Millionaire is Coming Back Home to ABC

[trevor]

Still, if neither of them pick it up, I guess US Millionaire is screwed. ABC was likely using it (or at least the recent episodes) as filler due to the pandemic anyway.

[millionairenut]

We’re not for quite certain that it will get cancelled, or not renewed by another network. There’s still time and a possibility. I’m not sure how somebody could see it as a filler, when the show does well in the ratings when done right. The problem is that it’s not always done right. This shouldn’t be as difficult as it actually is.

[RegisFan]

I’d like for them to at least get to do one proper season. It’ll be disappointing to have waited all these years for the show to return only for it to have been an exclusively pandemic era production.

Give it one more chance, ABC. No celebrities, a decent time slot, no perpetual helper... just good, old fashioned Millionaire, please! Just watch the UK version and do what they did!

[trevor]

Especially since ABC screwed it over the first time due to low ratings from a combination of overexposure (Eisner literally rejected Survivor of all shows because he was overconfident in Millionaire becoming an evergreen hit) and an overuse of celebrity shows post-9/11. That's why it spent the next 17 years in syndication, where things were never the same.

[arman]

Fingers crossed. 
I think you guys were “robbed”, if you know what I mean. Why would they cancel the show knowing there are so many fans who were excited for the show’s return to primetime? Besides, a lot of people are predicting a renewal anyways, so I’m trying to stay optimistic. It sucks when you get a revival, only for the revival to (potentially) not even last for an entire year. Putting the show on a Sunday is horrible for a show like Millionaire, let alone putting it against the NFL… All we can do now is wait for news from ABC or Michael Davies himself. 

[Deleted]

Mar 22, 2021 21:43:53 GMT -5 RegisFan said:

I’d like for them to at least get to do one proper season. It’ll be disappointing to have waited all these years for the show to return only for it to have been an exclusively pandemic era production.

Give it one more chance, ABC. No celebrities, a decent time slot, no perpetual helper... just good, old fashioned Millionaire, please! Just watch the UK version and do what they did!

I AGREE 1,000,000%! I gotta be honest. I am SICK and TIRED of the celebrity edition of Millionaire. I remember when they changed someones final answer in the US. I did not like that at all. *rant

[trevor]

Yeah, the Nikki Glazer fiasco. Happened not even a year ago. Davies really should've known better, because the same thing's bound to happen to a civilian, but the judges won't let them change their so-called "final answer", and the contestant could sue the show and even win. In fact, had I not known that rigging game shows has been a federal crime for 60 years, I would've called it "rigged". I'm pretty sure that didn't help Celebrity Millionaire's reputation. Also, doing celebs is only fine as long as you go the UK route, and not sacrificing the integrity of the game as Davies and the producers did during Glazer's run. Then again, I agree that Celebrity Millionaire is tainted at this point.

[GSK]

Mar 23, 2021 12:35:03 GMT -5 trevor said:

the contestant could sue the show and even win

As bad as the incident was, this is doubtful. Nikki wasn't at $32,000, but the show guaranteed $32,000. The final answer being changed was just theatrics, they could've said no, enforced the final answer, and she'd still walk away with more money than she arrived with or had at that moment.

Presumably, if the show is renewed with regular contestants only, a $32,000 minimum won't be guaranteed, and any chance of a lawsuit becomes even more meaningless.

[trevor]

Good point.

[hastin]

If this is going to be a "Winter Fun and Games" thing, I'd expect they will announce a possible renewal a little later next year. It took about 2-3 months after Holey Moley ended to get a renewal announcement (and that was due to casting call). 3M isn't great, but if it's part of the overall network strategy for next winter - I could see it getting picked up again.

[arman]

According to finalized ratings, the show actually had 2.872 million viewers… Even though the preliminary ratings showed 2.895 million. Yikes. This is the first time I’ve seen a situation where finalized ratings are worse than preliminary ones. 

[RegisFan]

That is atypical, for sure. Not a huge difference either way, though. There’s only so much to gain on Sundays at 10/9c for a family show.

[arman]

I’ll take ABC’s “The Hustler” for a comparison. The show was at 10/9c, it had relatively the same ratings as Millionaire, and it actually got renewed for a season 2. So, I’m guessing ABC will do the same with Millionaire.

[RegisFan]

Interestingly, a new episode (numbered season 2, episode 199) has been uploaded to Hulu. The episode title is “In the Hot Seat: David Chang (Extended Cut),” and it appears to be a new edit of David’s run in a single episode. I haven’t watched it yet to confirm if there’s any new footage, but I will soon.

The extra investment in the show is exciting, even if it’s just a re-edited episode!

[wwtb3am]

I hope the new upload is indeed extra investment. Please let us know if there are changes. It’s tuff seeing almost all of the shows get a renewal announcement but nothing on Millionaire. I’m hoping they are going to bring it back in the fall and that’s why we haven’t heard anything. ☹️