Meredith's blog today

[Bob Juch]

Stephanie said: Hello Meredith; I only get to watch Millionaire sporadically, but I've never seen anyone walk away with the $1 million check. Does it happen often, or have I just missed every one of those episodes?

Meredith said: We’ve given away two 1 million dollar checks since I started doing the syndicated version of the show. I hope we have many more winners in the upcoming season. By the way, we’re planning some fun changes in the game play—it’ll still be Millionaire only we hope more exciting. Stay tuned…

[gsabc]

Uh-oh. TPTB's definition of "fun" may not coincide with that of others, especially us. Are the ratings down, or are they just screwing with the product to say they're doing something?

[gsabc]

And it had better not involve hamsters ...

[Giant Indonesian Rat]

And it had better not involve hamsters ...

...or any rodents, for that matter.

[MarleysGh0st]

By the way, we’re planning some fun changes in the game play—it’ll still be Millionaire only we hope more exciting. Stay tuned…

Oh, nooooooooooooo!




Unless they're talking about making Millionaire more exciting by giving everyone in the country a chance to be on the show by answering a few trivia questions on the phone without needing to audition.

[geoffil]

Maybe previous contestants can come back as a team with their phone a friend and compete for 2 million?

[gsabc]

Meredith said: ... By the way, we’re planning some fun changes in the game play—it’ll still be Millionaire only we hope more exciting. Stay tuned…

Potential positive changes:
New lifelines. Good examples - The SuperBAM LLs, Double Dip and Ask An Expert (akin to Three Wise Men, but with only one person). Delete 50/50 and allow STQ after the $1000 level.
Reinstatement of TOPG in some form requiring trivia knowledge (NOT completely random, as with the Capcom sweepstakes)
Any broader form of qualifying/auditioning that requires trivia knowledge (Help me, I'm channeling Kazoo here!)

Potential negative changes:
Must do the Electric Slide from the hot seat before receiving your check.
Must kiss a randomly chosen audience member on the mouth before seeing the $25K question.

[goongas]

Since Michael Davies licenses the show from Sony, any changes he tries to make will have to be approved by them, so hopefully anything too outrageous won't be approved by them.

[T_Bone0806]

By the way, we’re planning some fun changes in the game play—it’ll still be Millionaire only we hope more exciting. Stay tuned…

Coming next season.."So You Think You Can Dance And Answer Trivia Questions"

Maybe the Phone-a-Friend will be shot if they do not provide the correct answer.

Or Meredith will show you her "commando" outfit if you reach the 50K question.

Or "Ask the Audience" lifeline will become "Ask Flava Flav".

[ghostjmf]

Meredith Commando: Sorry, I Don't Need To Go There

Shoot-A-False-Friend; now, some recent contestant-people would have liked this one

[MarleysGh0st]

Since Michael Davies licenses the show from Sony, any changes he tries to make will have to be approved by them, so hopefully anything too outrageous won't be approved by them.

They don't have to come up with anything so outrageous that Sony would reject them. Just think of every gimmick every other game show uses to enhance the "excitement".

None of them are Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

[Squashed Hamster]

And it had better not involve hamsters ...

...or any rodents, for that matter.

I've given _TPTB_ my buddy the squirrel's number since he's in such desperate need of a good squishing....

Mr. Hamster

[earendel]

Since Michael Davies licenses the show from Sony, any changes he tries to make will have to be approved by them, so hopefully anything too outrageous won't be approved by them.

They don't have to come up with anything so outrageous that Sony would reject them. Just think of every gimmick every other game show uses to enhance the "excitement".

None of them are Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Maybe they'll establish a bonus like they did on PTBAM when no one won the $1M for a while - add money to the pot until someone wins.

[peacock2121]

I'm a little bit excited!

I like change.

[MarleysGh0st]

Maybe they'll establish a bonus like they did on PTBAM when no one won the $1M for a while - add money to the pot until someone wins.

Can you imagine what the jackpot would be up to now if they'd been doing that since hermillion won?

But if they did that, it would interfere with their ability to juggle the episodes around as they like.

[Shade]

Maybe they'll bring back AOL Ask The Audience.

[MarleysGh0st]

Maybe they'll bring back AOL Ask The Audience.

I'd like that, especially if it meant bringing back the Million Dollar Buddy contest, but I don't think AOL will be a sponsor of that, again.

[goongas]

I'd like that, especially if it meant bringing back the Million Dollar Buddy contest, but I don't think AOL will be a sponsor of that, again.

The only way I would get on the show...

[silvercamaro]

Our favorite robot buddy, MillionaireIM, has not been completely dismantled.

[Appa23]

Maybe they'll bring back AOL Ask The Audience.

I'd like that, especially if it meant bringing back the Million Dollar Buddy contest, but I don't think AOL will be a sponsor of that, again.

Was that the contest that allowed Bob Juch into the Hot Seat?

They will not be bringing it back.

[MarleysGh0st]

Maybe they'll bring back AOL Ask The Audience.

I'd like that, especially if it meant bringing back the Million Dollar Buddy contest, but I don't think AOL will be a sponsor of that, again.

Was that the contest that allowed Bob Juch into the Hot Seat?

They will not be bringing it back.

What a fine compliment to Bob in just two sentences.

[peacock2121]

I'd like that, especially if it meant bringing back the Million Dollar Buddy contest, but I don't think AOL will be a sponsor of that, again.

Was that the contest that allowed Bob Juch into the Hot Seat?

They will not be bringing it back.

What a fine compliment to Bob in just two sentences.

It's pretty funny when the two of them start going at each other.

[peacock2121]

Remember - it's context when he wants it to be and just the words he said when he wants it to be.

[Appa23]

I'd like that, especially if it meant bringing back the Million Dollar Buddy contest, but I don't think AOL will be a sponsor of that, again.

Was that the contest that allowed Bob Juch into the Hot Seat?

They will not be bringing it back.

What a fine compliment to Bob in just two sentences.

Sorry. They have run a few contests over the years. I was making sure that I had the right contest.

IIRC, Juch made it on the show via the contest three seasons ago. They clearly decided not to do it again. Why would they suddenly change their mind? (Unfortunately, Marley, the same goes for your beloved phone game. )

If they are going to tweak the show, it will be something new to the SyndiBam show.

[MarleysGh0st]

Sorry. They have run a few contests over the years. I was making sure that I had the right contest.

IIRC, Juch made it on the show via the contest three seasons ago.

Yes, you have the right contest. Bob actually taped that episode on January 13, 2006 (for airing in May), so that was just two seasons ago. And I'd already explained (although not in the detail I have in the past) the business reasons why AOL wouldn't want to sponsor the AOL ATA any more. Their business model changed significantly in 2006 and they no longer dominate the internet market as they did when they were carpetbombing the country with floppies and CDs.