Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (television) Game show on ABC, hosted by Regis Philbin, in which contestants answer multiple-choice questions on the way to a possible $1 million payoff. Aired nightly for two weeks, from Aug. 16 to 29, 1999, and returned from Nov. 7 to 21, then continued airing several nights a week. It ended as a regular prime-time series on June 27, 2002. Based on a hit British series, it became a nationwide phenomenon, pushing ABC to the top of the ratings in 1999-2000. A syn. show, featuring Meredith Vieira as host, premiered Sep. 16, 2002. Cedric the Entertainer, Terry Crews, and Chris Harrison succeeded Meredith Vieira as host before the show ended May 31, 2019. Park attractions based on the television series, entitled Who Wants to Be a Millionaire—Play It, opened at Disney-MGM Studios on Apr. 7, 2001 (closed Aug. 19, 2006) and at Disney California Adventure on Sep. 14, 2001 (closed Aug. 20, 2004).
