The basic idea for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is generally good. Sit someone down, ask increasingly harder questions, and have them work their way to a million dollars. However, the details of the show are what get in the way of enjoying it. First of all, the questions are multiple choice. Sure, the upper level questions are hard enough to warrant this, but the lower level questions are too easy. And, what's worse, instead of even trying to trip up contestants at the easy stage, they provide outlandish choices. If the questions are going to be so easy, and the answers so evident, why not just skip the first few questions and start at $1,000? The only redeeming fact is that these asinine questions are usually zipped through.
Sadly, at this point, the show gets annoying. While the questions are finally a challenge, the contestants get forever and a day to answer them. I can make my decision on an answer within a minute or so, but then I have to sit and wait for the contestant to finish humming and hawing over whether to use a lifeline or three, and then still be in doubt as to the answer. After what seems like an eternity, Regis finally asks "Is that your final answer?" and anyone playing along at home can at last find out the correct answer. This down time just kills what little flow the game had.
Sadly, at this point, the show gets annoying. While the questions are finally a challenge, the contestants get forever and a day to answer them. I can make my decision on an answer within a minute or so, but then I have to sit and wait for the contestant to finish humming and hawing over whether to use a lifeline or three, and then still be in doubt as to the answer. After what seems like an eternity, Regis finally asks "Is that your final answer?" and anyone playing along at home can at last find out the correct answer. This down time just kills what little flow the game had.