Once again a new season of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire will be premiering with changes in store. On September 13th we'll get to see these changes in action, but here are the details according to this morning's press release.Round 1
In Round 1, the questions and their dollar values will be randomized. Instead of the questions getting progressively harder and worth more money, each contestant will face a very different game with scattered questions and winnings. You could actually see the easiest question in the game assigned up to $25,000 in prize money. There will be ten questions in this round, valued at $100, $500, $1K, $2K, $3K, $5K, $7K, $10K, $15K and $25K, and the cash amount will not be revealed until after the contestant has answered his or her question. If a contestant chooses to walk away at any point, only half of the money banked is awarded.
Round 2
After round one, contestants can choose to move on to the second round of the game. They are guaranteed to win at least $25,000 here. This part of the game returns to the classic Millionaire format, with four questions valued at $100,000; $250,000; $500,000 and $1,000,000 (the $50K step has been removed). If a contestant walks away at any point during this round, he or she gets to keep all accumulated earnings to that point.
Lifelines
A new lifeline has been introduced, called "Jump the Question." Each contestant gets two Jump the Question lifelines to use during the course of the game, and they work just as their name suggests. Once played, the contestant can skip the current question, forfeiting the cash amount assigned to it. The only other lifeline that remains in the game is Ask the Audience.
No Hot Seat
Other changes are cosmetic, including a few set changes. The most dramatic of these is that the familiar Hot Seat has been eliminated. Meredith Vieira and contestants will stand throughout the game, which is meant to make contestant reactions more dramatic and the game itself more personal.
So there you have it. The fundamentals of the game are still intact, but you have to admit that these changes are big. What do you think of the new format?
Photo courtesy Valleycrest Productions Ltd.
Comments
Don’t like. I don’t really agree that the fundamentals of the game are still intact. To me climbing the money ladder (even as old as it gets with almost all new games shows copying it) was a big part of the game. I can see why they are doing it, but still I don’t feel it is fair to the contestants since it is hard to know when to stop, since you don’t know what the next question will be like. Not sure how much I like the idea of standing throughout the game either. To me the only parts of the game that are still the same as before is the 1 lifeline and the last 4 questions. I have a strange feeling we’ll see people leave with less money.
Couple of questions – is the clock gone? Can you use Jump the Question in the final 4 questions? What do you leave with if you get a question wrong in the first round?
Hi Rich. I have to admit, I used the term “fundamentals” loosely. It’s still a question/answer format, with lifelines, and the chance at winning a million bucks. The atmosphere will remain the same, and even the set changes fall within what we’ve come to expect.
I don’t know for sure about the clock, but I would bet that it’s still in play. The exact rules for Jump the Question weren’t given in the press release – I’ve asked for clarification on that, so I’ll let you know when I find out. I’m assuming you leave with nothing if you bomb on the first question, just like before.
As I usually do, I’ll take a sit-back-and-watch approach for how I feel in judging the show. Hopefully it will be able to appear straightforward and ironed out on the actual program.
The biggest change I’m not looking forward to is actually the lack of a hot seat!
Rich, the Jump the Question lifelines can be used in both rounds – just got confirmation from the Millionaire folks.
Without further clarification of these rules, I’ll have to hold judgement until I see it.
I really am not a fan of the standing contestants at this point; among other things, it’ll look really strange if someone in a wheelchair was playing.
Interesting how “half the money” and “accumulated” seem to be used here, if this is how I interpret the rule, after 10 questions you could walk with a maximum of $34,300, but if you continue, you will bottom out at $25,000. Also, after answering question #10, you will accumulate to $134,300 maximum and work up to $884,300 before looking at the $1M question.
Jump the question sounds like it could be interesting, but we’ll have to see how that plays out.
I really hope the clock is gone, and I would think it will be since in the first 10 questions, the dollar amount is completely unknown. That is to say you would know the range of the dollar amount just by the amount of time given on the clock unless they give 30 seconds for EVERY question up to #10.
I don’t want to be like the naysayers and fuss about every little thing but I do find the whole idea discouraging. I am not even sure it will last. The way this will change the game probably won’t work out for one… I just don’t know.
RIP Who Wants to Be A Millionaire
Some other game show with the same name is born
This is really depressing to me as someone who fell in love with the original game and hated the slow erosion (clock, changed money amounts, different life lines) now even the hot seat. THE CLASSIC HOT SEAT is gone! The show sounds ruined to me.
I am not sure I care about that one as much. Password changed that aspect of it and I didn’t mind. Sometimes classic is bad.
The game changes are what worry me. A lot. It could come off really, really bad, and I am not sure how it come off good on the other side of the spectrum.
To be honest BMsprint, I could go on a rant about everything I dislike about these changes and the other changes but I just picked on one because I don’t feel like writing a book!
I was a contestant on the show, And it was very stressful for me. Sitting down in the hot seat really helped!
According to Buzz blog! The clock is gone!!
Jason, I have to say I definately understand that sentiment. I could see how sitting down would make it less stressful, most definately. On the other hand, the way the show is described it sounds like the first part will be slightly less stressful… in many circumstances.
I went to see yesterday’s 12:30 taping and had a terrific time! I must confess, as a big Millionaire fan, that I really enjoyed watching the new format! For starters, I really didn’t find myself missing the Hot Seat like I thought I would…it’s true that the contestants’ reactions are more expressive and Meredith has a lot more interaction with them, which helps to pull you even more in support of the contestants’ successes and failures, so I think that was actually a good move. The new music really didn’t bother me, either….they don’t do the “dololololo” anymore, but they do still bring the lights down (which is very cool to see in person) and from what I recall, the music they use in that part instead is softer, which makes it feel a bit more dramatic, and I thought it fit really well. The new theme song, if that’s what I was hearing at the beginning of each taping, just felt like noise…..I’ve got to wait to see how it feels on TV, but I don’t get the point of changing that so drastically.
In terms of the new game itself, I thought it was a lot of fun watching to see which dollar amount was which. There was a LOT of excitement in the studio when a question was revealed to be the $25,000 question, and the fact that each player gets such a drastically different game DOES make the show more unpredictable and exciting to watch, so I really feel they’ve made a good move and, in the long run, will be successful once people adjust (which shouldn’t take too long…I’ve adjusted already after seeing just three episodes taped). The “Jump the Question” lifeline adds some great strategy and drama…some of the most riveting moments were the ones where a player was trying to decide between jumping and forfeiting the money (there was one guy who had only high amounts left, so whatever he gave up would be good…but he wasn’t 100% sure of the answer, either, and didn’t want to blow it…tough decision) or gambling and watching it pay off…or not. It’s very easy to root for the contestants on this show (as it always has been) and the people surrounding me were right into it, some whispering that a contestant should jump and others whispering no.
For that reason, as well, I do not miss the clock. While the clock moved the game along, I also felt it robbed us of those big dramatic moments where a player is trying to think through a tough question and make their decision about whether to continue or walk away. Those moments are back, and the “Jump the Question” lifeline helps add to that.
So, overall, I really approve of the new format and can’t wait to watch more on September 13th! I think people will enjoy it because, like I said, it makes each player’s game different and more fun to watch, and at the end of the day, it STILL felt like I was watching Millionaire. I only have two qualms about the new format:
1) In attempting to make it easier, I think they’ve actually made it harder. It is going to be VERY tough for someone to reach that second round. They burned through a LOT of contestants yesterday because people’s games were ending before they could clear the first ten questions. By giving them tough questions first (sometimes) they’ve definitely increased the unpredictability and excitement, but they’re also forcing players into burning lifelines early and making dumb mistakes earlier. I’m going to be interested to see if ANYBODY clears the first ten questions this season, because it just looks like a much harder game.
2) For that reason, I think there needs to be a fourth lifeline. Each player gets two Jumps (which is a good idea…one is not enough) and Ask the Audience, but what that means is each player only gets one lifeline that actually helps them to answer a question they don’t know. The Jump lets you clear the question completely, but if you don’t know one and are out of all three lifelines (which was tending to happen fairly quickly), then you’re out of luck and you’re forced to either make a wrong guess or walk away early (but DEFINITELY with a lot more money). That adds to the difficulty of clearing those first ten questions…I think it would be a good idea to restore either the 50:50 or the Double Dip. That way, players have one more “safety net” that can help them answer questions they don’t know…having only one doesn’t seem like enough.
Overall, though, I like what I see and can’t wait for the new season in September! I had a blast at the taping!
Patrick, thanks for stopping by and sharing those details!
I agree with you that there needs to be another lifeline in play (though I haven’t seen myself how the game plays out yet). The main problem I have with it is that Ask the Audience is one of the least dependable lifelines, so it really doesn’t help much on the tougher questions. Even replacing that with Double Dip would be more helpful.
Aside from everyone standing, what did you think of the set itself?
The changes to the game don’t sound all that awful to me, but what’s interesting is that ABC is now in the perfect position to bring back “Classic Millionaire” to prime time. Both shows would benefit from cross-promotion, and since they’re more or less different games, they’d have a great chance of drawing in a cross-section of viewers. (ABC, are you listening?)
You’re welcome, Carrie! I’ve been a Millionaire fan for a while and was thrilled to finally get to see a live taping…and I’m more than happy to share my experience with fellow Millionaire fans, especially at a time of such big changes!
I actually disagree with you about Ask the Audience, Carrie…I think it’s the one lifeline they should NEVER get rid of because I actually think it’s the most useful one. True, it’s pretty useless when you get to the really high levels, but on the lower levels the audience is right almost 100% of the time. Now, granted, I say that and yesterday we answered a question, the majority of the audience supported one answer, the contestant went with it, and the audience was wrong. On the other hand, there was one question where choice A received 47% of the vote and choice D received 46%, and choice A was the right answer. 9 times out of 10, the audience will be correct. I’d say Ask the Expert was fairly useless depending on who you had, so I’m glad they got rid of it. If I had to choose a lifeline to restore, it would be the Double Dip, because that would add to the strategy and excitement of the current game. But I do feel they need more than just one lifeline that can actually help them answer a question they don’t know, but I say NEVER get rid of Ask the Audience.
Okay, the set…no one should panic, because the removal of the Hot Seat is one of the only changes I noticed. It’s still the iconic Millionaire set with the audience sitting around the circle, the funky floor pattern, the lights above, the platform in the middle, etc. The physical set itself looks mostly untouched, so don’t worry, it still looks and feels VERY much like Millionaire…just an upgraded version.
Let me try to describe how this will look on T.V. because on the monitors I could see the T.V. screen shot and it looked great. Picture what you see on your T.V. screen for the current set-up. Meredith sits on the right, the contestant is on the left. They walk in together at the beginning of the show under the Millionaire screen that displays the dollar amount of each question once you answer it. It’s also the screen you see Ask the Expert on.
That screen has now been replaced by a MUCH larger one. This is the screen where Meredith and the contestant view the questions. The table/podium is right in the center of the set where the chairs used to be. The contestant stands behind the table directly facing the question screen…so if you were to look at the contestant right now on T.V. his back would be facing you. Meredith stands to the contestant’s left, so from what I gathered (unless my bearings are off) she is actually standing at the angle from which the Hot Seat USED to be. This means the loved ones/supporters are sitting in a different section, still directly behind the contestant.
When Meredith looks at the camera and says, “Let’s play Millionaire,” the lights come down and the camera shows the backs of Meredith and the contestant looking up to the big screen to read the question. Then it switches to the question being at the bottom of your T.V. screen while it alternates between the contestant’s face and Meredith’s, just like we’re used to. (By the way, the question format itself is very cool looking…once again, it looks like the questions did back at the beginning of Millionaire, with the black background and white lettering, but there’s a very cool gold frame around each block).
What’s neat, as I said before, is this allows for more reactions from the contestants and more interaction for Meredith and the contestant. If it turns out the question was worth a huge dollar amount and the contestant got it correct, Meredith will walk right over to him/her for a double-high five. There was one contestant who was really struggling on deciding whether to go with an answer or to take a Jump, and he asked her if he could pace back and forth, and she said, “Of course you can!” That kind of thing adds to the drama, so while the Hot Seat is certainly iconic, I can see why they wanted to try it this way.
I completely agree with keeping Ask the Audience, it is still a great lifeline to have. I like the jump the question idea, but aren’t loving the two chances with it yet. Of course if I get on, I’d be glad to have them!
Ask the expert was useless for most of the “experts” they had, but contestants didn’t realize that necessitated a change in strategy–that should’ve become the FIRST lifeline used, not the last.
I will miss double dip, I always liked that one.
I still have to say I’m not a fan of standing contestants for this show. Yes, Jeopardy has them stand, but it is three of them behind podiums. With this show you now have two of them standing in the middle of nowhere. Glad to hear they put a table there–ANYTHING to keep them from looking like they are waiting for a bus (my little tribute to Murphy Brown there).
The last time I was there, that riser in the middle looked like it had seen better days, and with contestants and Meredith now standing, they should get rid of it before someone (likely a klutz like me) falls off of it.
Mostly, I’m glad that clock is gone!
Wayne, don’t worry, I got a glimpse of how this is going to look on T.V. and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in the contestant and Meredith standing…I really didn’t feel it negatively impacted the game at all. Like I said, I felt it actually added to the drama of the moment, especially when one contestant was trying to make a big decision, either going for it and potentially losing a lot of money or jumping the question to move on to a category he felt more comfortable with, and he started pacing back and forth in front of the table. It also allows Meredith to be more expressive and engaged with the contestants, high-fiving after big moments/correct answers, etc. Eventually, SHE may get tired of it because, for the most part, she stands in the same spot and doesn’t move around too much, but it did help the overall effect of the new game.
I understand why people are doubting, but after seeing it live in person, I really think you’ll be pleased when you see it in action on T.V. The new elements of strategy and suspense make each game completely unique, making the show more exciting and fun to watch! It may have been different, but I never once doubted the fact I was watching Millionaire…and never fear, Meredith is at the top of her hosting game as she always is. As I said, the only concern I have (and the rest of the season will tell me whether it is warranted or not) but I think in trying to make the million more accessible, they’ve actually made the game harder, and I’m not sure if we’ll see many people making it as far as Round 2.
BTW, I don’t know if this has been mentioned yet or not, but a nice new feature is no longer do people walk away with nothing. If you answer a question incorrectly during the first round, even if you bomb on one of your earliest questions, you get a consolation prize of $1,000. I think that’s really cool.
Oh, and when I was describing the set, one new thing is that when a player gets the question right, the entire set lights up in green, including the stem of the table (not the surface of the table, though), and when a contestant gets a question wrong, the entire set lights up in red. Kind of a nice touch, it looked really cool live, I’m looking forward to seeing it on T.V.
Thank you for you comments Patrick, before I was planning on not watching the show. Now I’m planning on giving it a chance! Especially because the evil clock is now gone and based on everything you described it sounds like it will be a fun show. I still doubt that it will feel like Millionaire considering when you really think about all of the changes since 1999 it’s a completely new show…But now I’m liking the sound of this new show.
I agree with Carrie hopefully ABC will bring back classic Millionaire to Prime Time!!! That would be sweet to see the all new Millionaire in daytime and the original 1999 version in Prime Time. If they do bring it back hopefully they’ll be smart and air it once weekly so as not to over do it.
The real problem with the show the last few years was the writing–last season only 22% made it past the first ten questions, the season before, 44% made it.
I think I’ll be OK with the standing, because the table is there, but without it, they would just be in the middle of nothing and that never really looks good.
Oh, trust me, Jason, it is DEFINITELY a fun and exciting show! I am not generally a big fan of change, and I found myself becoming immersed in the game VERY quickly! I really think that once people adjust to the changes, they will really enjoy and appreciate the suspense and excitement this version of the game offers. I was bummed when the taping was over because I really wanted to see more…..it was addicting!!!! I can’t wait for September 13th!
i will have to see how hat works but it sounds like there will be less money awarded????
I am still pessimistic to be honest. It just doesn’t seem like the game will be fair because it will be so unqequal. The old format made more sense done right, and I am really afraid of how many $0 winners there may be. One of the redeeming qualities of Millionaire was it was incredibly rare when $0 was the prize given, which made the show more about the contestant than the money as opposed to say, Greed.
I found, by playing it at the website, that the new game is quite intriguing. I think most people didn’t really pay attention to the first few questions anyway…that was a trip to the kitchen. Now, you never know what’s coming. I like it, and will give it a shot! See you on Sept. 13!
We were avid watchers of Millionaire.
We Hate the new format!!!
Why did they get rid of the time clock for the various questions? We can’t stand to watch the contestants ramble on incessantly.
Bring back the old most recent format, they’re killing the show.
I am terribly disappointed with Millionaire’s new format and don’t think that it has the same appeal now…and I was addicted to the show, but now I just can’t seem to get into it like I used to. The problem is that they changed WAY TOO MUCH at once, to the point where it feels like a completely different game show. I don’t like that there is no more “hot seat” — it’s not as personal, IMO — and it is ridiculous that they have TWO “Jump the Question” lifelines yet no lifelines such as the 50/50 from Regis’ run or the more recent “Double Dip” option with Meredith, which I absolutely loved. Don’t like how they mix everything up either. I personally think this version is way too difficult and don’t see many, if any, people even reaching the million dollar question, let alone answering it correctly to actually win the $. I wonder how Meredith genuinely feels about the new format. I sure hope they bring back at least some of the old Millionaire. I don’t like this at all!
Seems to me that contestants are winning a lot less money. Just another result of the recession!
Finally got around to seeing the new format, and I don’t particularly like it. What struck me about it was that all the “randomizations” make it far too much a game of chance, when “Millionaire” is supposed to be a game of skill and strategy. Also, the walking away with only have the bank feels like a gyp. I like the new lifeline; I don’t like having two of them, especially without either the Double Dip or 50:50, which actually gave the contestant a better chance at actually answering the questions. Overall, I’d rather get back to the straight progression and one of the other lifelines. The standing is fine, as at least there’s a podium.