"Analyse the techniques used to create tension and viewerenjoyment in 'who wants to be a millionaire?'".

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Chanelle Gray

                        Media Timed Piece

“Analyse the techniques used to create tension and viewer  

               enjoyment in ‘who wants to be a millionaire?’”

One day, back in 1934, listeners to the wireless heard a strange new programme. It consisted simply of a man putting questions to the listeners – and encouraging them to write down the answers. This started off the history of the quizzes.

The word quiz is Latin, which simply means, “who are you?” in Latin that is “Qui es?” After radio quizzes the BBC and ITV was formed. A large amount of quiz shows became popular to make, as they were cheap to run. From the 1970s/1980s, there were limits on prize money and it was economical for TV companies as greed wasn’t popular and was seen as socially undesirable.

The first quiz show was on a pirate radio station called Radio Luxemburg and it was called the Symingtons soup programme because strangely enough, the winner won a voucher for powdered soup! It wasn’t the prize that made the quiz show popular; it was the fact that people could win something by answering questions.

As the years went on the quiz show evolved. In the 1990s, the birth of the quiz shows with large prizes appeared eg “The weakest Link” and “Who wants to be a millionaire?” But why do a lot of people criticise these shows? Because they encourage naked greed. For example, in the early part of 2003 a couple got prosecuted for cheating in “Who wants to be a millionaire?” and they were already rich!

Quiz shows are popular with people because the viewers like to play along but not actually be there in the spotlight. If the viewer at home gets the question wrong, they can guess again, you can’t on the show, you lose money. We also like to watch it to see the embarrassing things the contestants do or say. By watching someone else be humiliated we selfishly feel better about ourselves, happy it wasn’t us in the view of millions of viewers. We also like to see normal people on TV, people like us. It gives us hope that we might be able to win that money someday.

This essay I am writing will be focused on the hugely popular quiz “Who wants to be a millionaire?”

“Millionaire” as referred to by hit presenter Chris Tarrant is probably the most famous quiz show ever to be made. It is syndicated around the world and has merchandise from stationary or pc games.

Millionaire has a unique selling point, which is the money. People go on the show for the money, and watch the show to see how much money people get. With the games, it gives you a chance to see how far you’d get.

Millionaire also has had celebrity editions with famous people for charity.

The show is usually very similar to every episode every week. This is because the demographic for the show is the middle aged and older too. The viewers at home, which are senior members of the public don’t tend to like change, so the only changes are the contestants, questions and Chris Tarrants clothes! Everything else stays the same, the phrases, the way fastest finger first is done etc. It seen maybe as a sense of security.

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Millionaire also shows that people can win. 2 people have reached a million, although one was thought to cheat!

        Who wants to be a millionaire is a game show with 15 questions. Each question is worth money and when you get passed £1000, the money starts to double. The last question is worth 1 million pounds. But obviously the questions get harder and harder as it goes on. The contestant is given 3 chances, phone a friend, 50:50 and ask the audience.

The audience must not say anything although they can laugh at Chris Tarrants jokes. The studio is silent ...

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