1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Too Much Information is a production of iHeartRadio. Hello everyone, 2 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: and welcome to another episode of Too Much Information, the 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: show that brings you the secret histories and little known 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: facts behind your favorite movies, music, TV shows, and more. 5 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: We are your final answers of Frivolity. You're maestros of 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: the multiple choice questions. Your regents of regis Philbin. 7 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 2: My name is Jordan run Tag, You're Call of Friends 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: who Don't answer phone calls. 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: And I'm Alex Cycle. And today we are talking about 10 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: the game show phenomenon that burned fast and bright like 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: shooting star across the y two k landscape. I'm talking 12 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: about Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The title lack 13 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 1: of question mark, because let's face it, it's not really 14 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: a question, is it. 15 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 2: It should have just been called once to Be a Millionaire? 16 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: Yeah? 17 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, you want this? Yeah? 18 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: E pathetic dreamer? Oh I keep a little less so 19 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: bees happy. Those thrilling initial episodes honestly felt like less 20 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: of a game show than a televisual event when it 21 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: first began airing in the United States. Is a two 22 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: week special in the late summer of nineteen ninety nine, 23 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: almost exactly twenty five years ago, and honestly, I think 24 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: this was the key to its success. It wasn't just 25 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: a quiz show with unusually high dollar amounts. This felt 26 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: like history. No one had ever been given this kind 27 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: of money on television before, and this take might be 28 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 1: more unique to me. I'm curious to what you have 29 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: to say about it, but I was a budding historian 30 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: around this time in nineteen ninety nine, and this was 31 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: right before the turn of the millennium, when we were 32 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: inundated with coffee table books and TV mini series and 33 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: special edition magazines that all offered like highlight reels of 34 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: major twentieth century moments. So in a way, I feel 35 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was able to 36 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: ride that wave because of all those supercuts of the 37 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: Beatles on ed Sullivan or Nixon's resignation. That all kind 38 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: of helped prime the population to recognize and crave another 39 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: major television moment. And it was also kind of the 40 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: perfect way to close out a century that had been 41 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: defined by TV. 42 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 2: I would agree with your take. It was a neat 43 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 2: way of hearkening back to this thing that everyone loves 44 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 2: game shows and providing some kind of fresh format in it. 45 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 2: Even if it was just jewel tone ties. I forgot 46 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 2: about like Reach's actual style on the show until research. Well, 47 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 2: so I went to when I went to a Catholic school, 48 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: and we had to wear ties, and I didn't know that, yeah, 49 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 2: ties were part of the middle school uniform. So then 50 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: when this show came on, obviously I went out and 51 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 2: bought like three cheap jewel tone ties and just rotated 52 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 2: through those for the rest of my school career. 53 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: Did you have to wear ties in high school too? 54 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 2: I didn't go to Catholic high school, probably where it 55 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,519 Speaker 2: started going wrong for me, at least in terms of 56 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: making connections, not in terms of actually getting closer to 57 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 2: my faith. 58 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: I mean. And that's the other thing about Who We 59 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: Se to Be a Millionaire that made it so distinctive 60 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: is that it didn't look like any other game show 61 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: we'd ever seen at that time. This wasn't some colorful, 62 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: bleep bluepe carnival like game like Wheel of Fortune or 63 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: even Jeopardy around this era, Who Has to Be a Millionaire? 64 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 1: It looked like the set of Entrapment starring Sean Connery 65 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: and Captain Setta Jones or some other thriller. And of 66 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: course that doesn't factor in the actual drama at the 67 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: show's core, as people competed for this life changing opportunity. 68 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: It was basically reality TV a year before it's generally 69 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: agreed upon birth the following year in two thousand at 70 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: the start of Survivor. But this was also reality TV 71 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: at a time when the monoculture still existed, which made 72 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire seemed completely ubiquitous in 73 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: a way that very few aspects of pop culture have 74 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: felt since, Like Barbenheimer and the Super Bowl and I'm. 75 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 2: Out Barbenheimer was real. 76 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: I was there, I was there, Were you a big 77 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: fan of me? I just loved every second of this. 78 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:06,839 Speaker 1: I mean, I know I mentioned this on the show 79 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: a lot, but it was very rare that I actually 80 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: engaged with pop culture as a kid, So this was 81 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: very special to me to be involved with this. I 82 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 1: loved feeling like I was witnessing history and a part 83 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: of something. And of course I've also been very vocal 84 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: on this podcast about how much I loved the game shows, 85 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: especially quiz shows. I was already a trivia nerd, studying 86 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 1: trivial pursuit cards at this time in a desperate attempt 87 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: to convince my family that I didn't need to go 88 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: to school because I was a genius, because I hated 89 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,559 Speaker 1: going to school because I had separation anxiety. Didn't work, 90 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: but kind of got my foot in the door of 91 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: the whole trivia landscape. Also one of my favorite movies 92 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 1: around this time was Quiz Show, directed by Robert Redford 93 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: about the nineteen fifties quiz show scandals, which is a 94 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: great movie if you've never seen it. John Traturo and 95 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,919 Speaker 1: refines really good. So all in all, who el Swemilonaire 96 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: hit all sorts of buttons for me? What about you? 97 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: Is this mandatory viewing in your house? 98 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: I definitely remember watching it a good bit. We were 99 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 2: not a Jeopardy house or really any kind of game 100 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 2: show house, but it just came on in like the 101 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 2: primetime time slot more than anything, and so I think 102 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 2: that's how we were exposed to it. But I did 103 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 2: love trivia. I still love trivia. I mean I was 104 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 2: on a middle school quiz Bowl team and I love that. 105 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 3: Yeah. 106 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 2: I still can't do math and still don't know that 107 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 2: much about sports. So those are my my week spots. 108 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: But you get geography. 109 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 2: Geography was okay. I don't feel like maths should be 110 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 2: included in trivia. 111 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: No, that's not trivia, that's a skill. No, I feel strong. 112 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 2: And that's where we would get creamed in the competitions. 113 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 2: It's just like the second we were up against someone 114 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 2: who had like a math whiz on the team, it 115 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 2: would just be like, well, I can't carry this one, 116 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 2: sorry guys, And then uh, yeah, I do remember watching this. 117 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 2: I very specifically remember all the dramatic lighting cues and 118 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 2: like laser shows and all of that stuff that was like, 119 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 2: it really did feel different from like The Price Is 120 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 2: Right or Real Fortune or whatever else I had kind 121 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 2: of stumbled upon on as far as televised game shows period. 122 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 2: And uh, you know Regis Man, he's a great behind 123 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 2: the mic. He's he's Regius. 124 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: Like, come on. 125 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 2: The thing that I always end up plowning on the 126 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 2: most for who wants to be a millionaire was like, 127 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 2: isn't Even as a child, I knew that they were 128 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 2: like clearly trying to that the contestants were clearly told 129 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 2: to like milk as much out of each at bat 130 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 2: that they got. So even if it was something like 131 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 2: it was like, what is one of the chief ingredients 132 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 2: in mozzarella, and they're like, well, I have an uncle 133 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 2: who lives in Germany, so it's not curry. 134 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: Worst the producers behind the camera Stretcht's like, I've got 135 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: you know, I went to I went to high school 136 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: in Jacksonville, so I know it's not alligator meat. 137 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 2: And one time Elton John bottomed me at the roxy. 138 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 2: You know, so I know the answer isn't ky jelly. 139 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:07,479 Speaker 2: So I'm gonna go ahead and say milk, Regis, what 140 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 2: is milk? It's just like that that kind of as 141 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 2: a very attention deficit child that that was just like 142 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 2: just say the just just say the right answer, Just 143 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: say it and move come on. 144 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: So, I mean, I never really thought about this until 145 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: right now. 146 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 2: But there was a kind of like sweet and sour 147 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 2: aspect of the show where like the whole set and 148 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 2: vibe of it seemed very menacing and frightening, but at 149 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 2: the heart of it was the most genial man on television, 150 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 2: Regis Philip, who genuinely. 151 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 3: Seemed to want you to win, which was very nice. 152 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 3: Oh and the other thing I hated was the classic 153 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 3: fake out you really want to go with milk, Well, 154 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 3: it's a good thing. Answer longer pregnant pause. 155 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: Oh, I'm so sorry that your journey. 156 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 2: With us has to continue. 157 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: The answer was mail, that's Oprah, But. 158 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a lot of That's like when I first 159 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,239 Speaker 2: started being exposed to a lot of those tropes from 160 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 2: game shows, and then I got into Weakest Link because 161 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 2: that lady was so mean, and I liked the mean 162 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 2: lady Shocker. 163 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: You know, I didn't watch it that much because she 164 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: was too mean, and I thought it seemed like a 165 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: pale limitation of who was to be a millionaire and 166 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:27,559 Speaker 1: it was group play. I didn't like the group play. 167 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: M Yeah, yeah, No. For me, it's it's an endurance test, 168 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: it's a sprint. It's just you against the questions and 169 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: or Reegi's I mean, I guess this is probably the 170 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: time to mention that this episode has a very special 171 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: residence to me, because asn't mention where you're going to 172 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: get that I finally did. I mean, I've talked about 173 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: this way too many times on this show, and I'm 174 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: afraid I'm going to get some one star reviews for 175 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 1: shoehorning in a personal anecdote, but this one's relevant. I 176 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:55,559 Speaker 1: was lucky enough to make an appearance on Who Wants 177 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: to Be a Millionaire back in twenty thirteen, and it 178 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: was simultaneously a dream come true and also one of 179 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: the biggest disappointments in my life. This was well past 180 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 1: the show's glory years. It had moved out of prime 181 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: time and was buried in daytime syndication. The hot seat 182 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,119 Speaker 1: was long gone. I had to just stand there awkwardly, 183 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 1: which is weird. Regis had also moved on, and so 184 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: did Meredith Vieira, and I had to make do with 185 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,559 Speaker 1: Cedric the entertainer, who was like a couple of weeks 186 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 1: into his i think one year reign as the host 187 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: of the show. His heart wasn't it? Yeah, I kind 188 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: of hate to say I kind of felt that too. 189 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: It was also a huge letdown because by this point 190 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: the rules had completely changed on the show. And we'll 191 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: get into this later in greater detail, but the show 192 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: was in its shuffle period. Are you familiar with this? No? Yeah? Good? 193 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: It upsets me now even thinking about it. Instead of 194 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: having the questions increase with difficulty and monetary value, which 195 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: is you know, the entire premise of the show, the 196 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: first ten questions were just given to you at random, 197 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: and the difficul culty had no relation on how much 198 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: the question was worth, So your first question could be 199 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 1: the hardest, and you really had no idea if the 200 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: question was like actually easy, or if it was a 201 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: trick question, or what it was really hard to like strategize, 202 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: which maybe was the point because, as we'll talk about 203 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: the show, I ended up getting sued by the insurers 204 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: who paid out the jackpot early in its life because 205 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 1: it felt that the questions were too easy. Yeah, it 206 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: just it was really really hard. And if I sound 207 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: a little bitter, it's probably because I am, because clearly 208 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: I did not win a million dollars. I actually made 209 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: it kind of far and then I and then I 210 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: blew it. 211 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 2: Would you blow the money on? Or what did you 212 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 2: get down to? And then what did you walk away with? 213 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 2: I don't care about the questions. I care about the money. 214 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: I was up to fifty thousand dollars and I thought 215 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: I knew the answer, and I got it wrong. 216 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 2: With fifty fifty years of safe safe stone. No, no, 217 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 2: it's not not not in this, not in this way, 218 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 2: not in this to nothing one thousand, But I mean. 219 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 1: Just happy to be there, et cetera, et cetera. It's like, 220 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: what eight hundred after taxes, it was like six hundreds, 221 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: maybe five hundred. Yeah, it was it was I really 222 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: thought I knew. I really thought I knew, you know 223 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: what it was. I had one lifeline left. It was 224 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: a fifty to fifty, and I knew I already used 225 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: the other two, and I thought, you know what, if 226 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,839 Speaker 1: I use this now, there's no way I'm going to 227 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: make it to the million with no lifelines. It's just 228 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: not going to happen. 229 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 2: I'm reasonably certain I know this answer, and I didn't. 230 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: What was the question? Question was who's the only person 231 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: to have filled in as a guest host for the 232 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:37,439 Speaker 1: Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Was it Jerry Seinfeld? Was 233 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 1: it Betty White? Was it Katy Kirk? 234 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 2: Or was it Dick Van Dyke? And I don't know 235 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 2: that I probably would have guessed. 236 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: Say them again, Jerry Seinfeld, Betty White, Katie Kirk, Dick Van. 237 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 2: Dyke, those are all NBC people, though I'm. 238 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: Gonna give you all the information I had. 239 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know. Was it Dick Van Dyke? 240 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: I said Jerry Seinfeld because I thought they had some 241 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: kind of like car collection. 242 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 2: You'd think friendship. He doesn't have the charisma for that. 243 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: Well, no, it was when I tell you the answer, 244 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: you're gonna be like, oh it was Katie Couric Today Show, 245 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: Tonight Show, a little synergy there, NBC synergy. I should 246 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: have guessed Katie, yeah, I know, yeah, me too, and 247 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: I didn't, and it was it was really sad. Oh. 248 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: The worst part was the like every contestant's assigned a 249 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: producer to kind of like you know, shepherd you there 250 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: throughout the day. Well okay, well no. Two things that 251 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: were really bad. One was that I definitely got the 252 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 1: sense that they were trying to like feed me questions 253 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: that were like tailored to me. I got the sense 254 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 1: that they thought that I was like good on camera 255 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: and all the auditions and were like trying to like 256 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: make the show go. Because I talked about how much 257 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: I loved like, you know, game shows and late night 258 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: TV hosts and like that kind of stuff. A lot 259 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: of the questions were, like it felt not that random, 260 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:04,199 Speaker 1: bearing in mind a lot of the stuff I told 261 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: them during like the pre show interviews and stuff that 262 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: had occurred during the previous weeks. So I felt like 263 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: they were like trying to help me and I blew it. 264 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: And the producer that was like assigned to kind of 265 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: be my guardian that day. Oh, she was beautiful and 266 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: she was like, I'd like to look in her eyes. Afterwards, 267 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: was like, so she seems so disappointed. And then when 268 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: I went to work at People Magazine, she was there. 269 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: She'd gone to work on the People TV show, and 270 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: so I had to go see her every single day 271 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: I worked there. Yeah, So that was just salt and 272 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: the wounds all the time. So that pains things to 273 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: this day, but it hasn't dampened my ardor for this 274 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: fantastic show. While researching this episode, I discovered that some 275 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: psychotic website lists all the questions for every episode ever 276 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 1: and I found my batch. Do you want to try 277 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: some of mine other than that one? Oh? Sure? Hit me? 278 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 1: All right, there we go. Okay, my first question. FEMA 279 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: recommends keeping all but which of the following items in 280 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: your disaster supply kit. A, A radio, B, water, CE, 281 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: food or D condoms. 282 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 2: D condoms Yes, correct, that is the lasers. 283 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: That is five thousand dollars. That was five thousand dollars. Again, 284 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: the difficulty has no bearing on the monetary value, and 285 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 1: that was like, yeah, I know, okay, next question with 286 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: a shade called tweety. Sally Hanson's fuzzy coat products are 287 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: a novelty line of what a facewash, B self tanner, 288 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: CE nail polish, or D handflotion. None of those words 289 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: are in the Bible. 290 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 2: Say all that again. I thought I just went into 291 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 2: a feud. 292 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: State A state, facewash, B self tanner, What was the 293 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: brand name? Sally Hanson, C nail polish or D hand 294 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: lotion with a shade called tweety. Sally Hanson's fuzzy coats 295 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: are novelty line of what houzz he coats? So oh, 296 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: nail polish? Correct? You now have twelve grand What is 297 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: nail polish? Which of the following has Dennis rod been 298 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: never done? Starred in a peda campaign, headbutted a referee 299 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: said he was going to marry himself or wrestle a pig. 300 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 2: I want to say head butt a referee, but it 301 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 2: could also be wrestle a pig, because I feel like 302 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 2: I would have seen that in like a countdown of 303 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 2: things that Dennis Robin has done head better referee, they 304 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 2: would have kicked him out of the league. 305 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: Probably. I'm gonna say that. I'm sorry that's incorrect, but 306 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: I didn't know the answer, and one of the lifelines 307 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: at this stage was skipping a question, So I skipped 308 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 1: that one. So you're still in the game. You are 309 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: still in the game. 310 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 2: Okay, What was the correct answer? 311 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: It was wrestle a pig. Considering wrestle a pig and 312 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: starring in a peda campaign run the same question. You 313 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: kind they kind of canceled each other out, so I 314 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: feel like it was one or the other. What not 315 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: only quote helps the medicine go down, as Mary Poppins noted, 316 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: but also may help curb the burn from spicy foods. 317 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: Just give it to me, it's spoonful of sugar. Correct, 318 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: You now have twenty two thousand dollars. Easiest might have 319 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: ever made my mind? I trust me, I know. In 320 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: a twenty twelve commercial for the iPhone, Zoey Deschanel asks 321 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: her phone, what bizarre question? Where's my dog? Is that rain? 322 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: Can you ski? Or what's for dinner? This was more 323 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: zeitgeisty in twenty thirteen. Is that rain? Yes? Correct? Yeah? 324 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 2: She asks it what's for dinner after she realizes it's raining. 325 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: M h, you're absolutely right, you know how forty seven 326 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. Damn, I know it was only one left. 327 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: In an article about songs with incorrect grammar, readers Digest 328 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: said a famous James Brown line should technically be what 329 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 1: father has a brand new bag, like a love making 330 00:16:54,720 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: machine in a cold perspiration? Or I feel well, I 331 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: feel well correct. I don't know why, but I asked 332 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: the audience on this. I think I just because is good? 333 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:10,440 Speaker 2: Is It's like the same thing when you're like if 334 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 2: you ask someone how they're doing and they say I'm 335 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 2: doing good, and you say, no, you're doing well, the 336 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 2: Superman does good? Yes, yes, yes, yes, that the same 337 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,439 Speaker 2: pedantic And then the next one was the one was 338 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 2: the one I got wrong, but you got. 339 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: It wrong too, So now I feel better? 340 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, so hey, and we walked away with 341 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 2: six hundred dollars. Probably could have gotten more money, more 342 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:35,200 Speaker 2: money from that for just like stealing Cedric the Entertainer's hat, 343 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 2: or like just stealing something off the set and selling 344 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 2: it on eBay. 345 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: I do remember we were told to like approach him 346 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:46,359 Speaker 1: very reverently, and I remember just kind of thinking, why 347 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 1: mister the entertainer, please, please, mister the entertainers my father well, 348 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: from the time Regis Philip and dramatically resigned as early 349 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: TV gig on air, to the retired British Army major 350 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 1: who was busted for allegedly cheating through a series of coughs, 351 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: the way the set was designed to psychologically break contestants, 352 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: and the truly badass move made by the first top 353 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: prize winner in the franchise's history. Here's everything you didn't 354 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: know about Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Very good. 355 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:29,159 Speaker 1: Like so many of my favorite things in this world, 356 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: Who Wants to be a Millionaire has its origins in 357 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: my beloved United Kingdom. It's a show that's been remade 358 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 1: and aired in one hundred and sixty countries worldwide. Can 359 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: you believe that? I can't, That is shocked. Yeah, but 360 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: it has its beginnings in the UK. And you know 361 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: what else has its beginnings in my beloved UK. Front 362 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: of the Pod Lee w a wonderful fan and generous 363 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: contributor to our coffee page. Thanks Lee, we love you 364 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: and friend of the Pod John two. Of course, Who 365 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: Wants to be a Millionaires famous format was created by 366 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: David Briggs, Mike Whitehall and Stephen Knight, who'd previously developed 367 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: other promotional games for a morning radio show hosted by 368 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: British broadcaster Chris Tarrant, who had become the eventual host 369 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:13,880 Speaker 1: of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in the UK. 370 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: Just a quick word on one of the Who Wants 371 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: to Be a Millionaire creators, Stephen Knight. He went on 372 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: to be kind of a big deal. He created the 373 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: BBC series Peaky Blinders and also wrote a draft of 374 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: Shutter Island before it was rewritten for the Scorsese movie. 375 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: There's also a smaller anecdote that's funny to me personally. 376 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 1: A friend of mine had a boss, her editor, who 377 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: she absolutely despised, and he wrote a book called The 378 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,640 Speaker 1: One hundred Foot Journey, and when it was a marginal success, 379 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:44,199 Speaker 1: it pissed her off. And when she learned that it 380 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 1: was being made into a film starring Helen Mirren, it 381 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,359 Speaker 1: pissed her off even more. And it turns out that 382 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: one of the creators of Who Wants Toy a Millionaire 383 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 1: wrote that screenplay. 384 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 2: That was not a very good movie though, no, it's 385 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 2: a terrible movie. 386 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:59,679 Speaker 1: No, no, no uh. He also wrote a biopic on 387 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: check master Bobby Fisher, starring Toby Maguire, which I've never 388 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,119 Speaker 1: heard of, but I'd be interested in seeing a sequel 389 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: to World Wars Z called World War z Z, World 390 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: War Z two, World War ZII Beneath the Planet of 391 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: the Z. And most recently, and probably most notably, he 392 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: wrote the script to the Lady Diana biopic Spencer starring 393 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 1: Christen Stewart, And now he's apparently writing both a Star 394 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: Wars film and the remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, with 395 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: Robert Downey Junior eyed for the Jimmy Stewart role. Wow, Dodge, 396 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,880 Speaker 1: that's weird. Yeah, all from the Huasui millionaire creator guy. 397 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,360 Speaker 2: So he's never had any good ideas, no good car ideas, 398 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 2: not one who making attached to being attached to being 399 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:50,919 Speaker 2: a Star Wars film in twenty twenty four. It's like 400 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 2: kind of embarrassing and remaking Vertigo. Okay, sick job, buddy. 401 00:20:57,440 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 2: I can't wait to see what you'll do with that. 402 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 2: I mean, idiot, it's like somebody trying to remake Goodfellas 403 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 2: or like, I don't know the conversation, how do you 404 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 2: remake Vertigo? 405 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: I mean it's a movie that like I feel like 406 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: the script in the story isn't really the selling point. 407 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: It's what Hitchcock did with it. 408 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: And yeah again, in like Star Wars, at this point, 409 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,439 Speaker 2: they're just like focusing in a guy who was like 410 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 2: vaguely out of focus at one point one shot of 411 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 2: like the second Star Wars film for like thirty seconds, 412 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 2: and they're like, it's now called like. 413 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: The Book of Empire ble Plow. 414 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 2: And it's just like a stupid little droy And then 415 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 2: that's the new character. I don't know, don't Jordan. You 416 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 2: didn't miss that too much. 417 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: Well, much of the same way that we forget. One 418 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 1: of the initial hooks of the game show Jeopardy was 419 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: that it featured a novel twist. In that case, contestants 420 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: are given the answer and are asked for the question 421 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 1: who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Was developed as a 422 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: variation on standard game shows of the day. For example, 423 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,720 Speaker 1: there would be just one contestant playing, as opposed to 424 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 1: a group competing against one another like Jeopardy or Wheel Fortune, 425 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:09,879 Speaker 1: and they would be allowed to pull out at any time, 426 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:13,000 Speaker 1: even after they'd seen the question and the possible answers, 427 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: which was unusual. Also of note were the three lifelines 428 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: that would offer them assistance, which you'll remember were initially 429 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: the fifty to fifty, the Phone a Friend, which was 430 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: quickly phased out after Google and ask the audience. The 431 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: working title for this game was initially Cash Mountain, which 432 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: makes a certain amount of sense because you know the 433 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 1: money increases with the difficulty of the questions, but Cash 434 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: Mountain is not that grabby, and the ultimate title took 435 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: its name from a Cole Porter song used in the 436 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:46,119 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty six film High Society starring Frank Sinatra and 437 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 1: Celeste Holm. 438 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 2: Another thing that's had Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 439 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 2: apart was the set was created by the British born 440 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 2: production designer Andrew Walmsley, who also designed sets for several 441 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 2: theatrical musicals, including The Buddy Holly Story, and later went 442 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 2: on to do TV shows like So You Think You 443 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 2: Can Dance and America's Got Talent. His work on Millionaire, though, 444 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 2: was innovative. While while most game shows of the eighties 445 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 2: and early nineties resembled casinos with bright fashion lights and 446 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:17,879 Speaker 2: lots of colors, like the Wheel of Fortune set is 447 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:19,679 Speaker 2: what you should all have in mind, the set for 448 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 2: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire looked like something out 449 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 2: of a sci fi thriller. Other game shows wanted contestants 450 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 2: to feel at ease. Millionaire literally wanted to make you uncomfortable. 451 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:33,240 Speaker 2: It resembled the interrogation chamber on a spaceship, with contestants 452 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 2: literally in the hot seat, although to be fair, those 453 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 2: chairs were modeled after those found in hair salons, which 454 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:42,639 Speaker 2: I don't well, I know, I associate that with stress. 455 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 2: The floor was made of plexiglass, beneath which they lay 456 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 2: a huge dish covered mirror paper. The lighting cues were 457 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 2: designed for maximum drama, with the lights dimming as the 458 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 2: contestint cressed further in the game. There were also spotlights 459 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 2: situated at the bottom of the set that zoomed down 460 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,679 Speaker 2: on the contestant when they answered a major question, again 461 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 2: like an interrogation. To increase the visibility of these light beams, 462 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 2: oil was vaporized, creating a haze effect. So just like fog, 463 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 2: like a brand fog machines. 464 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I definitely said that it wasn't dramatically that 465 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:15,919 Speaker 1: I needed to. 466 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was gonna say it wasn't like you know, 467 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 2: high test. A professor at Syracuse University, doctor Robert Thompson 468 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 2: has said that the show's lighting system made the contestant 469 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:29,399 Speaker 2: feel as though they were outside of a prison with 470 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 2: an escape in progress. 471 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 1: Sure man, yeah, by that. 472 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 2: The original licensing agreement for the US version of Millionaire 473 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:40,159 Speaker 2: required that the show's set design be replicated faithfully to 474 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 2: the tune of two hundred thousand dollars, while this same 475 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 2: licensing agreement applied to all other international versions of the show, 476 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,680 Speaker 2: which made the Millionaire set the most reproduced scenic design 477 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 2: in TV history. What was like the poorest country that 478 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:55,680 Speaker 2: had had a millionaire? 479 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 1: Oh, here we go, Okay, I actually put this later, 480 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:01,199 Speaker 1: but yeah, some of the international show kind of skimped 481 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:05,639 Speaker 1: out on the top prize. Angola's top prize was worth 482 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: five thousand US dollars, Vietnam's top prize was worth roughly 483 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: two thousand US dollars, and Mongolia's top prize was worth 484 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: a reported three hundred and forty seven dollars US dollars. 485 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 2: So they definitely weren't paying two hundred thousand dollars worth 486 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:20,400 Speaker 2: of set. 487 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:22,239 Speaker 1: I mean a lot of it was like you know, 488 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: I mean a millionaire in different like in Japan, like 489 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: a million yen is not that much money. I think 490 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: that the top prize there was like ten million yen, 491 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 1: which was only worth like, I think eighty thousand dollars. 492 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 1: You asked see if they really knew what they were 493 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: doing in Mongolia, would have been who wants to be 494 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:38,639 Speaker 1: a horse lord? And they would have just been giving 495 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,119 Speaker 1: away horses. That means more to people than three hundred 496 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: and forty seven dollars American. It's probably what they're going 497 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:46,479 Speaker 1: to spend it on. Anyway. 498 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 2: I don't mean that derogatorially. I wish I lived in 499 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 2: Are you kidding me? I wish I was a Mongol 500 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 2: just right around your horse all day. 501 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: Sheep. 502 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 2: I guess fight wars they have dumplings at least oh momos. Yeah, 503 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,200 Speaker 2: that might be Tibetan. Yeah, So either way it sounds great. 504 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:09,640 Speaker 2: Sign me up. The licensing agreement also stipulated that other 505 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:13,199 Speaker 2: elements of the show's on air presentation be rigidly adhered to. 506 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 2: This included the musical score, lighting system, and even the 507 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,439 Speaker 2: host's wardrobe, so the gemtne tie y. 508 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:22,440 Speaker 1: Interesting. 509 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 2: Initially, the hosts were required to wear Armani suits, as 510 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 2: host Chris Terran did in the UK, though Regis later 511 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 2: released his own clothing line on Van Hweson. I know, right, 512 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 2: the department store thing everybody buys their homecoming suits from. Yeah, 513 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 2: so some of those rules were later relaxed as the 514 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 2: years went by. Speaking of the music, the music for 515 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 2: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was composed by father 516 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 2: and son duo Keith and Matthew straitchin stretching, Stretch, hand. 517 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: Stratching, I'll go stratching. 518 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 2: Unlike order game show musical scores, Millionaire's music was or 519 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 2: was created to feature music playing almost throughout the entire show. 520 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 2: As the game progressed and the prize amounts increased, the 521 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 2: theme was raised in semi tone increments to increase the tension. Also, 522 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 2: the soundtrack make the sound of a beating heart, which 523 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 2: added to the stress level as both the audience and 524 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:20,879 Speaker 2: contestants pulse increased. There's a great there's a is it 525 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 2: Sonny by Bobby Bobby Head. 526 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. It just keeps going up a. 527 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 2: Half step, yeah, yeah, every every time that the form 528 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 2: starts over again. That's cool, that's right. 529 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: There's like there's no chorus to that or bridge. 530 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:37,439 Speaker 2: It's just just the same, why semny, And it just 531 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 2: gets more and more desperate as it gets further out 532 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:40,400 Speaker 2: of the rain. 533 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,439 Speaker 1: I never thought about that. That's so crazy. That is 534 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: a great tune. 535 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, there're ninety two separate pieces of music written for 536 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:48,360 Speaker 2: who some millionaire? 537 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:50,400 Speaker 1: Is that nuts? Holy? I know. 538 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 2: As you meditate on that, we'll be right back with 539 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 2: more too much information after these messages. 540 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: Now we're in a section I like to call I 541 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,320 Speaker 1: want to be a millionaire in America song like the 542 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: West Side Stories. I want to be in a Miamie. Yeah, 543 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:25,919 Speaker 1: like exactly, thank you. It's a lot better than I 544 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:26,359 Speaker 1: can have done it. 545 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 2: This scanchion it doesn't quite work, but you know, we'll 546 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 2: just no badaddies and brainstorming, buddy. 547 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:34,120 Speaker 1: One of the coolest things. 548 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:36,919 Speaker 4: Go on. 549 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: One of the coolest things about Patty LuPone close was 550 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 1: in green Point when they had that like drive in 551 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: movie theater right along the East River. They played West 552 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 1: Side Story one night. We went to go see it, 553 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: and you know, the opening has those like incredible overhead 554 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 1: aerial shots of Manhattan. It was so cool to like 555 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 1: watch that and then like right off to the side 556 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: was like actual Manhattan. Yeah, it was really cool. Whosm 557 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: Millionaire premiered in the United Kingdom on the ITV network 558 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: in September nineteen ninety eight and quickly captivated the nation 559 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: for its ability to harness cinematic drama with what we 560 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 1: now call reality TV. News of the show traveled across 561 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 1: the Pond to the United States, where it caught the 562 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 1: attention of British born, US based TV executive Michael Davies. 563 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: Davies was vice president at ABC, which was languishing in 564 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 1: third place of the big three networks to such an 565 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: extent that it was in danger of actually being beaten 566 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 1: out by Fox, which was then still seen as a 567 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: relatively scrappy upstart. Davies knew he needed to make a 568 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: bold move, and he turned his attention to game shows. 569 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,960 Speaker 1: This was kind of a weird move, considering the fact 570 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: that the popularity of game shows was at an all 571 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: time low in the United States. Aside from The Price 572 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,160 Speaker 1: Is Right, they were entirely absent from the daytime network 573 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: lineups at the time. However, Davies helped create a game 574 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 1: show for Lifetime called Debt and More Germane to My 575 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: Interests Comedy Central's brilliant win Ben Stein's money, so he 576 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: decided to take a big swing at a primetime game show. Originally, 577 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: he set his sites on reviving the classic quiz show 578 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: The sixty four thousand Dollars Question, but then Millionaire debuted 579 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 1: in the United Kingdom. Being British by birth, he asked 580 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 1: some of his family members over there to tape the 581 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: show and send them a VHS copy, and he subsequently 582 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:28,000 Speaker 1: ended up receiving about eight FedEx packages from different family members, 583 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: each containing a copy of Millionaire's first episode. Davies was 584 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: so won over that he showed The sixty four thousand 585 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 1: Dollars Question reboot and decided to pursue an American version 586 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 1: of Millionaire. In the storied tradition of good ideas getting 587 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:45,280 Speaker 1: presented to executives, ABC initially passed when Davies brought the 588 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: idea to network brass, so he resigned his position there 589 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: and became an independent producer, which, as I can personally attest, 590 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: is a ballsy thing to do. Davies felt that the 591 00:30:57,120 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: key to the success of Millionaire in the United States 592 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 1: was attaching a celebrity host. He considered many broadcast stalwarts 593 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: during development, including Peter Jennings, Bob Costas, Phil Donahue, and 594 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 1: Montel Williams. What do you think of. 595 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 2: Those Donna you know Montel, Yeah, Peter Jennings way too 596 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 2: stiff for costas. 597 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 1: I could see costs working. 598 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 2: He should have gone with uh, who's a big sitcom 599 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 2: guy at the time, Oh. 600 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: Jeff Foxworthy, although they did go it for him for 601 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 1: Are You Smarter Than the Fifth Grader? Yeah? 602 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:34,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, was Beckett Becker? 603 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 1: Oh? Ted Danson? 604 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 2: Yeah it was Ted still. 605 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 4: Oh. 606 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 1: I think you're right. I think you're right. He should 607 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: have gone with Ted Danson. Oh. Man, you know who 608 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 1: was on ABC And I think his show had just 609 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: wrapped and he would have been great, And I think 610 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:51,640 Speaker 1: this was a he missed his calling John Goodman. John 611 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 1: Goodman is a genial game show host. Yeah, that would 612 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 1: have really worked for the stressful show. All would have 613 00:31:58,680 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: been great. Yeah, I love him. 614 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 2: What about Crispin Glover, David Lynch? What about David Lynch? God, 615 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:07,719 Speaker 2: that would have been amazing. 616 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: I'm kind of shocked he hasn't done a game show. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 617 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:14,560 Speaker 1: but the host and gig went to the guy who 618 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 1: apparently wanted it the most. Regi's Philbin. According to show lore, 619 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:22,360 Speaker 1: he'd seen an episode of the British version and absolutely 620 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: loved it, so he was an early adopter, and when 621 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: Davies the producer approached ABC again after hiring Philbin, the 622 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: network finally agreed to accept the US version of Who 623 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,480 Speaker 1: Wants to Be a Millionaire? And now we have to 624 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 1: do a brief history of Regis Philbin. We have to must, 625 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 1: we we must. Regis so named apparently because his father 626 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: wanted him to attend this alma mater, the prestigious Regis 627 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 1: High School in Manhattan. That's the losers. 628 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 2: Well, I'm telling you right now, don't do that to 629 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 2: your kids. I don't care if it worked. That's still 630 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 2: like the most thirsty losers in the world. 631 00:32:57,560 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 1: Well, Regis got the last laugh because he didn't go there. 632 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:01,000 Speaker 1: Oh hell yeah yeah. 633 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,400 Speaker 2: For him, it's like naming your kid choked. 634 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 1: The producers for a Millionaire couldn't have picked a bigger 635 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: pro than Regis Philbin. By that point, he was nearing 636 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: fifty years in the biz. He's been called the hardest 637 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: working man in television, and not without good reason. In 638 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 1: two thousand and four, he earned the Guinness World Record 639 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: for the most hours spent on US TV fifteen thousand, 640 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,720 Speaker 1: one hundred and eighty eight hours all totald. That's six 641 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty three days, so nearly two years of 642 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:34,960 Speaker 1: this man's life was documented on TV. Incredible. Good for him. 643 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: He surpassed the previous record holder, Hugh Downs. Hugh Downs, 644 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: it's like a name, I know, but I don't really 645 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 1: remember what you know, idea he could have made it up. Yeah, 646 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: while we're talking about Regis's TV records, he made one 647 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty appearances on David Letterman's two late night shows, 648 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,560 Speaker 1: making him Letterman's most frequent guest. He's such a pro 649 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: that he had antioplasty on his life, left artery in 650 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety three and was back on the air three 651 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:04,880 Speaker 1: days later. 652 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 2: That's what you need in television, just a workhorse. 653 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: When Millionaire was being developed for the American market, Regis 654 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: was most familiar as the host of the daytime staple 655 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,719 Speaker 1: Live with Regis and Kathy Lead. He hosted his very 656 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,760 Speaker 1: first talk show nearly forty years earlier, with nineteen sixty 657 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,280 Speaker 1: one's The Regis Filbin Show in San Diego. I mentioned 658 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 1: this purely because of how hilariously low budget it was. 659 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:33,839 Speaker 1: He couldn't afford writers, so he began each show by 660 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,799 Speaker 1: just riffing with the studio Audience, which was a movie 661 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: he borrowed from Early Tonight Show host Jack Parr, which 662 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 1: he would quickly make his own. The Regis Filbin Show 663 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:45,959 Speaker 1: was picked up for national syndication in nineteen sixty four, 664 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 1: but it didn't last and his slot was given to 665 00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:52,000 Speaker 1: fellow game show legend MERV Griffin, the talk show host 666 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 1: who in his spare time, created Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, 667 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: among many other game show classics. We've talked about him 668 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: on our Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy episodes. Regis got 669 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: his biggest break in nineteen sixty seven when he was 670 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: tapped to be second tier rat packer Joey Bishop's sidekick 671 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: on the Joey Bishop Talk Show, borrowing from the dynamic 672 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 1: of their competition Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon. A recurring 673 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: bit on the show was Joey Bishop the star playfully 674 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 1: teasing Regis, who would just kind of eat it. But 675 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 1: this blew up in everyone's face when Regis apparently started 676 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: hearing rumors at the ABC brass were not happy with 677 00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 1: him and specifically hated his thick bronx accent. 678 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:35,680 Speaker 2: How much did that suck if your gig was being 679 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:38,120 Speaker 2: the guy that the most get on member of the 680 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 2: rat pack got on yep. 681 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:45,479 Speaker 1: Yep, Well that kind of explains why. One day on 682 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:49,800 Speaker 1: air he went on to a allegedly unplanned rant about 683 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: not being wanted and being let down by the program, 684 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 1: and he abruptly quit on air, and several nights later, 685 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: Joey Bishop addressed his absent host on air and promised 686 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: him that the frequent jokes were not meant to be 687 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 1: taken personally, and Regis eventually came back a few days later. 688 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 1: It went down as an epic bit of TV lore, 689 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:13,960 Speaker 1: but in Regis's two memoirs he claimed that this walk 690 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:14,879 Speaker 1: off was a. 691 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 2: Pre arranged stunt designed to boost ratings, and I don't 692 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:18,960 Speaker 2: believe it. 693 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 1: It didn't work. The show was canceled the following year, 694 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty nine. In either a medium funny bit 695 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:28,359 Speaker 1: or a hilarious bit of pettiness, Joey Bishop walked off 696 00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:30,359 Speaker 1: the show and announced live on air when he learned 697 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 1: that they were canceled, leaving Regis to finish it out, 698 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: and the time slot was then given to my beloved 699 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:36,600 Speaker 1: Dick Cavot. 700 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:39,080 Speaker 2: The whole walking off thing that Regis did may have 701 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 2: been another bit that he picked up from his hero. 702 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:45,000 Speaker 2: Jack Parr, the famously mercurial late night host, walked off 703 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,239 Speaker 2: The Tonight Show in February nineteen sixty after growing frustrated 704 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:52,480 Speaker 2: that a joke about a WC water closet or bathroom, 705 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:57,439 Speaker 2: are shouse or what have you was censored. The full 706 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:00,840 Speaker 2: text of the joke reads as follows. An English lady 707 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 2: is visiting Switzerland. She asks about the location of the WC. 708 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:09,080 Speaker 2: The Swiss, thinking she is referring to the Wayside Chapel, 709 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:12,240 Speaker 2: leave her a note that said, in part, the WC 710 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 2: is situated nine miles from the room that you will occupy. 711 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 2: It is capable of holding about two hundred and twenty 712 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:20,320 Speaker 2: nine people, and it is only open on Sunday and Thursday. 713 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:22,520 Speaker 2: It may interest you to know that my daughter was 714 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:24,520 Speaker 2: married in the w C, and it was there that 715 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,440 Speaker 2: she met her husband. I shall be delighted to reserve 716 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:29,360 Speaker 2: the best seat for you, if you wish where you 717 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 2: will be seen by everyone. Probably killed in the fifties. 718 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 2: So Jack Parr was pissed that that joke was excised 719 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:41,520 Speaker 2: from his broadcast and replaced by news coverage. His response 720 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 2: to this overreaction was an epic one of his own, 721 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:47,280 Speaker 2: where he tearfully resigned on air, saying, I am leaving 722 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:49,960 Speaker 2: the Tonight Show. There must be a better way of 723 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:53,000 Speaker 2: making a living than this. There's a way of entertaining 724 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,480 Speaker 2: people without constantly being involved in some form of controversy, 725 00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:58,880 Speaker 2: which is on me all the time. It's rough on 726 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 2: my wife and child. I don't need it. I like 727 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:05,120 Speaker 2: the National Broadcasting Company. They've been swell to me, and 728 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 2: I've been pretty wonderful to them. I took over a 729 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:10,319 Speaker 2: show with sixty stations. There's now one hundred and fifty eight. 730 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:12,960 Speaker 2: The show is sold out. It's the highest I think 731 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:15,800 Speaker 2: money producer for this network. And I believe I was 732 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:17,560 Speaker 2: let down by this network at the time when I 733 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 2: could have used their help. You have been peachy to 734 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 2: me always. And then he walked off kind of a 735 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:24,320 Speaker 2: mixed bag of it. 736 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:28,200 Speaker 1: I think it's been theorized that he was by Paular 737 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:32,840 Speaker 1: or something. He definitely was, Oh interesting, was a moody gentleman. Well. 738 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 2: The man who finished out the show was our old 739 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:39,719 Speaker 2: friend Hugh Down, the man that Regis would beat out 740 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:42,560 Speaker 2: for the title of most televised Man in two thousand 741 00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:45,760 Speaker 2: and four. Jack Parr stayed away for a month before 742 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:49,400 Speaker 2: his friend, the comedian Jonathan Winters, convinced him to return. 743 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:52,800 Speaker 2: His comeback was a major TV event, which opened with 744 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:56,799 Speaker 2: him strolling on stage and delivering a devastatingly deadpan as 745 00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:59,080 Speaker 2: I was saying before I was interrupted. 746 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:00,400 Speaker 1: Plause. 747 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 2: After the audience erupted in applause, Park continued, I believe 748 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,520 Speaker 2: my last words were there must be a better way 749 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:09,560 Speaker 2: of making a living than this. Well, I've looked and 750 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:10,200 Speaker 2: there isn't. 751 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:13,400 Speaker 1: Also got a huge yeah, also got a huge plause. 752 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 2: He then went on to explain his departure with typical frankness. 753 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:19,560 Speaker 2: Leaving the show was a childish and perhaps emotional thing. 754 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:21,759 Speaker 2: I have been guilty of such actions in the past 755 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:24,560 Speaker 2: and perhaps will be again. I'm totally unable to hide 756 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:27,480 Speaker 2: what I feel. It is not an asset in show business. 757 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 2: But I shall do the best I can to amuse 758 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:32,279 Speaker 2: and entertain you and let other people speak freely as 759 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:33,200 Speaker 2: I have in the past. 760 00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:35,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, like I was saying. It's been theorized by some 761 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:37,960 Speaker 1: that he suffered from bipolo disorder or he was just 762 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:39,839 Speaker 1: really stressed out about having to come up with an 763 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:42,960 Speaker 1: hour and forty five minutes of television five nights a week. 764 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:45,720 Speaker 2: When did they institute writer's rooms to tonight's shows. 765 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 1: I don't know. I mean there might have been. I 766 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 1: think there was some then too, but I think he 767 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:54,719 Speaker 1: was kind of like leading it, you know. I don't 768 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:58,400 Speaker 1: think he delegated very well. No, he's a fascinating guy, 769 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:04,239 Speaker 1: Jack Parr. Anyway, Regis bounced around various TV gigs until 770 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 1: beginning his famous morning show in nineteen eighty three. At 771 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:10,160 Speaker 1: the time, the nine am time slot for WABC suffered 772 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:13,799 Speaker 1: from low Nielsen ratings because of competition from NBC's Donahue 773 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 1: and CBS's Game show block featuring jokers Wild and Tickdac Doe. 774 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:20,879 Speaker 1: Within a few years, he was joined by his new 775 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:24,840 Speaker 1: co host, Kathy Lee Johnson later Gifford, and ratings took off. 776 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: This allowed him to close the Ford dealership he'd opened 777 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:32,440 Speaker 1: in Gilbert, Arizona as a side investment a few years earlier, 778 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 1: when his TV career was looking a little dicey. That's atorrible. 779 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 1: If daytime TV made Reagis a star who wants to 780 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:44,640 Speaker 1: be a millionaire, made him a primetime legend. This was not, however, 781 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 1: his first time on the game show circuit. In nineteen 782 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 1: seventy five, he hosted a short lived game show called 783 00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: The Neighbors, in which two female contestants guest which of 784 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:58,040 Speaker 1: her three female neighbors said gossipy things about her. So 785 00:40:58,080 --> 00:41:00,960 Speaker 1: it just seems like you're just like starting with your 786 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:06,040 Speaker 1: neighbors for money. Yeah, I can do that. New York 787 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:08,880 Speaker 1: Times journalist Alex Winchell wrote in nineteen ninety nine, the 788 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:12,160 Speaker 1: X factor of millionaire success seems to be besides the money, 789 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:15,759 Speaker 1: of course, that mister Philben genuinely wants contestants to win. 790 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 1: By all accounts, Regis's reputation as a truly nice man 791 00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:22,040 Speaker 1: was based in reality. One of my favorite examples of 792 00:41:22,080 --> 00:41:26,000 Speaker 1: this is his friendship with Howard Stern. For years, Stern 793 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 1: made a sport of making fun of Regi's on air 794 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:33,480 Speaker 1: during his radio show Really Mean Spirited Mockery. Then Stern 795 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:35,880 Speaker 1: moved into a new apartment building and one day he 796 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:39,359 Speaker 1: entered the elevator to find Regis Philbman. Apparently they were 797 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:44,239 Speaker 1: now neighbors. Regis could have very easily snubbed him, but 798 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:47,960 Speaker 1: instead he went full reach. Hey, you're new to the building, Howard, 799 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:50,320 Speaker 1: welcome whyt to check out my apartment, to meet my wife. 800 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:54,000 Speaker 1: That seems like a never mind. Regis gave Howard a 801 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,319 Speaker 1: tour of his apartment and offered him tips about where 802 00:41:56,360 --> 00:41:58,360 Speaker 1: to go in the neighborhood. It was generally just a 803 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:00,839 Speaker 1: great neighbor And the next day on his radio show, 804 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 1: Howard Stern publicly apologized to Regis and the pair became 805 00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 1: friends from that day forward, which I find adorable. And 806 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:12,320 Speaker 1: while we're on the topic of seemingly random Regis connections, 807 00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:15,240 Speaker 1: his son Daniel worked in the Pentagon and was branded 808 00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:17,880 Speaker 1: a hero for his brave acts on nine to eleven. 809 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:21,840 Speaker 2: You've worked in the Pentagon, but okay, burning, that's shredding 810 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:22,680 Speaker 2: the right dogs. 811 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:26,680 Speaker 1: Also, Regis and Kathlee was. 812 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:29,040 Speaker 2: On in the middle of the nine to eleven attacks, 813 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:32,120 Speaker 2: and it's one of the most surreal episodes of TV 814 00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:34,920 Speaker 2: I've ever seen. Is I would not I could not 815 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:37,080 Speaker 2: watch that. I don't know how you do that to yourself. 816 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:39,760 Speaker 1: It's just them trying to make sense of what's happening. 817 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:42,719 Speaker 2: Like there's like a little like live news broadcast like 818 00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:46,560 Speaker 2: on like the lower third, and yeah, it's it's very weird. 819 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:49,200 Speaker 2: They're like taking audience questions and just trying to like 820 00:42:49,239 --> 00:42:51,200 Speaker 2: figure out what's happening, very very weird. 821 00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:53,840 Speaker 1: It's on YouTube. Uh. Also, I don't know if you 822 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:56,759 Speaker 1: know this, but Regis has not won but two albums 823 00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:00,680 Speaker 1: of crooning classics. Nineteen sixty eight, it's time for reaches. 824 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:04,080 Speaker 1: In two thousand and four and two thousand and four 825 00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:10,719 Speaker 1: it's still time for reaches. He does a version of Swanny. No, yes, 826 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:13,680 Speaker 1: all right, pump it in when you get it this, 827 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:25,320 Speaker 1: I gotta I gotta hear this Swanny. 828 00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:29,400 Speaker 4: How I love you, How I love your mind, dear 829 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:35,920 Speaker 4: old Swanny, I give the world to me among the 830 00:43:36,040 --> 00:43:41,040 Speaker 4: folks in d I X, I even know my mammy 831 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:46,240 Speaker 4: Waite and for me brand for me down by the Swanny. 832 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:51,560 Speaker 1: Oh keep going, and two thousand and four is when 833 00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:57,200 Speaker 1: You're smiling. Sadly, this last release received poor reviews, and 834 00:43:57,280 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 1: he never recorded another record, though we frequently sang duets 835 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 1: with guests on Live with Regis and Kelly. And of course, 836 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,360 Speaker 1: let's not forget this classic fact we noted back in 837 00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:10,240 Speaker 1: our Beauty and the Beast episode from years ago, Regi's 838 00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:13,240 Speaker 1: audition for the voice roll of the Beast in Disney's 839 00:44:13,239 --> 00:44:16,120 Speaker 1: Beauty of the Beast, which I still don't fully understand 840 00:44:16,160 --> 00:44:20,040 Speaker 1: if that was just like, yeah, no, now so. 841 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:22,000 Speaker 2: The US version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 842 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:25,280 Speaker 2: premiered on August sixteenth, nineteen ninety nine, as a special 843 00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 2: two week event, with a half hour game airing each 844 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:32,200 Speaker 2: night in primetime on ABC. Notably, the name lacked the 845 00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:35,040 Speaker 2: question mark that appeared in the title of the British counterpart, 846 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:37,160 Speaker 2: because Americans turn everything into an attack. 847 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:42,480 Speaker 1: It's a threat. 848 00:44:42,719 --> 00:44:45,360 Speaker 2: Which one of you bozos wants to be a millionaire? 849 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:49,600 Speaker 2: When asked about this, producers responded by saying, who wants 850 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:51,879 Speaker 2: to be a Millionaire isn't really a question, is it? 851 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:52,239 Speaker 4: But? 852 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:53,200 Speaker 1: Which? Who? Is it? 853 00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:57,920 Speaker 2: The who that's on first? Who's the next? Pete's among us? 854 00:44:58,440 --> 00:44:59,200 Speaker 1: Who goes there? 855 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:00,080 Speaker 2: Which of the who? Oh? 856 00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:04,279 Speaker 1: Who? Who? Hardened? Did Harten hear them? Yeah? Is it 857 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:09,920 Speaker 1: the who that? Uh? Where were we? No? First? I? 858 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:12,120 Speaker 2: Oh no, I've gone cross hide. It was the first 859 00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:15,160 Speaker 2: US network game show to offer a million dollar top 860 00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:19,000 Speaker 2: prize to contestants, and the buzz this generated was immense. 861 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:21,480 Speaker 2: By the end of the first week, they'd reached an 862 00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:26,320 Speaker 2: audience of fifteen million. This initial run contained only thirteen episodes. 863 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:29,880 Speaker 2: Since the show is essentially just a summer replacement It 864 00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:33,040 Speaker 2: did so well that ABC scheduled another two week long 865 00:45:33,160 --> 00:45:36,799 Speaker 2: special event that November, but the episodes expanded to an hour. 866 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:41,000 Speaker 2: It wasn't until January ninth, two thousand, after well after 867 00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:44,319 Speaker 2: y two K fever had calmed down, the fires were 868 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:47,080 Speaker 2: put out that Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was 869 00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:51,000 Speaker 2: given regular status as a primetime show, and boy was 870 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:54,000 Speaker 2: it ever. At the height of its popularity, it was 871 00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:57,560 Speaker 2: airing on ABC five nights a week. That's insane, That's 872 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:00,200 Speaker 2: what I remember it as. The show drew in up 873 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:02,960 Speaker 2: to thirty million viewers during the nineteen ninety nine to 874 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:06,200 Speaker 2: two thousand season, averaging number one in the ratings against 875 00:46:06,239 --> 00:46:10,959 Speaker 2: all other television shows. Naturally, the success launched game show 876 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:14,080 Speaker 2: Crezze spawned a series of imitators, as rival networks either 877 00:46:14,120 --> 00:46:17,759 Speaker 2: rebooted old shows like twenty one aka the show that 878 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:20,680 Speaker 2: kicked off the quiz show scandals of the nineteen fifties, 879 00:46:21,200 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 2: or imported other shows from England and Australia, including Winning Lines, 880 00:46:25,880 --> 00:46:29,160 Speaker 2: It's Your Chance of a Lifetime, and most famously, The 881 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:33,240 Speaker 2: Weakest Link. Hilariously, the producers of Millionaire tried to milk 882 00:46:33,280 --> 00:46:36,200 Speaker 2: their cash cow by signing a deal with Deic Entertainment 883 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:39,839 Speaker 2: to make an animated spin off titled to the Adventures 884 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:43,640 Speaker 2: of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? That's dumb as hell. 885 00:46:44,040 --> 00:46:46,480 Speaker 2: The proposed series was to follow the fictional winners of 886 00:46:46,520 --> 00:46:49,000 Speaker 2: the show, who would have used their prize money to 887 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:52,960 Speaker 2: take trips to various exotic locations, while the fictional host 888 00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:56,360 Speaker 2: would keep in touch with them through the Millionaire Command Center, 889 00:46:57,560 --> 00:47:04,040 Speaker 2: so that like the World Bank, the IMF. I guess 890 00:47:04,080 --> 00:47:06,880 Speaker 2: this was pre nine to eleven. Yeah, it was in 891 00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:13,400 Speaker 2: building seven. The idea was per Wikipedia silently scrapped without 892 00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:14,440 Speaker 2: a formal announcement. 893 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:18,759 Speaker 1: We're going to take a quick break, but we'll be 894 00:47:18,840 --> 00:47:21,680 Speaker 1: right back with more. Too much information in just a moment. 895 00:47:33,719 --> 00:47:35,759 Speaker 1: Considering what a cultural pillar Who Wants to Be a 896 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:38,239 Speaker 1: Millionaire turned out to be, it's easy to forget that 897 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:40,000 Speaker 1: it was kind of a flash in the pan in 898 00:47:40,040 --> 00:47:42,600 Speaker 1: the early two thousands. In many ways, it was a 899 00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:45,880 Speaker 1: victim of its own success. Millionaire fatigues set in and 900 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:48,080 Speaker 1: ratings began to fall during the two thousand and two 901 00:47:48,080 --> 00:47:51,280 Speaker 1: thousand and one season, and by the following year, episodes 902 00:47:51,280 --> 00:47:54,240 Speaker 1: is no longer ranked in the top twenty. ABC started 903 00:47:54,239 --> 00:47:56,000 Speaker 1: to freak out as they fell from the First Place 904 00:47:56,080 --> 00:47:59,319 Speaker 1: network once again, and initially they planned to switch the 905 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:02,319 Speaker 1: format to something that would emphasize comedy more than the 906 00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:07,040 Speaker 1: game and feature a host other than Regis. I don't 907 00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:09,920 Speaker 1: know why that would be the solution. Mercifully that never occurred, 908 00:48:10,320 --> 00:48:13,680 Speaker 1: and ultimately the primetime show was canceled, with its final 909 00:48:13,719 --> 00:48:18,320 Speaker 1: episode airing on June twenty seventh, two thousand and two. Instead, 910 00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:21,600 Speaker 1: they went to a half hour daytime syndicated version that September, 911 00:48:22,440 --> 00:48:24,320 Speaker 1: and this would prove to be too much for Regis, 912 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:26,839 Speaker 1: who was not only busy hosting his own daytime talk show, 913 00:48:27,040 --> 00:48:29,360 Speaker 1: but also he was in his seventies at this stage, 914 00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:33,040 Speaker 1: so the producers sought out a new host. Rosie O'Donnell 915 00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:35,239 Speaker 1: was initially offered the gig, but she turned it down, 916 00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:40,080 Speaker 1: so it went to Meredith Vieira. Can't get Rosie. You 917 00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:43,120 Speaker 1: get Meredith. It's what I say, so I always say. 918 00:48:43,719 --> 00:48:46,600 Speaker 1: Her tenure brought about many changes to the game. In 919 00:48:46,600 --> 00:48:49,640 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight, they instituted time limits on questions, 920 00:48:50,200 --> 00:48:53,680 Speaker 1: the hot seat was removed, supposedly because it made contestants 921 00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:57,479 Speaker 1: too comfortable, and some of the lifelines were changed, most 922 00:48:57,480 --> 00:49:00,439 Speaker 1: notably phone a friend as Google began the game popularity. 923 00:49:00,880 --> 00:49:03,839 Speaker 1: It was later reinstituted, but a producer was on hand 924 00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:07,120 Speaker 1: at the friend's house to make sure that they didn't Google. 925 00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:14,200 Speaker 2: Right break your neck afterwards. It's just like sitting yeah, 926 00:49:14,320 --> 00:49:16,480 Speaker 2: or like a hefty wrench, like aim right at one 927 00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:17,200 Speaker 2: of your kneecaps. 928 00:49:17,239 --> 00:49:19,399 Speaker 1: He's like, I want you to think very carefully about 929 00:49:19,400 --> 00:49:23,640 Speaker 1: what you're about to do. But the biggest and dumbest 930 00:49:23,680 --> 00:49:28,760 Speaker 1: change was instituting my hated shuffle round. I'm obviously biased 931 00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:31,120 Speaker 1: because this is what ultimately led me to fail during 932 00:49:31,120 --> 00:49:32,880 Speaker 1: my appearance on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? But 933 00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:36,040 Speaker 1: I strongly feel that it just it messes with the 934 00:49:36,080 --> 00:49:38,879 Speaker 1: sanctity of the game. It's no longer it's no longer 935 00:49:38,920 --> 00:49:41,600 Speaker 1: a mountain. It's just random. It's just any other quiz 936 00:49:41,600 --> 00:49:45,000 Speaker 1: show now. The first ten questions are just randomly thrown out. 937 00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:48,520 Speaker 1: There no ascending order of difficulty or monetary value. You 938 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:50,920 Speaker 1: just answer it and you find out afterwards how much 939 00:49:50,920 --> 00:49:56,600 Speaker 1: money you got, like having a career. It's just it's chaos, 940 00:49:56,640 --> 00:49:59,960 Speaker 1: total chaos. The second round took things back to normal. 941 00:50:00,080 --> 00:50:03,000 Speaker 1: They called it Classic Millionaire Round, with four questions of 942 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:07,040 Speaker 1: increasing difficulty one thousand, two and fifty five hundred thousand 943 00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:12,200 Speaker 1: and the million dollar question. Given that this crappy system 944 00:50:12,239 --> 00:50:14,560 Speaker 1: total is screwed with the game that everyone knew and loved, 945 00:50:14,600 --> 00:50:17,120 Speaker 1: it's no surprise that the viewership for the syndicated show 946 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:20,600 Speaker 1: started to decrease. Murdith Vieira left in twenty thirteen and 947 00:50:20,719 --> 00:50:23,440 Speaker 1: was replaced by Cedric the Entertainer for a year, before 948 00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:26,839 Speaker 1: being replaced by Terry Cruz in twenty fourteen, and then 949 00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:29,640 Speaker 1: the final host of the syndicated series was Chris Harrison 950 00:50:29,719 --> 00:50:32,839 Speaker 1: of The Bachelor I Believe Sure Whatever. He took over 951 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:35,200 Speaker 1: from Cruz in twenty fifteen and hosted until the show 952 00:50:35,280 --> 00:50:38,640 Speaker 1: was canceled, with the finale airing on May thirty first, 953 00:50:39,480 --> 00:50:40,240 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. 954 00:50:41,160 --> 00:50:43,279 Speaker 2: I had no idea it was. It took that lot, 955 00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:43,880 Speaker 2: I know. 956 00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:47,360 Speaker 1: Jimmy Kimmel brought it back for a twentieth anniversary season 957 00:50:47,360 --> 00:50:50,200 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty, for which he served as host and producer, 958 00:50:50,920 --> 00:50:53,120 Speaker 1: and it was renewed for round two later that year, 959 00:50:53,239 --> 00:50:56,960 Speaker 1: but then the twenty twenty chaos brought havoc to the show, 960 00:50:57,360 --> 00:51:00,439 Speaker 1: resulting in a three year hiatus. Was it until twenty 961 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:02,880 Speaker 1: twenty four that it came back for a third season 962 00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:06,680 Speaker 1: tied to the twenty fifth anniversary this last July. That 963 00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:10,000 Speaker 1: run ended at the end of August. It paired off 964 00:51:10,320 --> 00:51:13,640 Speaker 1: celebrities for each game. Are You United, Keenan and kel 965 00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:18,480 Speaker 1: It was nice? Yeah yeah. At present, the future of 966 00:51:18,560 --> 00:51:23,279 Speaker 1: Huisbe Millionaire seems uncertain. But you're not here to learn 967 00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:27,080 Speaker 1: about the sad decline of this beloved televisual franchise. You're 968 00:51:27,120 --> 00:51:29,480 Speaker 1: here to learn about the money, aren't you? Aren't you 969 00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:35,880 Speaker 1: beg for It? During the US series run, including primetime, 970 00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:38,960 Speaker 1: syndication and specials, there have been sixteen winners of the 971 00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:42,839 Speaker 1: million dollars, fifteen solo contestants and one group of two 972 00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:46,799 Speaker 1: Iken Anne Baron Holtz, the father and son comedy duo, 973 00:51:47,239 --> 00:51:50,320 Speaker 1: who won for the celebrity edition just this past August, 974 00:51:50,680 --> 00:51:54,280 Speaker 1: making them the second celebrities to win the top prize. 975 00:51:54,800 --> 00:51:57,040 Speaker 1: The first celebrity to win the million dollars for charity 976 00:51:57,120 --> 00:52:00,520 Speaker 1: was Mamafuku chef David Chang. Oh hell yeah. During the 977 00:52:00,560 --> 00:52:03,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty reboot. He was the first million dollar winner 978 00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:04,480 Speaker 1: in eleven years. 979 00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:08,200 Speaker 2: God imagine that. How bad that made everyone else who'd 980 00:52:08,239 --> 00:52:11,200 Speaker 2: been there those eleven years felt yep, David Chang just 981 00:52:11,239 --> 00:52:13,200 Speaker 2: came in and whipped all of your asses in between 982 00:52:13,239 --> 00:52:14,920 Speaker 2: sixteen hour Ships and Coucher. 983 00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:19,759 Speaker 1: A few other notable winners include Kevin Olmstead, who won 984 00:52:19,840 --> 00:52:22,000 Speaker 1: on April tenth, two thousand and one, during a special 985 00:52:22,080 --> 00:52:25,080 Speaker 1: jackpot stunt on the show, and instead of winning a 986 00:52:25,120 --> 00:52:27,879 Speaker 1: million dollars, I guess the whole bit was that every 987 00:52:27,920 --> 00:52:30,840 Speaker 1: time a contestant didn't win, it was like a rolling jackpot. 988 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:33,319 Speaker 1: In every episode they added a ten thousand dollars to 989 00:52:33,360 --> 00:52:36,920 Speaker 1: the jackpot, So he took home two million, one hundred 990 00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:40,279 Speaker 1: and eighty thousand dollars, making him the biggest winner in 991 00:52:40,360 --> 00:52:43,040 Speaker 1: television history at the time. It's back in two thousand 992 00:52:43,040 --> 00:52:45,360 Speaker 1: and one, so that's probably like four million dollars today. 993 00:52:46,440 --> 00:52:49,720 Speaker 1: Ken Jennings today has the record for the most money 994 00:52:49,760 --> 00:52:54,280 Speaker 1: won on game shows courtsudoes. His cumulative total is five million, 995 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:58,640 Speaker 1: two hundred ninety six thousand, two hundred and fourteen dollars 996 00:52:58,680 --> 00:53:03,960 Speaker 1: in twenty nine, four and a half million of which 997 00:53:04,120 --> 00:53:06,279 Speaker 1: came from his run on Jeopardy. Ken Jennings was on 998 00:53:06,320 --> 00:53:08,759 Speaker 1: other game shows too, which feels like, of course he 999 00:53:08,920 --> 00:53:11,759 Speaker 1: was shouldn't have been allowed dude, Yeah, oh you think so? 1000 00:53:12,200 --> 00:53:15,080 Speaker 1: I mean yeah, I mean we got a bit. Yeah. 1001 00:53:15,120 --> 00:53:16,840 Speaker 2: It does feel a little bit like Brigand and a Ringer. 1002 00:53:16,840 --> 00:53:19,560 Speaker 2: But you know, Michael Jordan was allowed to flop at baseball, 1003 00:53:20,080 --> 00:53:21,880 Speaker 2: could at least be allowed to try. 1004 00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:27,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. Fair. Another interesting story involves Ed Taunton, who appeared 1005 00:53:27,440 --> 00:53:30,160 Speaker 1: on the show in January two thousand and one. This 1006 00:53:30,239 --> 00:53:32,120 Speaker 1: is when the whole jackpot thing was going on and 1007 00:53:32,160 --> 00:53:34,560 Speaker 1: the jackpot was at one million, eight hundred and sixty 1008 00:53:34,640 --> 00:53:38,200 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. He got kicked out after getting the sixteen 1009 00:53:38,239 --> 00:53:41,799 Speaker 1: thousand dollars question wrong, but was later invited back that 1010 00:53:41,960 --> 00:53:46,560 Speaker 1: September when he discovered an error in their question. This 1011 00:53:46,840 --> 00:53:50,920 Speaker 1: story is just absolutely deliciously pedantic. We should really have 1012 00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:54,160 Speaker 1: this guy on the show. As written. A question he 1013 00:53:54,200 --> 00:53:58,760 Speaker 1: got wrong officially was scientists in England recently genetically altered 1014 00:53:58,760 --> 00:54:02,040 Speaker 1: what vegetable so that it glows when it needs water? 1015 00:54:02,360 --> 00:54:05,160 Speaker 1: He said tomato, which is also the answer he received 1016 00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:10,400 Speaker 1: by using the ASCA audience lifeline. The correct answer was potato. However, 1017 00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:14,200 Speaker 1: per millionairefandom dot com, after his run was over and 1018 00:54:14,239 --> 00:54:17,160 Speaker 1: doing some research, he discovered that the experiment had been 1019 00:54:17,160 --> 00:54:21,160 Speaker 1: done in Scotland, not England, and then an Oxford professor, 1020 00:54:21,239 --> 00:54:25,680 Speaker 1: doctor Mark Knight, having doing research growing tomato plants, thus 1021 00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:29,719 Speaker 1: rendering his original answer valid. After sending the show and 1022 00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:33,120 Speaker 1: email detailing this, they decided to bring him back. Well 1023 00:54:33,120 --> 00:54:36,080 Speaker 1: that's classy, I know, And during his second appearance, he 1024 00:54:36,160 --> 00:54:39,359 Speaker 1: resumed at sixteen thousand dollars where he left off, and 1025 00:54:39,400 --> 00:54:41,719 Speaker 1: he went on to win the jackpot as it was 1026 00:54:41,800 --> 00:54:43,480 Speaker 1: at the time of his appearance. I don't even think 1027 00:54:43,480 --> 00:54:45,799 Speaker 1: they were doing the whole jackpot thing anymore, but they 1028 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:47,960 Speaker 1: decided to honor it, and so when he got to 1029 00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:50,400 Speaker 1: the last question, instead of just making a million dollars, 1030 00:54:50,560 --> 00:54:52,920 Speaker 1: they made it one million, eight hundred and sixty thousand, 1031 00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:56,720 Speaker 1: so he doubled it and he won. It's incredible. Almost 1032 00:54:56,719 --> 00:54:59,080 Speaker 1: seems like a stunt. I don't think it was. How 1033 00:54:59,120 --> 00:54:59,960 Speaker 1: deep is this rabbit hole? 1034 00:55:00,160 --> 00:55:00,200 Speaker 4: Go? 1035 00:55:00,600 --> 00:55:02,799 Speaker 1: Right? I know? I love that In. 1036 00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:05,680 Speaker 2: The first ten months of the show's American existence, six 1037 00:55:05,760 --> 00:55:08,279 Speaker 2: people made it to the Big Question, so many that 1038 00:55:08,320 --> 00:55:11,040 Speaker 2: the insurance company that paid out the big jackpots actually 1039 00:55:11,080 --> 00:55:13,880 Speaker 2: sued the show's creators because the game was too easy. 1040 00:55:14,560 --> 00:55:18,080 Speaker 2: The first millionaire in the entire show franchise was John Carpenter, 1041 00:55:18,760 --> 00:55:21,680 Speaker 2: not that one, and he did it without using any 1042 00:55:21,719 --> 00:55:25,480 Speaker 2: lifelines sort of. He went down on the November nineteenth, 1043 00:55:25,560 --> 00:55:28,719 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety nine episode of Millionaire, and the crowd initially 1044 00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:31,359 Speaker 2: booed him when he revealed that he worked by day 1045 00:55:31,400 --> 00:55:35,400 Speaker 2: as an IRS agent, which was the correct reaction, but 1046 00:55:35,440 --> 00:55:38,080 Speaker 2: he ultimately won them over by doing the most badass 1047 00:55:38,120 --> 00:55:40,799 Speaker 2: thing anyone has ever done on a game show. The 1048 00:55:40,840 --> 00:55:44,080 Speaker 2: final question was which of these US presidents appeared on 1049 00:55:44,120 --> 00:55:48,400 Speaker 2: the television series Laughing, with the choices being A. Lyndon Johnson, 1050 00:55:48,719 --> 00:55:52,640 Speaker 2: B Richard Nixon, C Jimmy Carter, and D Gerald Ford. 1051 00:55:53,120 --> 00:55:55,279 Speaker 2: He asked to use the phone friend option to call 1052 00:55:55,280 --> 00:55:57,640 Speaker 2: his father. When his father picked up, he said, I 1053 00:55:57,640 --> 00:55:59,800 Speaker 2: don't need your help. I just wanted to let you 1054 00:55:59,880 --> 00:56:03,400 Speaker 2: know I'm going to win a million dollars, before immediately 1055 00:56:03,400 --> 00:56:06,799 Speaker 2: selecting the correct answer, which is Richard sock it to. 1056 00:56:06,880 --> 00:56:10,359 Speaker 1: Me, NICKXA very good. 1057 00:56:10,480 --> 00:56:13,960 Speaker 2: John Carpenter, not the other guy, later said, I thought 1058 00:56:13,960 --> 00:56:16,480 Speaker 2: I'd looked so cocky if I didn't use my life lines, 1059 00:56:16,600 --> 00:56:19,839 Speaker 2: so I faked it, not realizing that what he did, 1060 00:56:19,880 --> 00:56:22,640 Speaker 2: of course, was so much cockier. After taking a vacation 1061 00:56:22,760 --> 00:56:25,719 Speaker 2: with his winnings, he returned to his job at the IRS, explaining, 1062 00:56:25,960 --> 00:56:28,239 Speaker 2: after the taxes, it's not change your life kind of 1063 00:56:28,320 --> 00:56:31,120 Speaker 2: money if you want to eat every day. As of 1064 00:56:31,120 --> 00:56:34,239 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four, Carpenter continues to work for the IRS. Yeah, 1065 00:56:34,239 --> 00:56:37,800 Speaker 2: he gets a pension. Ah, like what six other fields, 1066 00:56:37,800 --> 00:56:40,759 Speaker 2: and that's still a thing. Carpenter also noted that the 1067 00:56:40,800 --> 00:56:43,000 Speaker 2: fame had a bigger impact on his life than the money, 1068 00:56:43,320 --> 00:56:47,319 Speaker 2: later stating the money doesn't change your life. What happens afterwards, Mike, 1069 00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:49,560 Speaker 2: he kind of got overshadowed by Ken Jennings, but he 1070 00:56:49,600 --> 00:56:51,480 Speaker 2: was a big deal for the time. He was on 1071 00:56:51,520 --> 00:56:54,360 Speaker 2: the cover of People magazine, played himself in a Saturday 1072 00:56:54,400 --> 00:56:58,120 Speaker 2: Night Live skit in which Donald Trump, portrayed by Daryl Hammond, 1073 00:56:58,320 --> 00:57:00,480 Speaker 2: announced that Carpenter would be his running mate in the 1074 00:57:00,480 --> 00:57:01,480 Speaker 2: presidential election. 1075 00:57:02,560 --> 00:57:08,000 Speaker 1: That was much funnier many years ago. Yeah, that's weird. 1076 00:57:08,000 --> 00:57:10,319 Speaker 1: I don't understand the context of that skit, but it's 1077 00:57:10,320 --> 00:57:10,920 Speaker 1: pretty weird. 1078 00:57:11,040 --> 00:57:14,160 Speaker 2: Afterward, Carpenter pretended to call his father before shouting live 1079 00:57:14,200 --> 00:57:16,320 Speaker 2: from New York, It's Saturday Night. 1080 00:57:17,120 --> 00:57:18,040 Speaker 1: It was simpler time. 1081 00:57:18,280 --> 00:57:21,440 Speaker 2: Carpenter appeared to himself in the second half of the 1082 00:57:21,440 --> 00:57:26,760 Speaker 2: fourth season of oz HBO the brutal prison drama. 1083 00:57:26,920 --> 00:57:28,560 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1084 00:57:28,600 --> 00:57:31,320 Speaker 2: He plays a contestant in a fictional TV game show 1085 00:57:31,400 --> 00:57:34,040 Speaker 2: called Up Your Anti that the prisoners in m City 1086 00:57:34,040 --> 00:57:37,720 Speaker 2: are watching. He has also appeared on various anniversary specials 1087 00:57:37,920 --> 00:57:42,680 Speaker 2: of Millionaire. But enough about these winners. Yeah, let's all 1088 00:57:42,720 --> 00:57:46,080 Speaker 2: make ourselves feel better by talking about the losers. Over 1089 00:57:46,120 --> 00:57:48,560 Speaker 2: the course of the program's history, two contestants have made 1090 00:57:48,560 --> 00:57:51,240 Speaker 2: it to the million dollar question and blown it, being 1091 00:57:51,520 --> 00:57:53,840 Speaker 2: bumped all the way back down to their thirty two 1092 00:57:54,000 --> 00:57:57,520 Speaker 2: thousand dollars. Safety net man named Ken Bason missed it 1093 00:57:57,600 --> 00:58:00,040 Speaker 2: during a tenth anniversary primetime special the show and a 1094 00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:02,680 Speaker 2: guest of two thousand and nine. He was caught with 1095 00:58:02,720 --> 00:58:05,520 Speaker 2: the classic rock in a hard placed position that Jordan 1096 00:58:05,600 --> 00:58:08,600 Speaker 2: knows all too well, walking away with five hundred thousand 1097 00:58:08,640 --> 00:58:11,000 Speaker 2: and finding out if he was right, or going for 1098 00:58:11,040 --> 00:58:14,280 Speaker 2: the million and getting it wrong, which would result in 1099 00:58:14,360 --> 00:58:17,120 Speaker 2: him losing four hundred and seventy five thousand dollars. The 1100 00:58:17,240 --> 00:58:21,520 Speaker 2: question was for ordering his favorite beverages on demand. LBJ 1101 00:58:21,680 --> 00:58:26,520 Speaker 2: had four buttons installed in the Oval office labeled coffee, tea, coke, 1102 00:58:26,960 --> 00:58:30,240 Speaker 2: and what. The button wasn't labeled what that was? The 1103 00:58:30,280 --> 00:58:32,600 Speaker 2: answer We'll just pause for all of you. 1104 00:58:32,600 --> 00:58:33,160 Speaker 1: Give the options. 1105 00:58:33,160 --> 00:58:35,400 Speaker 2: You gotta give the options. I'm so sorry. The options 1106 00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:39,760 Speaker 2: were Fresca V eight, you who, and ANW presumably root beer. 1107 00:58:40,280 --> 00:58:42,000 Speaker 2: I don't care for ANW. 1108 00:58:42,160 --> 00:58:42,800 Speaker 1: Cream. 1109 00:58:42,960 --> 00:58:46,480 Speaker 2: Oh oh yeah, I like the cream. 1110 00:58:46,600 --> 00:58:48,280 Speaker 1: Have you got your answers? In? All of you? 1111 00:58:49,120 --> 00:58:55,400 Speaker 2: Wonderful Basin guessed you who, and it was Fresca idiot. 1112 00:58:55,600 --> 00:58:57,520 Speaker 2: It was the first contestant on the US version of 1113 00:58:57,600 --> 00:59:01,800 Speaker 2: Millionaire to miss the million dollar question. The next unfortunate incident, though, 1114 00:59:01,840 --> 00:59:05,160 Speaker 2: occurred during the daytime syndicated show in September of twenty 1115 00:59:05,240 --> 00:59:09,440 Speaker 2: thirteen with contestant Josina Reeves, but this happened during the 1116 00:59:09,480 --> 00:59:11,480 Speaker 2: shuffle version of the game, so she had jumped the 1117 00:59:11,480 --> 00:59:14,080 Speaker 2: two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and five hundred thousand 1118 00:59:14,080 --> 00:59:17,400 Speaker 2: dollars questions and had only one hundred thousand dollars in 1119 00:59:17,400 --> 00:59:20,000 Speaker 2: her bank, which still probably stung. 1120 00:59:21,240 --> 00:59:22,760 Speaker 1: The question was. 1121 00:59:23,000 --> 00:59:26,400 Speaker 2: In addition to his career as an astrologer and prophet, 1122 00:59:26,720 --> 00:59:30,880 Speaker 2: Nostrodamis published a fifteen fifty five treaties that included a 1123 00:59:30,920 --> 00:59:36,400 Speaker 2: section on what A training parrots to talk, B Cheating 1124 00:59:36,440 --> 00:59:41,840 Speaker 2: at card games, C, digging graves and D making jams 1125 00:59:41,840 --> 00:59:47,080 Speaker 2: and jellies, she said, digging graves, which was a stupid guess. 1126 00:59:47,200 --> 00:59:49,480 Speaker 2: There's not a handbook out there worth of materials on 1127 00:59:49,480 --> 00:59:50,360 Speaker 2: how to dig a grave. 1128 00:59:50,840 --> 00:59:54,040 Speaker 1: Well, I mean, oh, well, okay, I guess dig. 1129 00:59:53,840 --> 00:59:59,760 Speaker 2: A hole step one, fill the whole in step two. 1130 01:00:00,160 --> 01:00:01,160 Speaker 2: That's not even a pamphlet. 1131 01:00:01,200 --> 01:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Wait for somebody to die this step a. 1132 01:00:06,640 --> 01:00:09,840 Speaker 2: She said, digging graves, as I said, a stupid guess. 1133 01:00:10,680 --> 01:00:14,000 Speaker 2: But it was making jams and jellies, which I probably 1134 01:00:14,040 --> 01:00:16,920 Speaker 2: would not have got either. Yeah, would have said cheating 1135 01:00:16,920 --> 01:00:17,640 Speaker 2: at card games. 1136 01:00:17,840 --> 01:00:19,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. If you're able to convince somebody that you 1137 01:00:19,880 --> 01:00:22,960 Speaker 1: can tell the future, cheating at card games seems like 1138 01:00:22,960 --> 01:00:25,200 Speaker 1: a lot of Yeah. 1139 01:00:25,440 --> 01:00:28,800 Speaker 2: We should also talk about Rudy Reber from A show's 1140 01:00:28,800 --> 01:00:31,720 Speaker 2: first US season, who phoned a friend for the five 1141 01:00:31,800 --> 01:00:35,840 Speaker 2: hundred thousand dollars question and the friend was wrong. Fallout 1142 01:00:35,880 --> 01:00:39,280 Speaker 2: of the friendship was chronicled in a long Washington Post 1143 01:00:39,320 --> 01:00:43,880 Speaker 2: feature that ended in a very tragic murder suicide. That's 1144 01:00:43,880 --> 01:00:46,720 Speaker 2: not true. I just made that up. I just lied 1145 01:00:46,720 --> 01:00:46,920 Speaker 2: to you. 1146 01:00:48,600 --> 01:00:50,840 Speaker 1: And now we've got to talk about the infamous alleged 1147 01:00:50,920 --> 01:00:53,320 Speaker 1: cheating incident that went down during the English version of 1148 01:00:53,320 --> 01:00:55,560 Speaker 1: the show. I can't believe you left me to talk 1149 01:00:55,560 --> 01:00:57,520 Speaker 1: about this. It seems like something to be very much 1150 01:00:57,600 --> 01:01:01,040 Speaker 1: your Yeah, but you love cheating, that's true, Well so you. 1151 01:01:01,320 --> 01:01:05,160 Speaker 1: But I love the English You love deception? Yes, elaborate 1152 01:01:05,240 --> 01:01:05,440 Speaker 1: on that. 1153 01:01:06,400 --> 01:01:08,280 Speaker 2: You just love all the you like all that cloak 1154 01:01:08,320 --> 01:01:08,800 Speaker 2: and daggers. 1155 01:01:09,280 --> 01:01:11,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I thought you did too, Okay. The man in 1156 01:01:11,920 --> 01:01:15,400 Speaker 1: question is named Charles William Ingram, and his Wikipedia introduction 1157 01:01:15,520 --> 01:01:19,840 Speaker 1: describes him amazingly as quote an English fraudster, novelist and 1158 01:01:19,920 --> 01:01:23,680 Speaker 1: former British Army major. He appeared on a September ninth, 1159 01:01:23,720 --> 01:01:26,360 Speaker 1: two thousand and one episode of the show after his 1160 01:01:26,520 --> 01:01:30,280 Speaker 1: wife and her brother had already appeared on HUSB Millionaire, 1161 01:01:30,400 --> 01:01:34,560 Speaker 1: each winning thirty two thousand pounds. I find it weird 1162 01:01:34,640 --> 01:01:37,200 Speaker 1: that some many members of the same family all qualified 1163 01:01:37,240 --> 01:01:39,440 Speaker 1: to get on the show, because I can personally tell 1164 01:01:39,480 --> 01:01:42,040 Speaker 1: you all the auditions and tests and stuff. It's not easy. 1165 01:01:42,120 --> 01:01:47,120 Speaker 1: That's weird. But anyway, Perry's Wikipedia to prepare Ingram practice 1166 01:01:47,120 --> 01:01:50,600 Speaker 1: for about twenty minutes per day on a handmade fastest 1167 01:01:50,680 --> 01:01:55,400 Speaker 1: finger machine. That's the game you play to like when 1168 01:01:55,440 --> 01:01:58,080 Speaker 1: all the hope fools line up at the beginning and 1169 01:01:58,160 --> 01:02:00,840 Speaker 1: put four things in order, and whoever does it quickest 1170 01:02:01,000 --> 01:02:04,000 Speaker 1: gets to go up to the hot seat. Ingram got 1171 01:02:04,000 --> 01:02:06,760 Speaker 1: to the hot seat, but used two lifelines early, ending 1172 01:02:06,800 --> 01:02:09,120 Speaker 1: the day at four thousand pounds with only the fifty 1173 01:02:09,120 --> 01:02:11,720 Speaker 1: to fifty lifeline remaining. When they brought him back the 1174 01:02:11,720 --> 01:02:13,720 Speaker 1: next day, the production team didn't expect him to proceed 1175 01:02:13,840 --> 01:02:16,160 Speaker 1: much further, but he ended up making it all the 1176 01:02:16,160 --> 01:02:19,640 Speaker 1: way to the million dollar top prize and this is 1177 01:02:19,640 --> 01:02:23,760 Speaker 1: where it gets weird. Producers were suspicious to the guy 1178 01:02:23,800 --> 01:02:26,640 Speaker 1: from the start due to his risky and some would 1179 01:02:26,640 --> 01:02:30,760 Speaker 1: say foolhardy moves. For example, one question was who had 1180 01:02:30,800 --> 01:02:33,480 Speaker 1: a hit UK album with Born to Do It released 1181 01:02:33,520 --> 01:02:36,520 Speaker 1: in two thousand. After using his fifty to fifty his 1182 01:02:36,640 --> 01:02:40,200 Speaker 1: last lifeline, the two remaining answers were A one, which 1183 01:02:40,240 --> 01:02:43,080 Speaker 1: he believed the answer to be, and Craig David, who 1184 01:02:43,120 --> 01:02:46,000 Speaker 1: he said he'd never heard of. After very nearly locking 1185 01:02:46,040 --> 01:02:48,680 Speaker 1: in A one as his final answer, he backed off 1186 01:02:48,720 --> 01:02:50,800 Speaker 1: and said that eighty percent of the time I'm wrong 1187 01:02:50,840 --> 01:02:53,680 Speaker 1: when I guess say you know what, I'll go Craig 1188 01:02:53,760 --> 01:02:59,040 Speaker 1: David talk about not betting on yourself working out that 1189 01:02:59,320 --> 01:03:02,360 Speaker 1: ended up being incorrect, and then at the five hundred 1190 01:03:02,400 --> 01:03:06,840 Speaker 1: thousand pound question Ingram was asked Baron Hausman is best 1191 01:03:06,880 --> 01:03:10,280 Speaker 1: known for his planning of what city among the options 1192 01:03:10,320 --> 01:03:13,400 Speaker 1: were Berlin in Paris. Initially, he assumed it was Berlin 1193 01:03:13,600 --> 01:03:18,080 Speaker 1: due to his belief that Baron Hausman was a German name. However, 1194 01:03:18,520 --> 01:03:21,920 Speaker 1: after a while he inexplicably said there's a possibility that 1195 01:03:21,960 --> 01:03:25,680 Speaker 1: it's Paris and suddenly locked that in as his final answer. 1196 01:03:26,360 --> 01:03:29,800 Speaker 1: This got Ingram to the million pound question. A number 1197 01:03:29,840 --> 01:03:33,200 Speaker 1: one followed by one hundred zeros is known by what name? 1198 01:03:33,480 --> 01:03:37,120 Speaker 1: To which he thought the answer was nanimal and initially 1199 01:03:37,160 --> 01:03:39,360 Speaker 1: said he didn't know what a Google was. This is 1200 01:03:39,400 --> 01:03:43,560 Speaker 1: pre Google, obviously the search engine. However, eventually he decided 1201 01:03:43,560 --> 01:03:46,320 Speaker 1: to walk in Google as his final answer, even though 1202 01:03:46,320 --> 01:03:48,600 Speaker 1: he didn't know what that word was, and he won 1203 01:03:48,640 --> 01:03:52,240 Speaker 1: the million pound prize. An executive producer for the show 1204 01:03:52,280 --> 01:03:54,640 Speaker 1: was quoted as saying, it became obvious that he wasn't 1205 01:03:54,720 --> 01:03:57,320 Speaker 1: under the pressure that he should have been somehow. He 1206 01:03:57,360 --> 01:04:00,280 Speaker 1: should have been very very careful and very certain, and 1207 01:04:00,320 --> 01:04:04,160 Speaker 1: he certainly wasn't either of those. In fact, producers were 1208 01:04:04,160 --> 01:04:06,720 Speaker 1: so suspicious that they conducted a physical search of his 1209 01:04:06,800 --> 01:04:10,000 Speaker 1: person before he left the studio, combing through his clothing, 1210 01:04:10,080 --> 01:04:12,760 Speaker 1: his shoes, and even his air looking for something that 1211 01:04:12,800 --> 01:04:16,400 Speaker 1: would have enabled him to cheat, but nothing was found. However, 1212 01:04:16,600 --> 01:04:18,480 Speaker 1: they did find it weird when the host of the 1213 01:04:18,560 --> 01:04:21,440 Speaker 1: UK version of the show, Chris Terrant, went into Ingram's 1214 01:04:21,520 --> 01:04:25,600 Speaker 1: dressing room afterwards with a celebratory bottle of champagne, only 1215 01:04:25,680 --> 01:04:32,000 Speaker 1: to find Ingram and his wife viciously arguing. Oh. Because 1216 01:04:32,040 --> 01:04:36,080 Speaker 1: of this, producers suspended the jackpot payout while they investigated further. 1217 01:04:36,920 --> 01:04:39,280 Speaker 1: And what they discovered upon reviewing the tape of the 1218 01:04:39,320 --> 01:04:40,600 Speaker 1: show was fascinating. 1219 01:04:40,680 --> 01:04:42,200 Speaker 2: You couldn't keep it together. 1220 01:04:42,200 --> 01:04:46,040 Speaker 1: I know until he left the studio, I know. The 1221 01:04:46,080 --> 01:04:49,720 Speaker 1: producers noticed a connection between Ingram's answers and a series 1222 01:04:49,800 --> 01:04:53,440 Speaker 1: of coughs heard in the studio. Some coughs came from 1223 01:04:53,480 --> 01:04:56,880 Speaker 1: one of the waiting contestants, a guy named Techwinn Whitlock, 1224 01:04:57,400 --> 01:05:00,240 Speaker 1: while another came from Ingram's wife, Diana while she was 1225 01:05:00,280 --> 01:05:03,640 Speaker 1: in the audience. Based on all this evidence, all three 1226 01:05:03,680 --> 01:05:07,880 Speaker 1: were accused of cheating. Basically, they thought that when the 1227 01:05:07,960 --> 01:05:11,120 Speaker 1: questions were read and all the answer the potential multiple 1228 01:05:11,160 --> 01:05:13,920 Speaker 1: choice answers were given, the person would cough during the 1229 01:05:13,920 --> 01:05:18,560 Speaker 1: correct answer. The producers literally made a federal case out 1230 01:05:18,600 --> 01:05:21,440 Speaker 1: of this. The prosecution alleged that there were one hundred 1231 01:05:21,440 --> 01:05:24,640 Speaker 1: and ninety two coughs recorded during the second night performance, 1232 01:05:25,320 --> 01:05:29,080 Speaker 1: and thirty two of these were significant in quotes, those 1233 01:05:29,080 --> 01:05:32,840 Speaker 1: are their words, and had been done by this guy Whitlock, 1234 01:05:32,880 --> 01:05:36,640 Speaker 1: who they thought was in cahoots. During the trial, another 1235 01:05:36,680 --> 01:05:39,400 Speaker 1: contestant on the show was adamant that he had known 1236 01:05:39,520 --> 01:05:42,040 Speaker 1: the answer to Ingram's questions and told the court that 1237 01:05:42,120 --> 01:05:44,720 Speaker 1: he'd been able to detect a pattern of coughing that 1238 01:05:44,760 --> 01:05:48,000 Speaker 1: he was entirely convinced had been designed to help Ingram 1239 01:05:48,080 --> 01:05:51,880 Speaker 1: when the correct answer was given. However, Chris Tarrant, the 1240 01:05:51,880 --> 01:05:54,600 Speaker 1: host of the show, denied hearing any coughing during the episode, 1241 01:05:54,800 --> 01:05:57,000 Speaker 1: claiming that he was too busy, you know, hosting the 1242 01:05:57,000 --> 01:05:59,960 Speaker 1: show to notice. Following a four week trial. 1243 01:06:00,040 --> 01:06:02,000 Speaker 2: So there is a guy who came in and snitched. 1244 01:06:02,200 --> 01:06:04,520 Speaker 1: Well, no, not snitched, but just like, wait a minute, 1245 01:06:04,560 --> 01:06:07,080 Speaker 1: like there was always a cough when the correct answer 1246 01:06:07,160 --> 01:06:10,600 Speaker 1: was given. I noticed it even at the time. Yeah, 1247 01:06:10,720 --> 01:06:17,720 Speaker 1: sounds like snitching. Sure. Following a four week trial, Ingram, 1248 01:06:17,800 --> 01:06:21,440 Speaker 1: his wife, and this other contestant, Whitlock, were convicted and 1249 01:06:21,480 --> 01:06:25,640 Speaker 1: given prison sentences. The Ingrams were sentenced to eighteen months, 1250 01:06:25,680 --> 01:06:28,960 Speaker 1: while Whitlock was sentenced to twelve months, and each fined 1251 01:06:29,080 --> 01:06:32,800 Speaker 1: fifteen thousand pounds and were ordered to pay prosecution and 1252 01:06:32,920 --> 01:06:35,720 Speaker 1: defense costs, which meant that they were out some one 1253 01:06:35,800 --> 01:06:40,360 Speaker 1: hundred and fifteen thousand pounds. The Army Board ordered Ingram 1254 01:06:40,400 --> 01:06:43,240 Speaker 1: to resign his commission as major after sixteen years of service, 1255 01:06:44,040 --> 01:06:47,000 Speaker 1: but allowed him to keep his pension. Well well, yeah, 1256 01:06:47,160 --> 01:06:50,360 Speaker 1: oh generous. Yeah. Ingram, for his part, claims that he 1257 01:06:50,480 --> 01:06:54,880 Speaker 1: either listened, for, encouraged, or noticed any coughing. Later, in 1258 01:06:54,880 --> 01:06:57,800 Speaker 1: two thousand and three, Ingram and his wife were charged 1259 01:06:57,800 --> 01:07:01,160 Speaker 1: with further fraud offenses after so they attempted to claim 1260 01:07:01,200 --> 01:07:05,000 Speaker 1: on an insurance policy after an alleged burglary at his home. 1261 01:07:05,880 --> 01:07:08,720 Speaker 1: He was given a conditional discharge on the charge of 1262 01:07:08,720 --> 01:07:13,920 Speaker 1: fraudulently claiming thirty thousand pounds on insurance. Karmosot vengeance on 1263 01:07:14,120 --> 01:07:17,200 Speaker 1: Ingram in twenty ten, however, when he lost three toes 1264 01:07:17,280 --> 01:07:19,920 Speaker 1: on his left foot in a lawn knowing accident. 1265 01:07:21,640 --> 01:07:23,920 Speaker 2: I don't know, man, like all this effort, like you know, 1266 01:07:23,960 --> 01:07:28,520 Speaker 2: like Apple doesn't pay taxes in some countries, Like just 1267 01:07:29,920 --> 01:07:35,600 Speaker 2: feels so like petty, I don't care. Let him cheat? 1268 01:07:36,360 --> 01:07:36,840 Speaker 1: What did he do? 1269 01:07:36,880 --> 01:07:40,120 Speaker 2: Who did he defraud the British television public? 1270 01:07:40,240 --> 01:07:42,800 Speaker 1: He cheated? Well, well, I guess he didn't cheat that well. 1271 01:07:42,960 --> 01:07:45,600 Speaker 2: Forcing this like it's international Well we don't even obey 1272 01:07:45,640 --> 01:07:48,360 Speaker 2: international law at this point, but like, why what is this? 1273 01:07:48,720 --> 01:07:51,520 Speaker 2: What happens? Who cares? Flip a coin? Let that be 1274 01:07:51,520 --> 01:07:54,400 Speaker 2: it guilty or knock guilt? Who cares? 1275 01:07:54,560 --> 01:07:57,600 Speaker 1: My god? I mean, maybe he was a precedent from 1276 01:07:57,600 --> 01:08:00,160 Speaker 1: the the fifties quish show scandals, which went all all 1277 01:08:00,240 --> 01:08:03,680 Speaker 1: the way to the Senate floor because it was the 1278 01:08:04,960 --> 01:08:07,920 Speaker 1: n FCC thing about like defrauding the public was that 1279 01:08:07,960 --> 01:08:11,040 Speaker 1: these shows were ringed, and so maybe it became more 1280 01:08:11,080 --> 01:08:12,960 Speaker 1: than just like hey, you took our money. It was 1281 01:08:13,000 --> 01:08:15,760 Speaker 1: a whole like our licenses at stake here or something 1282 01:08:15,840 --> 01:08:18,400 Speaker 1: like that. Maybe it was that, you know, well, before 1283 01:08:18,439 --> 01:08:20,479 Speaker 1: we wrap this episode up, I want to do a 1284 01:08:20,479 --> 01:08:24,040 Speaker 1: little millionaire quiz moment for my friend Alex Heigel oh hell, 1285 01:08:24,280 --> 01:08:26,360 Speaker 1: and see if he has what it takes to answer 1286 01:08:26,439 --> 01:08:28,800 Speaker 1: some of the million dollar questions that have been given 1287 01:08:29,160 --> 01:08:30,960 Speaker 1: on the American version of the show. What do you 1288 01:08:31,000 --> 01:08:33,320 Speaker 1: think you're going to go for it? Buddy, I'm ready, 1289 01:08:33,880 --> 01:08:35,759 Speaker 1: or you can give them to me, which whichever, whichever 1290 01:08:35,800 --> 01:08:38,400 Speaker 1: you prefer. Okay, okay, okay, well we did the laugh 1291 01:08:38,439 --> 01:08:41,439 Speaker 1: in one. Okay. This one's from January tenth, two thousand. 1292 01:08:42,080 --> 01:08:46,520 Speaker 1: In what language was Anne Frank's original diary first published? 1293 01:08:46,680 --> 01:08:51,960 Speaker 1: Was it a Dutch, B English, C French, d German? 1294 01:08:52,240 --> 01:08:58,400 Speaker 1: That's an easy one, I gotta say, is it? Yeah? Dutch? Yes? Correct? 1295 01:08:58,760 --> 01:09:01,919 Speaker 1: Sick Alex Heigel, you just want a million dollars? Wow, 1296 01:09:02,120 --> 01:09:05,360 Speaker 1: give me another one. The Earth is approximately Oh, this 1297 01:09:05,360 --> 01:09:07,679 Speaker 1: one's kind of boring. How many miles away from the sun? 1298 01:09:09,120 --> 01:09:10,559 Speaker 1: Is it a that counts as math? 1299 01:09:10,840 --> 01:09:11,040 Speaker 4: Yeah? 1300 01:09:11,200 --> 01:09:15,080 Speaker 1: No, I agree? Yeah. In what country are all US 1301 01:09:15,120 --> 01:09:19,879 Speaker 1: Major League baseballs currently manufactured? Is it Costa Rica, Haiti, 1302 01:09:20,280 --> 01:09:22,080 Speaker 1: the Dominican Republic or Cuba? 1303 01:09:24,280 --> 01:09:26,799 Speaker 2: We had a trade and barger with Cuba. You're correct, 1304 01:09:26,920 --> 01:09:28,320 Speaker 2: everyone hates Haiti. 1305 01:09:29,920 --> 01:09:33,280 Speaker 1: Plead the fifth? Yeah, So what were the other one? 1306 01:09:33,280 --> 01:09:38,400 Speaker 2: Dominican Republic and Costa Rica? Dominican Republic, Costa Rica. I'm sorry. 1307 01:09:39,000 --> 01:09:40,439 Speaker 1: Oh there, I go all. 1308 01:09:40,320 --> 01:09:42,280 Speaker 2: The way back down to twenty five thousand dollars. No. 1309 01:09:44,439 --> 01:09:47,400 Speaker 1: What Shakespeare character says something is rotten in the state 1310 01:09:47,439 --> 01:09:52,120 Speaker 1: of Denmark is it a Hamlet B. Marcellus, C. Horatio 1311 01:09:52,560 --> 01:09:52,800 Speaker 1: or D. 1312 01:09:53,040 --> 01:09:56,799 Speaker 2: Laertes Marcella's Wallace from pulp fiction. 1313 01:09:57,240 --> 01:09:58,479 Speaker 1: You're kind of correct. 1314 01:10:01,880 --> 01:10:04,559 Speaker 2: Oh, this is great. I think you will probably know. 1315 01:10:04,600 --> 01:10:05,439 Speaker 2: This is a good question. 1316 01:10:05,720 --> 01:10:09,600 Speaker 1: Which insect shorted out an early supercomputer and inspired the 1317 01:10:09,720 --> 01:10:15,599 Speaker 1: term computer bug? Is it moth? Roach? Fly? Or Japanese beetle? Wow? 1318 01:10:15,720 --> 01:10:18,400 Speaker 2: Japanese beetle is a tempting just because of the specificity. 1319 01:10:18,479 --> 01:10:21,599 Speaker 1: But fly moth? 1320 01:10:22,640 --> 01:10:24,800 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I guess that tracks well. 1321 01:10:24,840 --> 01:10:28,320 Speaker 1: We've established that I'm a loser. No Jordan. 1322 01:10:29,320 --> 01:10:32,600 Speaker 2: According to the Population Reference Bureau, what is the approximate 1323 01:10:32,680 --> 01:10:35,240 Speaker 2: number of people who have ever lived on Earth? 1324 01:10:35,560 --> 01:10:38,200 Speaker 1: That's close to math, but all out? 1325 01:10:38,479 --> 01:10:44,439 Speaker 2: Is it fifty billion, one hundred billion, one trillion or 1326 01:10:44,560 --> 01:10:47,200 Speaker 2: five trillion one hundred billion? 1327 01:10:47,560 --> 01:10:48,920 Speaker 1: At is correct? 1328 01:10:49,680 --> 01:10:52,320 Speaker 2: A rare example of a word that does indeed rhyme 1329 01:10:52,360 --> 01:10:56,640 Speaker 2: with orange. The bloornge is a what a river in Scotland? 1330 01:10:57,000 --> 01:10:57,200 Speaker 1: Oh? 1331 01:10:57,240 --> 01:11:00,640 Speaker 2: Sorry, a river in Ireland, a forest in Scotland, a 1332 01:11:00,720 --> 01:11:04,720 Speaker 2: mountain in Wales, or a desert in Australia. I'll be 1333 01:11:04,760 --> 01:11:07,040 Speaker 2: so pissed if it's Australia. After we just did our 1334 01:11:07,200 --> 01:11:13,160 Speaker 2: crocodile done the episode river in Ireland or forest in Scotland. 1335 01:11:13,320 --> 01:11:17,120 Speaker 1: Those are the mountain in Wales Scotland. It was a 1336 01:11:17,200 --> 01:11:20,880 Speaker 1: mountain in Wales. Oh, that seems like a Welsh word 1337 01:11:20,920 --> 01:11:24,080 Speaker 1: that does the war in jam. But I discounted it 1338 01:11:24,120 --> 01:11:26,880 Speaker 1: too because it doesn't have the prevalence of consonants that 1339 01:11:26,920 --> 01:11:30,480 Speaker 1: they usually have. Hmm okay. 1340 01:11:30,720 --> 01:11:33,680 Speaker 2: Which of the following is not the title of a 1341 01:11:33,720 --> 01:11:38,400 Speaker 2: country song released by Netflix star Joe Exotic aka The 1342 01:11:38,479 --> 01:11:42,840 Speaker 2: Tiger King? Is it big Hearted Cat? I saw a 1343 01:11:42,840 --> 01:11:46,719 Speaker 2: tiger here, Kitty Kitty or king of the Beast. 1344 01:11:47,400 --> 01:11:49,920 Speaker 1: Think of a best seems like like an Elvis song 1345 01:11:50,080 --> 01:11:55,000 Speaker 1: or something. I would say that tiger man incorrect, incorrect. 1346 01:11:55,080 --> 01:11:59,120 Speaker 1: The incorrect answer was big hearted cat. I guess in retrospect, 1347 01:11:59,120 --> 01:12:01,799 Speaker 1: i'd probably shad guess that. Huh. 1348 01:12:01,960 --> 01:12:06,120 Speaker 2: Compiled by Benjamin Franklin in seventeen thirty seven, The Drinker's 1349 01:12:06,160 --> 01:12:11,040 Speaker 2: Dictionary included all but which of these synonyms for drunkenness 1350 01:12:12,080 --> 01:12:19,760 Speaker 2: nim topsicle, buzzy, piffolcated, or staggerish biffolcated with a B 1351 01:12:19,960 --> 01:12:24,200 Speaker 2: or with a P, piffolcated like possum. I'll go with 1352 01:12:24,240 --> 01:12:26,920 Speaker 2: that one. You are correct, sir Ah. This one's just 1353 01:12:26,960 --> 01:12:30,160 Speaker 2: crazy and it's gonna be the last one. Nifello coco 1354 01:12:30,320 --> 01:12:35,040 Speaker 2: siggia is the practice of doing what finding shapes in clouds, 1355 01:12:35,840 --> 01:12:40,240 Speaker 2: sneezing with your eyes open, breaking glass with your voice, 1356 01:12:40,960 --> 01:12:43,960 Speaker 2: or swimming in freezing water. Can you spell it for me? 1357 01:12:44,600 --> 01:12:49,080 Speaker 2: N E p h E l O c O c 1358 01:12:49,200 --> 01:12:55,240 Speaker 2: c ygi A niffello coco siggia. Finding shapes in clouds, 1359 01:12:55,520 --> 01:12:58,799 Speaker 2: sneezing with your eyes open, breaking glass with your voice, 1360 01:12:59,360 --> 01:13:01,200 Speaker 2: or swimming freezing. 1361 01:13:00,800 --> 01:13:02,920 Speaker 1: Water, breaking glass with your voice. 1362 01:13:03,360 --> 01:13:06,759 Speaker 2: No, finding shapes in class? Oh wow, that was actually 1363 01:13:06,960 --> 01:13:08,880 Speaker 2: last on interesting. 1364 01:13:09,120 --> 01:13:12,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know, all right, let me ask let 1365 01:13:12,160 --> 01:13:14,559 Speaker 1: me ask you one more, just because it feels very 1366 01:13:15,040 --> 01:13:17,400 Speaker 1: I just think you'll enjoy this one. What is the 1367 01:13:17,479 --> 01:13:22,479 Speaker 1: last word in the Old Testament? Is it forever true, 1368 01:13:23,479 --> 01:13:29,240 Speaker 1: prayer or curse? Wow? Forever seems appropriate? True? 1369 01:13:29,320 --> 01:13:33,200 Speaker 2: Also does I don't think curse is Actually I don't 1370 01:13:33,200 --> 01:13:34,679 Speaker 2: know what was the third one? 1371 01:13:34,880 --> 01:13:39,639 Speaker 1: Prayer, forever true, prayer or curse? 1372 01:13:40,240 --> 01:13:44,519 Speaker 2: Last words of the Old Testament Old Testament curse? Yes 1373 01:13:45,600 --> 01:13:48,880 Speaker 2: you are correct, sir, Old Testaments the vengeful one. 1374 01:13:49,240 --> 01:13:51,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's true. All right. 1375 01:13:51,720 --> 01:13:54,519 Speaker 2: I'm just scanning to see if there's any else that 1376 01:13:54,560 --> 01:13:58,200 Speaker 2: are like, notably when the TV series The Brady Bunch 1377 01:13:58,320 --> 01:13:59,840 Speaker 2: was Carol Brady's maiden name. 1378 01:14:00,400 --> 01:14:03,040 Speaker 1: You'll never get it, Tyler. That's a great question, though, 1379 01:14:04,800 --> 01:14:07,320 Speaker 1: Oh this is this is actually a great question. There's 1380 01:14:07,400 --> 01:14:10,680 Speaker 1: no reason anyone should know it. But what club did 1381 01:14:10,760 --> 01:14:14,240 Speaker 1: astronaut Alan Shepard used to make his famous golf. 1382 01:14:13,920 --> 01:14:16,240 Speaker 2: Shot on the moon? That's incredible? 1383 01:14:17,240 --> 01:14:19,479 Speaker 1: Do you know? No? No idea? 1384 01:14:20,120 --> 01:14:22,639 Speaker 2: Six iron? Six iron? 1385 01:14:24,040 --> 01:14:27,240 Speaker 1: Who's the only Nobel laureate to win an Academy award? 1386 01:14:27,640 --> 01:14:31,719 Speaker 1: That's really good? Steinbeck Sartra, George Bernard Shaw or Tony Morrison. 1387 01:14:32,200 --> 01:14:35,040 Speaker 1: Tony Morrison. I would have said that to George Bernard Shaw. 1388 01:14:35,720 --> 01:14:36,839 Speaker 1: Really Yeah? 1389 01:14:37,800 --> 01:14:43,000 Speaker 2: What did he win his Oscar for adapted screenplay for something? 1390 01:14:41,840 --> 01:14:48,960 Speaker 1: Probably? All right? Wait, sorry, I'm sorry, it's the last one. 1391 01:14:49,320 --> 01:14:54,439 Speaker 1: You're losing. The US icon Uncle Sam was based on 1392 01:14:54,640 --> 01:14:58,200 Speaker 1: Sam Wilson, who worked during the War of eighteen twelve 1393 01:14:58,280 --> 01:15:03,120 Speaker 1: as what a meet and inspect a mail deliverer, a historian, 1394 01:15:03,439 --> 01:15:08,120 Speaker 1: or a weapons mechanic, male guy, a meet inspector. Uncle 1395 01:15:08,680 --> 01:15:10,320 Speaker 1: Uncle Sam was a meet inspector. 1396 01:15:11,200 --> 01:15:14,000 Speaker 2: Well, given the amount of atrocities the country would go 1397 01:15:14,000 --> 01:15:14,559 Speaker 2: on to commit. 1398 01:15:15,040 --> 01:15:21,639 Speaker 1: Oh wow, oh wow, Hamburger Hill. Okay, okay, yeah, well, folks, 1399 01:15:21,640 --> 01:15:23,599 Speaker 1: for the ride out. That's how I used to always 1400 01:15:23,680 --> 01:15:26,240 Speaker 1: end my college radio show. For the ride out. Tonight, 1401 01:15:26,439 --> 01:15:28,280 Speaker 1: I'd like to give you a quote from a piece 1402 01:15:28,479 --> 01:15:32,080 Speaker 1: in Slight by Justin Peters, who, like me, was a 1403 01:15:32,120 --> 01:15:35,000 Speaker 1: digital media writer who achieved his childhood dream of appearing 1404 01:15:35,040 --> 01:15:38,559 Speaker 1: on Millionaire, only to fall short of the titular question. 1405 01:15:39,640 --> 01:15:42,920 Speaker 1: Unlike me, he got farther and fell further and was 1406 01:15:43,000 --> 01:15:46,479 Speaker 1: plunged into a deep depression afterwards, whereas I was just 1407 01:15:46,600 --> 01:15:50,400 Speaker 1: mildly annoyed. He wrote about it several times, including in 1408 01:15:50,479 --> 01:15:52,960 Speaker 1: a piece called I Wanted to Be a Millionaire? How 1409 01:15:53,080 --> 01:15:55,720 Speaker 1: failing colossally on a game show changed my life for 1410 01:15:55,760 --> 01:15:57,680 Speaker 1: the better. I'd like to read you some of his 1411 01:15:57,760 --> 01:16:01,280 Speaker 1: writing here. The experience of IF losing big on Millionaire 1412 01:16:01,360 --> 01:16:04,559 Speaker 1: almost broke me. The shock of the sudden loss and 1413 01:16:04,640 --> 01:16:06,960 Speaker 1: it was a loss, even though it wasn't as if 1414 01:16:06,960 --> 01:16:09,400 Speaker 1: the Millionaire producers had deducted two hundred and twenty five 1415 01:16:09,439 --> 01:16:12,240 Speaker 1: thousand dollars for my actual bank account sent me into 1416 01:16:12,280 --> 01:16:15,400 Speaker 1: a depressive state. I'd come so close to fulfilling the 1417 01:16:15,439 --> 01:16:18,920 Speaker 1: show's big promise, and the act of falling short made 1418 01:16:18,960 --> 01:16:20,800 Speaker 1: me feel like I was worse off than if I'd 1419 01:16:20,800 --> 01:16:23,599 Speaker 1: never been on the show at all. To this very day, 1420 01:16:23,760 --> 01:16:27,960 Speaker 1: I'm still occasionally seized with paralyzing regret over my bad choice. 1421 01:16:28,160 --> 01:16:32,120 Speaker 1: Online journalism is not a lucrative field. The millionaire money 1422 01:16:32,120 --> 01:16:34,439 Speaker 1: I so recklessly risked and lost would have given me 1423 01:16:34,479 --> 01:16:37,480 Speaker 1: real financial security for the first time in my life. 1424 01:16:37,640 --> 01:16:40,080 Speaker 1: But then he talks about hearing from fellow game show 1425 01:16:40,120 --> 01:16:42,240 Speaker 1: losers and even playing on a trivia team with some 1426 01:16:42,880 --> 01:16:46,559 Speaker 1: And then he continues, there's something liberating and reaching for 1427 01:16:46,640 --> 01:16:49,479 Speaker 1: something meaningful, even if you aren't sure you'll get it. 1428 01:16:49,920 --> 01:16:52,639 Speaker 1: I guessed on the five hundred thousand dollars question because 1429 01:16:52,680 --> 01:16:54,240 Speaker 1: that was the only way I would ever get to 1430 01:16:54,240 --> 01:16:58,880 Speaker 1: the million dollar question. That decision took guts and stupidity, 1431 01:16:59,320 --> 01:17:03,439 Speaker 1: but mostly and once I realized I've got guts, I 1432 01:17:03,560 --> 01:17:07,320 Speaker 1: decided to reorder my life around them. Since Millionaire, I've 1433 01:17:07,360 --> 01:17:09,720 Speaker 1: done scores of things I'd always wanted to do but 1434 01:17:09,800 --> 01:17:12,519 Speaker 1: never took the leap to pursue. This may be the 1435 01:17:12,520 --> 01:17:15,840 Speaker 1: path prescribed by countless self help books. It just so 1436 01:17:15,920 --> 01:17:19,439 Speaker 1: happens that Millionaire was mine. The simple lesson that Millionaire 1437 01:17:19,439 --> 01:17:21,400 Speaker 1: taught me is that if you want to change your life, 1438 01:17:21,920 --> 01:17:24,360 Speaker 1: either by winning a lot of money on television or 1439 01:17:24,400 --> 01:17:27,439 Speaker 1: by some more prosaic means, at some point, you're going 1440 01:17:27,520 --> 01:17:30,559 Speaker 1: to have to take a risk. Unless you're John Carpenter, 1441 01:17:30,760 --> 01:17:33,160 Speaker 1: the famous winner of the show, yeah, the other guy, 1442 01:17:33,520 --> 01:17:35,960 Speaker 1: you will eventually have to take a step into the unknown, 1443 01:17:36,439 --> 01:17:39,320 Speaker 1: ban on yourself and hope that you were making the 1444 01:17:39,439 --> 01:17:42,040 Speaker 1: right decision. And I think that's a good note to 1445 01:17:42,160 --> 01:17:44,360 Speaker 1: end on, as well as a reminder that at some 1446 01:17:44,439 --> 01:17:45,520 Speaker 1: time or another. 1447 01:17:45,600 --> 01:17:53,559 Speaker 2: We are all losers and the weakest link. I think 1448 01:17:53,600 --> 01:17:55,400 Speaker 2: I'm the weakest link on this show. 1449 01:17:55,600 --> 01:17:59,160 Speaker 1: It's those solid all the people on Twitter today saying 1450 01:17:59,160 --> 01:18:00,360 Speaker 1: they like the mean one better. 1451 01:18:00,400 --> 01:18:05,400 Speaker 2: It's not true. Ah yeah, I don't know. It's a 1452 01:18:05,400 --> 01:18:11,040 Speaker 2: game show whatever, man, I ain't. This isn't serious. This 1453 01:18:11,120 --> 01:18:12,880 Speaker 2: isn't an album, This isn't a piece of art. 1454 01:18:13,280 --> 01:18:17,200 Speaker 1: Who is the Millionaire is a celebration of trivia and banality. 1455 01:18:17,520 --> 01:18:21,479 Speaker 1: I thought you would come on, it's kind of like that. 1456 01:18:21,560 --> 01:18:22,559 Speaker 1: I like that. I don't. 1457 01:18:22,600 --> 01:18:25,400 Speaker 2: I'm not gonna like pretend that it's more. It's not 1458 01:18:25,800 --> 01:18:29,280 Speaker 2: you know, it's not Puccini. I know it's not Nebraska. 1459 01:18:29,479 --> 01:18:31,760 Speaker 2: It's not not the Simpsons. 1460 01:18:31,600 --> 01:18:35,040 Speaker 1: It's not even the Brady Bunch. I almost did be 1461 01:18:35,080 --> 01:18:43,840 Speaker 1: wished for this episode, which you'll do that next turned 1462 01:18:43,880 --> 01:18:46,439 Speaker 1: sixty this year. Yeah, I mean, you. 1463 01:18:46,400 --> 01:18:49,600 Speaker 2: Know, take a risk, dude, life's a risk. There's a 1464 01:18:49,640 --> 01:18:52,439 Speaker 2: punk band called Fiddler, and they put it much more 1465 01:18:52,720 --> 01:18:55,920 Speaker 2: succinctly than this guy. What if Fiddler say they said, dude, 1466 01:18:55,920 --> 01:18:58,040 Speaker 2: life's a risk. Oh oh that was I thought that 1467 01:18:58,080 --> 01:19:00,840 Speaker 2: was from The Big Lebowski. But that's let's go bowling. Yeah, 1468 01:19:00,840 --> 01:19:03,640 Speaker 2: it's good, dude, Let's go bowling. You know at the 1469 01:19:03,720 --> 01:19:09,519 Speaker 2: end of it, Jordan, I don't care. H Is that 1470 01:19:09,600 --> 01:19:15,400 Speaker 2: your final answer? Oh? How did we escape making that 1471 01:19:15,479 --> 01:19:15,960 Speaker 2: into a bit? 1472 01:19:16,600 --> 01:19:16,760 Speaker 1: Uh? 1473 01:19:16,800 --> 01:19:18,240 Speaker 2: You know at the end of the day, Jordan. 1474 01:19:18,400 --> 01:19:20,479 Speaker 1: Do you want a fun of friends? I guess I'm 1475 01:19:20,479 --> 01:19:28,639 Speaker 1: already here. Yeah, you're my only friend. Jordan. Hi? Hello, 1476 01:19:29,000 --> 01:19:31,559 Speaker 1: Oh my god, Jordan, I'm in deep trouble. They're gonna 1477 01:19:31,600 --> 01:19:35,160 Speaker 1: bring what's going on? They're gonna they're gonna take my knees. Buddy, 1478 01:19:35,520 --> 01:19:39,120 Speaker 1: I said, I didn't care about a game show. Do 1479 01:19:39,160 --> 01:19:40,960 Speaker 1: I care about a game show? Do I care about? 1480 01:19:40,960 --> 01:19:42,840 Speaker 1: Who wants to be a millionaire? What's my right answer? 1481 01:19:42,920 --> 01:19:46,360 Speaker 1: Making money off of useless crap. Yes, I assume you would. 1482 01:19:46,680 --> 01:19:52,160 Speaker 1: Oh okay, we don't do that though, right, not anymore now? 1483 01:19:52,200 --> 01:19:54,120 Speaker 2: Oh we ever gonna shout out our kofe though you 1484 01:19:54,160 --> 01:19:56,960 Speaker 2: did at the top. Okay, all right, I'm gonna thanks man, 1485 01:19:57,040 --> 01:20:06,519 Speaker 2: thanks man, put back on the show. No no, no, no, no no, no, pregious, Actually, Cedric, 1486 01:20:06,760 --> 01:20:09,920 Speaker 2: mister entertainer, I've decided to go with my friend Jordan's answer. 1487 01:20:10,439 --> 01:20:13,439 Speaker 2: I believe I actually do care about who wants to 1488 01:20:13,479 --> 01:20:20,240 Speaker 2: be a millionaire. Thank you for listening. This has been 1489 01:20:20,280 --> 01:20:24,519 Speaker 2: too much information. I'm Alex Sigel, I'm Jordan Runtogg. We'll 1490 01:20:24,600 --> 01:20:25,639 Speaker 2: catch you next time. 1491 01:20:31,040 --> 01:20:33,800 Speaker 1: Too Much Information was a production of iHeart Radio. The 1492 01:20:33,880 --> 01:20:37,240 Speaker 1: show's executive producers are Noel Brown and Jordan Runtalk. The 1493 01:20:37,280 --> 01:20:41,400 Speaker 1: show's supervising producer is Michael Alder June. The show was researched, 1494 01:20:41,520 --> 01:20:44,439 Speaker 1: written and hosted by Jordan Runtogg and Alex Heigel, with 1495 01:20:44,560 --> 01:20:47,559 Speaker 1: original music by Seth Applebaum and the Ghost Funk Orchestra. 1496 01:20:47,960 --> 01:20:49,960 Speaker 1: If you like what you heard, please subscribe and leave 1497 01:20:50,040 --> 01:20:53,000 Speaker 1: us a review. For more podcasts and iHeartRadio, visit the 1498 01:20:53,040 --> 01:20:56,320 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 1499 01:20:56,360 --> 01:20:57,040 Speaker 1: favorite shows. 1500 01:21:00,720 --> 01:21:05,760 Speaker 3: That's like the long you know that's clack Bat and