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A Quiz for the Intelligentsia From September 2000 When Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? debuted on August 16, 1999, it was an instant success. The US show was based on a British hit that debuted in September of 1998. Here is a description of the British version. It's been said that the US Millionaire is too easy, but remember the Brits are playing for £1 million (At today's currency exchange rate, that will be $1.5 million). After Millionaire was a success, there was a search for the next Brit quiz show that could be imported. Back in January 2000, Millionaire executive producer Michael Davies started work on developing a US version of Mastermind, a show that ran on the BBC from 1972 to 1997. ABC then announced that those plans were put on hold. That's too bad, because Mastermind is really something. Producer Bill Wright created the show based on his experiences as a Prisoner of War during WWII. Each contestant had a field of expertise, such as "The Life-cycle and Habits of the Honey-Bee." They then sat in a chair, with a light shining down on them, and answered a rapid series of questions. The winner took home an engraved Caithness Glass punchbowl. Elements of the show included the Black Chair in which contestants sat; the Dark Lady, a silent woman who kept time and the score; and Magnus Magnusson, the host. If Magnusson had started reading a question when the buzzer sounded, he would say, "I've started, so I'll finish." Here is a profile of the Mastermind programme. Monty Python parodied the program in its 30th anniversary special. The show clearly is too brainy for US network television, but would probably do nicely on Bravo or the Discovery Channel. |