8. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (1999-2002, Syndicated since 2002)
Along with Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (WWBM) was one of my favorite game shows during my childhood. I used to watch it with my family during the Regis Philbin years and when he left the show, I lost interest. Still, during the game show's heyday, I always had fun trying to answer the questions the same time as the show's contestants, and I even have the WWBM board game at home. Who hasn't forgotten the catchphrases, "50/50," "Phone a Friend," "Ask the Audience," and, of course, "Is that your final answer?" It wasn't until I saw the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) that my eyes were opened to international Millionaire versions, but even then I still assumed that the American WWBM was the original show. Once again, just like many shows on this list, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was originally a British product. It was first aired in 1998, just a year before the US version debut, and with its long-running host, Chris Tarret, the British millionaire followed the same format (or rather, it originated the format). The contestant has to answer fifteen questions and if he or she gets all of them right, they win the million dollars (or pounds in this case). Throughout the game, they get three options to ease their way through the difficult questions€”50/50 to eliminate half the wrong answers, Ask the Audience to poll out the most correct answer, and Phone a Friend to assist the contestant for a limited amount of time. Of course, the host always says "Is that your final answer?" before the contestant can confirm his answer choice.
I guess the desire to become a millionaire is a universal one, because as long as that desire exists, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire will sustain its success not only in America, but around the world as well.