The success of the movie Slumdog Millionaire has ignited Nine’s interest in reviving an Eddie McGuire-hosted Who Wants to be a Millionnaire, it is being reported today. According to the web site TV Tonight, Nine is planning a new pilot of the show.
If it happened it would see the network move from famine to feast as far as McGuire is concerned.
After he stepped down from being the network’s CEO in 2007, his quiz show 1 Versus 100 ended last year and he virtually vanished from the schedules. But he successfully helmed last week’s Australia Unites telethon, and will shortly start presenting a daily news magazine show which will initially air in Melbourne only at 5.30pm.
Peter Horgan, managing partner at media agency OMD, told Mumbrella that the move would make sense. He said: “In a year where there is a lot of new product and Nine is throwing a lot at the wall to see what will stick, it would not be seen as a regressive step.
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“It’s a format that will probably never go back to the heady days of 02, 03, 04 but I think it would do reasonably well.”
Regarding capitalising on the success of Slumdog Millionnaire, he said: “Tactical opportunism on that basis is never a bad thing.”