August 8, 2000
Who wants to be a Canadian millionaire? - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- Last Thursday, all the Canadian newspapers that I get at my house had stories regarding Pamela Wallin’s new gig at CTV. The blond newsreader turned CBC blond interviewer, quit the Mother Corp. last year amid the fact her talkfest Pamela Wallin was gutted a year earlier from an hour live show to a half an hour taped program. She immediately signed on with CTV, which folks will remember her from as she started there hosting Canada AM.
Her new role at CTV, soon to be Canada’s second largest network if Izzy Asper has his way, will be that of being the benchmark to CTV’s burgeoning talk show line-up, so far only inhabited by Dini Petty re-runs and Vicki Gabereau. Pam Wallin will bring her interview skills, and at the same time will host Canada’s own version of the wildly popular Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. Canada has joined the fray of India, Japan, Russia, England, and of course the US of A. Our Canadian Millionaire program will actually be shot on the Regis set of New York, so we’ll have at least something in common with the Regis Philbin version.
The reason I bring this up is the fact there is an interesting development in the rules of choosing the contestants. I’ve seen the Regis Millionaire many times, carefully avoiding becoming an addict, and as far as I know they do not employ quotas in terms of where their contestants hail from. Of the 10 contestants in that qualifying round, they all seem to have gotten there by their ability to answer the telephone questions fast. (There was controversy about the lack of women, but that was altered after much clamour.)
With the Canadian version however, 1 contestant will hail from Atlantic Canada, 2 from Quebec, 4 from Ontario, 2 from the Prairies and the Territories, and 1 from fair BC. Perhaps this absurd formula for representation was to mirror the population distribution of the nation. I seriously doubt that, however.
The biggest qualm I have with that, is it certainly sounds dreamed up by the dim-wits of Central Canadian cultural autocracy. It’s no secret that the nation’s filter is controlled by Central Canada and the Canadian Millionaire show has fallen into that sieve.
Sure it’s nice to have our Millionaire to call our own, but right off the bat this breakdown of contestants sounds silly. If the powers that be keep it up, who gives a flying damn about the cultural diversity of this great nation.
The other thing that was brought to my attention was the fact the Canadian version will have Canadian questions. Fair ball, and we should expect nothing less. But what about the fact that the program will be shot in New York. Will the audience be composed of Canadians? Because if not, then where’s the logic in having Canadian questions answered by vacationing Americans to the Big Apple, in case of the contestant wanting to use a lifeline?
The Pamela Wallin Millionaire show will be taped in early September for air in 2, 2 night instalments, September 13th and 14th on CTV.
The 1-900 qualifying number is: 1-900-630-6000 and it’ll begin this Wednesday, August 9th. A charge of $2.00 will be levied and to charge it call 1-877-564-7788. There’s also a free way to get on the show, but I’m not in favour of plugging their show here, so e-mail me for other details. Had the rules been different, I’d be dialling immediately, but you have to be 19 years old. If you’re eligible, go ahead and win ‘em million bucks.
We got are own Millionaire show, and nothing cooler, eh?
Questions and comments may be sent to: editor@thecommentary.ca
An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .