Save Regis and Millionaire on ABC!
How quickly they bite the
hand that feeds them.
In August 1999 ABC
premiered a game show that had proven a success in
ABC rolled out the show
over two weeks at the end of August. It turned out to be a fun show, Regis was
having a good time, and the ratings were far better than anyone had a right to
expect. So they ordered another couple of weeks of Millionaire during Sweeps Month in November.
And man, did that show hit.
Before long, they wanted it twice a week on a regular basis. No, wait, three times a week – because it was the #1 show in the
1999-2000 season. No, four times a week – and all four days ranked in
the Nielsen top 10 in 2000-2001.
And the copycats came in –
NBC with a Twenty-One revival, CBS
with the British import Winning Lines, and
Fox with the instantly created Greed.
None made it to a second season, because none had the appeal of the simple yet
challenging Millionaire, or the
charm, humor and empathy of Regis.
Now in its fourth season, Millionaire is down to two nights a week
– Monday nights at
Monday’s episodes, at the
network’s behest, have been dedicated exclusively to celebrities playing for
their favorite charities. As has been explained elsewhere on this site,
all-celebrity game shows never have worked, and they never will. This is
especially true of Millionaire –
there’s no tension in watching a celebrity make a run at a million dollars (too
risky), and there’s no amusement at watching a celebrity miss an easy question
at a low level (they’re guaranteed $32,000 minimum for their charities, which
means they’re given the answers to the first ten questions, usually from the
other celebs still on stage). Viewers are now more
shocked when regular contestants fill the stage. And the buzz gained when an
Average Joe or Jane goes for $500,000 or a million – or misses the first
question because they don’t know what Little Jack Horner pulled out of his pie
– is gone. Even the way contestants get on the show – by phoning in from home,
which makes anyone from a genius to a slacker goofball able to make it to the
Hot Seat, without trials to see how telegenic they
are – is gone.
As a result, the ratings
have sunk dramatically. The Monday Millionaire
ranks 48th for the 2001-2002 season (40th and 41st
the last two weeks); the Thursday Millionaire
42nd (74th last week, Thanksgiving Day – and the show
still picked up 43 percent more viewers than the show that preceded it against
a one-hour Will & Grace and CSI). Certainly not as good as it used
to be. Of course, considering only five programs ABC aired last week outpointed the Monday Millionaire
(Monday Night Football, the
accompanying seven-minute pregame show, NYPD Blue, The Practice, and a rerun of the film The Santa Clause) – one would think ABC would be at least
relatively grateful that this show had made them so much money over the
previous two years and was still reasonably competitive despite all the
roadblocks the network had placed against it.
But they’re not.
On Wednesday, Lloyd
Braun, entertainment chairman at ABC, announced, “We cannot say with
certainty that Millionaire will be on
our fall schedule. We hope it will be, but we cannot say it with
certainty.” This can be considered code for “Watch Your Back.”
Never mind that ABC has no backup plan other
than to rush new concepts on the air. (Jack Sanders, president of the
television group at Belo Corp., which owns several ABC stations, noted, “The frustration from an affiliate point of view is
that there doesn't seem to be anything on the horizon to turn that ship
around.”) Never mind that Braun wants to get ABC back to its family-friendly
roots – and Millionaire’s hidden
attribute is its ability to gather an entire family around the tube, ages 4 to
80, and all can shout out answers the contestants cannot
seem to recall.
And for Regis, it’s worse. An unnamed ABC
executive has said if Regis hosts the syndicated edition of the show, launching
in the fall of 2002, someone other than Regis might host the network version –
if it still exists. Comic Jon Stewart is among those the network would
consider. A comic cannot host this show; it does not have a comic
format. It’s one thing to have a comic host Family Feud (in fact, nothing but
comics have hosted it), but quite different to have some standup making
wisecracks when a contestant is pondering whether to risk $218,000 or more on a
question.
I will concede the following: there will be a
syndicated Millionaire five days a
week next fall. The ratings have fallen. The show has never done as well among
the 18-49 age group, the target of advertisers
because, theoretically, that’s the group who spends all the money. (Don’t get
me started on that one.)
But ABC is considering the wrong option, at the
wrong time, for the wrong reasons – and most of the reasons are of their
making. And we, the viewers, must make ABC and Lloyd Braun see they’re dead
wrong. Here’s how:
- Watch
the show every chance you can, Mondays at
- E-mail
ABC at netaudr@abc.com. Put “Save Regis and Millionaire on
ABC!” in the header. Let them know you want Millionaire back the way it was.
- Write
to Lloyd Braun in person. Write “Save Regis and Millionaire on ABC!” on
the envelope. Tell Mr. Braun you’re unhappy with his plans for the show.
That address is:
Lloyd Braun
Entertainment Chairman
ABC Television
ABC is mistaken if they
think the viewers don’t care about this show. We just want it to create the
excitement it once did, and can again.
Update: Although this page did get some notice -- and certainly a lot of letters -- ABC dumped the show off the regular schedule, and despite noting it would return as an irregularly scheduled program, that hasn't yet happened (they seem to be too busy with Are You Hot? and its ilk. The syndicated version, hosted by Meredith Viera, has done pretty well, and should be around for a second season.
E-mail Me With Questions or
Comments. (Please note I am not connected with ABC or the production company in any way, shape, or form -- I'm just a fan!