Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US)
Season 1
TV-G
Contestants are chosen based on their ability to arrange 4 answers to a question in the correct order the fastest. They then have 15 multiple-choice questions correctly to win increasing amounts of money, the largest is $1,000,000.
Where to Watch Season 1
101 Episodes
- Episode 13E15
Episode 13John Carpenter, the carryover contestant from the previous episode, is already at $200 with all 3 lifelines. He works his way up the Money Tree without a single trouble along the way. He makes it to the $1,000,000 question still with all 3 lifelines. He uses his phone-a-friend just to say hi to his dad, then he answers his million-dollar question to make television history as the first game show millionaire. - Episode 26E29
Episode 26John Carpenter, the carryover contestant from the previous episode, is already at $200 with all 3 lifelines. He works his way up the Money Tree without a single trouble along the way. He makes it to the $1,000,000 question still with all 3 lifelines. He uses his phone-a-friend just to say hi to his dad, then he answers his million-dollar question to make television history as the first game show millionaire. Also in this episode was Stephen Fox, who ran out of time after his Fastest Finger Question. - Episode 32E35
Episode 32Jim Meyer is the first hot seat contestant in the year 2000. He cruises on up to $2,000, but needed his 50:50 on his $4,000 question. He then works his way to the $16,000 question where he hits another roadblock. He asks the audience on this question and wins. His $32,000 question was no problem, but his $64,000 question was the last roadblock he hit. He used his Phone-a-Friend and went with his answer, only to figure out he was wrong. At least he didn't lose anything. Jim leaves with $32,000. Next in the hot seat, Joe Roberts. He uses his Phone-a-Friend on his $4,000 question. He then uses the other two on his $16,000 question about what St. Petersburg used to be known as (Leningrad). Without any lifelines, he works his way up to $250,000. He has a slight idea on his $500,000 question about who was credited with designing the uniforms worn by the Vatican's Swiss guards (Michelangelo), but he didn't want to risk it. However, his instinct would have been right. Last one in the hot seat, - Episode 33E36
Episode 33David Fite returns to the hot seat. When he left off, he was at $1,000 after using his Ask the Audience on his $100 question. David takes a little revenge as he works all the way to the $500,000 question without using another lifeline. He was already pretty sure who taught a teenage Alexander the Great (Aristotle), but he used his 50:50 to be even more sure. He goes for it and wins $500,000. He used his Phone-a-Friend to call his mother on his $1,000,000 question (no, he wasn't pulling another John Carpenter). She was not at all sure of what language Anne Frank's diary was first published in (Dutch), and he wasn't either, so he leaves with $500,000. Next in the seat is Dale Masel. He works up to $16,000 without a problem. He asks the audience what the capital of Australia is (Canberra). He goes with the audience and says Sydney, but misses the question. He leaves with $1,000. Jeff Wilkie is the last one in the seat for this episode. He works up to the $2,000 question and then needs a P - Episode 34E37
Episode 34Jeff Wilkie is the returning contestant on this episode of Millionaire. At the beginning of the show, Regis says he got some fortune cookies for Jeff because he claimed that the cookie was what helped David Fite win his $500,000 on the previous episode. Jeff left off at $2,000 with his 50:50 and his Ask the Audience with him. He asks the audience on his $4,000 question about what band Peter Gabriel was the lead singer for. The audience says Genesis. He goes with the audience and wins $4,000. He uses his 50:50 on his $16,000 question about where the transcontinental railroad was completed. He says Utah and wins. His $32,000 and $64,000 questions gave him no problems. He says he had a gut instinct about what science fiction author was credited with the idea of orbiting communications satellites (Alfred C. Clarke) for his $125,000 question, but decides he can't risk it. He walks with $64,000, guesses with his gut instinct just for the heck of it, and would have been right. Oh well. Ken He - Episode 35E38
Episode 35Jason Block is the returning contestant in this episode. He has already won $16,000 with 2 lifelines left. Jason then wins $125,000 without a hitch. However, his $250,000 question about the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Aretha Franklin) gave him some problems. He asks the audience first. The audience is tied between Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin. He then uses his 50:50 and it leaves Franklin along with Diana Ross. He then walks away because he wasn't sure enough, and it turned out the audience was right. Eric Molnar is next to try for $1,000,000. He gets up to $16,000 without a problem. He then asks the audience on his $32,000 question and wins the $32,000. His $64,000 question gave him no problems. He then decides to phone a friend for his $125,000 question about the name of the dog on Cracker Jack boxes (Bingo). He then uses his 50:50 and it leaves Bingo and Chance. He guesses Chance, but loses. Shannon McGehee is the next one in the hot seat with - Episode 36E39
Episode 36Mark McDermott is the returning contestant in this episode. He has already won $64,000 with 2 lifelines left: his Phone-a-Friend and his 50:50. He works his way to $250,000 without a problem along the way. However, his $500,000 question about what ship is believed to have passed by the Titanic, ignoring its distress signals (Californian) was a different story. He uses his 50:50 and it leaves Californian and Carpathia. He decides to save his Phone-a-Friend for the $1,000,000 question and he confidently says the answer is the Carpathia, makes it his final answer, and loses $218,000. The next in the hot seat is Kevin Connors. He uses his 50:50 on his $2,000 question about what mint is ""curiously strong"" (Altoids). He later uses his Phone-a-Friend on his $16,000 question about which of 4 people was never selected as Time Magazine's Man of the Year (Bill Gates). He goes with Bill Clinton and misses. Dave Fought is the next player to try for $1,000,000. He asks the audience on his $4,000 que - Episode 37E40
Episode 37The returning player in this episode is Sean Farrelly. He has already won $1,000 with all 3 lifelines with him. He works his way up to $64,000 with no problems. But his $125,000 question about which of 4 inventions Thomas Jefferson did NOT invent (Fountain Pen) gave him some trouble. He uses his 50:50, leaving him Fountain Pen and Folding Campstool. He then uses his Phone-a-Friend. His friend says the answer is the folding campstool, and because he was originally thinking the same thing, he goes with it and drops down to $32,000. The next contestant is Mike Huggins. He asks the audience on his $300 question about the boast Caesar made after defeating Pharnaces in 47 B.C. (Veni vidi vici) 74% said ""Veni vidi vici"", and believe it or not, 4% actually voted for the joke answer (""Hey, fugeddaboudit!"")! He works his way up to $1,000, but he practically tortured himself on his $2,000 question about what fictional town's daily wife was chronicled by Garrison Keillor (Lake Wobegon). He had to - Episode 38E41
Episode 38The returning contestant in this episode if Lawrence Caplan. He has already won $2,000 with his 50:50 and his Phone-a-Friend left. He used his 50:50 on his $32,000 question about the first president born in a hospital (Jimmy Carter). Then he works his way to $250,000 without a hitch. His $500,000 question, however, gave him a few problems. He agonized about it for some time before he decided to Phone a Friend. His friend did not know what single spent the most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart (""One Sweet Day""), so then Lawrence agonizes about whether to walk away or go for it. He first decides to walk away, but then later decides to go for it. He says the answer is ""I Will Always Love You"", loses $218,000, and leaves with $32,000. The next in the hot seat is Nathan Cone. He decides to phone a friend on his $4,000 question about what piece of medical equipment is used to shock the heart into a normal rhythm (Defibrillator). He later asks the audience on his $16,000 question ab - Episode 39E42
Episode 39The returning contestant in this episode is Karl Schreiter, who has already won $200 with a 3 lifelines left. He works his way to $2,000 without a hitch. However, he needed to ask the audience on his $4,000 question about what language was created in 1887 as an international language (Esperanto). He goes with the audience and wins. He then had to use his 50:50 on his $16,000 question about which of 4 Olympic winners did not have to return his gold medal (Greg Louganis). He then uses his Phone-a-Friend on his $32,000 question about the official currency of Ireland (Punt). His friend guesses Krone, but Karl decides to walk away and not risk it, and thank goodness he did. Next in the hot seat is Michael Rechtshaffen. He asks the audience on his $4,000 quesion about what commentator is famous for the line ""telling it like it is"" (Howard Cosell). He goes with the audience and wins. He uses his 50:50 and then misses on his $8,000 question about the name of the Wright Brothers' plane (Flyer) - Episode 40E43
Episode 40This episode's returning contestant is Dan Blonsky. He has already won $2,000 with all 3 lifelines left. He works his way to $4,000 without a hitch. However, he had to use his ask the audience lifeline on his $8,000 question about where Hugh Grant's character works on ""Notting Hill"" (Bookstore). He then works his way to $64,000 without a problem. He needed a 50:50 on his $125,000 question about what country gave women the right to vote in 1971 (Switzerland). His $250,000 question about Betty Ford's CB radi handle (First Mama) was a breeze. He then uses his Phone-a-Friend on his $500,000 question about the celebrity who appeared on the first cover of People magazine in 1974 (Mia Farrow). His friend says it's definitely Mia Farrow. He goes with his friend and wins. Dan's $1,000,000 question about Earth's distance from the sun (93 million miles) gave him no problems whatsoever. He gave his final answer and became the game's second millionaire. The next person in the hot seat to try to fol - Episode 41E44
Episode 41This episode's returning contestant is Joel Vincent. He has already won $200 with all 3 lifelines with him. He asks the audience on his $300 question about which of 4 hats doesn't have a brim. Almost 100% says skullcap. Joel goes with the numbers and wins $300. He then works his way to $500 without a hitch. He uses his 50:50 on his $1,000 question about the commander of the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe (Ferdinand Magellan). He then missed his $8,000 question about what city experienced a 1980 Olympic boycott (Moscow). He leaves with $1,000. The next player is Brian Fodera. He missed his $100 question about what Little Jack Horner pulled from a pie (plum). What a shame. Next up for the $1,000,000 is Marty Anderson. He works his way to $200 without a problem. He asks the audience on his $300 question about the completion of a Dr. Seuss book title. The audience wins it for him. He then works his way to $4,000 without a hitch. He uses his Phone-a-Friend on his $8,000 questi - Episode 42E45
Episode 42The returning contestant in this episode is Nathaniel Zylstra, who has already won $8,000 with all 3 lifelines left. He wins $64,000 without a problem. He uses his 50:50 on his $125,000 question about what the Newbery Medal is awarded for excellence in (Children's literature). He then uses his Phone-a-Friend on his $250,000 question about who coined the phrase ""Form follows function"" (Louis Sullivan). His friend says Charles LeCorbusier, so he goes with his friend and loses $93,000. Next in the seat is Rob Coughlin. He asks the audience on his $8,000 question about what is used in fire extinguishers (Baking Soda). The audience wins it for him. He then wins $250,000 without a problem. He then phones a friend on his $500,000 question about Luke Skywalker's home planet on Star Wars (Tatooine). His friend was 100% sure about the answer, so Rob goes with him and wins $500,000. He goes into his $1,000,000 question with one lifeline left: his 50:50. He uses it, and although he was 99% sure, h - Episode 118E101
Episode 118This episode's returning contestant is Eric Lillienthal, who left off at the $32,000 question with two lifelines left. He uses both his remaining lifelines, Phone-a-Friend first, to figure out what talk show host was a VH1 VJ (Rosie O'Donnell). Eric's friend says Queen Latifah is a little too obvious and guesses Ricki Lake, which was taken away by the 50:50. Rosie O'Donnell and Queen Latifah are left. He goes with the Queen, but misses. He loses $15,000, reducing him to $1,000. Next in the hot seat is David Goodman. He wins $500,000 without using a single lifeline. On his $1,000,000 question about where Paddington Bear was originally from (Peru), instead of pulling another John Carpenter move, David toyed with the audience by using all 3 lifelines although he specifically said after using the 50:50 that he got it. The lifeline left Peru and Iceland. He then asks the audience. 57% say Peru, 42% said Iceland, and 1% voted for an eliminated answer! He then uses his last lifeline and calls
