WWTBAM Bored

The Official Rules for Season 13 of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire have been posted at millionairetv.com. I noticed a few differences from the old rules:

• As we already knew, the studio is now in Stamford.
  Every contestant must bring a companion (at their own expense, of course) or they will not be allowed to play. The companion participates in the new "Plus One" lifeline.
  The "Jump the Question" lifeline can be used only once.

Does the companion get to help answer a question? If so, I'd be available. As a Phone A Friend, I was on the clock several times, but used only once, which was successful. I assume the new rules won't allow Google.

No Google.

The Contestant may call upon his/her companion who will take a place next to the Contestant and attempt to get from his/her Plus One an answer selection to the current question. The “Plus One” companion may not communicate with any outside party, whether verbally or non-verbally, directly or through electronic means, or use any reference materials, including but not limited to, printed materials and electronic devices (e.g. tablet, smartphone). This lifeline is untimed, but subject to the time limit outlined below. The Contestant will have the choice of selecting an answer, using another available lifeline, or quitting the Game. If the Contestant chooses to use the “Ask the Audience” lifeline, the “Plus One” companion will remain on the stage until the Contestant chooses to answer the question, use the “Jump the Question” lifeline, if available, or walk away.

I assume the contestant and companion can discuss the question, like on couples programs.

The same person can be a Plus One only twice a season. I'm sure they'd love to have Ed, and most contestants would be glad to pay his airfare.

jarnon wrote:Every contestant must bring a companion (at their own expense, of course) or they will not be allowed to play. The companion participates in the new "Plus One" lifeline.

Holy crap. Way to make the show even more unbalanced in favor of Where Else, despite your move outside of the city, TPTB.

MarleysGh0st wrote:

jarnon wrote:Every contestant must bring a companion (at their own expense, of course) or they will not be allowed to play. The companion participates in the new "Plus One" lifeline.

Holy crap. Way to make the show even more unbalanced in favor of Where Else, despite your move outside of the city, TPTB.

How many non-Where Elses have ever traveled alone when they appeared on the show? Probably not many...

And don't go into the strategy of needing someone brilliant as a companion... you know most of the contestants from far and wide haven't even considered that aspect...

lb13

I think it is a great change to bring back PAF without the Googling aspect. The Jump the Question lifeline is boring...

If anyone would need me, I am an hour and a half drive away from the studio and would love to do it.

Hmmmmm. The timing's gonna be tough, but maybe I can finally get in my 25th stint as a Phone-A-Friend. --Bob

Bob78164 wrote:Hmmmmm. The timing's gonna be tough, but maybe I can finally get in my 25th stint as a Phone-A-Friend. --Bob

As soon as I saw this, I thought of you (and continuing the PAF services) and Ed since he might be a popular choice also.

So council, do you bill hourly or through contingency?

ten96lt wrote:So council, do you bill hourly or through contingency?

If you use this term in law school, spell it "counsel."

Estonut wrote:

ten96lt wrote:So council, do you bill hourly or through contingency?

If you use this term in law school, spell it "counsel."

I'm blaming spell check with this one (but I can't plead ignorance for not double checking).

littlebeast13 wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:

jarnon wrote:Every contestant must bring a companion (at their own expense, of course) or they will not be allowed to play. The companion participates in the new "Plus One" lifeline.

Holy crap. Way to make the show even more unbalanced in favor of Where Else, despite your move outside of the city, TPTB.

How many non-Where Elses have ever traveled alone when they appeared on the show? Probably not many...

And don't go into the strategy of needing someone brilliant as a companion... you know most of the contestants from far and wide haven't even considered that aspect...

lb13

Lots of people have been on the syndicated show with no companion, including the only two people who have ever answered 15 questions and won a million. Back in the Regis days, the show paid air fare for a companion, so most people brought somebody. But the syndicated show does not, so I'd guess close to half the people who travel a long distance are there solo. Forcing people to pay not just for their own travel, but also for a mandatory companion, really changes the equation and limits the number of people who can afford to be on the show. And it's not just an expense issue. There's also the matter of getting a friend to take off for three days from work, family and other obligations.

TheConfessor wrote: Lots of people have been on the syndicated show with no companion, including the only two people who have ever answered 15 questions and won a million. Back in the Regis days, the show paid air fare for a companion, so most people brought somebody. But the syndicated show does not, so I'd guess close to half the people who travel a long distance are there solo. Forcing people to pay not just for their own travel, but also for a mandatory companion, really changes the equation and limits the number of people who can afford to be on the show. And it's not just an expense issue. There's also the matter of getting a friend to take off for three days from work, family and other obligations.

And wasn't there once a contestant who had no PAF's whatsoever (thus forfeiting the lifeline), but was still allowed to play?

I'm with the Confessor here. Theoretically, if I were to get the call, my wife - who is, bless her heart, essentially of no help whatsoever as a BAM lifeline - would have to decide whether she would want to make the trip, with the expenses involved (and thus also handicapping my chances were she to be the lifeline). Beyond the trivia issues, she is also quite camera-shy...do I put her on the spot? And, if not, I now have to come up with another "official" companion as my lifeline. Which, of course, involves more expense and logistical headaches. So...the possibility of having to pop for three plane tickets as well as lodging could add up to some serious up-front expenses. In theory, this new lifeline is a good idea. In practice, though...maybe not so much.

TheConfessor wrote:

littlebeast13 wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:
Holy crap. Way to make the show even more unbalanced in favor of Where Else, despite your move outside of the city, TPTB.

How many non-Where Elses have ever traveled alone when they appeared on the show? Probably not many...

And don't go into the strategy of needing someone brilliant as a companion... you know most of the contestants from far and wide haven't even considered that aspect...

lb13

Lots of people have been on the syndicated show with no companion, including the only two people who have ever answered 15 questions and won a million. Back in the Regis days, the show paid air fare for a companion, so most people brought somebody. But the syndicated show does not, so I'd guess close to half the people who travel a long distance are there solo. Forcing people to pay not just for their own travel, but also for a mandatory companion, really changes the equation and limits the number of people who can afford to be on the show. And it's not just an expense issue. There's also the matter of getting a friend to take off for three days from work, family and other obligations.

I guess I have had the wrong impression about how other people travel... I always assumed I was the only one who ever went anywhere alone...

lb13

AlphaDummy wrote:

TheConfessor wrote: Lots of people have been on the syndicated show with no companion, including the only two people who have ever answered 15 questions and won a million. Back in the Regis days, the show paid air fare for a companion, so most people brought somebody. But the syndicated show does not, so I'd guess close to half the people who travel a long distance are there solo. Forcing people to pay not just for their own travel, but also for a mandatory companion, really changes the equation and limits the number of people who can afford to be on the show. And it's not just an expense issue. There's also the matter of getting a friend to take off for three days from work, family and other obligations.

And wasn't there once a contestant who had no PAF's whatsoever (thus forfeiting the lifeline), but was still allowed to play?

There was someone with that handicap in my RoF... not that it mattered since he didn't make the Hot Seat...

lb13

Thank you, Ed, for that response. While most contestants may travel with their significant other, that person is not necessarily their first choice for a PAF. And (here's comes strategizing part, beast) TPTB really wins out in this exchange. Some live bantering with a companion will almost always be "entertaining," whether or not it helps the contestant. But even if the companion would have made a good PAF, it used to be contestants could choose from five of them (three, once they started displaying PAF photos). Now contestants must pre-select just one official companion, no matter what the question might be. And you can be sure TPTB will be watching carefully for any forbidden signalling from the companions, which might indicate if they're confident of an answer or not, before they're chosen as a lifeline.

We also have to see how the question writers react to this rules change. When the JTQs were introduced, they also added the WWOQs, specifically to force contestants to burn those lifelines. If the WWOQs are still there, it may not matter much who is the companion.

As a practical matter, our Bored and the J! Board are probably good resources for people seeking "plus one" lifelines. If and when I ever get onto the show, I will surely do my best to exploit those resources. --Bob

It's possible that some people would have to bring their companion back more than once, if they have not yet played, or if they are in the middle of their stack of questions when the tape day ends. And many people will have the expense of bringing a PAF companion (or whatever it's called), only to miss a question before the PAF is used. I agree that it might help the show become more interesting, but it's a mixed blessing for some of the contestants.

I also wonder whether the current auditions include questions about who you might bring as your helper, and whether that might be a factor in who gets selected.

TheConfessor wrote:I also wonder whether the current auditions include questions about who you might bring as your helper, and whether that might be a factor in who gets selected.

Nothing like that whatsoever as of the Naperville auds...the first I even heard of this was when I read the OP in this thread.

This stinks. I know there are great people in range of the Stamford studio who will & have offered (thanks goongas). It still mightily stinks.

Are they going to vet these companions? "Well, BAM folks, I got this person off the WWTBAM board who I don't actually know but they're a good BAM player". Probably not going to pass the test. Will they ask you "who will be your companion?" in the interview. Stay tuned, I guess.

TheConfessor wrote:It's possible that some people would have to bring their companion back more than once, if they have not yet played, or if they are in the middle of their stack of questions when the tape day ends. And many people will have the expense of bringing a PAF companion (or whatever it's called), only to miss a question before the PAF is used. I agree that it might help the show become more interesting, but it's a mixed blessing for some of the contestants.

I also wonder whether the current auditions include questions about who you might bring as your helper, and whether that might be a factor in who gets selected.

I was told (Vegas audition) that I had to bring a companion, but not why. When I got the call, I got busy figuring out who was in the NYC area who might help when asked.

People from the show asked how I knew my companion; I told them we'd met on an online forum for game show fans and people who had participated in game shows. They had no problem with the person I used for my Plus One.

ElendilPickle wrote:

TheConfessor wrote:It's possible that some people would have to bring their companion back more than once, if they have not yet played, or if they are in the middle of their stack of questions when the tape day ends. And many people will have the expense of bringing a PAF companion (or whatever it's called), only to miss a question before the PAF is used. I agree that it might help the show become more interesting, but it's a mixed blessing for some of the contestants.

I also wonder whether the current auditions include questions about who you might bring as your helper, and whether that might be a factor in who gets selected.

I was told (Vegas audition) that I had to bring a companion, but not why. When I got the call, I got busy figuring out who was in the NYC area who might help when asked.

People from the show asked how I knew my companion; I told them we'd met on an online forum for game show fans and people who had participated in game shows. They had no problem with the person I used for my Plus One.

When did you actually tape? Friday or Saturday? --Bob

MarleysGh0st wrote:Thank you, Ed, for that response. While most contestants may travel with their significant other, that person is not necessarily their first choice for a PAF. And (here's comes strategizing part, beast) TPTB really wins out in this exchange. Some live bantering with a companion will almost always be "entertaining," whether or not it helps the contestant. But even if the companion would have made a good PAF, it used to be contestants could choose from five of them (three, once they started displaying PAF photos). Now contestants must pre-select just one official companion, no matter what the question might be. And you can be sure TPTB will be watching carefully for any forbidden signalling from the companions, which might indicate if they're confident of an answer or not, before they're chosen as a lifeline.

We also have to see how the question writers react to this rules change. When the JTQs were introduced, they also added the WWOQs, specifically to force contestants to burn those lifelines. If the WWOQs are still there, it may not matter much who is the companion.

You seem to be expending a lot of energy trying to sort out a lifeline that in reality is probably about as meaningless as the old AOL ATA (Thanks MBFFB® for helping me remember that). Going through all the extra effort (and expense) to drag along someone who's "trivia smart" on the off chance they might be able to help you with whatever question you should finally end up resorting to using their help makes very little sense to me. At least with a SO/family member/good friend, you probably already know their strengths and weaknesses a lot better than you will ever know a hired gun's.

My main point is.... just bring along someone whose company you enjoy and have fun! That is how most prospective contestants are going to handle it anyway, whether you realize that or not....

lb13

littlebeast13 wrote:My main point is.... just bring along someone whose company you enjoy and have fun! That is how most prospective contestants are going to handle it anyway, whether you realize that or not....

Yes, they will.

Since when has that stopped us from discussing strategy, particularly strategies that might be better than what most contestants do?

And I've already said that this is a poor, new lifeline to replace those we've had in the past (particularly if TPTB keep the current balance of WWOQs in the question stacks).

Bob, I taped Friday.

Your Plus One sits behind you, so it would be difficult to look at or signal them.

Maury POvich 21 used a similar lifeline to the new WWTBAM lifeline being discussed here. A player could, once per game, bring out a friend or relative to discuss a question. Getting the question wrong after doing that meant getting two strikes instead of one.