New Changes to WWTBAM

[LastMinuteRequest]

I don't think I've posted anything on the Bored since it got its new digs; it's much sprucier and friendlier (with pix and such) than before!

It's nice to see Marley, Bob Juch, and Confessor still around! Hi!

I was surfing through recent posts on the Bored, just to see if there was any discussion of the changes to WWTBAM in the new season, and was only slightly surprised to see that they haven't been addressed yet. Slightly, because I had heard TPTB was really tightening up confidentiality agreements and clamping down on media leaks, but still surprised because I figured somebody would've still divulged the changes by now.

I, for one, am eager to see how the changes play out. My impression was that they would improve the game -- one change in particular strikes me as something that will provoke everyone to say, gosh, they should've done that from the start -- but I guess we'll all have to wait until September to see how they actually play on TV.

Best wishes to everyone who's going into the Hot Seat this season! You're going to be the guinea pigs!

[gsn309]

I don't think I've posted anything on the Bored since it got its new digs; it's much sprucier and friendlier (with pix and such) than before!

It's nice to see Marley, Bob Juch, and Confessor still around! Hi!

I was surfing through recent posts on the Bored, just to see if there was any discussion of the changes to WWTBAM in the new season, and was only slightly surprised to see that they haven't been addressed yet. Slightly, because I had heard TPTB was really tightening up confidentiality agreements and clamping down on media leaks, but still surprised because I figured somebody would've still divulged the changes by now.

I, for one, am eager to see how the changes play out. My impression was that they would improve the game -- one change in particular strikes me as something that will provoke everyone to say, gosh, they should've done that from the start -- but I guess we'll all have to wait until September to see how they actually play on TV.

Best wishes to everyone who's going into the Hot Seat this season! You're going to be the guinea pigs!

Well if you know what they are, why not reveal them?

And if you won't, then why bother posting the above in the first place?

I personally don't want ANY spoilers regarding game play (except for the hopefully announcement that Frogman's show will air in November or February!)... but as for rules changes --- again, you would think it would be a GOOD thing to release them now!

Go figure.

[gsabc]

Some have been mentioned. The use of former winners (I suspect that you're one of them!) as an "Ask an Expert" lifeline, for instance. Rumor that the 50/50 is gone in favor of the Double Dip. Limit of three PAF's instead of five. So there has been some information, but not much.

Good to see you around, LMR! Keep in touch!

[TheConfessor]

It's nice to see Marley, Bob Juch, and Confessor still around! Hi!

Good to see you here, too. Hope your studies are progressing well. Sorry we haven't seen you on Grand Slam this summer, but maybe we'll at least see you in a cameo role on WWTBAM. Let's talk soon.

As for the mysterious changes on WWTBAM this season, it seems certain that they will leak out in the coming days, just based on what any audience members observe and report.

[LastMinuteRequest]

Sorry we haven't seen you on Grand Slam this summer, but maybe we'll at least see you in a cameo role on WWTBAM. Let's talk soon.

I just sent you an offline note.

And I hope we see you on the next incarnation of Grand Slam! You, more than anyone, deserve another shot! GSN has a new president, so who knows.

This new Bored is really great.

[Ogi's Ogres]

This new Bored is really great.

We think so! Glad you found us!

[MarleysGh0st]

Good to see you again, Ogi!

I was surfing through recent posts on the Bored, just to see if there was any discussion of the changes to WWTBAM in the new season, and was only slightly surprised to see that they haven't been addressed yet. Slightly, because I had heard TPTB was really tightening up confidentiality agreements and clamping down on media leaks, but still surprised because I figured somebody would've still divulged the changes by now.

"I could tell you that, but I won't" is a long-time favorite slogan among the APs. It seems to have become official policy for everything now.

We've got exciting changes coming that aren't anything like jumping the shark! Really!

[LastMinuteRequest]

Good to see you again, Ogi!

We've got exciting changes coming that aren't anything like jumping the shark! Really!

Hi, Marley! Nice to hear from you again!

I presume you auditioned again this season? Was anything different about the audition process? And did you try anything different?

When I first heard WWTBAM was making big changes, I also figured that they were jumping the shark. After all, the Millionaire format has been tried and true for many years now and in markets around the world. But I did catch a taping from the new season and it definitely seemed like the changes could actually enhance the show. At least, some of the changes seemed to build upon the format, rather than moving it in a different direction.

One change that I don't think it's forbidden to mention is that contestants no longer get to watch other contestants in the Hot Seat. When I was on, at least, everybody in the green room got to watch the contestants ahead of them on the TV. But that's no longer allowed.

[TheConfessor]

One change that I don't think it's forbidden to mention is that contestants no longer get to watch other contestants in the Hot Seat. When I was on, at least, everybody in the green room got to watch the contestants ahead of them on the TV. But that's no longer allowed.

I'm trying to figure out how you would know this, unless you know someone who has already taped this season.

When I was on the show, we didn't have any choice but to watch when someone else was in the hot seat. We were all on the same stage as the contestant, in ten chairs with a screen and A B C D buttons. Some might say they jumped the shark when they eliminated those ten chairs.

[MarleysGh0st]

Hi, Marley! Nice to hear from you again!

I presume you auditioned again this season? Was anything different about the audition process? And did you try anything different?

Yes, I auditioned in June.

As for what's new in the process, now you can be 99.99% certain that you've been rejected as soon as they say goodbye to you instead of asking you to stay for a second, videotaped interview. But, of course, they claim that it doesn't mean anything.

As for my effort, it was pathetic. An old military axiom is that no battle plan survives contact with the enemy.

[secondchance]

As for my effort, it was pathetic.

Aww, don't say that, Marley... as a newbie to the BAM process, your dogged determination is inspirational. It should all pay off one day, to the thrill of all those who've watched your odyssey.

[IHateSeat9]

When I was on the show, we didn't have any choice but to watch when someone else was in the hot seat. We were all on the same stage as the contestant, in ten chairs with a screen and A B C D buttons. Some might say they jumped the shark when they eliminated those ten chairs.

Well, nine of them anyway....

IHS9

[Shade]

Hi Ogi, great to see you on the Bored.

I think changes to Millionaire's format is long over due. The fact that the syndicated version added Switch the Question created a good president for an introduction of future changes. Normally I'd be against messing with a classic format but the format has already been messed with and I accepted it. I'm sure I and all Millionaire fans will be happy with any changes if it means more people getting closer to the prize for which the show is named.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who thinks so but the questions have gotten much harder over the years. At the shows current format it would take the intelligence of Einstein and the Memory of the guy from Rain Man to even get up to 250,000 dollars. And of course people smarter than both of those people to get up to 500,000 dollars...like Ogi!

I look forward to watching those new episodes and hopefully appearing on one.

[NellyLunatic1980]

I sure hope these "exciting changes" give us more big winners. This show is not called "Who Wants to Win $16,000?" or "Who Wants to Win $50,000?" (no offense to Greyhound, TKO, or anybody else on the Bored who has won those amounts).

[Snaxx]

I sure hope these "exciting changes" give us more big winners. This show is not called "Who Wants to Win $16,000?" or "Who Wants to Win $50,000?" (no offense to Greyhound, TKO, or anybody else on the Bored who has won those amounts).

I just hope the time limit (15-30 seconds) they had at the rehearsal was just for the rehearsal. Otherwise I'm afraid there will be even more early lifeline use and walking. This unless they change the question content to make them all easier as well as straight either-you-know-it or you don't. However that kind of change, getting rid of interesting figure-it-out questions, would also make the show's content more dull and repetitive.






.

[MarleysGh0st]

I just hope the time limit (15-30 seconds) they had at the rehearsal was just for the rehearsal.

I hope so, too. It does make sense during a rehearsal, when they're more concerned about all the technical aspects of the show, getting the camera angles, the lights and sound effects and so forth, right. Sitting there waiting for a practice contestant to think wasn't necessary.

Speeding up the pace of the questions on the real show would be a drastic and unnecessary change.

[NellyLunatic1980]

If anything should have a 15-30 second time limit, it should be Meredith's interviews with the contestants.

[LastMinuteRequest]

I'm trying to figure out how you would know this, unless you know someone who has already taped this season.

Someone associated with the show told me.

Some might say they jumped the shark when they eliminated those ten chairs.

You know, I kind of like the show without the ring of fire, though of course I have increased respect for those who made it through it, like yourself, and especially those who made it through it and got to the million.

Just because the RoF was kind of a completely different game, it was like an add-on, it destroyed the unity of the game play. Plus, it wasn't interesting to watch, since the audience only got to see the outcome (kind of like reading the fininshing times of a horse race in the newspaper, rather than watching the race). And since speed wasn't required once you got in the chair, it might have prevented truly good Millionaire players from ever getting a chance.

I'm just glad I didn't have to go through it! Sheew!

[LastMinuteRequest]

I sure hope these "exciting changes" give us more big winners.

Warning: Definitely *not* a spoiler below, but it could be an annoyer...





My impression was that the changes might make it easier to get to the $25,000-$100,000 range than before, but to be honest, I think they make it dramatically less likely that someone will ever get the halfmillion or million.

And who knows... maybe that was their intention? I bet Michael Davies will eventually talk about his motivation.

However that kind of change, getting rid of interesting figure-it-out questions, would also make the show's content more dull and repetitive.

Yes, I agree... if the questions are timed, that would kill people taking a shot at figure-it-out questions... and aren't those kinds of questions what distinguishes Millionaire from other quiz shows?

[LastMinuteRequest]

Marley... your dogged determination is inspirational. It should all pay off one day, to the thrill of all those who've watched your odyssey.

I agree!

[MarleysGh0st]

My impression was that the changes might make it easier to get to the $25,000-$100,000 range than before, but to be honest, I think they make it dramatically less likely that someone will ever get the halfmillion or million.

Because so many contestants have won those annuities in the past six season?

[MarleysGh0st]

Marley... your dogged determination is inspirational. It should all pay off one day, to the thrill of all those who've watched your odyssey.

I agree!

To paraphrase from a line Brad Pitt had in The Devil's Own:

Don't look for a happy ending. It's not a What Else story. It's a MAWGish one.

[TheConfessor]

The TV screen must look awfully cluttered if they have new graphics to keep track of all the rumored new lifelines and game play elements. Let's see, the need to add a clock on the screen. Apparently there's at least one new lifeline, maybe two. And there's a rumor about revealing the subject of upcoming questions in the stack. I forget what else is rumored, but there won't be much space on the screen for the contestant's face.

[whittler44]

I forget what else is rumored, but there won't be much space on the screen for the contestant's face.

I ever make it onto the show... I wouldn't have a problem with that.

[ulysses5019]

The TV screen must look awfully cluttered if they have new graphics to keep track of all the rumored new lifelines and game play elements. Let's see, the need to add a clock on the screen. Apparently there's at least one new lifeline, maybe two. And there's a rumor about revealing the subject of upcoming questions in the stack. I forget what else is rumored, but there won't be much space on the screen for the contestant's face.

That might be a good idea for some.....