Opening Spiels
August 1999: From the four corners of the continent, we have flown them to New York City. People just like you, who called our phone number dreaming of instant riches. Will one of them seize this day, and have the knowledge and the courage to change the course of their lives in one short evening? Starting tonight, and every night for the next two weeks, join us from New York City as we play Who Wants to Be a Millionaire!
November 1999-Fall 2000 Primetime: Last time/night on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire... (clips from the last episode of the show) Now, join us from New York, for (night [insert number] of) Who Wants to Be a Millionaire!
Catchphrases
"Thank you! Thanks very much! Thank you very much everybody, and welcome to the premiere of the biggest, most exciting, most dramatic television that I, or you, or anyone else has ever seen! Every night, for the next two weeks, real people, just like you, who called our phone number, will be playing for an unprecedented cash of one million dollars! We are terribly excited about this show! The technology, the music, the lights, the human drama! Even this audience gets us crazy! What a night this is going to be!" - Regis Philbin (on the August 1999 premiere of Millionaire)
"Right now, we've got 10 new contestants ready to go. Who are they tonight? Let's find out, (and) they are... (Insert 10 contestants of the night)" - Regis Philbin
"Welcome everybody, and congratulations on making it this far! In a moment, a question and four answers will appear on your screens. The one who puts those answers in the correct order, in the fastest time will be our next player. - Regis Philbin during Fastest Finger (1999-2000)
"Since we have a visually-impaired contestant on tonight's show, here's how it works: I will read the question and four answers aloud, first. Then, as usual, the question and four answers will appear on your screens. The one who puts those answers in the correct order, in the fastest time will be our next player. - Regis Philbin during Fastest Finger in the event of a blind or disabled contestant. (1999-2000)
"Audience, may we ask you for complete silence please. Thank you (very much)! And here's the question! (insert question, then four possible answers)." - Regis Philbin before the Fastest Finger begins
"Time's up! Let's see the correct order starting in (insert beginning order). (insert correct answers). That's the correct order, now let's see who got it right in the fastest time. (And It's) (insert winner)!" - Regis Philbin after Fastest Finger is complete.
"Since we have a tie, here's how we do it: We play another Fastest Finger question, this time for (tied contestants) only. (Tied contestants), here's your question. - Regis Philbin during the tiebreaker Fastest Finger question (1999-2000)
"None of our contestants got the fastest finger question correct. So here's what we're gonna do. We'll try again with another question." - Regis Philbin if no one gets the fastest finger question correct (1999-2002)
"You have 15 questions away from winning $1 million. The rules are simple: The more questions you get right, the more money you'll win. Once you reach the $1,000 or the $32,000 level, you're guaranteed to leave here with at least that much money. You have three lifelines to help you out: 50:50, where the computer will take away two wrong answers, leaving the one wrong answer and the correct answer. You can Ask the Audience, which the audience will vote on their keypads to think what the answer is. And, finally, you can Phone-A-Friend (sponsored by our good friends here at AT&T), where you call anyone anywhere in America to think what the answer is." - Regis Philbin explaining the rules of Millionaire (1999-2000)
"If you go all the way (to the top) tonight, you'll win (insert Bonus Jackpot)." - Regis Philbin explaining the contestant going all the way to the top tonight to win more than $1 million Bonus in 2001
"To play along with (insert contestant), log on to abc.com, click on the 'Enhanced TV' logo, and play against everybody else at home using ABC's Enhanced TV." - Regis Philbin telling the home viewers who want to play along with the contestant using ABC's Enhanced TV (2000-2002)
"You know (about) the rules, you know (about) the Lifelines. (50:50, Ask The Audience, and Phone a Friend). Are you ready to play? (Contestant: Yes/Yeah!) Audience, are you ready? (audience cheers and applauds) So/Okay/Alright let's play (Who Wants to be a) Millionaire." - Regis Philbin/Meredith Vieira (to the next contestant knowing about the rules and the Lifelines on their way to the $1 million run.)
"You're just 15 questions away from winning $1 million, and when you get to the $25,000 level, you'll get our fourth lifeline, Switch the Question." - Meredith Vieira explaining the rules of Millionaire (2004-2008)
"You're just 15 questions away from winning $1 million, and when you get to the $1,000/$5,000 level, you'll get our fourth lifeline, Ask the Expert." - Meredith Vieira and Regis Philbin explaining the rules of Millionaire (2008-2010)
"You're just 14 questions away from $500 all up the way to that $1 million [prize]. Every question you answered correctly moves you one step closer of that top prize. Remember anytime you can always walk away with the money and earned up to that point. If you give me incorrect answer you walk away with nothing, until you get the threshold of $5,000 then again $50,000, you have your three lifelines the audience they can help you with the question, 50:50 I'll take away two of the incorrect answers, and your plus one." - Chris Harrison explaining the rules of Millionaire (2015-present)
"15/30/45 seconds on the clock" - Meredith Vieira and Regis Philbin on questions 1-14
"Million dollar question is usually 45 seconds (on the clock) plus you banked (insert banked time) so you will have (insert total time) to think about this question and here it is. - Meredith Vieira and Regis Philbin on the million dollar question
"Here is the money for round 1! Computer, please randomize the money! The money is all hidden, here are the categories for round 1. Computer, please randomize the questions!" - Meredith Vieira and Cedric the Entertainer at the start of the game (2010-2014)
"This is our money tree. 14 questions spreader over two rounds from $100-$1,000,000! We start with round 1 from $100-$25,000 in which randomized the money and questions for you. (If you make it to Round 2, you'll be 4 questions away from $1,000,000! And you have your lifelines: Ask The Audience, Jump the Question and (new for this season,) Plus One)" - Terry Crews at the start of the game (season 14)
"Say hello to our Millionaire money tree. 14 different questions spread over 2 rounds arranging from $100 all the way up to $1,000,000! You know how this works. Contestant: I do. Round 1 has 10 possible questions arranging from $100 all the way up to $25,000. We've randomly shuffled the questions and we're shuffling up the money values too, but if you should make it to Round 2, you will be just 4 questions away from the million dollars. Now, let's talk about your lifelines. You have Ask the Audience, you can Jump the Question, where if you get stuck on a question, you can just jump over it, but you do not get to add that money to your bank, and, new for this season, we have a Plus One, this will help you if you brought someone with you today down here to help you answer your question. Who did you bring with you today? Contestant: I've brought with me my (insert family member and its name) All right, hi, how are you. Are you ready to play? Contestant: I'm ready! Let's play Millionaire!" - Terry Crews at the start of the game
"Audience, we need some help for (insert player)/(insert player) needs your help. If you're ready, on your keypads, using A, B, C, or D, please vote now." - Regis Philbin about Ask the Audience Lifeline
"Audience, we need some help for (insert player)/(insert player) needs your help. If you're ready/on your keypads, vote now." - Meredith Vieira about Ask the Audience Lifeline
"Audience, we need some help for (insert player)/(insert player) needs your help. Pick up your keypads and vote now." - Terry Crews about Ask the Audience Lifeline
"Audience, we need some help for (insert player)/(insert player) needs your help. If you would pick up those keypads and enter your vote now." - Chris Harrison about Ask the Audience Lifeline
"50:50. Computer, take away two of the wrong answers, leaving the one wrong answer and the correct answer." - Regis Philbin about the 50:50 Lifeline
"50:50. Computer, take away two of the wrong answers." - Meredith Vieira about the 50:50 Lifeline
"50:50. Can you, take away two of the incorrect answers." - Chris Harrison about the 50:50 Lifeline
"(Insert caller's name). Okay, our friends at AT&T will help you get (insert caller's name) on the line, and see what he/she has to say. (Phone ringing) CALLER: Hello? REGIS: Hello, (insert caller)? CALLER: Yes? REGIS: Yes, hi, it's Regis Philbin from (ABC's) Who Wants to be a Millionaire. CALLER: Yes. REGIS: I know you can't see us right now, but (insert player) is going for (insert money ladder amount). So He's/She's gonna come on the line, read you the question and the four possible answers. One of them is the correct answer. So, the next voice will be (insert player). You'll have 30 seconds, and your time starts now!" - Regis Philbin about the Phone-A-Friend Lifeline in some early episodes
"(insert caller's name). Okay, our friends at AT&T will get (insert caller's name) on the line. (Phone ringing) CALLER: Hello? MEREDITH: Hey/hi (insert caller), it's Meredith Viera from Millionaire, how are you? CALLER: Good. MEREDITH: Okay, I'm sitting here with (insert contestant) and he's/she's going for (insert amount of money). He/she needs your help with a question. CALLER: Okay, yes. MEREDITH: (insert contestant), you have 30 seconds, and your time starts now!" - Meredith Viera during Phone-A-Friend lifeline
"How much money did (insert player) jump?" - used during the Shuffle format.
"Is That Your Final Answer?" - Host
"Final Answer?" - Host
"YOU JUST WON A MILLION DOLLARS!" - Regis Philbin
"You're gonna face the next question that (previous contestant's name) would have faced, had he/she not walked away/lost. [For him/her, it would have been worth (insert amount). For you, it's worth $1,000.] If you get it right, you will win $1,000." - Meredith Viera, Terry Crews, and Chris Harrison announcing the rules for "Thousandaire." Cedric the Entertainer did not use this line.
"(Alarm Sounds) That sound means we're out of time for tonight, but (insert contestant) will be back here tomorrow/(Insert day) night, and joining him/her will be 10 new contestants (who have flown in) from all over the country, and they are... (Insert 10 contestants on the next program)" - Regis Philbin when time runs out during the middle of the money ladder on the way to the $1 million run (1999-2002)
"(Alarm Sounds) That sound means we're/we are out of time/that's the end of our show for today, but (insert contestant) will be back here tomorrow/on Monday/next time to look at the next question." - Meredith Viera when time runs out during the middle of the money ladder on the way to the $1 million run (2002-2013)
"(Alarm Sounds) That sound means that time is up/that's/that is the end of our show for today, (insert contestant) will be back here tomorrow/next time to Play more Millionaire." - Chris Harrison when time runs out during the middle of the money ladder on the way to the $1 million run (2015-present)
"Thank you, thank you so much. Everybody yes, we are back and tonight for all this week, we're going to find out why we are calling this super millionaire. Every contestant is sitting this hot seat right there is going to playing for a staggering ten million dollars. We are introducing the two new lifelines and is simply fantastic, what is called Double Dip, it's a intriguing new style of Millionaire lifeline and then there's the Three Wive Men and there they are requested backstage their identities shrouded in mystery three brilliant minds ready to mentally leap into the rescue of our players". - Regis Philbin (2004)
"I've waiting a long time looking forward to saying this for a long long time. You were 15 questions away from winning $10 million. Just take a look at all the zeros here. No more weakly $100 questions, no sir. We start right it out at $1,000 and five correct answers later you will leave here with less than $5,000, five more correct answers and you'll will be holding a check for $100,000 and to help you get through there all of this, we have your three trustee lifelines remember them, fifty-fifty, ask the audience, and you can phone a friend and you'll enter a brand new dimension of this game time, listen to me, where you'll be playing for millions and millions of dollars". - Regis Philbin explaining the rules in Super Millionaire (2004)
"Go for the gold. This is what we've waiting for and you've been waiting for this do. Here's a check for $100,000. From now on, this is all uncharted territory no one has been here before so we're going to hope that you could go all the way but what a wonderful start to get those two additional lifelines and it's time now to enter the next dimension of this game. I want you to look at very carefully now. It just out five I think. You have 5 questions away from $10,000,000. The next question is worth $500,000, then a million, then $2.5 million, then $5 million, then the ultimate prize, 10 million dollars. Huge rewards and huge risks my friend and then the two new lifelines, kick in the three wise men and double dip and we can reveal for the first time the identities of those Three Wise Men standing by to help you if you get stuck on a question. Thank you all of the wise one joining us, nice to have you here. Now we're going to cut off the audio and the video feed. When you need the help will be there, they'll get 30 seconds to see the question, talk to you about that, hopefully come up with the right answer. Your second new lifeline is called Double Dip, which will give you two shots at answering the question, but beware once you confirm that you want to use it, you can't walk away from it. You must answer the question. - Regis Philbin explaining the new dimension of Super Millionaire (2004)
Taglines
"From New York, everybody, Good Night!" - Regis Philbin
"From New York, everybody, Bye-Bye [for now]." - Meredith Vieira
"From New York, everybody, I'm Cedric the Entertainer. Watch your wallet!" - Cedric the Entertainer
"That's our show for today! We'll see you next time on Millionaire!" - Terry Crews
"For everyone who has been a part of this one, I'm Chris Harrison, we'll/we will see you next time!" - Chris Harrison