WWTBAM Bored

I also posted this message in the transcript of Lori Fagan, day one, but I thought I'd copy it here as well ...


Seems to me that the new [blasted] clock results in fewer contestants appearing on the show, rather than more. The vast majority of shows so far have had only two contestants, while only a few have had three and a few others have had only one. Episodes in previous seasons featured three per show regularly, and sometimes more.

The reason is probably that now the network can't edit out anyone's thinking time without making the clock jump a few seconds onscreen. Do they still edit out the "final answer" confirmation at all? (I can't watch the show when it's on here.) Being able to take one's time in the game used to be a real appeal of "Millionaire", but the clock, in my opinion, has ruined the format.

rgcviper wrote:I also posted this message in the transcript of Lori Fagan, day one, but I thought I'd copy it here as well ...


Seems to me that the new [blasted] clock results in fewer contestants appearing on the show, rather than more. The vast majority of shows so far have had only two contestants, while only a few have had three and a few others have had only one. Episodes in previous seasons featured three per show regularly, and sometimes more.

The reason is probably that now the network can't edit out anyone's thinking time without making the clock jump a few seconds onscreen. Do they still edit out the "final answer" confirmation at all? (I can't watch the show when it's on here.) Being able to take one's time in the game used to be a real appeal of "Millionaire", but the clock, in my opinion, has ruined the format.

Doesn't 15questionsaway keep stats on this? Or am I misremembering?

rgcviper wrote:I also posted this message in the transcript of Lori Fagan, day one, but I thought I'd copy it here as well ...

I just answered in the transcript thread.

My m-i-l and her friend watch the show, and they HATE the clock. But she admits old people hate change.

Hello, Mini! wrote:My m-i-l and her friend watch the show, and they HATE the clock. But she admits old people hate change.

Who are you calling old?





But thanks for responding to an on-topic thread, mini!

MarleysGh0st wrote:

Hello, Mini! wrote:My m-i-l and her friend watch the show, and they HATE the clock. But she admits old people hate change.

Who are you calling old?





But thanks for responding to an on-topic thread, mini!

Her friend is 85. She's 68. She called herself old!

ulysses5019 wrote:Doesn't 15questionsaway keep stats on this? Or am I misremembering?

He does. In short, thus far in season 7 (compared to season 6) we're seeing:

- fewer contestants per show (about 0.5)
- about the same amount of money won per show
- higher average win per contestant

If current trends hold, you'll see around 85 fewer contestants this season than last. Obviously, with fewer contestants per show and no switch the question any more, there's fewer questions asked per show.

I like the clock.

peacock2121 wrote:I like the clock.

What do you like about it?

MarleysGh0st wrote:

peacock2121 wrote:I like the clock.

What do you like about it?

It makes people make a decision. It makes them not tell their stoopid little stories about why they know the $300 question. It puts pressure on them figure out something and then trust they did it right the first time. It adds pressure - pressure in a game show is fun to watch. It demonstrates a character trait I enjoy.

Last I checked, there were about 4 fewer questions per episode, compared to last year. I think the stats show about 18 questions per episode in Season 6 and 14 questions per episode in Season 7. Possible reasons for the more languid pace of the show this season:

1) Ask the Expert. The obligatory chatting and promoting of the Expert, plus his or her actual performance in silently reading the question, mulling it over, and discussing it with the contestant, then coming back to the Expert after the question to offer congratulations or condolences, all take significant time. This process might replace two or three questions per show. Note that it replaced Switch The Question, which was a way to squeeze more questions into a short amount of time.

2) The clock. It is perverse and counterintuitive that adding a clock would slow down the show, but as noted above, showing the clock tick down from 30 or 45 seconds sucks a lot of time from each 22 minute episode. In the past, much of this time would have been edited out.

3) The 15-subject tree, or whatever they call it. Having the contestant look at it and tell us which ones she likes and dislikes uses up a little extra time.

4) Double Dip takes more time than 50-50 did.

5) Showing the contestant's stable of available PAFs takes extra time.

6) There's a continuing trend toward turning WWTBAM into a talk show with a few questions, rather than a quiz show with a little conversation. If you don't have a good personal story for Meredith to get compassionate about, you probably won't ever be on the show.

I'm in favor of any changes that make the show successful and keep it on the air, but I mainly watch to see questions and challenge myself. I'm not thrilled about any changes that reduce the amount of actual game play. Some of these changes probably result in lower production costs for the show, so they may have been introduced for budgetary reasons.

TheConfessor wrote:2) The clock. It is perverse and counterintuitive that adding a clock would slow down the show, but as noted above, showing the clock tick down from 30 or 45 seconds sucks a lot of time from each 22 minute episode. In the past, much of this time would have been edited out.

I'd like to see some statistics, if someone sat down in front of tapes with a stopwatch, of how much time is spent on a contestant dealing with the questions with the clock compared to past seasons without it. Yes, they used to edit that time, but we still saw contestants reasoning out their answers, responding to "What are you thinking" prompts from Meredith, and, yes, occasionally just staring off into space. Contestants rarely verbalize about their answers now, when the incentive is to bank as much time as possible for the $1 million question, if they ever see it. Just about the only time we see them let the clock run out is when they're deciding that they have to walk away.

My hypothesis is that less time is spent on the questions, this season.

TheConfessor wrote:6) There's a continuing trend toward turning WWTBAM into a talk show with a few questions, rather than a quiz show with a little conversation. If you don't have a good personal story for Meredith to get compassionate about, you probably won't ever be on the show.

And this is the bottom line for me. <grumble>®

MarleysGh0st wrote: <grumble>®

Just curious, Marley. Do you have your "<grumble>®" set up with a shortcut quick key system, or do you have to type it anew each time?

gsabc wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote: <grumble>®

Just curious, Marley. Do you have your "<grumble>®" set up with a shortcut quick key system, or do you have to type it anew each time?

It's not on a shortcut, but I do have it saved in a file I copy & paste from. I can never remember how to do the trademark sign without it!