Millionaire and Regis coming back to ABC

[whatever]

and here's the link to the NY TIMES article.

SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMwww.nytimes.com/2004/01/26/arts/television/26ABC.html

[DKLA]

Yea!!!!

[Susan]

Holy cow!

Too funny about Regis thinking they were "pranking" him!

I agree it faces some obstacles but hopefully will work out well for all involved!

[Skeeter]

I can't read it....it says I have to register first!!! Help!!!

:)

Skeeter

[mjss]

Couldnt get in either, but I was able to get the front news and O/T it says that Barbara Walters is leaving 20/20. I guess that is a must see for the View on Monday for that reason and also I think Kathi Lee Gifford will be on. stay tuned.

[KaliChris]

Does this mean Meredith Vierra won't be doing Millionaire anymore? Or are those repeats I'm watching of her anyway?

[Susan]

Page 1:

Prime-Time 'Millionaire' Returning to ABC
By BILL CARTER

Published: January 26, 2004


Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," the most successful game show in the history of prime-time television until ABC burned through its popularity by overexposing it, will return next month, complete with Regis Philbin, the hot seat, the lifelines and the steady progression of cash prizes.

ABC is expected to announce today the comeback of "Millionaire," not as a weekly series but as a one-week burst of one-hour shows in the last week of February. This time the show will be called "Super Millionaire," and to distinguish itself from the common reality show prize of $1 million, the top payout will grow to $10 million. If the show is successful, ABC may bring it back for one-week runs as many as three times a year.

But a "Millionaire" revival faces a number of obstacles. When it made its debut in 1999, "Millionaire" was the first entrant in the broadcast network trend toward unscripted shows in prime time. Now it enters a television landscape crowded with reality shows, many of them with gimmicks far more outrageous than the question-and-answer format of "Millionaire." And the show will have to re-establish its appeal to viewers, many of whom abandoned it when ABC began showing it on multiple nights every week of the year. ABC executives, however, expressed confidence that the fundamental appeal of the show was undiminished, even though it has not been on a network since 2002.

"The time just seemed right," said Lloyd Braun, chairman of ABC Entertainment, pointing to the growing success of the syndicated daytime version of "Millionaire," as well as to the network's research, which found viewers were still fond of the show. Mr. Braun emphasized that ABC had no intention of repeating its previous scheduling mistakes. "If it works," he said, "we are going to have a great deal of discipline with how we program the show, basically as a sweeps event that we run two or three times a year."

To try to create an event, ABC will go back to the original schedule plan in effect when the show first came over from Britain: one short burst over several nights during one week. The new "Millionaire" will start on Sunday night, Feb. 22 at 9. It will then play that week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday nights at 10.

Mr. Braun said ABC considered three elements crucial to bringing the show back. "It had to be done in its original event form," he said. "We had to have Regis. And we had to freshen the format."

Also returning will be the show's executive producer, Michael Davies, who has always maintained that "Millionaire" worked best as an occasional entry. Mr. Davies and Mr. Braun jointly called Mr. Philbin last week. "He was a bit shocked," Mr. Davies said. "I think he thought we were pranking him. But he was totally enthusiastic." Mr. Philbin, the co-host of the morning show "Live With Regis and Kelly," could not be reached for comment.

The biggest format change of course involves the ultimate prize. "When `Millionaire' first came on, playing for a million dollars was revolutionary — never done before," Mr. Braun said. "Now winning a million is all over television. It's lost the wow factor."

Mr. Braun likened Mr. Davies's new format to the structure of a video game, in which players get to advance to higher levels if successful. As with many video games, the additional levels will be characterized by different graphics, colors and music. But instead of the new lives granted to a successful combatant in a video game, players on "Millionaire" will get extra lifelines, an important part of the original game.

In the original "Millionaire" contestants were allowed three lifelines to help them answer questions, including calling a friend. The new game will add three more, but only when a contestant reaches a second level. Mr. Davies said the details of the lifeline format would be revealed later.

In the new "Millionaire" all the dollar figures will be expanded tenfold. Players will eventually be asked questions worth $2.5 million, then $5 million and ultimately $10 million. Any question they miss at these elevated figures will result in the loss of all the money they made in the second level, although they will not have to relinquish their Round 1 earnings.

[Susan]

Page 2:

Mr. Davies said ABC executives had run all the changes past Paul Smith, whose British company, Celador, originated the format and sold it to more than 80 countries. "Millionaire" has earned hundreds of millions of dollars for Celador. And the show was so successful for ABC during its glory days, when it brought in between $400 million and $600 million a year, that it almost single-handedly drove up the stock price of Disney, which owns ABC. The show also lifted ABC to victory in the network ratings race in the 2000-1 season.

But it was partly the lure of that instant money and success that led to ABC's overreliance on the show. At its height, in 2000 until the end of 2001, when the show's catch phrases like "Is that your final answer?" had become part of the country's vocabulary, ABC put "Millionaire" on four hours a week. With so many of its prime time hours filled with one show, ABC let its development of other shows falter. When "Millionaire" began to fade in late 2001 and early 2002, the network had few adequate replacements ready.

ABC is still recovering from that fallow period, when it dropped to fourth place in the ratings, and only in the past year or so has it begun to recover some momentum, placing new series, especially comedies like "All About Jim," on its schedule. So far this season ABC still ranks fourth.

Mr. Davies said he doubted the downturn in the fortunes of "Millionaire" truly affected people's basic opinions about the show. "It's not like it suddenly became a bad show," he said. "All our research indicated people still love the concept."

Mr. Davies pointed out that the syndicated version of "Millionaire," with the former television journalist Meredith Vieira as host, has seen its ratings steadily increase over the past year. "The show is up about 30 percent," Mr. Davies said, reaching an average of 4.2 million viewers. It has also become a significant moneymaker for Disney's syndication arm.

"It seemed like a time to let people see it in prime time again and maybe generate heat again," he added.

Mr. Braun said the show fitted nicely into the growing trend of limited series, which have become a staple of cable networks like HBO. As part of widespread thinking about how to program prime time, many broadcast networks, including ABC, are already gearing up several dramas to fit into that limited series pattern.

"It goes hand in hand with what we are trying to do with some of our new dramas, like `Kingdom Hospital,' " Mr. Braun said, referring to the coming 13-episode horror series created by Stephen King. "Basically create short-term events with them."

But Mr. Braun added, "We have no illusions about this being Round 2 of a show that turns the business upside down."

[Scoops]

Good Morning....good news to me! I loved Millionaire when it was on in short segments. 10 mil....wow!

Cool for Regis...sort of a redemption...even though it was not his fault,(the scheduling ruined it as the article implies) I think he was hurt by the whole demise and how it went down.

[PK...]

Kewl... Thanks for posting the article, Susan..

I wonder at the time slot, though.. I guess they have abandoned the "family" watching together as being important, and are only going after the prime demo...

Regis should be in "Happyville" next week and ready to tease Kelly about not being the only co-host in prime time...

;0))

PK

(LOL... Between them they just MAY save the network...)

[Skeeter]

Thanks for posting the article, Susan!!! That was really nice of you!!

I can't wait for the show to start up again. It will be a nice treat!!

:)

Interesting about Barbara and 20/20....hmmm....

Skeeter

[V..]

Hi S,

You "scooped" Live!. lol

[Scoops]

Just heard the rumor about Barbara Walters, and the reason for her leaving 20/20...apparently she procured the interview last week with Howard Dean personally and ABC gave it to Diane Sawyer...their reason being that Primetime aired on thursday night so the sooner the better.

Hmmmm, I have seen Barbara guest on Primetime before..(if I recall correctly) and I know for sure Diane has co-anchored 20/20....so why pull the scoop from Barbara with such a lame excuse?

[MsPiggie]

That is GREAT news! I just can't watch the show that Meredith does. She is really quite silly (IMO) with her comments before saying the contestants answers are "right".

I have loved seeing Regis' shows on Game Show Network. He is just great!

;)

[PK...]

Hmm... Don't know, Scoops...

Does PrimeTime need the ratings boost?

At least they seem to have settled things satisfactorily all around...

;0))

PK thinking Dean would have agreed to an interview with Satan at that particular point in time...

[PK...]

Hmm...

How could I have missed that one...

Hey, V.., not to be picky, but it was "Whatever" who scooped Live...

However it was great of Susan to c&p the article for those who didn't have access to the Times...

;0))

PK just giving proper credit..

[Susan]

Here's one from zap2it.com. I CANNOT wait to hear what Regis says about this and how it came about. Sweeps is starting Thursday....can anyone who watched the show this morning confirm that he will be back then? Thanks, much appreciated!

Philbin Returns for ABC's 'Super Millionaire'
(Monday, January 26 09:17 AM)


LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" is taking over ABC's schedule at the end of February sweeps. But don't go comparing this game show infestation to the "Millionaire" blight that took ABC to the top of the ratings charts and just as quickly sent the network crashing down. No, get ready for "Super Millionaire."
Produced, once again, by UK-based Celador, "Super Millionaire" follows the established format fairly strictly. Contestants must answer 15 questions in order to win a big cash prize. Once again, they will have their basic three lifelines in their quest for untold riches.

As De La Soul might say, though, the stakes is high. The first question on "Super Millionaire" will be worth $1,000 and if contestants answer all 15 questions, they'll win $10,000,000. Naturally, there will be harder questions, more annoying music and brand new lifelines.


"For months, we have been carefully monitoring the environment to determine if the time is right for a new, totally amped up version of 'Millionaire' -- broadcast in its original, event-like form," says ABC Chairman Lloyd Braun. "We think this is the time."
The first installment of "Super Millionaire" will air on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 9 p.m. ET. Subsequent episodes will air that Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 10 p.m.

Oh yes, and the show will mark the return of Regis Philbin to the "Millionaire" franchise, a fact that really excites the show's executive producer, Michael Davies.

"Regis is back," Davies declares. "Let's call this installment, the Return Of The King."

[gailsie]

The "Return of the King" -- Amen to that! lol

Great articles Susan, thanks for posting them.

I'm betting Reege is beside himself; just like a little kid, lol

[Scoops]

I was just going to post the exact same thing gailsie!!

[Skeeter]

Count me in on the great Return of the King line. That was great!!!

:)

Skeeter

[PK...]

I noted the starting question is $1000... That explains why they are not going for the "family" timeslot... That will make it more "watchable" for me.. Unless they will be the old $100 questions...

;0))

PK

[Skeeter]

They said the questions will be harder (I'm not sure how, some of those questions before were impossible!!)...

I'm wondering if with some of the lifelines, they are attempting to cut off the lifeline assistance of calling someone and having them look stuff up on the computer....

:)

Skeeter

[Susan]

PK, I'm just hoping they don't bother with the silly celebrity editions, where they are cheating up to a certain point. So far, I haven't seen that mentioned, fingers crossed.

[Skeeter]

<<<silly celebrity editions>>>

I think that was their demise.....

:)

Skeeter

[PK...]

If they, do, Susan, they will deserve whatever they get.... LOL...

I could see a celebrity version once a year, as an "extra", but with no "cheating"... Maybe.... During the summer doldrums, perhaps, or as a Christmas Special...

But the regular ones as sweeps stunts in Feb, May, and Nov. and one minor sweeps.. I don't think 5 sessions a year would be over exposure...

;0))

PK

[bdsma]

".....Regis should be in Happyville next week....................."

it's so cool to read that the original Millionaire show with Regis is coming back in special format. I really look forward to it. I too echo the phrase "Return of the King".......and thanks to the posters ("Whatever" and Susan) who took the time to post the article and link.

um....is Happyville anywhere near Pleasantville? Will Regis want to leave Happyville to return to cold New York?.........................

[PK...]

I'm sure we will hear all about how "pleasant" it was in Happyville, while NYC was in the deepfreeze... Which, btw, has finally found us here in MO... Brrr...

Hopefully snow for SuperBowl Sunday..

;0))

PK

[Scoops]

Hey, did anyone see the Millionaire commercial during The Bachelorette?...they made the return of Regis the focus. "Regis is Back!!"

[Susan]

Thought you guys might especially enjoy the second to last paragraph.

Latest reality TV shows are just so unreal

By SCOTT HASKINS, EDMONTON SUN


I feel so old and decrepit. How old and decrepit?

I actually remember when the closest thing to reality on TV was the Ed Sullivan Show. Except when Topo Gigio made an appearance, of course.

Now that was television. Hoss and Little Joe at 7, bath at 8, some guy with a spike up his nose at 9. Sunday was the best night on TV. It still is. There are no reality shows.

At least until the new edition of Survivor kicks off immediately following the Super Bowl.

The fine line between reality and fantasy, truth and fiction, natural and silicone, has been totally obliterated by the nonsense we call entertainment.

These days, reality TV is actually anything but. The biggest jerk used to receive a thorough beating. Now he gets a million bucks.

It's a dog's breakfast of the quirky, the queasy, the buxom and the well-endowed. Depending on the show, not necessarily in that order.

To think it all started with Regis Philbin and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Dumb question. The grand prize was $1 million. In the latest incarnation, Regis returns with a grand prize payout of $10 million, starting Feb. 22.

You want reality? How about an Edmonton-based show starring Paris Hilton? In a mini-skirt. Waiting for a bus. When it's - 35. Nice goosebumps, shame about the rest of her.

Welcome to the bottom of the cesspool. Instead of The Simple Life, The Empty Head would have been a much more fitting title.

Then, just when I was sure we had bottomed out, at least until next year, I stumbled across My Big, Fat, Obnoxious Fiance. Leave it to FOX to reach new depths of disgusting.

Beautiful girl, guy with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

"It kind of reminds me of us," Tamara said.

Only I would be her little, plump, obnoxious husband.

It's hard to say when the idea of reality TV started to go horribly wrong, but my best guess is The Osbournes. With apologies to Seinfeld, this is the ultimate show about nothing.

Two things that have more talent than Kelly Osbourne: her brother Jack and a dead tree stump.

But definitely not her dad. There might have been a time when Ozzy was worthy of praise, but that was eight million joints and 10,000 40-pounders ago. Plus one ATV accident.

If there's any real talent in the family, it has to be mom and wife Sharon. Her new talk show, believe it or not, is almost worth watching.

But I digress. Which is easy to do when you're talking about reality programming.

At last count, and I'm sure I must have missed some due to a total lack of interest, there are 20 reality shows on the air at this time. Talk about a foul stench.

That's at least 21 too many if you ask me. Or even if you don't. That's an average of three a night.

There's no escape on Monday. Especially now that mom and Sean have a date to watch Fear Factor. There are four shows on, but that's the one I really can't stomach.

Normally, because of this ungodly weather, it would be helpful of me to remind you to pay your cable bill. But it would probably be considered more of a public service if I urged you not to.

Call it self-defence. It really must be hell to be a TV critic these days.

The Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica: If they're easy on the eyes, they're hell on the ears.

The Apprentice: If only The Donald's hair was even half as stylish as his apartment. If you can own half of Manhattan, you'd think you'd have a better rug. It's real? No, it can't be.

Average Joe, Hawaii: I used to think anything was possible, but these guys can forget it.

Celebrity Mole - Yucatan: When all else fails, go somewhere warm and take your shirt off. See America's Next Top Model and Temptation Island. But I don't mean you should actually watch them.

Not that I want to tar every offering with the same brush.

If nothing else, at least The Great Race works as a geography lesson. Survivor still has its moments, and The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are harmless, but the pick of the litter, so to speak, is easily ABC's Extreme Makeover.

What's next? The Littlest Groom, courtesy of - surprise - FOX. It airs next month, featuring Glen, all four-foot-five of him, and a bevy of vertically challenged suitors.

Sigh! I wish I was kidding.

[bdsma]

"........especially enjoy the second to last paragraph......."

wow.....if this was just one paragraph, the article must be 5 pages long.............................................. .

"sigh! I wish I was kidding."

um......me too.... uh...maybe they should have the Bachelorette marry the celebrity Mole and put them on the Survivor series with Joe Millionaire, Sam (from Apprentice),Average Joe (everyone involved) and the Bachelor Firestone.....and the place would be um...Siberia...

[V..]

<<<It airs next month, featuring Glen, all four-foot-five of him, and a bevy of vertically challenged suitors.>>>


How ironic....lol

Thanks Susan.

[PK...]

Ditto...

How ironic...

A condescending TV critic, wrote a condescending piece...

Are you related? lol

;0))

PK

[Susan]

<< Although Meredith Vieira is host of the game's syndicated version, Mr. Braun says there was no question Mr. Philbin would return to prime-time.
The time seemed right for the show's return, with Miss Vieira's version showing healthy ratings in its second year, Michael Davies, "Super Millionaire" executive producer, told AP.
Introduced in the summer of 1999, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" was an immediate sensation, and ABC rode its success to a surprise season victory in the ratings. The show's success even spawned a Regis Philbin clothing line, quickly relegated to department-store bargain bins as the show faded.
Although it became ABC's biggest success of the '90s, the game was scheduled so often that audiences grew sick of it. When the ratings suddenly tumbled, ABC had little to replace it, leading to a collapse; the network is still trying to recover. >>

This is an excerpt from a Millionaire Returns article. It got me thinking about Regis' wardrobe this time around. (Does Patricia Field do men? hmmmm)

[PK...]

<<(Does Patricia Field do men? hmmmm)>>

Not anyway shape or form... <wink>

;0))

PK

[Jinh]

What I've never figured out, is why "Millionaire" was/is considered 'reality TV'...It's just another taped game show, no?

Jinh

P.S. Did anyone see the Meridith interview on 20/20 last night? It was pretty good..kindof sad though.

[Susan]

LOL, PK....

Jinh, I've wondered the same thing about it "spawning" the reality craze. I agree with you....it's a game show, pure and simple.

I did see most of the Meredith Vieira interview....I had wondered how Richard was doing so it was good to see them. I guess I knew about the MS but didn't remember the two cancer episodes. She seems like such a neat gal, very down to earth.

[PK...]

The credit should go to MTV, shouldn't it? Weren't they really the first?

Maybe they are considering Reality TV as an unscripted show with "real people", rather than actors?? Since the primetime gameshows went by the wayside because of the scandals, I think everything has been scripted in some way, or included professional entertainers..

In that context Millionaire could be considered "reality tv", but still not the "first"...

Then there were the 2 movies about "Reality TV", Ed TV, and I don't remember the other, that most likely sparked the actual craze..

Speaking of which, I tripped over "Todd TV" the other night - don't even remember where, but it was interesting to a certain degree.. Todd looks a bit like Morton Downy Jr... There's a psychologist living in the house with him...

And OH, me... Paris Hilton will be on Las SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAM... Better there than Altus...

;0))

PK

PK

[Jinh]

Susan, I like Meridith too...

MS is a really rotten disease - my step-sister died from MS when she was 26 - she lasted only one year from the diagnosis, which is very rare. None the less, it was incredible the things that happened...she literally fell apart. She was what you might call a "worst case scenario".
I have a couple of friends with MS and it comes and goes...still a drag though...

Anyway, the attitude the family has about it all is wonderful..

Jinh

[Susan]

Jinh, 26....that is SOOO young. And I thought Michael J. Fox and his Parkinsons was young enough.

PK, do you notice Paris is following Josh around? (wink) She ended up on the cutting room floor for Win a Date, but for Las SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAM it appears she has made the cut!

[Jinh]

PK, I still fail to see any difference between Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and Millionaire, except perhaps, that Millionaire was prime-time...other than that...

Jinh

[PK...]

I agree... But then we are dealing with the major Networks..

That may be why the MTV programs didn't "count", too... Not done by a major network and/or not on in prime time..

LOL, ABC has had so little to crow about, perhaps we should cut them some slack...

;0))

PK

[PK...]

LOL on Paris...

She better look out, Josh's fiancee may kick her scrawny butt..

But I guess she is now "attached"... Though, I doubt that matters to her one whit..

Don't get her attraction...

;0))

PK