ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal/thrash metal band formed in 1981[1] and has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... Lars Ulrich (born December 26, 1963) is the drummer and co-founder of Metallica. ... Norm MacDonald Norman Gene MacDonald (born October 17, 1963) is a bilingual Canadian actor and comedian. ... Meredith Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality, game show hostess and journalist. ... Carol Alt (born December 1, 1960 in East Williston, Long Island, New York) is an American supermodel. ... Martin Hayter Short, CM (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian/American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. ... Lisa Left Eye Lopes (birth name Lisa Nicole Lopes) (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002), was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress of Cape Verdean descent, and member of the popular R&B and hip hop group TLC. In addition to hit songs like Waterfalls with TLC, Lopes also did... Benjamin Edward Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, actor, film producer and director. ... For other persons named Jack Black, see Jack Black (disambiguation). ... Charles Irwin Sheen (born September 3, 1965) is a Golden Globe Award-winning and Emmy-nominated American actor. ... Not to be confused with John Stewart or John Stuart. ... Joe McIntyre AKA Joey McIntyre or Joseph McIntyre (born Joseph Mulrey McIntyre December 31, 1972 in Needham, Massachusetts. ... Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor, and game show host. ... Rosie ODonnell (born March 21, 1962 in Bayside, Queens, New York) is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning American talk show host, television personality, comedienne, film, television, and stage actress. ... For other uses, see Steve Martin (disambiguation). ... Sam Simon is an American television producer and writer, most notable as one of the original developers of The Simpsons, along with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks. ... Kimila Ann Basinger (born December 8, 1953) is an Academy Award-winning American film actress and former fashion model. ... Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969[1]) is an American record producer, CEO, clothing designer, actor, and rapper. ... Not to be confused with John Stewart or John Stuart. ... Latifah redirects here. ... Martin Hayter Short, CM (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian/American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. ... Heidi Klum (pronounced ; born June 1, 1973[1]) is a German supermodel, actress, TV presenter, fashion designer, television producer and occasional singer. ... Kelly Maria Ripa (born October 2, 1970) an American Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress, television personality and talk show host. ... John Leguizamo (born July 22, 1964) is an Emmy-winning and Golden Globe Award-nominated American comedian, actor and producer. ... Martina McBride (born Martina Mariea Schiff, July 29, 1966 in Sharon, Kansas) is an American Grammy nominated country music singer-songwriter. ... James Lance Bass (born May 4, 1979), known as Lance Bass (pronounced ), is an American pop singer, actor, film and television producer, and author. ... Emeril John Lagasse (born October 15, 1959, Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S.) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. ... This section does not cite any references or sources. ... Denis Leary (born Denis Colin Leary on August 18, 1957) is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated American actor, comedian, writer and director. ... Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor, and game show host. ... Live with Regis and Kelly is a syndicated American television talk show, hosted by Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. ... Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor, and game show host. ... Rosie ODonnell (born March 21, 1962 in Bayside, Queens, New York) is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning American talk show host, television personality, comedienne, film, television, and stage actress. ... Norm MacDonald Norman Gene MacDonald (born October 17, 1963) is a bilingual Canadian actor and comedian. ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are often referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ... Jonathan Lovitz (born July 21, 1957 in Tarzana, California) is an American actor and comedian perhaps best known as a cast member of Saturday Night Live and for his show The Critic. ... Look up Sprite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Kermit the Frog is a Muppet, one of puppeteer Jim Hensons most famous and beloved creations, first introduced in 1955. ...

It was announced in 2005 that the syndicated show would bring back celebrities for a special edition to air in November 2005, but those episodes never materialized.

Syndication

In 2002, Disney's Buena Vista Television started selling a new version of the show for daily syndication, with a new host, Meredith Vieira who happened to be a contestant on a celebrity edition along with David Alan Grier. It was initially proposed and developed under the assumption that the prime time show would still be airing on ABC, but the prime time show was cancelled a few months before the syndicated show premiered. The syndicated version doesn't include the Fastest Finger competition; contestants are brought out individually during each half-hour show after passing contestant auditions, which are similar to most game show auditions. Buena Vista Television is the television syndication firm of Disney/ABC Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company, that handles the TV distribution of product from Disney, Touchstone Television, and ABC. The company also produces and distributes its own shows, such as The Tony Danza Show, Ebert & Roeper... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Meredith Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality, game show hostess and journalist. ... David Alan Grier (born June 30, 1955) is an American actor and comedian famous for his work on the Emmy Award winning sketch comedy show In Living Color. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ...

Because of Vieira's commitments with her new job at NBC News, substitute hosts are frequently used, and have represented the traditional "big three" networks -- Tom Bergeron (employed by Disney for Dancing with the Stars), Al Roker (who also happens to work alongside Meredith Vieira on Today), and Tim Vincent (of NBC-syndicated Access Hollywood) each guest-hosted a week's worth of shows during the 2006-07 season. [3]. CBS News weatherman Dave Price hosted a week of shows in March 2008, and NBC's Access Hollywood reporter Billy Bush reportedly also filled in for episodes that aired in April 2008. [4] [5] NBC News endcap, used from 2002 to present. ... Tom Bergeron (born May 6, 1955 in Haverhill, Massachusetts) is an American television personality and a popular one-time game show host, best known to the public as the host of Americas Funniest Home Videos, which he has hosted since 2001, as well as the TV game show Hollywood... Albert Lincoln Al Roker, Jr. ... The Today Show, officially known as Today, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre, spawning similar morning news and entertainment television programs across the United States and around the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dave Price on CBS 2 News This Morning in 2005. ... William Hall Billy Bush (born October 13, 1971), co-host of the syndicated NBC Universal TV show Access Hollywood. ...

During a week of episodes in Series Six (November 2007), to celebrate the syndicated version's 1,000th episode, all contestants that week started with $1,000 (which meant that no contestant could leave with nothing), and only had to answer ten questions to win the $1 Million. Also, 20 home viewers each day during that week won $1,000 each.

Qualifications

Unlike the original network version, where aspiring contestants made a phone call, answered a few questions correctly on the phone, and were randomly selected, leading to a fastest-finger competition to determine the player in the hot seat, the current version uses a more traditional game show procedure, similar to what is used for most game shows. This toughens the contestant pool.

In a 2007 interview with Jeopardy! champion Bob Harris, who has participated in tryouts for the current Millionaire, contestants, depending on touring (in markets of local Millionaire affiliates) or studio (in the ABC studios in New York) tryouts, are required to pass a quiz between 30 and 40 questions which is electronically scored. Jeopardy redirects here. ...

Contestants who pass the general-knowledge test are then interviewed by production staff. Persons who impress the production staff the most are then sent to New York for the show for their taping.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/television/2003638513_tvgameshowaudition28.html

Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire

Main article: Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire

In 2004, Regis Philbin returned to ABC for 12 episodes of a spin-off Millionaire called Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire or better known as Super Millionaire. The show offered a $10 Million top prize. The show premiered in February 2004 and showed 5 episodes. The show returned later in May 2004 for 7 more episodes. Who Wants to be a Super Millionaire, often shortened to Super Millionaire, was a television game show spinoff to the American version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. ... Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality and occasional actor known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, and presenter at various events. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ...

• $1,000
• $2,000
• $3,000
• $4,000
• $5,000
• $10,000
• $20,000
• $30,000
• $50,000
• $100,000
• $500,000
• $1 Million
• $2.5 Million
• $5 Million
• $10 Million

The Lifelines:

• AT&T Phone-A-Friend
• Ask The Audience
• 50:50

This article is about the current AT&T. For the 1885-2005 company, see American Telephone & Telegraph. ...

The Two New Lifelines

The new lifelines were only given to a contestant once they answered the $100,000 question correctly.

• Three Wise Men: Backstage at a panel were three people, a past Millionaire and two experts. The panel had 30 seconds to hear the question and help out with the answer. When not being asked, the panel of experts were kept in darkness.
• Double Dip: This lifeline was a chance for the contestant to have 2 chances to answer the question (meaning that if the player got a wrong answer in his first attempt, he had another chance to find the right one). Once a player chose to Double Dip, he/she had to answer the question. An incorrect guess on the first try did not cost the player any money. If he/she got the second guess wrong, he'd go back to the $100,000 level.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It!

Main article: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It!

A version of this game named Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It! was formerly an attraction at the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida and at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, California. The game was very similar to the television version. On each question, the audience, using a keypad attached to the back of the seat in front, chose A, B, C, or D. When a contestant chose to stop playing, the next contestant was picked from the audience member who answered the most questions correctly and most quickly. This version was not played for cash. For every question answered correctly, the contestant received a pin, and after reaching the "safe havens", a baseball cap and polo shirt. The top prize was a three-night cruise for four aboard the Disney Cruise Line and during the prime-time US version the prize was going to be in the contestant pool. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It! logo. ... Disneys Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. ... Cinderella Castle is the symbol of the Magic Kingdom. ... Orlando redirects here. ... Disneys California Adventure is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. ... Anaheim redirects here. ...

Notable contestants

Million Dollar Winners on ABC

• John Carpenter, November 19, 1999
• Dan Blonsky, January 18, 2000
• Joe Trela, March 23, 2000
• Bob House, June 13, 2000
• Kim Hunt, July 6, 2000
• David Goodman, July 11, 2000
• Dr. Kevin Olmstead ($2.18 Million), April 10, 2001
• Bernie Cullen, April 15, 2001
• Ed Toutant ($1.86 Million), September 7, 2001

In addition, Robert Essig has won $1 million aired on February 2004 at Super Millionaire, but didn't win the top prize of $10 million. John Carpenter (born 24 December 1967) was the first $1,000,000 winner on the United States version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Dr. Kevin Olmstead (born March 20, 1959) is an environmental engineer from Ann Arbor, Michigan. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

Million Dollar Winners in Syndication

• Kevin Smith, February 18, 2003
• Nancy Christy (First and only woman, to date, to win the million dollars in syndication), May 8, 2003

To date, no contestant on either the ABC or syndicated versions of the show has ever answered the million dollar question incorrectly. On the ABC version, they would have lost $468,000; on the current syndicated version, they would lose $475,000 (the monetary value of question 10 was reduced from $32,000 to $25,000). The most money ever lost on the show was $218,000 (in the prime time version), when contestants answered their $500,000 question incorrectly, lowering their prize from $250,000 to just $32,000 (see list of contestants who missed their $500,000 question below). In the syndicated version, the most would be $225,000 (thus lowering their prize to $25,000). is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

To this date, there has NOT been a millionaire since Nancy Christy won in 2003.

$500,000 winners on ABC

• Michael Shutterly, August 25, 1999
• David Fite, January 10, 2000
• Rob Coughlin, January 23, 2000
• Stephanie Girardi, February 17, 2000 (first female contestant to walk away with $500,000)
• Mike Menz, April 27, 2000
• Drew Carey (celebrity edition) May 2, 2000
• Rosie O'Donnell (celebrity edition) May 3, 2000
• Tom O'Brien, June 11, 2000
• Joe Kelleher, July 23, 2000
• Phil Gibbons, August 15, 2000
• Pat Thompson, November 8, 2000
• Norm MacDonald (celebrity edition), November 12, 2000
• Justin Ray Castillo, November 26, 2000
• Jim Matthews, December 6, 2000
• Gary Gambino, March 1, 2001
• David Stewart, April 1, 2001
• Steve Perry, April 22, 2001
• Moe Cain, May 1, 2001
• Rob and Mary Beth McNally (couples edition), May 17, 2001
• Tom Hobbler, June 5, 2001
• Mary Burke, June 14, 2001

is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor, and game show host. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Rosie ODonnell (born March 21, 1962 in Bayside, Queens, New York) is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning American talk show host, television personality, comedienne, film, television, and stage actress. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... This article is about the day of the year. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Norman Gene Macdonald (born October 17, 1963) is a Canadian actor and comedian. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

$500,000 winners in Syndication

• Armand Kachingian, May 9, 2003
• Jeff Gross, November 18, 2004
• Ogi Ogas, November 8, 2006
• Lyn Payne, November 1, 2007

As well, a number of contestants have won $500,000 on Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire including Pat Quinn who is the only Super Millionaire contestant to win $500,000 and be out of time. is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ogi Ogas is one of the United States first Homeland Security Fellows, involved in an educational program designed to prepare technologists for work in Americas anti-terrorism effort. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Who Wants to be a Super Millionaire, often shortened to Super Millionaire, was a television game show spinoff to the American version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. ...

$500,000 question wrong on ABC

• Mark McDermott, January 13, 2000 (first contestant to lose $218,000)
• Lawrence Caplan, January 15, 2000
• Rudy Reber, February 24, 2000
• Richard Klimkiewicz, March 2, 2000
• Kati Knudsen, July 30, 2000 (first female contestant to lose $218,000)
• Nick Meyer, August 17, 2000
• Raymelle Greening, January 28, 2001

is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

$500,000 question wrong in Syndication

• Bob Edgeworth, October 25, 2002
• Rod Martin, June 16, 2003
• Ava Johnson, December 2, 2004 (first and only contestant so far, to lose $225,000)

is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

$0 Winners on ABC

• Robby Roseman, August 22, 1999
• Brian Fodera, January 20, 2000. He returned to the show on May 20, 2001 for a special Zero Dollar Winner edition and ended up leaving with $16,000.
• David Gold, February 10, 2000
• Steve Fayne, February 22, 2000. He later returned on May 20, 2001 and won $64,000
• Jon Futrell, March 24, 2000 (Academy Awards Edition). He later returned on May 20, 2001 and won $64,000
• Allen Kong, April 6, 2000
• Martin Poteralski, April 30, 2000. He later returned on May 20 and 21, 2001 and won $250,000
• Jeremy Conklin, May 11, 2000
• Karla Robinson, July 20, 2000 (first female contestant to win nothing)
• Sal Mecca, January 19, 2001
• Chris Goldschmidt, January 25, 2001
• Stan Wu, February 21, 2001 (Tax Free Edition)
• James Dinan, April 5, 2001. He later returned on May 21, 2001 and won $64,000
• Debbie Mittleman, July 12, 2001
• Eric Mason, November 11, 2001 (Armed Forces Edition)
• Jennifer Starks, March 7, 2002

is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

$0 winners in Syndication

• Shannon Ross, September 18, 2002. She returned on May 22-23, 2003 for a special zero dollar winner edition and won $64,000.
• Jana LaSorte, September 25, 2002. She returned on May 23, 2003 and won $1,000.
• Walter Pasuco, October 10, 2002. He returned on May 26, 2003 and won $1,000.
• Jamie Schuler, October 11, 2002. She returned on May 22, 2003 and won $8,000.
• Scott Humphery, October 16, 2002. He returned on May 28, 2003 and won $1,000.
• Jennifer Cook, November 4, 2002. She returned on May 22, 2003 and won $1,000.
• Kathy Hempel, November 25, 2002. She returned on May 19-20, 2003 and won $250,000.
• John Corbett, January 9, 2003. He returned on May 23 and 26, 2003 and won $32,000.
• Dana Fangado, February 6, 2003. He returned on May 20-21, 2003 and won $64,000.
• Ann Bock, February 13, 2003
• Margaret and Marie Wade (twins week), February 20, 2003
• Jackie Aaron, February 24, 2003. She returned on May 28, 2003 and won $32,000.
• Lisa Achtenstein, April 2, 2003. She returned on May 19, 2003 and won $1,000.
• Paul Moore, April 3, 2003. He returned on May 21-22, 2003 and won $32,000.
• Dariece Oki, July 16, 2003
• Justin Kerr, September 17, 2003
• Cathy Donley, October 10, 2003
• Sarah Seo, October 10, 2003
• Amanda Rising, October 20, 2003
• Mystery contestant, October 27, 2003
• Dennis Evenson, November 6, 2003
• Robert Ryan, December 3, 2003
• Greg Lee, January 5, 2004
• Thomas Kole, January 14, 2004
• Naeemah Leonard, April 5, 2004
• Fran Barksdale, April 7, 2004
• Jackie Jane, May 19, 2004
• Jennyfer Wilson, May 24, 2004
• Raquel Garner, June 22, 2004
• Michael Ridenour, June 23, 2004
• Janie Westfield-McGivney, September 23, 2004
• Pete Tittl, October 8, 2004
• Dan Metko, November 30, 2004
• Tenisha Cornick, January 21, 2005
• Molly Sanford, January 26, 2005
• Carol Hess, April 14, 2005
• Lynn Eden, April 21, 2005
• Kate Flynn, May 9, 2005
• Kevin Mack, July 7, 2005
• Drew McCarsky, October 3, 2005
• Paul Aquavia, October 11, 2005
• Jen Vine, December 13, 2005
• Paul Weir Galm, January 23, 2006
• Ian Yanong, February 22, 2006
• Chase Sampson, October 27, 2006
• Amy Reuther, December 4, 2006
• Brian Davis, December 5, 2006
• Lorraine Puleo,January 19, 2007
• Phillis Straka, April 23, 2007
• Alex Saggiomo, May 24, 2007
• Kasey Miklik, October 12, 2007
• Frank Lockwood, November 15, 2007
• Phil McQuade, January 8, 2008
• Mary Weimer, January 21, 2008
• Scott Babbidge, January 21, 2008
• Linda Cohen-Schofield, April 14, 2008
• John Petrick, April 17, 2008
• Heidi Zimmermann. May 1, 2008

Also, Dede Bradley went home with nothing on Super Millionaire when she missed the $5,000 question. is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Logo of Super Millionaire Super Millionaire was a television game show spinoff to the American version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. ...

Mistakes

• In one celebrity episode, Gladys Knight was in the hot seat and had a question along the lines of Which of these artists never wrote a number one song? The choices were Sting, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen. The answer that the Millionaire producers were looking for was Springsteen. In fact, Springsteen wrote the number one hit "Blinded By the Light", by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Regis acknowledged this later after the error was brought to the attention of the show.
• In the 2006-2007 season, a contestant was going for $250,000. He was going with a question about science. He went for it and got it wrong and won $25,000. Producers later researched this question and found out the contestant's response is another possible answer and that there were two right answers. He returned the next season on January 1, 2008 and walked away with $250,000. The company also let the contestant keep the $25,000 for a grand total of $275,000.

Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA) is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B/soul singer, actress and author. ... This article is about the musician. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Stevie Wonder (born Steveland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Steveland Hardaway Morris)[1] is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. ... Springsteen redirects here. ... Audio sample Blinded by the Light is a song written and originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

Parodies and pop culture references

Television

• On The Simpsons episode "Day of the Jackanapes", a show similar to this was "Me Wantee". The game contestant was Moe Szyslak, who withdraws after winning $500,000. The host of the show, Virgil Sinclair (who was not meant to be Regis Philbin) parodies the "Is that your final answer?" catchphrase by instead saying "Is that your ultimate response?"

• Saturday Night Live has done many parodies of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire when the game show was first popular. Some of them include: a Third World version called "Who Wants To Eat?" where contestants from impoverished nations compete for food (on the Christina Ricci/Beck episode), a sketch where a contestant (played by Will Ferrell) goes on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" and quits after getting the $100 question right (on the Freddie Prinze, Jr./Macy Gray episode), and a cold opening sketch featuring a celebrity edition of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" where the program gets interrupted by insulting messages to the Disney Corporation from Time Warner, itself parodizing Time Warner Cable's dispute with Disney regarding its carriage of ABC's owned and operated stations (on the John Goodman/Neil Young episode).

• MADtv had its share of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire parodies as well. In one three-part sketch, one person just couldn't get the first question. Another sketch had Regis himself doing a promo for a celebrity edition for celebrities. Another was a parody entitled "Who Wants To Be The President" with Regis Philbin himself hosting again. The players were people currently running for president in 2000 (Al Gore - who makes it to the Winners Circle, Jesse Ventura, and Alan Keyes.) The last parody was a parody of "Super Millionaire" entitled "Who Wants To Be A Super Duper Millionaire" with Mike Tyson playing.

• A skit called So You Wanna Win Five Dollars on The Amanda Show, consisted of a contestant, who was not very bright, being asked three simple questions with four choices, with the final question being worth five dollars. Three choices normally did not have to do with anything with the question (i.e. Q: "What is electricity measured in? Choices: A-volts, B-watts, C-saliva, D-crumpets). The contestants were normally various characters from other sketches on The Amanda Show.

• On an episode of American Idol in season five, Ryan Seacrest asked Simon Cowell "is that your final answer?" when Simon mistakenly said that he liked Katharine McPhee's performance of "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley, when he really didn't.

• On an episode of Spin City, Paul Lassiter (Richard Kind) was on the show and won the million dollars by guessing the final question. He originally used his final lifeline to call Mike (Michael J. Fox), who hung up before he asked the question. Regis Philbin played himself.

• The improv show Whose Line is it Anyway? (which coincidentally was also aired by ABC) frequently spoofed the game show in a skit called "The Millionaire Show".

• On an episode of Deal or No Deal, Regis Philbin appeared after host Howie Mandel told a contestant he would need a "final answer" for his question, "Deal or No Deal?". A surprised contestant watched as Mandel & Philbin tried to out-do one another with their own catchphrases.^{[citation needed]}

• A public safety video about railroad safety by Operation Lifesaver entitled Final Answer parodied Millionaire by having three contestants answer questions about level crossing safety in the same manner.

• On the Arthur episode "Bitzi's Beau," Arthur and Buster watch a game show on which the contestant is asked, "Is that your final answer?"
• In the Nickelodeon TV series Jimmy Neutron special episode Win, Lose, and Kaboom, there is a tie-breaking game show with seats and lights arranged like they are in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

• On The Price Is Right, Drew Carey, while not using the phrase, has allowed contestants on some games, prior to locking in their bid or selection of product, to change their answer more often, in a manner similar to "Is that your final answer". Carey was a participant on the celebrity version of Millionaire.

Simpsons redirects here. ... Day of the Jackanapes is the thirteenth episode of the twelfth season of The Simpsons. ... Morris Moe Szyslak (pronounced ) is a fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Hank Azaria. ... SNL redirects here. ... Christina Ricci (born February 12, 1980) is a [[Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated American actress. ... John William Ferrell (born July 16, 1967)[1] is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American comedian, actor and writer who first established himself as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, and has since gone on to a successful film career, starring in the comedies A Night at the... Freddie James Prinze (born March 8, 1976) is an American actor, perhaps best known for his leading roles in teen-oriented films. ... Macy Gray (born Natalie Renee McIntyre on September 6, 1967[1]) is an American Grammy Award winning R&B, soul, and neo soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis. ... Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) is an American national cable television company that operates in 27 states and has 31 operating divisions. ... For other uses, see Mad TV (disambiguation). ... Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is a former two-time American world heavyweight boxing champion and is the youngest man to have won a world heavyweight title. ... The Amanda Show was an American live-action comedy and variety show that aired on Nickelodeon in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom and on Family Channel in Canada. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Electricity (from New Latin Ä“lectricus, amberlike) is a general term for a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. ... Josephson junction array chip developed by NIST as a standard volt. ... For other uses, see Watt (disambiguation). ... For the band, see Saliva (band). ... A buttered crumpet. ... For the current American Idol season, see American Idol (season 7). ... The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. ... Ryan John Seacrest is an American television/radio host. ... Simon Phillip Cowell (born 7 October 1959) is a British artist and repertoire (A&R) executive for Sony BMG in the United Kingdom and a television producer, more commonly known as a judge on television programmes such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, American Idol and Britains Got Talent. ... This article is about the singer. ... Hound Dog is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae Big Mama Thornton in 1952. ... Elvis redirects here. ... Spin City was an American sitcom television series that ran from 1996 to 2002 on ABC, and was created by Gary David Goldberg & Bill Lawrence, based on a fictional local government running New York City, originally starring Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York. ... Richard Kind (b. ... For other persons named Michael Fox, see Michael Fox (disambiguation). ... Whose Line Is It Anyway? (sometimes shortened to Whose Line? or abbreviated as WLIIA?) is a short-form improvisational comedy TV show. ... For other national versions, see the main Deal or No Deal article. ... Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality and occasional actor known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, and presenter at various events. ... Howie Michael Mandel II (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian comedian and actor, primarily for his roles on sitcoms and television. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... For other uses, see Safety (disambiguation). ... Operation Lifesaver is a 501(c)(3) educational organization in the United States dedicated to promoting safety at railroad grade crossings and railroad right of ways. ... The term level crossing (also called a railroad crossing, railway crossing, train crossing or grade crossing) is a crossing on one level (at-grade intersection) — without recourse to a bridge or tunnel — of a railway line by a road, path, or another railroad. ... Arthur is an American and Canadian educational television series for children, which airs primarily on PBS in the United States; Radio-Canada, Knowledge Network and TVO in Canada; and BBC One in the UK, among other stations and networks. ... This article is about the TV channel. ... This article is about the character. ... This article is about the current version of the U.S. game show. ... Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor, and game show host. ...

Comics

• The comic strip Drabble had Ralph Drabble as a contestant, who managed to use all three of his lifelines on the very first question - and still didn't know, so he quit with nothing rather than risk missing the first question!
• Web cartoon studio Camp Chaos included an episode of their Napster Bad! series that parodied Millionaire, in which Christina Aguilera was eliminated upon not knowing where the Cannes Film Festival was held, Whitney Houston collapsed while in the hot seat, and Dr. Dre withdrew from the contest after recording the Fastest Finger music to use as an illegal sample, leaving James Hetfield as the last contestant eligible to enter the hot seat. Hetfield failed to come up with a correct answer to the question of which band brought suit against Napster, even though Metallica was listed for all four options(he guessed "beer").
• Jason Fox in the comic strip Foxtrot hosts his own game show, "I Want to be a Millionaire", in which every question answered wrong by the contestant gives the host money.

Drabble is a comic strip by Kevin Fagan, launched in 1979. ... Napster Bad! is a series of popular, but controversial Flash cartoons created by Bob Cesca from 2000-2003. ... This article is about the singer. ... The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival de Cannes), founded in 1939, is one of the worlds oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals. ... Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963) is a six-time Grammy award winning, American R&B singer, soprano, pianist, actress, film producer, and former model. ... For the New York radio and television presenter, see Doctor Dre. ... James Alan Hetfield (born 3 August 1963, Downey, California[1]) is the main songwriter (with drummer Lars Ulrich and sometimes guitarist Kirk Hammett), co-founder, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the American thrash/heavy metal band Metallica. ... Napster was a file sharing service that paved the way for decentralized P2P file-sharing programs such as Kazaa, Limewire, iMesh, Morpheus, and BearShare, which are now used for many of the same reasons and can download music, pictures, and other files. ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal/thrash metal band formed in 1981[1] and has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... FoxTrot is a daily American comic strip written and illustrated by Bill Amend centering on the daily lives of the Fox family; Andy, Roger, Paige, Peter, and Jason. ...

Other

• The Disney Cruise Line currently features a show called "Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer?" where guests are chosen to answer five Disney-related questions for prizes such as pins and picture frames. The show is presented in a similar style as Millionaire, but with a more laid back, tongue in cheek approach.
• Bill Gates played a version of the show with Regis Philbin during the New York City Windows XP launch event.^{[citation needed]}
• Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman refers to the show in his hit "Live Out Loud," comparing non-evangelizing Christians to Millionaire winners who hide the money and tell no one they've won: Imagine this / I get a phone call from Regis, / He says "Do you want to be a millionaire?" / They put me on the show and I win / With two lifelines to spare. / Picture this: / I act like nothing ever happened / And bury all the money in a coffee can; / Well, I've been given more than Regis ever gave away.
• In the Annual Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry that took place in Tucson, Arizona (Jan 8-14th 2006) Agilent Technologies' Chris Scanlon hosted a parody "Who Wants to be a Counts Per Second Millionaire?". The winner was Juris Meija from National Research Council Canada.^[1]
• Rage Against the Machine's video "Sleep Now In the Fire" includes a parody game show called "Who Wants to Be Filthy F***ing Rich?"
• An episode of the family radio drama Adventures in Odyssey entitled "BTV: Obedience" included a skit called Who Wants to Be Obedient? hosted by "Pat Filgis"
• One of the various radio infomercials for the evangelical Christian hotline 1-888-NEED-HIM featured a Millionaire parody called "So You Wanna Go to Heaven?" When confronted with the final question (To get to heaven you must… A: Be really good; B: never do anything bad; C: Go to church every Sunday; D: Put your faith and trust in Jesus), the contestant gives A as his final answer, even after the use of his 75/25 helpline makes it obvious that the right answer is D.^{[citation needed]}
• A Lion King version called "Who Wants to be King of the Jungle?" hosted by Merideth Vieira was created exclusively for Disc 2 of The Lion King 1 1/2 DVD.^{[citation needed]}

Disney Cruise Line is owned by The Walt Disney Company and headquartered in Celebration, Florida. ... For other persons named Bill Gates, see Bill Gates (disambiguation). ... Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality and occasional actor known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, and presenter at various events. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ... Steven Curtis Chapman (born November 21, 1962 in Paducah, Kentucky, U.S.) is a contemporary Christian musician who has won five Grammy awards and more Gospel Music Association awards than any other artist in history. ... Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) (Agilent for short) is a measurement and instrument company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. ... Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1991. ... Adventures in Odyssey, commonly abbreviated AIO or simply Odyssey, is an Evangelical Christian-themed radio drama/comedy series created by Phil Lollar and Steve Harris for Focus on the Family in 1987. ... Mufasa, Simbas father The Lion King is the Walt Disney Companys 32nd animated film, and one of its most successful. ... The Lion King 1½ (also known as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata in some countries) is an animated film, the sidestory to The Lion King made by The Walt Disney Company. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ...

References

1. ^ Agilent ICP-MS Journal, March 2006

External links

• Official Site
  • Online Game
• Recaps & statistics from the early episodes
• International WWTBAM Website: Music, Videos and Photos from all over the world versions of WWTBAM
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US - 1999-2002) at the Internet Movie Database
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US - current) at the Internet Movie Database
• Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire? (US) at the Internet Movie Database