“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” is a widely popular game show originally from the United Kingdom, which first aired on television in 1998. The show quickly received praise and positive reviews from both critics and viewers for its unique combination of excitement and education. Due to its massive success, the format was adapted into different languages and broadcast in around 160 countries, including the United States, Australia, India, Russia, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Interestingly, Japan has produced the most grand prize winners in the show’s history. Contestants on the show must answer a series of progressively challenging general knowledge questions, with the prize money increasing at each stage. The currency of the prize depends on the country where the show is being broadcast. Throughout the game, contestants are provided with a limited number of lifelines, which can differ in nature depending on the country.

History of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

The concept for “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” was created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill, and Steven Knight, who previously developed a number of entertaining games for Chris Tarrant’s morning show on Capital FM radio. The show was initially called “Cash Mountain” before being renamed “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, a title inspired by the Cole Porter song written for the 1956 film “High Society.” The original version premiered on ITV in 1998, produced by the company Celador. In 2006, Celador decided to sell the global rights to the show along with its other British programs. British television producer Paul Smith had the idea to license the show internationally while ensuring it retained its British origins. For instance, international producers were required to use the same iconic music and sound effects as the British version, composed by father and son duo Keith and Matthew Strachan. Additionally, all hosts were asked to wear Armani suits, and the set design and lighting system were to mirror those of the British version, designed by Andy Walmsley, who intended the atmosphere to be more like a thriller movie than a simple game show. However, over time, some of these strict rules were relaxed.

After Celador sold “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, the Dutch company 2waytraffic acquired it, and two years later, Sony bought the Dutch company for £137.5 million, gaining the rights to the show. The original series, which began on September 4, 1998, continued to air with host Chris Tarrant, including special celebrity episodes that often coincided with holidays and special occasions. In October 2013, Tarrant decided to leave the show after hosting for 15 years, prompting ITV to plan for its cancellation at the end of its contract, with no further special episodes beyond those already planned. The final episode aired in February 2014. However, four years later, ITV revived the show with a seven-episode special to celebrate its 20th anniversary, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson. The positive reception and high viewership of these episodes led ITV to renew the show for new seasons with Clarkson as the host.

The American Version

The American version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” premiered on ABC in August 1999 as part of a special two-week daily event. It aired again for another two-week event in November 1999, followed by a regular series starting in January 2000, which ran until June 2002. The main difference between the American and British versions was that the episodes were shortened to 30 minutes, compared to the 60-minute format of the original.

Famous Contestants and Controversies

Among all the contestants who have participated in “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” worldwide, only a relatively small number have won the grand prize. The first was John Carpenter, who won the top prize on the American version on November 19, 1999, without using a lifeline until the final question. When he reached the final question, he used the “Phone a Friend” lifeline to call his father—not for help, but to tell him he was about to win a million dollars. The show is also linked to a notorious cheating scandal involving a British Army major, Charles Ingram, who won the grand prize on the UK version in September 2001. His reactions to the final two questions raised suspicions of cheating. When the footage was reviewed, the staff noticed a pattern between the number of coughs from contestant Tecwen Whittock, who was participating in the “Fastest Finger First” round, and Ingram’s answers. After confirming the suspicions, the prize was withheld, and the police were called for further investigation. Two years later, in March 2003, both Ingram and Whittock were taken to court for using fraudulent means to win the grand prize. During the trial, the defense argued that Whittock simply suffered from allergies during the taping, but the prosecution pointed out that his coughing stopped when Ingram left the set. The trial ended with a guilty verdict and a suspended sentence for both.

The Game: Rules and Structure

In each episode, a group of contestants plays a preliminary round called “Fastest Finger First.” The host asks a question, and the contestants must arrange the answers in a specific order. The contestant who answers correctly in the shortest amount of time advances to the main game. If no contestant answers correctly, another question is asked. In celebrity episodes, this preliminary round is skipped, and celebrities automatically proceed to the main game.

Once a contestant enters the main game, they face progressively more difficult general knowledge questions. Each question has four possible answers, and the contestant must choose the correct one. With each correct answer, they win a certain amount of money. As they answer more difficult questions, the prize amount increases. During the game, the contestant has a set of lifelines to assist them with any questions they find challenging, which can only be used once. In addition, there are “safety nets,” meaning if a contestant answers incorrectly but has reached a certain cash value during the game, they can withdraw and leave with that amount as a prize. Although the first few questions are generally easy, the later ones may prompt the host to ask if the contestant’s answer is their “final answer,” signaling that the choice is locked in and cannot be changed. If the contestant feels uncertain about an answer and does not wish to continue, they can withdraw with the money they have earned, which the host will ask them to confirm as a final decision. In this case, the host will usually ask them to indicate what their answer would have been, and then reveal whether it was correct or incorrect.

Prize Structure

During the original British version between 1998 and 2007, the format consisted of 15 questions, with the payment structure in pounds sterling as follows: £100, £200, £300, £500, £1,000, £2,000, £4,000, £8,000, £16,000, £32,000, £64,000, £125,000, £250,000, £500,000, £1,000,000. Between 2007 and 2014, the number of questions was reduced to twelve, and the payment structure was changed, with the second safety net moving to £50,000 on question 7. The payment structure in pounds sterling was then as follows: £500, £1,000, £2,000, £5,000, £10,000, £20,000, £50,000, £75,000, £150,000, £250,000, £500,000, £1,000,000.

Lifelines

During “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, contestants are provided with a series of lifelines to help them answer questions. In the standard format of the show, contestants have access to three lifelines, each of which can only be used once, and more than one lifeline can be used on a single question. The standard lifelines used in the original version of the show include:

• 50:50: The computer eliminates two incorrect answers from the current question, leaving one correct answer and one incorrect answer.
• Phone a Friend: The contestant calls a friend via a phone line and is given 30 seconds to read the question and answers and ask for help. The time begins as soon as the contestant starts reading the question.
• Ask the Audience: The audience members use voting pads attached to their seats to vote for the answer they believe is correct. The computer records the results and displays them as percentages for the contestant. This lifeline was removed for a period in international versions due to the recording of episodes without an audience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the United States, the “Ask the Audience” and “Phone a Friend” lifelines were sponsored by telecommunications companies at various times, with AT&T and AOL sponsoring the lifelines for different seasons. For the “Phone a Friend” lifeline, contestants select several friends to call. Once the contestant starts playing, the production team notifies the friends and asks them to keep their phone lines open and wait for three rings before answering. In January 2010, the American version removed the use of this lifeline in response to the increasing trend of friends using web search engines and other internet resources to help during calls. In the British version, to solve this issue, security personnel from the production office remain with the contestant’s friends in their homes to ensure fairness. During special episodes, the friends travel to the studio and stay backstage until the lifeline is used. The friend being called appears on a screen in the studio so that both the friend and the contestant can communicate with each other.

Additional Lifelines

Throughout the history of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, there have been a number of unique additional lifelines used in various versions of the show, including:

• Switch the Question: Known in the American version as “Switch the Question,” this lifeline allows the contestant to skip the current question and receive a new one of the same difficulty level. The contestant must provide a final answer to the new question. This lifeline became available to contestants who correctly answered the £32,000 question between 2002 and 2007 and was called “Flip” in the Indian version of the show.
• Ask One of the Audience: The contestant selects one audience member and asks for their opinion. The host then interviews the audience member, who gives an answer along with an explanation. In some versions, the contestant has the option to use or ignore the advice given.
• Ask the Host: The contestant asks the host for help in choosing an answer. The host can express confidence in the answer they give, but there is no obligation for the contestant to accept the advice. In the US version, this lifeline was introduced in 2004, and in the UK version, it was introduced in 2018. In the latter, this lifeline replaced “Ask the Audience” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Jump the Question: The contestant can skip the current question and move on to the next one without providing an answer. This lifeline was introduced in the US version in 2010 and can be used on any question except for the grand prize question.
• Double Dip: The contestant is given two attempts to answer the current question. They must use this lifeline before they can choose their first answer, and they cannot use any additional lifelines on that question. This lifeline first appeared in the British version in 2008.

Special Episodes and Variations

Since its inception, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” has inspired the creation of special episodes and spinoff series in a number of countries. The British version has featured several celebrity editions in which celebrities play for charity and the contestant must answer questions in a particular theme. In some cases, celebrities from popular TV shows participate in episodes featuring questions about their shows. Additionally, some countries have created spinoff series based on the show’s format. For example, “Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire?” in the US increased the difficulty of questions and offered a larger grand prize. In India, “Junior Crorepati,” the spinoff of the original version, featured young contestants.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

The show has not only become a household name around the world, but it has also left a significant mark on popular culture. The phrase “Is that your final answer?” has become a widely recognized catchphrase, often used humorously to refer to someone making a firm decision. The show’s format and dramatic music have been parodied on numerous television shows, movies, and even in commercials. One of the most notable references to the show is in the 2008 film “Slumdog Millionaire,” which centers around a young man from the slums of Mumbai who becomes a contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” The film was a critical and commercial success, winning multiple Academy Awards and bringing further attention to the game show. In addition to its cultural impact, the show has contributed to the popularity of other quiz-based game shows and sparked renewed interest in trivia games.

Conclusion

“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” has remained a staple of television entertainment for over two decades, captivating audiences with its blend of suspense, strategy, and knowledge. The show’s global reach and enduring appeal are a testament to its universal format, which balances intellectual challenge with the thrill of potentially life-changing rewards. As it continues to evolve and adapt, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” remains a beloved part of the television landscape and an iconic symbol of the potential to turn knowledge into fortune.