Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
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Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is an American game show that became a cultural phenomenon upon its introduction in August 1999. Hosted by Regis Philbin, the show featured contestants answering 15 questions of increasing difficulty, with the final question worth one million dollars.1
Contestants could use three lifelines if stumped: phone a friend, poll the audience, or have the multiple-choice answers narrowed down by half. The show's simple premise and broad appeal allowed it to dominate the Nielsen ratings, reaching over 30 million viewers per episode. Based on a British series, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? revitalized the prime-time game show genre, which had previously seen success on radio and in daytime television. The show's format proved adaptable and was even featured in the film Slumdog Millionaire.12
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quiz showincluded Jeopardy! (1984– ), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1999–2020), and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2007–10, 2015, 2019– ).
Read Moreincluded Jeopardy! (1984– ), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1999–2020), and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2007–10, 2015, 2019– ).
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quizA history of quizzingLike that show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? took a gradual jackpot-increase approach. The U.K.’s Family Fortunes, which was derived from the U.S.’s Family Feud of the 1970s and ’80s, had contestants (members of two families) guess what answers had been given by most respondents in a…
Read MoreLike that show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? took a gradual jackpot-increase approach. The U.K.’s Family Fortunes, which was derived from the U.S.’s Family Feud of the 1970s and ’80s, had contestants (members of two families) guess what answers had been given by most respondents in a…
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