Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Season Three; ABC Revives Game Show Revival Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel

It’s back. After a three year break, ABC has ordered a third season of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire TV series. This version was launched in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic.

A revival of the long-running primetime and syndicated quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is hosted by late night’s Jimmy Kimmel. As in the original versions, contestants try to answer multiple-choice trivia questions for ascending amounts of money, with the hopes of winning the million-dollar prize. Players can take advantage of lifelines to help them answer questions and get further in the game. In this version, the lifelines are “Ask the Host” (replacing “Ask the Audience”), “50/50”, and “Phone a Friend”. Contestants can also invite an expert guest (anyone of their choosing) to help them answer questions. In the second season, the contestants are celebrities (playing for charities), frontline heroes, and others affected by COVID-19. Celebrity contestants include Tiffany Haddish, Joel McHale, and Julie Bowen.

Airing in late 2020 and early 2021, the second season of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire averaged a 0.46 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 3.15 million viewers. Compared to season one, that’s down by 44% in the demo and down by 45% in viewership. It was one of the network’s lower-rated unscripted series of the regular 2020-21 season.

ABC opted not to continue with the game show in 2021 but left the door open to bring the series back for a third season at some point.

Millionaire has now been renewed and will celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary. This season, the game will feature a new twist: two celebrity contestants will play together in the hope of winning $1 million for the charity of their choice.

Season three launches Wednesday, July 10th.

What do you think? Are you looking forward to the return of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire game show? Are you hoping that it runs for more than a season?