Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Is that your final answer? Who Wants to Be a Millionaire turned multiple-choice trivia into prime-time theater with its hot seat, dramatic lighting, and three classic lifelines — 50:50, Phone a Friend, and Ask the Audience — each one a potential rescue or a ruinous miscue.

Millionaire originated on ITV in the UK in September 1998 with host Chris Tarrant and became a global phenomenon, licensed to more than 100 countries. The U.S. version premiered on ABC on August 16, 1999 with Regis Philbin, drawing up to 30 million viewers per episode during its 1999–2002 prime-time run. A syndicated daytime version (2002–2019) rotated through hosts Meredith Vieira, Cedric the Entertainer, Terry Crews, and Chris Harrison. The most recent U.S. revival is the celebrity edition on ABC hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, which launched in April 2020.

What makes it unique: Millionaire distilled the quiz show down to one person, one lighted hot seat, and 15 multiple-choice questions of escalating difficulty. The show's dramatic pauses, its "safe money" checkpoints, and its three lifelines made every decision high-stakes television. The format inspired international classics including India's Kaun Banega Crorepati (hosted by Amitabh Bachchan) and provided the plot backbone for Danny Boyle's 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire, which won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Quick Facts

• Host: Jimmy Kimmel (ABC celebrity revival)
• Network: ABC (primetime celebrity revival); syndicated daytime ran 2002–2019
• Premiere Year: 1998 (UK original), 1999 (U.S. ABC premiere)
• Seasons: ABC celebrity revival: 3 seasons (2020–2023); classic ABC run: 3 seasons
• Filming Location: Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles (ABC celebrity revival)

Learn more: abc.com/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire · Wikipedia