ABC to bring back "Millionaire"?

[radioguy555]

This is pretty interesting:

http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-abcwhowantstobeamillionairerevival,0,6868148.story

ABC is considering a revival of "Millionaire" for the summer (and beyond?) and they even want Regis back to host it. I really enjoyed the "Super Millionaire" version from '04 that the article mentions, but could this be a successful primetime show again 10 years later? I thought most networks learned long ago about revivals...

 

[mjlarochelle]

The New Price is Right in 1972 technically was a revival. So was Jeopardy! in 1984. In at least some cases game show revivals can be done.

Then again, Millionaire never has gone away, since it has had a syndicated version for years. Jeopardy! was simply gone between 1975 and 1984, save for a very short-lived revival in 1978.

 

[bpatrick]

And "The Price Is Right" was off from 1965 to 1972,
an even shorter time than "Jeopardy!" was, even if
you don't count the 1978-79 run.

If "Millionaire" does come back on ABC, I hope they
don't run it four nights a week again. As I said back
when ABC was doing exactly that, if CBS had run "The
$64,000 Question" that often, Bill Paley would have probably
cleaned house for lack of creative programmers (I know,
"Question" had a spinoff, "The $64,000 Challenge," but
that's still not four nights a week). Likewise, Bob Kintner
would have probably cleaned house at NBC if "Twenty-One"
(original version) had been on four nights a week.

 

[imhomerjay]

If ABC truly went back to the original 'stunt' format, running it across a full week could make sense. It was brilliant the first two times it was done...and then came the series, and ABC just couldn't help but binge on the sweet taste of success.

 

[landtuna]

DAMN! I thought you were referring to that old show where J. Beresford Tipton gave away a million bucks to random people.

The game show isn't anywhere near as good.

 

[TheRob]

I wonder if this has anything to do with the superb reviews, and likely Academy Awards, for Slumdog Millionaire.

 

[radiolives]

But isn't Regis doing a game show with CBS still? So how can he work for ABC also.

 

[ShawnHill1]

But isn't Regis doing a game show with CBS still? So how can he work for ABC also.

Well, technically...Regis does (still) work for ABC, albeit on the syndication level (Live with Regis & Kelly). If Regis wants to do it, maybe something can be worked out. Then again, in this same scenario, I'm not too sure if they could get Meredith Viera to host a potential ABC Millionaire show, seeing she works for a competiting network herself (NBC). Or maybe they could go with old Mr. Reliable, Tom Bergeron.

 

[searadiofreak]

But isn't Regis doing a game show with CBS still? So how can he work for ABC also.

Well, technically...Regis does (still) work for ABC, albeit on the syndication level (Live with Regis & Kelly). If Regis wants to do it, maybe something can be worked out. Then again, in this same scenario, I'm not too sure if they could get Meredith Viera to host a potential ABC Millionaire show, seeing she works for a competiting network herself (NBC). Or maybe they could go with old Mr. Reliable, Tom Bergeron.

I would think Regis would be their first choice. Which brings up the question, has a host ever worked two primetime game shows on two different networks? I know primetime hosts have also hosted syndicated shows at the same time, but would this be a first?

 

[KyDXIn]

But isn't Regis doing a game show with CBS still? So how can he work for ABC also.

Well, technically...Regis does (still) work for ABC, albeit on the syndication level (Live with Regis & Kelly). If Regis wants to do it, maybe something can be worked out. Then again, in this same scenario, I'm not too sure if they could get Meredith Viera to host a potential ABC Millionaire show, seeing she works for a competiting network herself (NBC). Or maybe they could go with old Mr. Reliable, Tom Bergeron.

I would think Regis would be their first choice. Which brings up the question, has a host ever worked two primetime game shows on two different networks? I know primetime hosts have also hosted syndicated shows at the same time, but would this be a first?

I wonder what would happen if ABC put Regis on against REGIS?? I would think there would be fine print somewhere that would prevent this but I also thought the "Financial Bailout" would be done better than it was!

Are we that far from the RGS channel?? All Regis--all the time. BTW, I've seen clips of Regis on Youtube and elsewhere. It seems he is genuinely nice guy. We had a fairly well-know DJ here in Louisville (Terry Meiners) who went to New York about 10 years ago, and attended the Regis show. During a commerical break, Regis interacted with the audience and Terry mentioned he worked for HAS. Regis then asked him about the longtime nightime host Milton Metz, who had just retired after many years with the station. I think this surprised Terry that Regis would even know about a local host, or care for that matter!

 

[imhomerjay]

Considering CBS has pulled Million Dollar Password from the schedule, the odds of a conflict seem to be reduced. We're quite far from an all Regis universe.

 

[searadiofreak]

They may still bring it back. It is still on their website.

 

[radiolives]

Speaking of game shows. Did CBS stop the game show with Drew Carey which he hosted at night? And that was what made CBS pick him to become host of The Price Is Right.

 

[imhomerjay]

They may still bring it back. It is still on their website.

While they still have some episodes they may want to burn off, any hopes for returning beyond those episodes is limited if CBS already pulled it from the slot as filler between Amazing Race seasons.

 

[imhomerjay]

Speaking of game shows. Did CBS stop the game show with Drew Carey which he hosted at night? And that was what made CBS pick him to become host of The Price Is Right.

The last sentence makes it sound like killing Power of 10 made them put Drew in as host of Price, though I'm not sure that's what you were saying or not. Yes, CBS canned Power shortly after its regular-season debut. And the story goes CbS saw him host the first batch of Power episodes and felt he would be great for Price.

 

[bpatrick]

DAMN! I thought you were referring to that old show where J. Beresford Tipton gave away a million bucks to random people.

The game show isn't anywhere near as good.

I think the rights to that show belong to Yvonne (Batgirl) Craig,
widow of the show's creator/producer, Don Fedderson. I haven't
heard of any plans to put it on cable or DVD, but it would be fun
to see again. Marvin Miller (Michael Anthony) and Paul Frees (Tipton)
were terrific.

 

[KyDXIn]

DAMN! I thought you were referring to that old show where J. Beresford Tipton gave away a million bucks to random people.
The game show isn't anywhere near as good.

I think the rights to that show belong to Yvonne (Batgirl) Craig,
widow of the show's creator/producer, Don Fedderson. I haven't
heard of any plans to put it on cable or DVD, but it would be fun
to see again. Marvin Miller (Michael Anthony) and Paul Frees (Tipton)
were terrific.

Sounds like a new reality show for Regis. He could show up with a million and they could show the results!

 

[bpatrick]

"The Millionaire" (1950s version) does sound like something
that could be revived as a reality show; in fact, didn't ABC
try and fail with a show where the owner of the Dallas Mavericks
was going to give $1 million to the person who completed a series
of challenges?

A better idea would be to get some fabulously wealthy somebody
like Bill Gates (if he's willing) to pick a person at random and let
the cameras record what the person does with the money--same
format as the old show, only this time everyone and everything
is real. Only one problem: the billionaire handing out the checks
is going to have the same problem Marvin Miller had: viewers
besieging him for a million dollars.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

It'll be a very interesting thing to see.
Let's hope Millionaire isn't worn out.

What ever happend to the idea of Jimmy Kimmel hosting a game show?

If Regis turns out to be unavailable...would Jimmy perhaps be the new host?

Jimmy *is* with ABC, after all.

 

[bpatrick]

The mention of Drew Carey reminds me that Steve
Beverly has been predicting for some time, most
recently within the past week, that the next sweeps
month may be the writing on the wall for "TPIR"; if
the ratings don't pick up, he predicts that more than
a few CBS affiliates will drop the show, and that eventually
the 11 AM (ET) slot will go back to the affiliates.

If Drew loses "Price," maybe--just maybe--"Millionaire"'s
producers will overlook his track record and make him the
host--and then kill the show. Drew may have his talents,
but I'm finally ready to concede--hosting game shows is
not one of them.