A spin-off version of the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, called Millionaire Hot Seat, debuted on ITV in Britain tonight.
Presented by the same presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, many elements were familiar, but there were some key differences.
For starters, the show was shorter than the original format, lasting about 30 minutes.
Players are given less time to answer questions, and they find themselves in a rotating queue that moves every time the player in front of them uses their one pass in the game.
Clarkson described it as “pure concentrated Who Wants To Be A Millionaire juice – no lifelines, no hesitation, and five people waiting to jump in the seat if someone messes up.”
But some people sounded like they wanted the original version on their screens instead.
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The show is an established format that started in Australia almost 20 years ago and has had 15 seasons, with a 16th starting soon.
While it may have been a success, viewers in Britain had some complaints. Oceania Skeptic said it was ‘too bitty’ and ‘harsh on the participants’. Moreover, KardSharp75 thought it was a “guessing game without any strategy and decision-making.”
Others, such as East Leeds Lass, enjoyed the shorter running time: ‘I like the pace of it’.
And Jack S called it ‘a great format’.
The contestants are still hoping to win £1 million, and it all comes down to who sits in first place in the end.
In the first episode the winner took home £20,000. Simon Williams, a firefighter from Notting Hill, won the prize money on a ‘total gamble’.
He was asked, “Which of these characters has not appeared in a movie directed by Ridley Scott?”
His options were Hannibal Lecter, Rick Deckard, Paul Atreides and Ellen Ripley.
Simon rightly chose Paul Atreides and earned $20,000, which he said he would spend on taking his daughter to New York, arranging a season ticket for Manchester United and taking his girlfriend to the Maldives.
The main show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, had a festive special at the end of last year, with Celebrity Traitor’s Joe Marler and comedian Katherine Ryan trying to win the charity prize.
Marler won £64,000 for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), and Ryan won the same amount for Women’s Health Information & Support Center (WHISC).
Millionaire Hot Seat continues tomorrow at 7.30pm on ITV1.
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