The show that saved ABC (for a while) 10 years ago might be revived later this year.
The network is considering bringing Who Wants to Be a Millionaire back to its airwaves in the summer. Discussions about the revival — which would coincide with the 10th anniversary of its American debut in August 1999 — are still underway, but TV Week reports that it would likely air as a “multiple-night event” over a couple of weeks.
The show became a monster hit for then-struggling ABC in 1999-2000, which eventually led to ABC scheduling it as much as four nights a week. When Millionaire’s popularity waned in 2002, the network was left with a weakened schedule from which it took a couple of years to recover.
ABC also wants Regis Philbin to return as host. He’s currently working on another game show, CBS’ Million Dollar Password, so it’s unclear if he’d be able to resume his Millionaire duties.
The proposed summer run for Millionaire wouldn’t be the show’s first revival on ABC. Philbin hosted a couple of Super Millionaire events — with a top prize of $10 million — in 2004. The syndicated version of the show, hosted by Meredith Vieira, has enjoyed a successful run for several seasons.
Source: Zap2It
