Play Radio UK was a British internet radio station based on the South Coast of England . Its output comprised two mainstream music radio streams, a talk radio stream, and several other genre-specific music streams. On 4 July 2009, Play Radio UK launched an FM service in Southampton and Winchester.
75-610: Play Radio UK went into liquidation at 10:00 a.m. on Friday 18 September 2009, although the Southampton services are operated under a separate company and (as of 1 October 2009) are not affected. The company was part directed by David Reynolds, who was charged with £1.2million tax fraud in June 2008, and was part of Something.info. The FM licences and assets were acquired by Celador . The FM stations were renamed The Breeze . The Play Radio brand and trademarks were sold on to Aiir The service
150-587: A bolded text): Between 2007 and 2014, the number of questions was reduced to twelve; the overall change in format was later incorporated into a number of international markets over a period of four years, including the Arab world, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, France, Poland, Spain, and Turkey. The payout structure, as a whole, was subsequently changed as a result, with the second safety net relocated to £50,000 at question 7 (questions at guaranteed levels are highlighted with
225-449: A bolded text): The game show's revival for British television in 2018 reverted to the original arrangement used before 2007, but with one notable difference, in that the second safety net was made adjustable – once a contestant reached £1,000, the host asked them, before giving the next question, if they wished to set the next cash prize amount as the second safety net, with this allowing them to set up as high as £500,000 in their game as
300-656: A Millionaire? debuted in Britain on 4 September 1998, with episodes broadcast on the ITV network. When it began airing, the show was hosted by Chris Tarrant , and became an instant hit – at its peak in 1999, one edition of the show was watched by over 19 million viewers. While most of the contestants were predominantly members of the general public who had applied to take part, the show later featured special celebrity editions during its later years, often coinciding with holidays and special events. On 22 October 2013, Tarrant decided to leave
375-458: A Millionaire? have been created across the world, including Australia, the United States, South Africa and India. In total over 100 different international variations have been made. On 18 April 1999, Nine Network launched an Australian version of the game show for its viewers. This version ran until its final episode, aired on 3 April 2006. After the first version ended, a second version
450-417: A contestant enters the main game, they are asked increasingly difficult general knowledge questions by the host. Each features four possible answers, to which the contestant must give the correct answer. Doing so wins them a certain amount of money, with tackling more difficult questions increasing their prize fund. During their game, the player has a set of lifelines that they may use only once to help them with
525-581: A daily syndicated version of the programme, which she hosted for 11 seasons, until May 2013. After her departure, the show was hosted by Cedric the Entertainer in 2013, and Terry Crews in 2014, before Chris Harrison took full hosting responsibilities in Autumn 2015. On 17 May 2019, the American version was cancelled after a total of 17 seasons and 20 years encompassing both primetime and first-run syndication;
600-615: A few weeks later it was relaunched under the Russian translation of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? , on Channel One . The relaunched version was hosted by Maxim Galkin until 2008 and Dmitry Dibrov until 2022. On 3 July 2000, an Indian version of the game show was launched. The show was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan in his first appearance on Indian television, and received additional seasons in 2005–2006, 2007, and then every year since 2010. Subsequent Indian versions were also made. The original Indian version became immortalised in 2008, within
675-528: A number of the promotional games for Tarrant's morning show on Capital FM radio, such as the bong game . Tentatively known as Cash Mountain , the show took its finalised title from a song written by Cole Porter for the 1956 film High Society , starring Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm . Since the original version launched, several individuals have claimed that they originated the format and that Celador had breached their copyright . While many pursued litigation, they were all unsuccessful, and each claim
750-487: A question, as well as two "safety nets" – if a contestant gets a question wrong, but had reached a designated cash value during their game, they will leave with that amount as their prize. While the first few questions are generally easy, subsequent ones might prompt the host to ask if the answer they gave is their "final answer" – if it is, then it is locked in and cannot be changed. If a contestant feels unsure about an answer and does not wish to play on, they can walk away with
825-605: A result. The American version premiered on ABC in August 1999 as part of a two-week daily special event hosted by Regis Philbin . After this and a second two-week event aired in November 1999, ABC commissioned a regular series that launched in January 2000 and ran until June 2002. The syndication of the game show was conceived and debuting in September 2002. The only difference between it and
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#1732901195893900-446: A series of multiple-choice questions to win large cash prizes in a format that twists on many game show genre conventions – only one contestant plays at a time, similar to radio quizzes; contestants are given the question before deciding whether to answer, and have no time limit to answer questions; and the amount offered increases as they tackle questions that become increasingly difficult. The maximum cash prize offered in most versions of
975-517: A series of standards for international variants that ensured they mirrored the British original closely. For example, all hosts were required to appear on-screen wearing Armani suits, as Tarrant did in the UK; producers were forbidden from hiring local composers to create original music, instead using the same music cues used by the British version; and the lighting system and set design were to adhere faithfully to
1050-402: A two-hour programme. The title was suggested by comedian and actor Tim Vine. It was a chat and music show with special celebrity guests including Tim Vine, Chris Tarrant, Shaun Williamson, Alex Lowe, Bobby Davro, and Steve Nallon. In March 2009, the station's talk output was moved from Play Two UK, to a new dedicated stream, Play Talk UK. Play Talk UK was the creation of Tommy Boyd, The intention
1125-413: Is a re-spelling of " cellar door ", a phrase whose sound is often noted to be particularly euphonious . Formerly known as Celador, the company was founded by Paul Smith and included Jasper Carrott as one of its founder shareholders. After establishing itself as a leading UK production company it expanded into TV format licensing, film production and radio station ownership and operation. By 2006, Celador
1200-636: Is an independent television and radio production company run by Danielle Lux, Murray Boland and Janet Oakes. It was formed in the United Kingdom in 1981 as an independent television production company . It created and produced a number of popular light entertainment shows and is best known for the TV format Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the film Slumdog Millionaire which, in 2009, collected seven BAFTAs , four Golden Globes and eight Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture . The name Celador
1275-458: Is the Costa Rican version, hosted by Ignacio Santos Pasamontes. There are three lifelines – "50:50", "Video Call" and "People Speak". The show was broadcast from 3 February 2009 to 3 September 2013 and from 27 April 2021 onwards. It is shown on the private TV station Teletica . If a contestant gets the fifth question correct, they leave with at least 600,000 Costa Rican colón . If a contestant gets
1350-512: Is vaporised, creating a haze effect. Media scholar Dr. Robert Thompson , a professor at Syracuse University , stated that the show's lighting system made the contestant feel as though they were outside a prison while an escape was in progress. When the US Millionaire introduced its "shuffle format", the Hot Seats and corresponding monitors were replaced with a single podium and as a result,
1425-447: The "Double Dip" lifeline had been used, in which case a failure to give a second answer was treated the same as a wrong answer. This format change was later adopted into other international versions – the British original, for example, adopted this change for episodes on 3 August 2010. The Indian version followed on 11 October 2010. On 13 September 2010, the American version adopted another significant change to its format. In this change,
1500-442: The 20th anniversary of the British original. This series of special episodes was hosted by Jeremy Clarkson and aired every evening between 5 and 11 May 2018. The revival received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans, and, as well as high viewing figures, led to ITV renewing the show for another series with Clarkson returning as host. Since the British original debuted in 1998, several different versions of Who Wants to Be
1575-447: The American version changed its format so that contestants were required to answer questions within a set time limit. The limit varied depending on the difficulty of the question: The clock started immediately after a question was given and the four possible answers appeared. The clock paused when a lifeline was used. If the clock ran out with no answer locked in, the contestant walked away with any prize money won up to that point, unless
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#17329011958931650-455: The American version of the programme , licensed by Disney for its ABC TV channel. At a jury trial in Los Angeles in June 2010, Celador was awarded $ 269m (£177m) in damages after the jury ruled that it failed to receive a fair share of profits. As of 2022, CPL Productions is making a new version of You Are What You Eat with Trisha Goddard and Amir Khan for Channel 5 and has teamed up with
1725-574: The Anglian region. In 2019 Celador Radio disposed of its entire radio division to Bauer Media. The final portfolio comprised the following radio stations , which were sold to Bauer Radio in February 2019. Paul Smith is chairman of Celador Entertainment Limited which is the parent company for Celador Films, Celador Radio, Celador Theatrical and Lusam Music. Ellis Watson was the CEO until 2003. Following
1800-587: The Australian version was modified to use the new Italian format, and the name was also changed from "Extraordinary Edition" to "Hot Seat". In 2017, as part of new modification to the format, the game incorporated the use of the Fastest Finger First round, with the winner able to select a lifeline, out of three that the show provided. In 2013, the German version modified the show's format, which runs concurrent with
1875-408: The British version was that episodes were halved in length – 30 minutes, as opposed to the 60-minute length of the original version. The change meant that the preliminary round of the show was eliminated, and contestants had to pass a more conventional game show qualification test. Exceptions to this arrangement, in which it was used under the name "Fastest Finger" included: primetime special editions of
1950-556: The Ranga Bee production company to make a six-part comedy series, written and created by Romesh Ranganathan and Benjamin Green for BBC Studios, called Avoidance . Celador previously owned twenty-seven UK commercial radio stations including The Breeze and Sam FM networks and Fire Radio. In January 2017 Celador Radio acquired Anglian Radio's five stations (North Norfolk Radio, Radio Norwich, The Beach, Town 102 and Dream 100) which broadcast across
2025-520: The Southampton and Winchester FM licences on 107.2FM and 107.8FM. This service was launched on 4 July and carries a mixture of live local programming and live "networking" with their online stations. Tommy Boyd joined the station in 2007 with Play Radio's first talk-based show, a Sunday night phone-in programme. The station expanded its talk output in 2008, with the arrival of former Talksport presenters James Whale and Mike Mendoza . At Easter 2008, Richard Hearsey began Hearsey's Half Hour ,
2100-640: The US version altogether for the introduction of the "shuffle format" in 2010, in favour of a new musical score with cues written by Jeff Lippencott and Mark T. Williams, co-founders of the Los Angeles-based company Ah2 Music . The basic set design used in the Millionaire franchise was conceived by British production designer Andy Walmsley , and is the most reproduced scenic design in television history. Unlike older game shows whose sets are or were designed to make
2175-552: The amount of money a contestant won in this round was banked, but if they walked away before completing the round, they left with half the amount that had been banked; if they gave an incorrect answer during this round, they left with just $ 1,000. If they answered all ten questions correctly, they then moved on to the second round, which stuck to the standard format of the game show – the remaining questions were set to general knowledge and featured cash prizes of high, non-cumulative values. The contestant could, at this point, walk away with
2250-444: The centre of the stage; an LG computer monitor directly facing each seat displays questions and other pertinent information. The lighting system is programmed to darken the set as the contestant progresses further into the game. There are also spotlights situated at the bottom of the set area that zoom down on the contestant when they answer a major question; to increase the visibility of the light beams emitted by such spotlights, oil
2325-474: The contestant and host stand throughout the game and are also able to walk around the stage. According to Vieira, the Hot Seat was removed because it was decided that the seat, which was originally intended to make the contestant feel nervous, actually ended up having contestants feel so comfortable in it that it did not service the production team any longer. Also, two video screens were installed – one that displays
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2400-402: The contestant begins to play, producers alert the friends and ask them to keep their phone lines free and wait for three rings before answering. On 11 January 2010, the American version eliminated the use of "Phone a Friend" in response to an increasing trend of contestants' friends using web search engines and other internet resources to assist them during the calls. Producers came to feel that
2475-455: The contestant(s) feel at ease, Millionaire ' s set was designed to make the contestant feel uncomfortable, so that the programme feels more like a thriller movie than a typical quiz show. The floor is made of Plexiglas beneath which lies a huge dish covered in mirror paper. The main game typically has the contestant and host sit in "Hot Seats", which are slightly modified, 3 foot (0.91 m)-high Pietranera Arco All chairs situated in
2550-428: The current question in play, and another that displays the contestant's cumulative total and progress during the game. In September 2012, the redesigned set was improved with a modernised look and feel, in order to take into account the show's transition to high-definition broadcasting , which had just come about the previous year. The two video screens were replaced with two larger ones, having twice as many projectors as
2625-452: The earliest of them awarded in 2000. A British album of the musical stings was released in 2000, while a remix of the theme tune became a UK chart hit the same year. The original music cues were given minor rearrangements for the US version's clock format in 2008; for example, the question cues were synced to the "ticking" sounds of the game clock. Even later, the Strachan score was removed from
2700-451: The final episode of the series was broadcast on 31 May. However, ABC reversed the cancellation of the programme on 8 January 2020, announcing plans for a twenty-first season, consisting of nine episodes, to be presented by Jimmy Kimmel starting 8 April. On 1 October 1999, NTV launched a Russian version the game show, entitled О, счастливчик! ("Oh, how lucky!"). This version ran until its final episode on 28 January 2001, whereupon
2775-581: The following year on 15 September 2013, following the success of Talentadong Pinoy that year. It finally concluded on 22 November 2015. Chi vuol essere milionario? was first launched by Endemol on Canale 5 in 2000. In 2002, its name was changed from Chi vuol essere miliardario? after the Italian lira was replaced with the euro . Fremantle Italia 's unit Wavy produced a new season with four special episodes for its 20th anniversary in 2018, followed by another eight special episodes in 2019. The host
2850-413: The format grants a contestant the right to pass the question on to another player, who cannot pass it on themselves, while eliminating both the option of walking away from a question, and the use of lifelines. If a contestant cannot pass on or correctly answer a question, they are eliminated, and the highest cash value they made is removed. The game ends when all contestants are eliminated or the question for
2925-496: The format is an aspirational value in local currency, such as £1 million in the UK or ₹ 75 million ( ₹ 7.5 crore) in India. The original British version debuted on 4 September 1998 on the ITV network, hosted by Chris Tarrant , and ran until 11 February 2014. A revived series of seven episodes to commemorate its 20th anniversary aired in May 2018, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson , and ITV renewed
3000-442: The game featured two rounds. The first round consisted of ten questions, in which the cash prize associated to each value, along with the category and difficulty for each question, was randomised per game. As such, the difficulty of the question in this round was not tied to the value associated to it, and a contestant did not know what amount they won unless they provided a correct answer or chose to walk away. As part of this format,
3075-502: The game show was launched by the government-sequestered Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation . Hosted by Christopher de Leon and produced by Viva Television , it ran for two years before being axed. On 23 May 2009, the show was relaunched on TV5 with Vic Sotto as the new host. The relaunched version was aired until 7 October 2012, when it was replaced by the Philippine version of The Million Pound Drop Live , but it returned
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3150-449: The game, relatively few have been able to win the top prize on any international version of the show. The first was John Carpenter , who won the top prize on the American version on 19 November 1999. Carpenter famously did not use a lifeline until the final question, using his "Phone a Friend" to call his father, not for help, but to tell him he was about to become a millionaire. Other notable top-prize winners include: Who Wants to Be
3225-499: The game. On Game Show Network (GSN)'s Gameshow Hall of Fame special, the narrator described the Strachan tracks as "mimicking the sound of a beating heart", and stated that as the contestant works their way up the money ladder, the music is "perfectly in tune with their ever-increasing pulse". The Strachans' Millionaire soundtrack was honoured by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers with numerous awards,
3300-491: The guaranteed amount given for correctly answering five questions. This format became adopted in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Switzerland and Venezuela. A different variant has only one custom safety net before the start of the contestant's game. The Taiwanese version did not have any safety nets or any option to quit; the contestant's winnings won up until they were incorrect on any question
3375-487: The highest cash value is answered – if a contestant who answers the final question gives a correct answer, they win that prize; if the final question is answered incorrectly, or the last contestant is eliminated, they win a small prize, provided they reach the fifth-question safety net. This format was later introduced to various markets over the course of a four-year-period from 2009 to 2012, including Norway, Hungary, Spain, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, and Chile. In 2009,
3450-457: The host reads the question and four choices all at once, then repeats the choices after the music for the round begins. After time's up, the computer and the host will reveal the correct order (or the correct answer in the latter's case). The contestant who answers correctly in the fastest time goes on to play the main game. In the event that no one gets the question right, another question is given; if two or more contestants answer correctly and with
3525-411: The lifeline by adding the screen name MillionaireIM to their contact list . When a contestant used the lifeline during the show, users received an instant message with the question and the four possible answers and voted for the correct answer. The computer tallied these results alongside the results from the studio audience. Contestants pre-select multiple friends for "Phone a Friend". As soon as
3600-460: The lifeline was giving contestants who had friends with internet access an unfair advantage; they also believed it was contrary to the original intent of the lifeline: friends provided assistance based on what they knew. During recordings of the current British version, security personnel from the production office stay with contestants' friends at their homes to ensure integrity. During "The People Play" specials in 2012 and 2013, friends travelled to
3675-436: The money they have won, to which the host will ask them to confirm this as their final decision; in such cases, the host will usually ask them to state what answer they would have gone for, and reveal if it would have been correct or incorrect. During the British original, between 1998 and 2007, the show's format focused on fifteen questions. The payout structure was as follows (questions at guaranteed levels are highlighted with
3750-399: The new structure of Celador's previous constituent divisions, Celador Productions, (renamed CPL Productions) is now run by managing director (since 2003) Danielle Lux. Christian Colson left Celador Films as Managing Director in 2009 to form Cloud Nine Films , now renamed Cloud Eight Films . In the last few years, former managing director Adrian Woolfe has teamed up with Claudia Rosencrantz,
3825-505: The original format of the game show include: In the US, "Ask the Audience" and "Phone a Friend" had corporate sponsorship at different periods. The original AT&T sponsored "Phone a Friend" during the original ABC primetime show and the syndicated version's first season; the current AT&T sponsored the 2009 primetime episodes. From 2004 to 2006, AOL sponsored "Ask the Audience" and allowed users of Instant Messenger to participate in
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#17329011958933900-412: The original format, where only one guaranteed level exists, at €1,000, and maximum prize is €2,000,000. During a standard play of the game, a contestant is given a series of lifelines to aid them with questions. In the standard format, a contestant has access to three lifelines which each can be used only once per game. More than one lifeline can be used on a single question. The standard lifelines used in
3975-598: The person who commissioned Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? originally at ITV, to launch the Studio 1 production company and an entertainment news network called LIT, which has been available to stream via Peacock since January 2021. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire%3F Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight . In its format, currently owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television , contestants tackle
4050-598: The plot of Danny Boyle 's award-winning drama film Slumdog Millionaire , adapted from the 2005 Indian novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup . On 18 September 2010, a Sinhalese version called Obada lakshapathi mamada lakshapathi ( ඔබද ලක්ෂපති මමද ලක්ෂපති ) was launched by Sirasa TV of the Capital Maharaja Television Network. It is presented by Chandana Suriyabandara, a senior commentator in Sri Lanka. It offers 2 million Sri Lankan rupees as
4125-435: The programme after hosting it for 15 years. His decision subsequently led ITV to make plans to cancel the programme at the end of his contract, with no further specials being made other than those that were already planned. Tarrant's final episode was a special clip show entitled "Chris' Final Answer", which aired on 11 February 2014. Four years later, ITV revived the programme for a special 7-episode series, to commemorate
4200-478: The programme. On 16 August 1999, ABC launched an American version of the game show for its primetime viewers. Hosted by Regis Philbin , it proved to be a ratings success, becoming the highest-rated television show during the 1999–2000 season, with its average audience figures reaching approximately 29 million viewers. After a drop in ratings, this version was cancelled, with its final episode aired on 27 June 2002. On 16 September 2002, Meredith Vieira launched
4275-407: The programme; the 2004 series that was dubbed Super Millionaire , in which the final prize was increased to $ 10,000,000; and for the 10th anniversary special of the American edition, which ran during August 2009 for eleven episodes. The decision to remove this round later occurred in other international versions, including the British original before its reinstatement in the renewed series. In 2008,
4350-517: The rights to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? . In 2009, Celador Productions re-named to CPL, before becoming a division of ProSieben 's Seven.One Studios (formerly Red Arrow Studios) in 2012. Celador International and the rights and associated properties of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? were acquired by Dutch group 2waytraffic , eventually becoming part of Sony Pictures Television . In 2004, Celador commenced legal action against The Walt Disney Company for what it claimed were unpaid profits from
4425-403: The same time, they are given a tie-breaker to determine who will make a start into the game. This round is only used when a new contestant is being chosen to play the main round, and can be played more than once in an episode among those remaining within the group seeking to play the main game. In celebrity editions, the round is not used; celebrities automatically take part in the main game. Once
4500-404: The show for several more series. Since its debut, international variants of the show have been aired in around 100 countries, making it the best-selling TV format in television history, and is credited by some as paving the way for the boom in the popularity of reality television . The format of the show was created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight, who had earlier created
4575-436: The show's format with the inclusion of a new feature called "Risk Mode". During the main game, contestants are given the choice of choosing this feature, in which if they choose to use it, they gain the use of a fourth lifeline that allows them to discuss question with a member of the audience, in exchange for having no second safety net – if they get any question between the sixth and final cash prize amount wrong, they leave with
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#17329011958934650-485: The show's format. A group of contestants on each episode play a preliminary round called "Fastest Finger First". All are given a question by the host and four answers which must be placed within a particular order; in the first season of the original version (1998) and the first four seasons of the Australian version (1999–2002), contestants have to answer a multiple-choice question. If any contestants are visually impaired,
4725-432: The studio and stayed backstage. When a contestant used the lifeline, the friend they called appeared on a monitor in the studio, and both the friend and contestant were able to see and communicate with each other. During the course of the game show's history, there were a number of unique lifeline additions in various versions of the programme. These include, but are not limited, to: Out of all contestants who have played
4800-439: The tenth question correct, they leave with at least ₡3,500,000. Two contestants have won the top prize. Other notable versions created in other countries, include the following: The musical score most commonly associated with the franchise was composed by father-and-son duo Keith and Matthew Strachan . The Strachans' score provides drama and tension, and unlike older game show musical scores, Millionaire ' s musical score
4875-473: The total amount banked from the first round; otherwise, an incorrect answer meant they left with $ 25,000. The format was later modified for the fourteenth season of the American version but retained the same arrangement for the last four questions. In 2015, the so-called "shuffle format" was scrapped and the show returned to a version that closely resembled the original format. In 2007, the German version modified
4950-421: The ultimate prize. On its 10th anniversary, it was rebranded as Sirasa Lakshapathi ( සිරස ලක්ෂපති ) and the prize was changed to Rs. 3 Million. In May 2011 a Tamil version called Ungalil Yaar Maha Latchathipathi ( உங்களில் யார் மகா இலட்சாதிபதி ) was launched by Shakthi TV . The show is hosted by Abarna Suthan and Balendran Kandeeban. The top prize is 2 million rupees. In 2000, a Filipino version of
5025-411: The way they were presented on the British version. Some of Smith's rules have been slightly relaxed over the years as the franchise's development has progressed. Dutch company 2waytraffic ultimately acquired Millionaire and all of Celador's other programmes. Two years later, Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased 2waytraffic for £137.5 million. Sony Pictures Television currently owns and licences
5100-433: Was Gerry Scotti for every edition from 2000 to 2011 and from 2018 onward. Ko Banchha Crorepati ( को बन्छ करोडपति ; also simply known as KBC Nepal ) first premiered on 2 February 2019 on AP1 Television , scheduled to run for 52 episodes. It is hosted by Rajesh Hamal and produced by SRBN Media Pvt. Ltd. Contestants can win cash prizes up to 1 crore (10 million) Nepalese rupees . ¿Quién quiere ser millonario?
5175-505: Was broadcast from a converted barn in Ford , a small village near Arundel , West Sussex . The building also hosted Dave Reynolds' other companies, including Satellite Direct and Something.info. The first three stations were launched in October 2006 with a mainstream music radio format. Later, further genre-specific music streams were added. On 8 June 2009 Play Radio announced it had won the rights to
5250-422: Was created to feature music playing almost throughout the entire show. The Strachans' main Millionaire theme song takes inspiration from the "Mars" movement of Gustav Holst 's The Planets , and their cues from the 6th/3rd to 10th/7th question, and then from the 11th/8th question onwards, take the pitch up a semitone for each subsequent question, in order to increase tension as the contestant progressed through
5325-410: Was created, running for six episodes across October and November 2007, before a third version, entitled Millionaire Hot Seat , made its debut on 20 April 2009. The original version was hosted by Eddie McGuire , until he was forced to sacrifice his on-air commitments upon being made the CEO of the network; after his resignation from this role, he resumed his duties as host of subsequent versions of
5400-456: Was cut by half. In November 2008, the Italian version modified the format of the show under the title Edizione Straordinaria ( lit. ' Extraordinary Edition ' ). In this variation of the game, six contestants take part, with each taking it in turns to answer questions and build up their prize fund. Utilising the time limit format introduced in the American version, this variation on
5475-441: Was later settled out-of-court on an agreement/settlement. In March 2006, original producer Celador announced that it was seeking to sell the worldwide rights to Millionaire , together with the rest of its British programme library, as the first phase of a sell-off of the company's format and production divisions. British television producer Paul Smith first had the idea to franchise the UK programme internationally. He developed
5550-485: Was owned by Complete Communications Corporation, a firm which Smith (who owned 18%) wanted to break up so he could concentrate on radio and film production. Managing director and former 1990s Top of the Pops presenter Adrian Woolfe wanted to buy the television division outright as part of a management buyout with Danielle Lux, but this was split into parts with Lux completing the buy-out of Celador Productions without Woolfe and
5625-476: Was to create a 24/7 schedule of unregulated talk radio. In the process of expanding the hours of broadcast, new presenters were added to the Play Talk UK schedule. In July 2009, Play Talk ceased broadcasting after its successful pilot test phase, due to lack of financial support. At the same time, the other online stations all became music-only services. Celador CPL Productions (formerly Celador )
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