I DO... do YOU? (Who Wants to be a Millionaire?)

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Date:	05/11/08 (218 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Concept

Disadvantages: Repetitive after all these years

Originally intended to be called 'Cash Mountain', 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' has been shown on British television since 1998. Hosted by Chris Tarrant, the show (which is broadcast on ITV) has become one of the UK's top exports, and is aired in over 100 countries worldwide. According to Wikipedia, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? is the "most internationally popular television franchise of all time".

The programme begins with a short selection round named 'fastest finger first', with the winner being invited to take part in the main game. The aim is to answer all twelve questions which increase in difficulty and value - with the first being worth £500, and the last representing £1,000,000. In there past (pre-1997) there were fifteen questions to answer rather than twelve, with the first answer worth £100.

The contestant gets three 'Lifelines' which they are able to use if the question is particularly taxing. These include:

Fifty-Fifty (50/50): which allows the player to eliminate two of the wrong answers from the selection of four.

Ask the Audience: which lets the player see the results of the a poll asking the audience which is the correct answer.

Phone-A-Friend: The contestant can phone a friend and ask their opinion on the answer.

Chris Tarrant does a decent job of; a) hosting the show, b) making occasionaly humourous conversation between rounds, and c) asking the questions. He does come across as being quite smug from time to time, but he seems popular with most age ranges and is therefore effective.

I used to watch Who Wants to be a Millionaire regularly when it first started - it was like nothing we had on TV at the time, being polished and dramatic. However, like many successful shows, the formula can become quite repetitive if it's shown too often. For me, this was certainly the case with 'Millionaire', with Chris Tarrant's catchphrases ("...is that your final answer?" & "...but we don't want to give you that...") going from being novel to predictable.

I will watch the show nowadays only if there is nothing better on, but I don't dislike it. I would take it any day over shows like 'Deal or No Deal, which I really do find repetitive and offering no variation.

Overall, Who Wants to be a Millionaire is an entertaining watch and still has a certain appeal, but I don't enjoy it as much as I used to.

Summary: Decent Quiz Show