Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The surprise hit of the season and perhaps the decade, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, inspired by a British gameshow, inspired a series of copycats on every other major network. Philbin's creation was a ratings bonanza for the network and a significant cost savings, as gameshows are infinitely cheaper to produce than dramas and sitcoms. At the same time, however, each new gameshow puts about 100 television writers out of work.