Who wants to be a Millionaire? update
Chris M. Dickson
event like it again, so I have decided to bring you a day-by-day update
of Britain's history-making mega-money truly-daily quiz show that
started on Friday, in a hope of making all you folks jealous that you
don't live here in the UK. I'm no stenographer and have never been
trained in shorthand (I can see why it would be useful...) so not all
the questions and answers are written out in full, especially in the
first five questions asked to each contestant which are designed to be a
gentle opener. Re-read the "UK Game Show News" book I posted yesterday
to get the rules firm in your own mind, or try to pick them up as you go
along over the next week. First, edited highlights of the first two
days' play:
Show 1/10: Friday, 4th September, 1998. 8pm-8:30pm.
Graham Elwell, a 27-year-old drama student from London is selected.
[First 10 questions, getting him up to 32,000 pounds, snipped.]
32,000 pounds is the last safe level before the million; should Graham
answer any question wrongly between 32,000 and 1,000,000 then he loses
all accrued earnings apart from the last 32,000.
64,000 pound question:
Which was the first stately home to open its doors to the public?
a) Beaulieu b) Longleat c) Wilton House d) Blenheim Palace
Graham uses 50:50 lifeline to eliminate a) Beaulieu and b) Longleat.
Remaining choices: c) Wilton House d) Blenheim Palace
Graham chooses Blenheim Palace and wins 64,000 pounds.
125,000 pound question:
Which country is sandwiched between Ghana and Benin?
a) Togo b) Equatorial Guinea c) Cote d'Ivoire d) Gabon
Graham uses "phone a friend" lifeline to ring his granddad, who doesn't
know. Graham quits with 64,000 pounds. (Correct answer to this question,
Togo, is only revealed half-way through show 3.)
Next selected contestant is Rachel Da Costa.
Rachel answers the first 4 questions correctly to get to 500 pounds.
End of show 1/10.
Show 2/10: Saturday, 5th September, 1998. 8pm-8:30pm.
Rachel answers question 5 correctly to get to a guaranteed 1,000 pounds.
She uses her 50:50 lifeline on question 6, asking the name of the owner
of the cafe in Casablanca, and correctly chooses "Rick" over "Sam". She
correctly answers the 4K question and the 8K question.
16,000 pound question:
Which county of England borders only one other?
a) Cornwall b) Devon c) [Essex?] d) Kent
Rachel uses "phone a friend" lifeline to ring her mum, who doesn't know
and advises her to take the 8,000 pounds. She quits with 8,000 pounds.
(Host Chris Tarrant asks her for fun, and she correctly guesses
Cornwall.)
[Running total: 72,000 pounds from 2 contestants.]
Next selected contestant is Arlene Harper, who's unemployed, from
Aberdeenshire.
Arlene answers the first five questions correctly to get to a guaranteed
1,000 pounds.
Question 6: Which group entered the UK charts in 1995 with "Lifted"?
Arlene correctly answers "The Lighthouse Family" to win 2,000 pounds.
Question 7: What kind of animal is a hind?
Arlene correctly answers "A deer" to win 4,000 pounds.
Question 8: Ethanol is the most common form of which substance?
a) Oil b) Plastic c) Gas d) Alcohol.
Arlene guesses "Gas" off the top of her head, unconfidently, then uses
the "phone a friend" lifeline to ring her sister Moira McDonald, who
also takes a guess, this time at "plastic". Arlene then uses her 50:50
lifeline to eliminate oil and gas from the list of choices.
AH = Arlene Harper. CT = Chris Tarrant (host).
AH: Plastic.
CT: You're going to play and you're saying plastic?
AH: Yes.
CT: You've got four thousand pounds.
(sfx: subtle harp notes indicating confirmed answer)
CT: (slight breath)
AH: Don't do that!
CT: It's the wrong answer.
AH looks aghast for half a second, then closes her eyes in disbelief for
a second and a half.
CT: Oh, Arlene, it's alcohol.
AH: (composed once more) OK! Cool!
CT: You are so cool... you're amazing...
Arlene leaves with 1,000 pounds.
[Running total: 73,000 pounds from 3 contestants.]
Chris introduces next ten potential contestants. Selection question:
In which American city is a 500-mile motor race run each year?
a) Detroit b) Los Angeles c) Boston d) Indianapolis
Ross Jackson gave the fastest correct answer, d, in 2.02 seconds. Ross
is a father of two from Nantwich in Cheshire and made >10 calls to the
contestant hotline (at one pound each!), trying to get on for every day.
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
What prize is contested by the England and Australia Test sides?
Ross correctly answers The Ashes.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
Which of these muscles is the largest?
a) Tongue b) Heart c) Buttocks d) Biceps
Ross correctly answers Buttocks.
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
What is Britain's busiest passenger port?
Ross correctly answers Dover.
End of show 2/10.
(Full reporting of shows commences here.)
Show 3/10: Sunday, 6th September, 1998. *7:30pm-8pm.* (Scheduling? Duh?)
Ross Jackson had made 420-mile trips by 'plane and by limo to get home
after the show last night and to get back to the show today so that he
could feed his pets and see his kids.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
In what sort of books does Stephen King specialise?
Ross correctly answers horror stories.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
What is a bullfighter on horseback called?
a) Banderillero b) Matador c) Picador d) Muleto
Ross uses the "ask the audience" lifeline. 56% choose C.
Ross chooses picador - correctly!
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
Which team won the Premiership title in 1998?
a) Manchester United b) Arsenal c) Derby County d) Liverpool
Ross: "Football isn't my best subject..."
Ross uses the 50:50 lifeline to eliminate Derby County and Liverpool.
Ross uses the "phone a friend" lifeline. Chris asks him to choose a
friend and suggests Glenn Hoddle (coach of the England national football
team) would be a useful one! Ross rings Philip Brooks, a former
neighbour, who tells him that the winners were Arsenal.
Ross chooses Arsenal - correctly!
Ross has no lifelines left and must answer all the remaining questions
on his own.
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
On which island are the T. T. races held annually?
a) Wight b) Skye c) Man d) Anglesey
Ross correctly answers Man.
Question 8 for 8,000 pounds:
In which film does the song "Chim Chim Cheree" feature?
a) Mary Poppins b) The Jungle Book c) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang d) The
Sound Of Music
Ross correctly answers "Mary Poppins" and has his children to thank for
this one!
Question 9 for 16,000 pounds:
Who is Judy Garland's famous eldest daughter?
a) Carrie Fisher b) Lisa Minnelli c) Barbara Streisand d) Jenifer Jason
Leigh
Ross correctly answers Lisa Minelli.
Question 10 for a guaranteed 32,000 pounds:
Who was Britain's first astronaut?
a) Sally Ride b) Heather Taylor c) Helen Sharman d) Michael Foale
Ross correctly answers Helen Sharman.
Question 11 for 64,000 pounds:
What is a funambulist?
a) A tightrope walker b) A sleepwalker c) A firewalker d) A fellwalker
Ross correctly answers a tightrope walker.
Question 12 for 125,000 pounds:
Roughly what proportion of the people who have ever lived are alive
today?
a) 0.01% b) 0.1% c) 1% d) 10%
Ross quits with 64,000 pounds, not having a clue. Correct answer: d.
[Running total: 137,000 pounds from 4 contestants.]
Selection question:
Which Shakespeare play was about a Scottish king?
a) Hamlet b) King Lear c) Macbeth d) Titus Andronicus
Tina Bird gave the fastest correct answer, c, in 1.98 seconds. Tina is a
mother of 3 and comes from Nuneaton. With one million pounds, she would
give her kids a treat!
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
Which word describes someone with no hair?
Tina correctly answers bald.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
What name is given to the decision made by a jury?
Tina correctly answers verdict.
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
In which sport is David Beckham a famous superstar?
Tina correctly answers football.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
Which of these colours is not in the German national flag?
a) Black b) Red c) Green d) Yellow
Tina uses her "ask the audience" lifeline. The voting is 7%-5%-78%-10%.
Tina correctly answers green.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
Eldorado was believed to be a land of what?
a) Gold b) Silver c) Diamonds d) Rubies
Tina uses her "phone a friend" lifeline and rings her Dad. Her Dad tells
her that Eldorado is a land of gold.
Tina correctly answers gold.
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
From which city did Marco Polo set out on his journey to explore the
East?
a) Seville b) Amsterdam c) London d) Venice
Tina uses her 50:50 lifeline to eliminate b) Amsterdam and c) London.
From the remaining choices, Seville and Venice, she chooses Seville,
incorrectly.
Tina leaves with 1,000 pounds.
[Running total: 138,000 pounds from 5 contestants.]
Selection question:
A piccolo is a smaller version of which musical instrument?
a) Violin b) Harp c) Guitar d) Flute
Samantha Thomas gave the fastest correct answer, d, in 2.15 seconds -
and, in fact, all nine remaining contestants guessed correctly. Samantha
is from Bradford. Chris is hosting at great speed because there's not
much time left.
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
Which name has been shared by six kings of Great Britain?
a) Jason (hearty laugh) b) George c) Wesley d) Wayne
Samantha correctly answers George, but it'll get a lot harder
tomorrow...
End of show 3/10.
Show 4/10 at 8pm tomorrow - report shortly afterwards.
Cheers!
Chris
--
| Chris M. Dickson, Middlesbrough, England; Sports Editor, Flagship Magazine
| Maintainer, ukgs-l and ilta lists; http://www.ox.compsoc.org.uk/~dickson/
| Editor, "Games In Testing"; UK Game Show Page; ch...@dickson.demon.co.uk
--
Cincy43235
>event like it again, so I have decided to bring you a day-by-day update
>of Britain's history-making mega-money truly-daily quiz show that
>started on Friday, in a hope of making all you folks jealous that you
>don't live here in the UK
Hey, something like this could be used for US audiences...but sadly it would
have to be (a) dumbed down, and (b) it would be much reminiscient of the 50s
quiz scandals!
Jimmy: "Name the longest running Broadway musical in history."
Ben: "Hello Dolly." (Laughs from the audience - and Ben might never get on
WWTBAM?)
- Bo10, WBS$, 6/25/98 (we want more new episodes, Comedy Central!)
Charles Blaquiere
>
> I have decided to bring you a day-by-day update
Hey, that's great! Of course, the musical queen in me needs to remind
you that...
> Ross correctly answers Lisa Minelli.
..."It's Liza with a Z
Not Lisa with an S
'Cause Lisa with an S
Makes 'sss' not 'zzz'"
Chris M. Dickson
<bl...@interlog.com> writes
>..."It's Liza with a Z
>Not Lisa with an S
>'Cause Lisa with an S
>Makes 'sss' not 'zzz'"
Mea culpa. I've just checked the evidence once more by the miracle of
slo-mo replay and they were correct - it's my shonky stenography that
was at fault.
I would cancel it and repost a correct version, but... :-|
Chris M. Dickson
Carryover contestant Samantha Thomas from Bradford has already won 100
pounds - just 14 more correct answers and she'll be a millionaire! The
last 24 hours has been very long, though. She's looked round London,
travelled on the 'tube (which was an experience she doesn't want to
repeat in a hurry) and saw the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham
Palace. If she wins a million pounds, she'll buy a horse for each of her
two stepdaughters, Lauren and Hannah!
(more filler chat than usual before the questions start)
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
An ingot is a bar of what?
Samantha correctly answers metal.
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
What name is given to the calm area at the centre of a hurricane?
Samantha correctly answers eye.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
Which flower is the symbol of the Labour Party in Britain?
Samantha correctly answers the Red Rose.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
What is the Princess Royal's married name?
a) Mrs. Briggs b) Mrs. Smith c) Mrs. Connolly d) Mrs. Laurence
Samantha uses the "ask the audience" lifeline.
Mrs. Briggs 4% - Mrs. Smith 1% - Mrs. Connolly 6% - Mrs. Laurence 89%
Samantha answers Mrs. Laurence...
she's correct and wins a guaranteed 1,000 pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
Which TV series is set in the village of Beckinsdale?
a) Where the Heart Is b) Peak Practice c) Heartbeat d) Emmerdale
Samantha uses the 50:50 lifeline.
Answers b) Peak Practice and c) Heartbeat are eliminated.
Samantha answers Emmerdale...
she's correct!
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
How many balls are used in billiards?
a) three b) seven c) fifteen d) sixteen
Samantha uses the "phone a friend" lifeline and rings Gary Barley.
Gary says 3 - and he's certain about it!
Samantha answers three...
she's correct!
Question 8 for 8,000 points:
Americans call it a faucet. What do we call it?
a) Nappy b) Bathroom c) Tap d) Hydrant
Samantha answers "tap"...
she's correct!
Question 9 for 16,000 pounds:
Of which island nation is Kingston the capital?
a) Jamaica b) the Bahamas c) New Zealand d) Sri Lanka
Samantha answers Jamaica...
she's correct!
Question 10 for a guaranteed 32,000 pounds:
Which country does the famous pine-scented wine Retsina come from?
a) Italy b) Spain c) Portugal d) Greece
Host Chris Tarrant: "Do you want to play?"
Samantha: "No, because I've no idea and I don't want to risk it!"
Chris: "Good night, though? You're taking home 16,000 pounds!"
Samantha leaves with 16,000 pounds.
[Running total: 154,000 pounds from 6 contestants.]
-advert break-
Selection question:
Complete this Oasis song title: "Cigarettes and ..." ?
a) Anger b) Matches c) Alcohol d) Dreams
Three of the ten contestants answer correctly and John Stewart is the
fastest in 1.62 seconds! John is 26 years old and comes from Glasgow. By
profession, he's an upholstery cleaning engineer, but he wouldn't
continue with the job if he won a million pounds. His wife, Michelle,
who is expecting their first child in January, is in the audience.
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
What do we call a year with 366 days?
John correctly answers "leap year".
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
Which Irish town gives its name to a five-line humourous verse?
John: "I don't know my Irish poetry that well..."
Chris: "I can't help you on this but C's good - not that I want to
affect your decision in any way!"
John correctly answers limerick.
(and you can put that rrrrrrRRRRRRRIGGGGGEDDDD???? down _right_ now.)
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
Which abbreviation means "and so on"?
John correctly answers etc.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
Which Army bugle call is played to wake up the men?
a) Taps b) Charge c) The Last Post d) Reveille
John uses the "ask the audience" lifeline.
Taps 7% - Charge 3% - The Last Post 15% - Reveille 75%
John answers Reveille...
and he's correct!
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
Who played Forrest Gump in the 1994 film of the same name?
John correctly answers Tom Hanks and wins a guaranteed 1,000 pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
Which sport features a playing surface of size 9 feet by 5 feet?
a) Table tennis b) Fencing c) Wrestling d) Tug of War
John uses the 50:50 lifeline.
Answers c) Wrestling and d) Tug of War are eliminated.
John uses the "phone a friend" lifeline.
He 'phones his boss John Campbell, who suggests table tennis.
John answers table tennis...
...drum roll...
...and he's correct!
*siren*
End of show 4/10.
Show 5/10 at 8pm tomorrow - report shortly afterwards, depending on how
I feel then.
Charles Blaquiere
bring extra elements of risk to each question, beyond "quit or go on?"
Chris M. Dickson
(Oops - there's a squealer in the audience who's got too close to one of
the mics and a definite "woo-woo-woo" noise is heard in the opening
round of applause.)
Carryover contestant John Stewart, 26, from Glasgow has already won
2,000 pounds but he's already used up all three of his lifelines. John,
an upholstery cleaning engineer, has been quite calm all day.
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
Where did King John sign the Magna Carta?
A) Runnymede b) Tower of London c) Hastings d) Windsor Castle
John is a gambling man so he goes for Runnymede...
...and he's correct.
Question 8 for 8,000 pounds:
What is the largest castle in Britain?
a) Edinburgh b) Warwick c) Balmoral d) Windsor
[Yep, answer d was Windsor Castle two questions in a row.]
John chooses Windsor.
Host Chris Tarrant: (audible breath) "You came here with nothing; had
2,000 pounds at the end of yesterday's show; earned 4,000 pounds by
answering the last question... and now you've got 8,000 pounds!"
Question 9 for 16,000 pounds:
Which famous comedy team starred in "Duck Soup?"
a) 3 Stooges b) The Marx Brothers c) Laurel & Hardy d) Abbott & Costello
John: "I've seen the film... I've got two answers in mind... I would
have liked to 50:50." John selects The Marx Brothers.
John is correct for 16,000 pounds!
Question 10 for a guaranteed 32,000 pounds:
Which of these was built in 1961?
a) Post Office Tower b) Berlin Wall c) Sears Tower d) Pompidou Centre
John: "I think I'll keep the 16."
John leaves with 16,000 pounds.
[Running total: 170,000 pounds from 7 contestants.]
If John had had to guess, he'd have gone for the Post Office Tower...
...but the right answer was the Berlin Wall!
Selection question:
What are COBOL, ALGOL and FORTRAN?
a) Computer languages b) Medicines c) Chemical elements d) Cars
7 of the 10 contestants correctly choose a) and the fastest, in 1.65(?)
seconds, is John McKeown! We have a second successive John from Glasgow
("This is Scotland's favourite TV show" - Chris) but this John is 43
years old, used to be a driver but is now a labourer, working down the
sewers. If he won a million pounds, he'd like to visit Lisbon, because
it's where Celtic won the European Cup in 1967. He also said that he
would get a hair transplant, because he's bald.
(It's my guess that John is not very happy about the latter fact being
revealed - he doesn't look like he's enjoying the rest of the show
nearly as much as he might be.)
(Incidentally, one of the ten selection question contestants is a Sally-
Ann Mead, which is a name that rings a bell from somewhere. This makes
two days in a row when the name of one of the selection question
contestants is vaguely familiar from a previous game show - were they
called down on Bruce's Price Is Right?)
"Easy" Questions:
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
What sort of entertainment takes place in a big top?
John correctly answers circus.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
Who had his head fixed with vinegar and brown paper, according to the
nursery rhyme?
John correctly answers Jack.
(I didn't know that one...) :-(
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
Which chemical element shares a name with Superman's home planet?
John correctly answers Krypton.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
If I suffered from arachnophobia, which creepy-crawlies would I fear?
John correctly answers spiders.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
What is the Japanese craft of Origami?
John correctly answers paper-folding and wins a guaranteed 1,000 pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
Who wrote "The Virgin Soldiers"?
a) Alastair McLean b) Frederick Forsyth c) Len Deighton d) Leslie Thomas
John answered correctly but I forgot to take down the answer (I think it
was d but I don't know for sure...)
Chris: "Is this more fun than being down the sewers?"
John: "Just the same."
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
How frequently is golf's Ryder Cup held?
a) Every year b) Every 2 years c) Every 3 years d) Every 4 years
John uses the 50:50 lifeline.
Answers a) every year and d) every four years are eliminated.
John answers every two years and he's correct!
(progressive, up-key, background music)
Question 8 for 8,000 pounds:
What is the capital of the US state of California?
a) Sacramento b) Los Angeles c) San Francisco d) Pasadena
John uses the "ask the audience" lifeline.
Sacramento 38% - Los Angeles 36% - San Francisco 19% - Pasadena 7%
John goes with the audience and plays a...
John wins 8,000 pounds!
Question 9 for 16,000 pounds:
Complete the title of the famous portrait, "The Laughing ..."?
a) Hyena b) Peasant c) Fool d) Cavalier
John knows this and picks d...
and John has now won 16,000 pounds!
Question 10 for a guaranteed 32,000 pounds:
What is "Genevieve" in the film of the same name?
A) Car b) Gypsy woman c) Boat d) Goat
John selects a, a car...
he's correct and has won a guaranteed 32,000 pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Chris goes across during the applause and slaps John gently on the head
several times. I don't think John is too amused.
Chris: "Is this more fun than the sewers yet?"
John: "Still the same..."
Question 11 for 64,000 pounds:
The most poisonous animal in the world is a species of which creature?
a) Snake b) Scorpion c) Frog d) Spider
John's choice is c, a frog...
...drum roll...
...and he's correct!
*siren*
End of show 5/10.
John will be back tomorrow; just four more questions answered correctly
and he becomes a millionaire. Better still, he can still ring a friend
to get the answer to one of the questions that he doesn't know. Will he
be the person who goes all the way to a million? Chris knows John's
character and thinks he could be!
Tune in tomorrow and find out whether a bald labourer from Glasgow's
sewers can become a millionaire!
Don't you wish you were in Britain? :-)
Best wishes
Tjssbh4
I, for one, think that your updates are almost as good as watching the show
itself..with the answers on separate lines, we can play along here, and you
include all the details...thanx for passing this show along to us all!
bh4
Chris M. Dickson
(I was pleased to see that the show has been more heavily trailered than
usual today with the real prospect of a million win on the cards.)
Carryover contestant John McKeown, 43, a sewer worker from Glasgow, has
had a calm day and just wants to get on with the show. He's won 64,000
pounds so far; if he were to win a million pounds then he says he'd get
a hair transplant!
Question 12 for 125,000 pounds:
Which of these artistes never had a UK number one hit single?
a) Genesis b) Fleetwood Mac c) UB40 d) Marvin Gaye
John uses the "phone a friend" lifeline to ring his mate John Dempster.
John Dempster doesn't know the answer and apologises.
John McKeown: "I'll just take 64! That'll get in a few beers!"
John leaves with 64,000 pounds. His son, John Paul, comes out of the
audience to celebrate with him.
[Running total: 234,000 pounds from 8 contestants.]
Host Chris Tarrant: "Just for fun, if you had had to pick one, what
would you have gone for?"
John: "I would have said Genesis."
Chris: "You've got a cheque for 64,000 pounds; if you'd said that then
I'd have given you a cheque for...
...125,000 pounds - Genesis was right."
John seems to bend forward and wipe his eye for two seconds but is
perfectly happy with his 64,000 pounds.
Selection question:
Which of these is not a type of pottery?
a) Ming b) Wedgewood c) Chippendale d) Royal Doulton
The correct answer is c - 5 of the 10 contestants choose correctly and
Craig Logue, a 21-year-old media technology student from Cardiff,
answers most quickly in 0.81 seconds! If he won a million pounds, he'd
buy himself a recording studio.
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
Which of the following is another word for spectacles?
John, er, Craig correctly answers glasses.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
Which colour is Michael Aspel's "big book" on "This Is Your Life"?
Craig correctly answers red.
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
Where did a famous battle take place in 1066?
Craig correctly answers Hastings.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
What is a chipolata?
Craig correctly answers that it's a small sausage.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
Which of these cities is the furthest north?
a) Bristol b) Sheffield c) Chester d) Leeds
Craig doesn't know and uses the "phone a friend" lifeline.
He rings his father, Peter Logue.
Peter says Sheffield, but he isn't sure.
Chris: "You still have two lifelines left..."
Craig: "I'll use the 50:50 lifeline."
Chris: "Thank God you said that!"
Craig uses the 50:50 lifeline.
Incorrect answers a) and c) are eliminated, leaving only Sheffield and
Leeds. Craig's still stuck between Sheffield and Leeds.
Chris: "Thank you, computer!"
Craig's Dad said Sheffield, but Chris has shown bad vibes...
Craig uses the "ask the audience" lifeline.
26% of the audience say Sheffield; 74% of the audience say Leeds.
Craig goes against his father and answers Leeds...
...and Craig wins a guaranteed one thousand pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
What can Australia boast to have the biggest of in the world?
a) Restaurant b) Casion c) Coral Reef d) Pub
Craig chooses Coral Reef...
...and we'll have the answer to the question after the break!
Craig's answer was Coral Reef...
and Craig wins 2,000 pounds!
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
What is the other name for a linden tree?
a) Willow b) Larch c) Lime d) Beech
Craig: "I haven't got a clue; I'll take the 2,000 pounds."
Chris: "How brave do you feel?"
Craig: "Not very! I'll take the money!"
Craig leaves with 2,000 pounds. Chris is polite but gets the game moving
quickly; Craig has been one of the lower spots of the series so far
dramatically. Chris the reveals the answer to the question:...
Another name for a linden tree is a lime tree.
[Running total: 236,000 pounds from 9 contestants.]
Selection question:
Which of these was composed by Gilbert and Sullivan?
a) HMS Pinafore b) La Traviata c) Carmen d) Tosca
3 of the remaining contestants choose the answer a, which is correct.
The fastest one, in 2.32 seconds, was the extremely surprised Judith
Beacroft! Judith is 38 years old (and wishes Chris hadn't told everyone
that) and comes from Little Venice in London. She's a conference
organiser, and if she won a million pounds, she'd buy a carribean
island, learn to fly and then fly all her friends and family there!
Chris says he loves her!
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
At which ceremony is the monarch given his or her crown?
Judith correctly answers coronation. (Funniest gag answer: stag night.)
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
Which popular TV show is set in Sun Hill police station?
Judith correctly answers The Bill.
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
Which bird is traditionally associated with the Tower of London?
Judith correctly answers the raven.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
What colour is azure?
Judith correctly answers blue.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
Who played the title role in "Educating Rita"?
Judith's answer of Julie Walters...
...wins her a guaranteed 1,000 pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
Which fabric is produced from flax?
A) Linen b) Rayon c) Cotton d) Tweed
Judith doesn't know, so she plays her "ask the audience" lifeline.
Linen 59% - Rayon 19% - Cotton 11% - Tweed 11%
Judith goes with the audience and selects linen.
It's correct and she wins 2,000 pounds!
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
Which country was previously called Siam?
a) Thailand b) Tibet c) Nepal d) China
Judith again needs help and plays her "phone a friend" lifeline.
She chooses to ring her husband, Guy, and Chris rather pleasedly tells
Guy over the phone that he's got his wife with him!
Judith reads the choices out to Guy twice and Guy goes for Thailand.
Judith trusts her husband and answers Thailand.
The correct answer is:
Thailand! She's won 4,000 pounds!
*siren*
End of show 6/10.
Rather a lower show than yesterday's, but not every contestant can be a
high flyer. Everyone's got some little gaps in their general knowledge
somewhere - and some have more than others. (I would not do well on this
show, for example.) Maybe Judith or one of the contestants tomorrow will
have enough knowledge to win 125,000 pounds - more than any other TV
show in Britain has ever given away - or more!
Incidentally, thanks for the compliments on the update; I'm glad to know
you're enjoying them. Reading an update of a show isn't as much fun as
seeing it, but it's the most practicable alternative, which is why I
often enjoy Jeremy's (and everyone else's) TPiR updates and look forward
to their return with the new series!
Take care
Chris
PS Web-based updates of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (likely to be
faster than these news-based ones, though not nearly as comprehensive)
at http://www.lab-games.home.ml.org/news/Millionaire.html - enjoy!
Chris M. Dickson
Ratings news: Wednesday's show 6, starting from John McKeown on 64,000
pounds, won 11.1 million viewers according to the overnights, which is a
big total for a show with no repeat in September. More to the point, on
BBC1, it was up against Changing Rooms, which got an audience of about
5.6 million. A 2:1 victory for ITV is to be regarded as crushing.
Regular WWTBAM ratings are in excess of 10 million so, against all the
odds, I think this will be seen as a hit. Given that the prize
commitment has looked surprisingly reasonable, I'm quietly hopeful for
more series in the future. Lookin' good...!
Show 7/10: Thursday, 9th September, 1998. 8pm-8:30pm.
Host Chris Tarrant: "WWTBAM is the show that's making everybody in
Britain scream at the TV. They're screaming things like 'ARSENAL, FOR
GOD'S SAKE!', 'RETSINA IS FROM GREECE!', 'CORNWALL!' and, last night,
'GENESIS!'. However, if you think you know the answers then put your
mouth where the money is and ring 0891 444444."
What will everybody be screaming at carryover contestant Judith
Beacroft, aged 38, a conference organiser from London? She suddenly got
very nervous when Chris started screaming. If she won a million pounds
then she'd buy a desert island, but it would have to have Jeff Bridges
on it, because Jeff is apparently great at giving massages. Yesterday
Judith won 4,000 pounds - she's just 8 questions away from becoming rich
enough to buy that island!
Question 8 for 8,000 pounds:
An "inundation" is which of these natural occurrences?
a) Fire b) Flood c) Earthquake d) Hurricane
Judith chooses Earthquake; Chris reminds her that she has a 50:50
lifeline remaining. Judith insists on Earthquake and Chris notes that
she must be saving her lifeline for later.
Earthquake is the answer and it is...
...wrong.
The correct answer was a flood.
Judith leaves with 1,000 pounds.
[Running total: 237,000 pounds from 10 contestants.]
So it's time to select a new contestant. Usual head'n'shoulders shots of
the ten potential contestants - interestingly, one of them, Patrick
Welsh, is in a wheelchair. Good stuff!
Selection question:
Who composed the Blue Danube Waltz?
a) Bach b) Mozart c) Handel d) Strauss
5 of the 10 correctly answer d) Strauss and the fastest one of them, in
2.02 seconds, is David McNab. He comes from, where else, Glasgow, and
he's a civil engineer. If he won a million pounds, he would buy a race
horse. He likes a flutter on the horses, and does reasonably well
because he's brave. Will his bravery carry him to a million? We'll see!
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
Which animals does a Spanish matador fight?
David correctly answers bulls.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
Which country is said to be the Land of the Rising Sun?
a) Australia b) China c) Japan d) Argentina
David uses his 50:50 lifeline to eliminate b) and d) and chooses Japan.
Chris: "Thank god for that..." because he's right!
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
Which character is linked with 40 theives?
David knows this one - Ali Baba.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
Which successful pop star took the lead role in the 1996 film Evita?
David correctly answers Madonna.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
Which type of vehicle is raced on the Cresta Run?
David answers toboggan...
...and David wins a guaranteed one thousand pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
Which word represents the letter Q in the phonetic alphabet?
a) Queen b) Quebec c) Quarter d) Quiz
David uses the "ask the audience" lifeline.
Queen 14% - Quebec 81% - Quarter 3% - Quiz 2%
David goes with the audience and answers Quebec...
...et il est juste! (Wrong French. Sorry.)
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
Which of these islands belongs to Italy?
a) Corsica b) Majorca c) Rhodes d) Capri
David chooses Corsica; Chris reminds him that he has got a "phone a
friend" lifeline left if he wants it. His final answer is Corsica...
...but the correct answer is Capri.
(Corsica belongs to France; Sardinia belongs to Italy.)
David also leaves with 1,000 pounds.
[Running total: 238,000 pounds from 11 contestants.]
After the break, Chris points out that Bill Gates, the world's richest
man, lost 11.8 billion dollars in the recent stock market "crash", so
he's only worth 39 billion dollars. So, Bill, if you want to win a
million pounds, the number is 0891 44 44 44. (I only mention this to
amuse Randy. Other recent incumbents of a mention in this fashion
include the artist formerly known as Ginger Spice and The Queen.)
We need a new contestant, though, and we'll get one with this question:
Which of these large flightless birds is native to Australia?
a) Kiwi b) Ostrich c) Emperor Penguin d) Emu
4 of the remaining 9 contestants correctly choose d (I think - I forgot
to note the correct answer down again) but Matthew Asbury is the fastest
of them in 2.20 seconds!
Matthew is 26 years old and comes from Nelson, near Burnley in
Lancashire. He's a factory worker, and his pregnant wife is already a
week overdue! Perhaps her seeing him on this will send her into labour!
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
What is the capital of Germany?
Matthew correctly answers G. Sorry, Berlin.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
What is a female pig called?
Matthew correctly answers sow.
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
If you met someone whose native tongue was Cantonese, what would be
their nationality?
Matthew isn't confident about this, so Chris reads the answers out:
a) Peruvian b) Japanese <emphasis> C) CHINESE </emphasis> d) Swiss.
Matthew has a sudden urge to pick Chinese and wins 300 pounds.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
Which mountains cover parts of Italy, France and Switzerland?
Matthew correctly answers the Alps.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
Which group of people were given the nickname 49ers in California?
Matthew's selection is gold prospectors...
...and that wins him a guaranteed one thousand pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
What drink do you make by mixing champagne with orange juice?
a) Sidewinder b) Harvey Wallbanger c) Buck's Fizz d) Tom Collins
Matthew chooses answer c, Buck's Fizz...
and wins 2,000 pounds!
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
What name is given to the lower part of an interior wall?
a) Stucco b) Quoin c) Dado d) Transom
Matthew uses his first lifeline, the 50:50 lifeline, and eliminates
answers a and b. He's not sure, so he uses his second lifeline to phone
a friend, and rings Paul Montgomery. Paul isn't sure, but says "if
you've got to guess, guess Dado". Matthew answers Dado and Chris reminds
him that he doesn't have to play.
Chris: "What does Paul do?"
Matthew: "I can't remember, but he's not a builder!"
Matthew decides to play and answers Dado...
...drum roll...
...correctly!
Matthew will return tomorrow with 4,000 pounds and one lifeline left.
*siren*
End of show 7/10.
The 'phone lines close at 3pm on Friday so you now have less than 12
hours to call! My mate David, who fancies his chances, has already
called 10 times. He wants to be a millionaire! Don't you?
Nice to see the host protocol being slightly unpredictable - the host,
who already takes a very relaxed attitude to first answers not being
final, reminded the contestant about an unused lifeline after they had
answered incorrectly twice this show, but then told a contestant who was
unsure about his correct answer that he could take the money and didn't
have to risk it. Not so easy to read his reaction now...
Quick plug again: http://www.lab-games.home.ml.org/news/Millionaire.html
All the best!
Chris
Jay Lewis
<ch...@dickson.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Turbo update at http://www.lab-games.home.ml.org/news/Millionaire.html
{entertaining update deleted}
>Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
>What drink do you make by mixing champagne with orange juice?
>a) Sidewinder b) Harvey Wallbanger c) Buck's Fizz d) Tom Collins
>Matthew chooses answer c, Buck's Fizz...
>and wins 2,000 pounds!
For the record, we call it a Mimosa over here...not that this matters
but just thought I'd point that out.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled flame war...
Charles Blaquiere
least 2.02 seconds to identify the composer of the Blue Danube Waltz?
There must be some element I'm not aware of, e.g. they can't ring in
until the host has read all the answers, and even then, two seconds
doesn't sound right either. What gives?
Chris M. Dickson
<bl...@interlog.com> writes
>Chris, I wonder about these fastest times... do people really need at
>least 2.02 seconds to identify the composer of the Blue Danube Waltz?
I believe 'em, personally. There have a couple of sub-1 second responses
in the past. However, I believe that when people see the answer, they
feel the need to confirm it, consciously or subconsciously, which takes
the response time up to c. 2 seconds.
Furthermore, times of c. 2 seconds are not atpyical of other shows which
have depended upon "fastest response" and told you what the response
times were (principally Whittle here). Brad Francini has at least one
episode of Whittle. When I went on it (not sure if I've mentioned it to
the group, though I know it is in Jay Lewis' master list, under "seven
pounds 14 pence" - from four attempts) in '96, I know I took the wrong
side of two seconds on a timed question, for the reason above, which
dumped me out when I tried to make it to the final ten. So life goes.
Updates for shows 8 and 9 to follow later tonight (but they're on the
Web already - well, definitely number 8, at least).
Cheers!
Chris M. Dickson
Sorry about missing yesterday's show update - I went to bed by mistake.
Here's a double dose of update for you today!
Show 8/10: Friday, 10th September, 1998. 8pm-8:30pm.
Carryover contestant Matthew Asbury, 26, comes from Nelson near Burnley
in Lancashire; his wife, Catherine, is in labour at the moment, but
she's happy for you to be here and she rang through this message.
"Hello Matthew... it's me, Catherine; I'm ringing to wish you all the
best for tonight; we're both thinking about you... good luck and get up
here as soon as you can!"
Matthew was on 4,000 pounds tonight and there's a car waiting outside to
rush him up the motorway as soon as he finishes. Can he take more than
four thousand pounds to greet his expectant wife?
Question 8 for 8,000 pounds:
What is the flavouring "vanilla" obtained from?
a) Pod b) Leaf c) Root d) Flower
Matthew uses the "ask the audience" lifeline - his last one.
Pod 72% - Leaf 3% - Root 15% - Flower 10%
Matthew goes with the audience and selects a, a vanilla pod.
Vanilla pod is...
...correct!
Question 9 for 16,000 pounds:
Which organisation has the motto "Who Dares Wins"?
a) the RNLI b) the SAS c) the ATC d) the BBC
Matthew answers the SAS...
...and wins 16,000 pounds!
Question 10 for a guaranteed 32,000 pounds:
On which mountain did Moses receive the Ten Commandments?
a) Mount Ararat b) Mount Hebron c) Mount Sinai d) Mount Olive
Matthew risks 15,000 pounds by playing...
...and going for c, Mount Sinai...
...drum roll...
he's won a guaranteed 32,000 pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Matthew and host Chris Tarrant hug each other.
Chris: "Get out of here! Go! Start the car! Start the car!"
But as he's sure of winning 32,000 pounds, he may as well try:
Question 11 for 64,000 pounds.
Which of these is the equivalent of twenty champagne bottles?
a) Jeroboam b) Rehoboam c) Nebuchadnezzar d) Belshazzar
Matthew's guess is a Nebuchadnezzar -
and it's correct!
Matthew gives Chris a moderately high five which turns into a handshake.
Question 12 for 125,000 pounds:
How many miles separates Russia and the USA at their closest point?
a) 2.5 miles b) 11.5 miles c) 26.5 miles d) 137.5 miles
Matthew: "I'll take the cheque, please, Chris."
Chris: "I'm so glad you said that!"
Matthew is the fourth contestant to leave with 64,000 pounds.
[Running total: 302,000 pounds from 12 contestants.]
(ad break)
Selection question:
Straight, tuck and pike are three positions in which sport?
a) Diving b) Cricket c) Ice Skating d) Javelin
9 of the 10 contestants make the correct guess, a, and the fastest one
of them is David Thomson, who took 1.52 seconds. (They are shown the
question before the time starts, but not the answers, so the 1.52
seconds includes reading all four answers, picking which one is correct
and pressing the appropriate button. Pretty quick, really.) David comes
from Tyne and Wear and is 24 years old. He left university, went to see
his brother in Australia and ended up working there for a year. (Quite a
tempting idea, if I had a brother there!) Now he's back, he's sorting
out what he wants to do for a living. (Aren't we all?)
Question 1 for 100 pounds (they get harder!)
What would a member of the Ramblers' Association enjoy doing?
David's answer of Walking is correct.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
What kind of animal was "Babe" in the film of the same name?
David responds "a pig" and he's not wrong!
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
The head of the Anglican Church is the Archbishop of where?
"Canterbury" is the response and it earns the money.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
Which game involves the use of a "puck"?
David picks the "ice hockey" answer and answers in a very clipped style.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
What is a vixen?
a) Female wizard b) Small violin c) Snake d) Female fox
David: "Play."
Chris: "Play."
David: "D."
Chris: "D."
Chris: "Right!"
Local(ish) lad David wins a guaranteed 1,000 pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
We're off again. Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
As what was Henri Matisse famous?
a) Artist b) Politician c) Sportsman d) Composer
David uses the "ask the audience" lifeline because he doesn't know.
Artist 82% - Politician 4% - Sportsman 7% - Composer 7%
The audience have been good tonight, so David agrees with them.
Their answer of "artist" wins David 2,000 pounds!
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
From which fish is the best caviar obtained?
a) Herrings b) Salmon c) Haddock d) Sturgeon
David answers Sturgeon...
...and he's correct!
Question 8 for 8,000 pounds:
Where did Daniel fly to on a plane in the Elton John song?
a) New York b) Morocco c) India d) Spain
David uses the "phone a friend" lifeline to ring his mother Margaret.
But the phone rings three times before father Alan Thompson answers!
Margaret gets on the line - but: "No, I'm not sure, David. Sorry."
David uses his last lifeline, the 50:50.
This eliminates New York and India.
From Morocco and Spain, he decides to risk it and chooses Spain.
Spain means he has...
...8,000 pounds!
(My Dad: "I'd have gone for Spain because it rhymes with 'plane and so
would fit in well in a pop song". Figures!)
Question 9 for 16,000 pounds:
Which of these was an air-raid shelter in World War Two?
a) Anderson b) Bailey c) Churchill d) Mulberry
David: "I think I'll take the cash, Chris."
David leaves with 8,000 pounds.
[Running total: 310,000 pounds from 13 contestants.]
Chris: "If you had to guess, David, what would you have said?"
David: "I was thinking of A..."
Chris: "If you had said that...
...you'd be on 16,000 pounds."
David covers his eyes, but smiles nonetheless.
In a rush, but time for a quick selection question:
What do Americans call a dinner jacket?
a) Dickie b) Tuxedo c) Monkey suit d) Straight Jacket
5 out of 9 correctly pick b, but the fastest, in 2.05 seconds, was Eva
Whittam, from Lytham St. Annes in Lancashire! (Trivium: third and fourth
fastest were both 3.10 seconds. Wonder what would have happened?)
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
For what institutions are both Oxford and Cambridge particularly noted?
a) Strip clubs b) Prisons c) Universities d) Pleasure Beaches
Eva resists the chance to say "all four" and wins 100 pounds with c.
*siren*
End of show 8/10.
"The Moment Of Truth" mini-update:
A family wins when the mother memorises how to play "I can't help
falling in love with you" on the hand-bells.
Another family wins when the father masters pulling a tablecloth out
from under a plate, cutlery and two full glasses.
A family loses when a father memorises the square root of 2 to 100
decimal places and cracks it consistently in rehearsals but says "634"
instead of "62" from position 9 under the lights of the show when the
stupid think music is in the background.
My opinion on the show remains roughly constant but I note that once you
watch the tiniest bit of a family, seeing even their prizes (if not
their challenge) then the show gets its teeth into you and you just have
to watch. Grr. Irritating thing. Very well made, though.
Show 9/10: Saturday, 11th September, 1998. 8pm-8:30pm.
Reminder: Matthew Asbury left with a large cheque in the last show but
more importantly he reached his wife in time - in fact, we had to wait
until 2:55pm this afternoon for Thomas James Asbury to be born. Mother
and baby are both doing well and we send them lots of love. (I do, too.)
Chris: So Matthew has 64,000 pounds and a new baby boy, which certainly
beats a Blankety Blank cheque-book and pen, doesn't it?
Eva Whittam, from a few paragraphs up, comes from Lytham St. Anne's and
is a physiotherapist. Today is her youngest grandchild's birthday, so
he'd get some nice presents if Eva won a million; if she did then she'd
buy a yacht and learn how to navigate it around the world.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
What would you do with a Singapore Sling?
Eva looks a bit dumbfounded at this point.
Chris: "I can't help you really but D's good."
Eva somehow decides she might drink it. Eva wins the money.
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
Which official traditionally proclaims news in the street, proclaiming
"Oyez, Oyez"?
Eva knows this one, a town crier.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
Which of these is not a wire in a household plug?
Eva selects "ground", which is correct in a not terribly well-written
question. (Losing alternatives: live, neutral and earth. Arguably,
ground is a synonym for earth in this situation.)
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
Equestrian sports are ones which involve what in particular?
Eva's choice is a horse...
...and it's the right choice!
Eva wins a guaranteed 1,000 pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
With which family group did David Cassidy sing in the '70s?
a) Von Trapp b) Jackson c) Partridge d) Osmond
Eva uses the "ask the audience" lifeline here:
Von Trapp 0% - Jackson 0% - Partridge 93% - Osmond 7%
Eva goes for The Partridge Family...
...and wins 2,000 pounds!
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
What are rugby players not allowed to do with the ball during a match?
a) Kick it b) Pass it sideways c) Pass it back d) Pass it forward
Eva selects "pass it forward":
and she's correct!
Question 8 for 8,000 pounds:
Who wrote the murder story "Death on the Nile"?
a) Agatha Christie b) Ruth Rendell c) P. D. James d) Patricia Cornwell
Eva's choice is Agatha Christie...
...and she's right again!
Question 9 for 16,000 pounds:
Which of these is the highest mountain in Africa?
a) Mount Kenya b) Mount Kilimanjaro c) Table Mountain d) Mount Baker
Eva thinks she knows but would like to check.
(Short-sighted strategy!) She rings Graham Wilkinson, who says
Kilimanjaro. It's the one she would have guessed anyway. And it's...
...a winner!
Question 10 for a guaranteed 32,000 pounds:
To which of these might a "codicil" be added?
a) a musical score b) a will c) a statue d) a headache pill
Eva selects a will...
...we have an ad break...
...and wins a guaranteed 32K!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 11 for 64,000 pounds:
In what field was Maria Montessori a famous figure?
a) Opera b) Ballet c) Science d) Education
Eva uses her last lifeline, the 50:50, to eliminate Ballet and Science.
The choice is between Opera and Education. Eva isn't sure, but isn't
risking anything by guessing, so she goes for a, opera.
Chris sighs gently and Eva changes her mind to D, education.
Chris: "You have to give me a definite answer..."
Eva decides to play the host rather than to play her hunch and goes for
D, education.
Good choice! She wins 64,000 pounds! (and dusts off CT's jacket)
Question 12 for 125,000 pounds:
What is the oldest British weekly periodical?
a) The Spectator b) Old Moore's Almanack c) The Lancet d) The Stage
Eva: "I've got an idea but I think I'll take the money."
Eva is the *fifth* contestant to leave with 64,000 pounds.
[Running total: 374,000 pounds from 14 contestants.]
Eva's idea was Old Moore's Almanack. Wrong! That's annual, not weekly.
She did the right thing to take the money.
Chris is desperate to give away the million pounds (we know! We can
tell! There's helpful hosting and there's helpful hosting...) so we need
a new contestant.
Selection question:
Who played James Bond in the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"?
a) Sean Connery b) Roger Moore c) Pierce Brosnan d) George Lazenby
Never mind who's the fastest contestant, who's the only contestant to
get the correct answer, obscure old George Lazenby?
It's Derek McMorrow! Derek comes from Stenhousemuir in Scotland. Chris
says that Scotland must be empty this week because they're all down here
playing on the show. Perhaps we ought to invade.
Derek is a catering equipment manufacturer. If he won a million pounds,
he wouldn't quite the job, but he would cut down on overtime. He would
also visit friends in Australia (there's a pattern here...) but he would
return to Scotland.
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
Which Oliver governed England in the 1600s?
Derek knows it was Oliver Cromwell.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
What is the colouring on a skunk?
Black and white. Yawn.
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
Which of the following is not an official language of Switzerland?
Portugese, fairly obviously.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
What nationality are the pop act "The Nolan Sisters"?
Derek's guess is Irish...
...and it wins him 500 pounds!
*siren*
One more show to go tomorrow and it starts, bizarrely, at SEVEN PM not 8
PM like all the others (except last Sunday's, natch). Irritatingly this
clashes with the first in the series of "Scrapheap" on Channel 4 which I
won't be able to tape - though I do have the pilot, so that isn't so
bad. Chris would love to give away the million pounds. If Derek bombs
out at a mid-level value, will the new contestant have enough time to do
all fifteen questions? I doubt it. So what's going to happen? We've all
got to wait until tomorrow to find out! The update will be out on the
newsgroup as soon as I can manage it, but check the Web for a faster
response at http://www.lab-games.home.ml.org/news/Millionaire.html - OK?
Cheers!
Chris
PS Lastly, here's a question from me to you. No prizes, but it has been
bugging me all day. It concerns this quote, punctuated like so:
"Follow your dreams, you can reach your goals I'm living proof Beefcake!
BEEFCAKE!"
Who is this a quote from?
a) Eric Cartman from South Park
b) "Rowdy" Roddy Piper from the World Wrestling Federation
c) Eric Cartman but he himself was quoting "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
d) "Rowdy" Roddy Piper but he himself was quoting Eric Cartman
No prizes for that one, but if you could give me an authoritative answer
then I would be most grateful. (I think it sounds like b, but apparently
it's a. This leads me to ponder whether it's either of c or d. Anyone?)
Charles Blaquiere
>
> episode of Whittle. When I went on it (not sure if I've mentioned it to
> the group, though I know it is in Jay Lewis' master list, under "seven
> pounds 14 pence" - from four attempts) in '96, I know I took the wrong
> side of two seconds on a timed question, for the reason above, which
> dumped me out when I tried to make it to the final ten. So life goes.
Heyy, congratulations for making it on a game show, even if you won very
little. I'm sure you'll agree that the excitement alone is worth all the
trouble (and money) gone through to get on the show.
Reading between the lines, it seems that Whittle is the same as our "Que
le meilleur gagne" and Reg Grundy's "Everybody's equal", where 100
contestants get whittled down to one, as a single wrong answer takes you
out of the game. Right?
Charles Blaquiere
>
> Selection question:
> Who played James Bond in the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"?
Oooo, I *love* it when a game show question reaches back into some of
the more arcane knowledge I hold! I knew right away it was George
Lazenby. How could one not remember fondly the only Bond movie to
feature Diana Rigg? If anyone could make James walk up to the altar,
it's her.
Too bad you didn't get the response time; I would've been curious to see
how long it took this lone respondent to punch in his answer.
> "Follow your dreams, you can reach your goals I'm living proof
> Beefcake! BEEFCAKE!"
>
> Who is this a quote from?
Chris, I didn't even need a choice of answers for this one. What's that,
Kenny?
"Mfff wff woo rff mfmfff!"
That's right, Kenny: it's Cartman from the South park episode where
Kathie Lee comes to town and Mr. Garrison tries to settle a childhood
score with a rifle and a handy spot in the... book depository. <g>
Chris M. Dickson
<bl...@interlog.com> writes
>Too bad you didn't get the response time; I would've been curious to see
>how long it took this lone respondent to punch in his answer.
Oops - I wrote it down at the time and completely forgot to write it in
the update. 2.06 seconds.
<off-topic>
>That's right, Kenny: it's Cartman from the South park episode where
>Kathie Lee comes to town and Mr. Garrison tries to settle a childhood
>score with a rifle and a handy spot in the... book depository. <g>
I see. Thanks for that. But did "Rowdy" Roddy Piper say it first?
Jeremy? Anyone? It does sound like the sort of thing he would say...
</off-topic>
Nine down, one to go - and we've got a series one premiere of
"Scrapheap" starting in 40 minutes!
Cheers!
Chris
Jeremy Rogers
> Reading between the lines, it seems that Whittle is the same as our "Que
> le meilleur gagne" and Reg Grundy's "Everybody's equal", where 100
> contestants get whittled down to one, as a single wrong answer takes you
> out of the game. Right?
Indeed. Whittle is made by Grundy (A Pearson Televsion Company) for
Channel 5 and Challenge TV. The format ran a few years ago in the UK
as Everybody's equal on ITV - as it happens presented by Chris
Tarrant currently hosting 'Who Want's to be a Millionaire'.
Jez
--
Chris M. Dickson
got a bit (no, a lot) out of control at this end. Looking a bit brighter
now, though.
Show 10/10: Sunday, 10th September, 1998. * 7pm-7:30pm. *
Host Chris Tarrant: "Sofa sales have been soaring in the past ten days
because so many people have been on the edge of their seat..."
The last overnight contestant is Derek McMorrow from Stenhousemuir, a
catering equipment manufacturer. He's won 500 pounds so far, but he says
that in the last 24 hours he's spent 500 pounds! If he won a million
pounds, he'd visit Australia but he'd return to Scotland for his
children because Scottish education is the finest in the world. Is it?
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
What is the popular name for Sirius, the brightest star in the sky?
a) The Great Bear b) The Dog Star c) Pluto d) The Plough
Derek uses the 50:50 lifeline to eliminate The Great Bear and Pluto.
Derek selects b, the Dog Star...
...and wins a guaranteed 1,000 pounds!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
Which of these is not a capital city?
a) Toronto b) Pretoria c) Warsaw d) Mexico City
Derek knows Ottawa is Canada's capital and picks a -
to win 2,000 pounds!
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
Over how many holes is golf's British Open played?
a) 72 b) 36 c) 18 d) 90
Derek uses the "Ask the audience" lifeline.
72 holes 55% - 36 holes 26% - 18 holes 14% - 90 holes 5%
Derek goes with the audience and selects a...
the audience are right!
Question 8 for 8,000 pounds:
What does the word "dulce" indicate on a Spanish wine label?
a) Dry b) Sweet c) White d) Sparkling
Derek uses his last lifeline to "phone a friend" and he rings John Livey
(?) who thinks it means sweet.
Derek says John is a good man and goes with him.
That's won him 8 grand!
Question 9 for 16,000 pounds:
In which city is Karl Marx buried?
a) Paris b) Berlin c) Moscow d) London
Derek selects d, London, and host Chris Tarrant stalls even more than
usual... Derek comments "pain!" and makes a blithering noise...
...but he's won 16,000 pounds as Chris slaps his cheeks!
Question 10 for a guaranteed 32,000 pounds:
Which of these Olympic events is for women only?
a) Biathlon b) Triathlon c) Pentathlon d) Heptathlon
Derek: "Oh, Chris, the pain... I think it's C."
Chris: "You're going to play?"
Derek: "C."
Chris: "C is your final answer?"
...
Chris: "It's the wrong answer."
(D, heptathlon, is the right answer.)
Derek looks down in disbelief - *he's* *just* *lost* *fifteen*
*thousand* *pounds*.
Derek goes away with 1,000 pounds.
[Running total: three-eighths of a million pounds from 15 contestants.]
(ad-break)
Chris: "As it's the last show of the series, whoever is selected will be
allowed to finish their game tonight however long it takes. We could be
here for days, but it's better than them having to wait months."
Fair enough!
Selection question:
Which group of people might aspire to win the Booker Prize?
a) Artist b) Authors c) Actors d) Architects
The correct answer is b, and the fastest answer of the six correct ones
was given by Donna Minors from Wrexham in 2.25 seconds! Donna is a
claims clerk for a toy company; her husband is a lorry driver and an ex-
Thai Boxing World Champion. Let's go!
Question 1 for 100 pounds:
What might you be if you wrote one cheque too many?
Donna knows you'd be overdrawn.
Question 2 for 200 pounds:
Where would you expect to find a portcullis?
a) In the body b) In a car c) In a castle d) In the garden
That's...
a) In the body b) In a car
C) IN A CASTLE
d) In the garden
Donna decides you might find it in a castle and wins 200 pounds.
Question 3 for 300 pounds:
Which organisation has the motto "Be prepared"?
a) the BBC b) the Royal Marines c) the Scouts d) the AA (Automob. Assn.)
Donna uses her 50:50 lifeline to eliminate the BBC and the RMs.
Donna goes for D and Chris gives her a pained, disapproving look, so she
says "Can I change it?" and goes for C. 300 pounds, ahem.
Question 4 for 500 pounds:
Which teacher completes the famous film title "The Prince of..."?
Donna knows her films: "Miss Jean Brodie" gets her 500 pounds.
Question 5 for a guaranteed 1,000 pounds:
By what name was a sixpenny coin known in pre-decimal currency?
a) Bob b) Tanner c) Half-crown d) Florin
Donna uses her "phone a friend" lifeline to ring Dad Don, who, after
hearing the question and answers two or three times, picks Tanner.
Chris: "Good idea ringing your Dad..."
Donna: "I nearly had a heart attack!"
She goes for Tanner and that's a thou!
(De-da-da-da-da-da-da-DUM!)
Question 6 for 2,000 pounds:
Where did Manuel, the Fawlty Towers Spanish waiter, come from?
a) Barcelona b) Madrid c) Valencia d) Benidorm
Donna uses her last lifeline to ask the audience, and...
Barcelona 98% - Madrid 0% - Valencia 1% - Benidorm 1%.
Oh. (Donna: "I'm a bag of nerves here!")
It does look good for A... Donna picks it to win 2,000 pounds!
Chris: "You can take the 2,000 pounds and go if you want, and while I
don't want to influence you, it might not be a bad idea."
Question 7 for 4,000 pounds:
Who is the patron saint of travellers?
a) St. Luke b) St. Vincent c) St. Francis d) St. Christopher
(pause)
C: "I can write out a cheque for 2000 pounds right away after the show."
D; "I'll take it."
C: "Oh, thank God!"
Donna would have gone for b, but it would have lost a thousand pounds,
because the correct answer is d.
Donna leaves with 2,000 pounds!
Final total: 377,000 pounds was given out to 16 contestants. Five of
them won 64,000 pounds each - the remaining 57,000 pounds was split
among the other eleven.
Chris: "I've thoroughly enjoyed the series; never have so many people
laughed, cried and screamed at the television."
MONTAGE: contestants winning and losing, including the *manic* Rachel Da
Costa from shows one and two in possibly the defining moment of the
series as she phones a friend - her Dad - who might know which the only
English county to only border one other county is:
Rachel: "Dad, help me..."
Rachel's Dad: "Take the eight grand, Rache."
Rachel: "I'll take the money."
(The background music for the montage is M People's "Hero" a.k.a.
"Search for the Hero Inside Yourself".)
Chris: "I'm looking forward to doing it again. We will be back again
soon!"
As the closing credits roll, fireworks fly, spraying silver confetti
around the studio.
FIN
A few closing remarks:
The ratings for WWTBAM? have been boffo - apparently 13.1 million for
show 10, which is quite telling considering it was on at 7pm on Sunday.
You've Been Framed! after it got 13.5 million (in the old Coronation
Street slot) and Coronation Street, delayed half an hour to 8pm again,
only drew around 11 million. A slow start, but the ratings didn't trail
off - completely the opposite to my inexpert pre-series prediction.
Incidentally, all ten shows will, I reckon, fit on a single four-hour
tape with a little judicious editing of the commercials and the pre- and
post- break sponsorship bumpers from The Sun.
There were apparently FOUR MILLION calls to the 0891 line by potential
contestants. If we say that each call cost a quid (and ignore the, say,
30% of calls that terminated before a correct answer and the player
leaving their details), then British Telecom will have taken something
in the region of two million quid as a result, The Sun will take a tidy
profit and much of the rest will have gone to feed the prize pool...
quite a few times over. Cha-ching!
There was so much interest in the show that Channel 4 News ran an item
on it on Sunday night, followed by a discussion between the EP Paul
Smith, champion of reason and All That Is Noble And True About Game
Shows, and a lady from some Parent's Association who thought the show
would lead to children not valuing money as highly. Fair enough.
I reckon further series of WWTBAM? are now likely and I wouldn't put it
past them to rush another one in as soon as Christmas-ish. Whether they
devote ten consecutive evening slots to it again or run it as, say, a
weekly show remains to be seen. The knock-on effect for other game shows
also remains to be seen; there's talk of humble old Channel 5 running a
show with Bentleys and Porsches as prizes, and raising the stakes AGAIN
may push the BBC further away from game shows with competitive prizes
(though they appear happy to pursue the route of shows with small and
gag prizes which they do moderately well). The Moment Of Truth tries to
give away 20K worth of prizes not once, not twice but three times a show
so 20K is clearly no more a big attraction for prizes. I wonder how that
will affect old troopers like, say, Strike It Lucky (top prize 10K) and
Bruce's Price (showcase values 16-30K)? Will Britain be pushed into
bigger prizes and more and more extreme game shows? Has WWTBAM finally
raised Chris Tarrant to the very highest level of game show hosts; will
he perhaps be seen, in ten or fifteen years' time, how Bruce Forsyth is
seen today?
Interesting times, people, interesting times. Don't you wish you were in
Britain?
For a summary of all the winners and losers this series, take a look at
http://www.lab-games.home.ml.org/news/Millionaire.html which isn't going
anywhere for a long time.
Cheers!
Chris
Michael Kotler
>Which of these is not a capital city?
>a) Toronto b) Pretoria c) Warsaw d) Mexico City
>Derek knows Ottawa is Canada's capital and picks a -
>to win 2,000 pounds!
Umm, while it's true that Ottawa is the capital of Canada, Toronto is indeed
a capital city -- the provincial capital of Ontario. Perhaps this question
should have been worded "Which of these cities is not a _national_ capital?"