Transcript 09/13/10 David Hill

[heelsrule1988]

So they're doing "sneak peaks" at old questions? Why???

Would you rather have an important spoiler for the next show revealed to you, like it was before?

[MarleysGh0st]

So they're doing "sneak peaks" at old questions? Why???

Would you rather have an important spoiler for the next show revealed to you, like it was before?

Is it really an either/or choice?

No, seriously, since my DVR didn't record yesterday's episode, I thought that Meredith might have said something more that made sense of it. Otherwise, they chucked enough of the other features of WWTBAM this season; they could easily chuck one more.

[Estonut]

As far as I can tell, we don't get the show here this season.

Kay, you may want to try this:

I find that the TV Listings on Zap2It.COM are pretty up-to-date, and have, on occasion, been more accurate than schedules listed on each network's website.

Go to:
http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tvlistings ... tProviders

On that page, you will need to enter your zip code. It will then look up all of the TV service providers in your area and give you a list, from which you need to choose yours.

Then use the search feature at the top right and enter "who wants to be a millionaire." When I do it here, it returns 2 choices that look identical. Selecting one only gives me the old reruns on GSN. Selecting the other one gives me the current ... station and GSN.

When I picked the first provider for a zip near you (36830 - charter communications - digital), it showed the current episodes running on KTLA (WB) from 2:00pm to 3:00pm. I am a bit leery of that information, as KTLA is the Los Angeles affiliate for the WB, so, if you have the WB, it's probably linked to a more eastern affiliate. Try the link above for your zip & service provider.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29467&p=332890#p332890

[Estonut]

Kay,

Forget what I said about KTLA. I realized it wasn't displaying a channel number, so I think that means KTLA is not offered by that cable provider, which is what I would expect. I think it was coming in because of my previous west-coast settings.

You could still try the link with your exact information and see what you get.

The BAM website shows this (for Birmingham):

Select your city! BIRMINGHAM
CHANNEL: WTTO
AIRTIME: 1:00pm & 1:30pm

[15QuestionsAway]

I missed the first episode - is there a difference in the two JTQ, just curious as to why which one is used would make a difference.

There's no difference between them - I suggested it so when you read the transcript, you know where the player stands in the game.

I wonder if it wouldn't be too much trouble to add to the topic tree a number in parentheses which indicates its position in the topic tree prior to it being shuffled. Over time this could give Transcript readers a sense of whether or not the initial topic tree is ordered by level of difficulty. As discussed in another thread, this information could help future contestants determine if an intuitive answer is most likely correct (on an easy question) or a bank-draining distractor (on a more difficult question). It seemed to hold for David's stack (the tie-in to "Pretty" in pink question was near the bottom of the initial stack) but the only way to have any confidence in this observation would be to monitor the shuffling continually.

And here I thought I was the only one thinking this. If I can make another request, I'd suggest showing both the pre- and post-randomized topic trees in the transcripts.

Since it's never said enough, I want to thank the BBTranscriptTeam again for the great work they do.

[kayrharris]

Kay,

Forget what I said about KTLA. I realized it wasn't displaying a channel number, so I think that means KTLA is not offered by that cable provider, which is what I would expect. I think it was coming in because of my previous west-coast settings.

You could still try the link with your exact information and see what you get.

The BAM website shows this (for Birmingham):

Select your city! BIRMINGHAM
CHANNEL: WTTO
AIRTIME: 1:00pm & 1:30pm

Thanks Esto. Last season it was on the "local" WB network (WLGA out of Columbus, GA), which at the moment, appears to be off the air! I don't get Birmingham stations - a few Montgomery and mostly Columbus, GA. The Columbus stations have changed their lineups this past week, however, Zap2it and the info showing on my cable guide still show the old shows, i.e. at 8AM the channel guides says I am watching Rachel Ray, however, the Judge Alex show is being broadcast! I don't know how long they take to update their new shows.

This time last year, I just happened to see WWTBAM on the WB network by mistake, as it is a channel I seldom ever tune in. I may
wander across it again in the next few weeks, who knows?

Thanks!

kay

[Estonut]

Thanks Esto. Last season it was on the "local" WB network (WLGA out of Columbus, GA), which at the moment, appears to be off the air! I don't get Birmingham stations - a few Montgomery and mostly Columbus, GA. The Columbus stations have changed their lineups this past week, however, Zap2it and the info showing on my cable guide still show the old shows, i.e. at 8AM the channel guides says I am watching Rachel Ray, however, the Judge Alex show is being broadcast! I don't know how long they take to update their new shows.

This time last year, I just happened to see WWTBAM on the WB network by mistake, as it is a channel I seldom ever tune in. I may
wander across it again in the next few weeks, who knows?

Thanks!

You're welcome. I'm sorry you couldn't find it.

Zap2It is generally on top of programming changes. I suspect they're only as good as the data they get from the networks, though. On occasion, there have been discrepancies between Zap2It listings and the networks' own website schedules, and Zap2It has usually been right. They showed our WWTBAM cutover from KCAL to KTLA two weeks before it happened.

As to WLGA, the news is not good:

In early June 2010, WLGA announced that it would cease operations at 11:59 p.m. on June 4.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WLGA

[kayrharris]

As to WLGA, the news is not good:

In early June 2010, WLGA announced that it would cease operations at 11:59 p.m. on June 4.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WLGA

Yikes! Shows how often I watch that channel. Guess the odds of BAM showing
here are slim to none! Thanks!


kay

[Bob78164]

The $100K question was from a show in 2009, as explained by Meredith. Which is good, since that means the days of the spoiler question are over.

It was, in fact, from the second show airing in two-a-day markets. --Bob

[Bob78164]

Thanks, Marley!

You're welcome!

But do you understand how the Jump The Question lifelines work with the bank and only being able to walk away with half of the bank while in Round 1, but being able to keep the whole bank if you walk away at the end of Round 1, but you still only have a $25,000 safe haven if you continue playing Round 2, despite the possibility of having a larger amount in that bank?

If I've done the math correctly, it's a certainty that anyone who completes Round 1 will necessarily have more than $25,000 in the bank. There is a little more than $68,000 in question value available in Round 1, and the two most valuable questions are worth $25,000 and $15,000. --Bob

[15QuestionsAway]

If I've done the math correctly, it's a certainty that anyone who completes Round 1 will necessarily have more than $25,000 in the bank. There is a little more than $68,000 in question value available in Round 1, and the two most valuable questions are worth $25,000 and $15,000. --Bob

Right you are - the minimum bank is $28,600 and the maximum is $68,600. It also makes no sense to walk if your bank is $2000 or less, as the minimum prize is $1000.

[MarleysGh0st]

If I've done the math correctly, it's a certainty that anyone who completes Round 1 will necessarily have more than $25,000 in the bank. There is a little more than $68,000 in question value available in Round 1, and the two most valuable questions are worth $25,000 and $15,000. --Bob

Yes, but I was already getting Kay confused enough without having to get ultra-precise about every detail.

But since you're in the mood for mathematics, perhaps you'd like to go back to the discussion thread about the new rules to review the post I made that did some calculations about the average expected winnings for contestants who walked away after answering 1 to 9 questions.

[Bob78164]

If I've done the math correctly, it's a certainty that anyone who completes Round 1 will necessarily have more than $25,000 in the bank. There is a little more than $68,000 in question value available in Round 1, and the two most valuable questions are worth $25,000 and $15,000. --Bob

Yes, but I was already getting Kay confused enough without having to get ultra-precise about every detail.

But since you're in the mood for mathematics, perhaps you'd like to go back to the discussion thread about the new rules to review the post I made that did some calculations about the average expected winnings for contestants who walked away after answering 1 to 9 questions.

I think that calculation will get rather messy in the middle. --Bob

[MarleysGh0st]

If I've done the math correctly, it's a certainty that anyone who completes Round 1 will necessarily have more than $25,000 in the bank. There is a little more than $68,000 in question value available in Round 1, and the two most valuable questions are worth $25,000 and $15,000. --Bob

Yes, but I was already getting Kay confused enough without having to get ultra-precise about every detail.

But since you're in the mood for mathematics, perhaps you'd like to go back to the discussion thread about the new rules to review the post I made that did some calculations about the average expected winnings for contestants who walked away after answering 1 to 9 questions.

I think that calculation will get rather messy in the middle. --Bob

I took a simplified approach, but I think the answer I came up with was reasonable. But the second opinion of a math major would be appreciated!

[Jeemie]

But do you understand how the Jump The Question lifelines work with the bank and only being able to walk away with half of the bank while in Round 1, but being able to keep the whole bank if you walk away at the end of Round 1, but you still only have a $25,000 safe haven if you continue playing Round 2, despite the possibility of having a larger amount in that bank?

This post just made my head explode.

[MarleysGh0st]

But do you understand how the Jump The Question lifelines work with the bank and only being able to walk away with half of the bank while in Round 1, but being able to keep the whole bank if you walk away at the end of Round 1, but you still only have a $25,000 safe haven if you continue playing Round 2, despite the possibility of having a larger amount in that bank?

This post just made my head explode.

Did you also get upset at my using word "possibility" when I should have used "certainty"?

[MarleysGh0st]

Here's an article about David's appearance.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/contes ... local.html

When David Hill gave the answer to his ninth question on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” host Meredith Vieira told him he was correct, only to realize moments later he wasn’t.

Hill, a Niceville resident who was the first contestant on the show’s season premiere Monday, said he quickly went from a high to a sick feeling in his stomach. All his friends later told him they also thought Napoleon had called Russia, not China, the “sleeping giant.”

“I was right for about two seconds,” Hill said. “We had to re-shoot the end of the show … I had to say ‘final answer’ again and put on a face.”

Ouch! It's a Reverse Meredith Fake-out!

[Estonut]

Here's an article about David's appearance.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/contes ... local.html

When David Hill gave the answer to his ninth question on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” host Meredith Vieira told him he was correct, only to realize moments later he wasn’t.

Hill, a Niceville resident who was the first contestant on the show’s season premiere Monday, said he quickly went from a high to a sick feeling in his stomach. All his friends later told him they also thought Napoleon had called Russia, not China, the “sleeping giant.”

“I was right for about two seconds,” Hill said. “We had to re-shoot the end of the show … I had to say ‘final answer’ again and put on a face.”

Ouch! It's a Reverse Meredith Fake-out!

Marley missed a major pearl of wisdom in the comments section of the linked article:

Before we took the test, the moderator asked how many people were 'graduate students' and to mark their test sheet with that information. GUESS who got selected. ONLY graduate students. Just a little bias in their contestant selection.

[MarleysGh0st]

Marley missed a major pearl of wisdom in the comments section of the linked article:

Before we took the test, the moderator asked how many people were 'graduate students' and to mark their test sheet with that information. GUESS who got selected. ONLY graduate students. Just a little bias in their contestant selection.

I didn't even see the comment section, since I didn't tell NoScript to allow scripts from that site.

So, this commenter was referring to an audition from several years ago. I don't recall them doing a "Grad Student Week" or anything like that. And when they did ask for people to identify themselves as part of a special group, such as engaged couple who might qualify for Wedding Week, it was simply another notation on their application sheets, which had no bearing on whether they passed the written test or not. Furthermore, several years ago, the APs didn't ask auditioners to stay for a second, videotaped interview, so there wasn't really any way to notice whom they had selected for Happy Cards.

The details of pavedave's story don't quite add up.