# TV Guide says "Millionaire" is lying to us... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938 "2003-07-08T04:18:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/1 "2003-07-08T04:18:05Z")
_and how can they get away with it?_ From the article “Game Show Confidential” in this week’s TV Guide: > [@](#): > > …and the 50:50 option, during which the computer “randomly” removes two of the four answers. That’s what they always say. In truth, those two answers are actually selected by a decidedly human element in advance of taping the shows. Back when Regis Philbin was hosting, it was _Millionaire_ executive producer Michael Davies who did the honors, personally going through every question prepared for each new game and selecting the two expendable answers, often leaving one of the trickier ones behind. I had always suspected this because it seems the “computer” always leaves the most plausible wrong answer. So, the description of the 50:50 on the show is an outright lie. Not misdirection, or hyperbole, or a half-truth, but a lie. And that surprises me - I would have thought that integrity in today’s game shows was at a very high standard (because of the notorious past) and the FAA would be tough on dubious practices. Or is just show-biz, and anything that makes a good show is ok? ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/2 "2003-07-08T04:22:05Z")
uh, make that the “FCC”. :o ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/3 "2003-07-08T04:25:00Z")
Would this get more responses in _Cafe Society_? ---
**Author:** ![Tradnor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@Tradnor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tradnor)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/4 "2003-07-08T04:26:09Z")
I don’t believe the show ever claimed the 50-50 was random during the network run with Regis. The producers admitted it wasn’t. For the syndicated version, they do say it’s random, and the TV Guide article curiously avoids presenting any evidence that it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/5 "2003-07-08T04:27:31Z")
I’ve noticed this too. At least on questions I _knew_ the answer to, this did seem to be the case. It wouldn’t surprise me. However, the FCC has only limited jurisdiction, mostly related to interferance and power levels, and having little to do with content. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/6 "2003-07-08T04:28:01Z")
Actually, they say that it removes two of the wrong answers, leaving one correct and one incorrect one. What real difference does it make? As long as the right answer is there and you have a 50/50 shot at it it doesn’t matter. It’s still truth in advertising. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/7 "2003-07-08T04:29:20Z")
I first thought that they had a guy in the office pressing the buttons _live_ if the contestent said “humm, it’s either X or Y”. At least this system isn’t nearly as unfair as it could be. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/8 "2003-07-08T13:29:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rabid\_Squirrel \* > \*\*I first thought that they had a guy in the office pressing the buttons _live_ if the contestent said “humm, it’s either X or Y”. > > At least this system isn’t nearly as unfair as it could be. \*\* I was on WWTBAM (I never made it to the hot seat, never got to answer any questions, and didn’t wi na cent), so I’m qualified to answer this. Michael Davies met with the ten contestants, gave us our tour of the set, and showed us how to play the game. He also answered our questions. Someone mentioned that “It always seems as if, when people ask for the 50/50 option, they’re always left with the two options they were leaning to. Is that deliberate?” SUPPOSE, for the sake of argument, the question is "Which President wrote the Declaration of Independence: A) Thomas Jefferson B) James Madison C) Abraham Lincoln D) Ronald Reagan At this point, the contestant may start thinking out loud… He may say, “I know it’s not Reagan… I think Abraham Lincoln was much later… so it must be either Jefferson or Madison, but I’m not sure… let me have the 50/50.” BAM! Sure, enough, the contestant is left with the choices A & B! So, the question was, is there a guy backstage toying with the contestant by eliminating only the ones he’d already eliminated? No- according to Mr. Davies, the question writers had ALREADY determined LONG before the taping of the show, what the two choices would be if the contestant asks for a 50/50. When the writers make up a question, and the 4 possible answers, they decide which two answers will be left on the board. According to Davies, in the EARLY going, they tend to make it easy on the contestant. So, if the contestant asks for a 50/50 on one of the EARLY questions, the two choices left will probably make the right answer pretty obvious. But if you ask for a 50/50 LATE in the game, when the questions are tougher, they deliberately leave up the two answers that are most likely to seem correct. So, the choices left by the 50/50 option are NOT random, and Mr. Davies never pretended they were. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/9 "2003-07-08T13:39:27Z")
when Regis was host (at least), wasn’t there always the mention of a computer intervening, if only to leave the two answers that we now know were selected in advance by members of the team. To my mind, at least, the mention of the word suggested something random…which in fact it wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/10 "2003-07-08T13:41:19Z")
Regis: ‘Computer: Take away two of the answers, leaving…’, was, I believe the standard formulation used. ---
**Author:** ![Qazzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@Qazzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qazzz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/11 "2003-07-08T13:54:36Z")
Computers only do what humans program them to do. In this case, take away the two wrong answers the humans tell it to. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/12 "2003-07-08T13:56:31Z")
I want to back up astorian and others that this is not something newly unveiled by TV Guide. I just recently bought a thrift-store book from the show, and in it the producer freely admits that 50-50 is designed to leave a wrong answer choice that would seem plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/13 "2003-07-08T14:14:26Z")
Does this come as a shock to anybody? I always thought it was pretty obvious. Also, I’m not sure where the deception is. You’re left with 2 choices, one of which is right. 50/50. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/14 "2003-07-08T14:32:07Z")
I watched hundreds of shows & I saw a clear pattern. Notice the first 4 answers don’t repeat? You’d get an answer of ‘a’ but you would never get another ‘a’ until the fifth question or later. Therefore, if the answers were: a, b, d I knew the fourth question was ‘c’ … Perhaps once in 50 or a hundred shows this would change. Same pattern often repeats for the next few questions too. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/15 "2003-07-08T15:14:52Z")
In the German edition they _still_ insist the 50/50 is picked randomly, which is ridiculous. (The same things apply that you guys have already mentioned). I was on a quiz show (aptly titled “Quiz Show”) where they have 9 questions out of different categories. The people there kept insisting that a “random generator” picked the questions/categories. We pointed out that _coughcough_ - the 8th question always was Geography. Always. But they still kept insisting. Maybe they had signed over their souls to the network. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/16 "2003-07-08T16:40:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bill H. \* > \*\*Does this come as a shock to anybody? I always thought it was pretty obvious. Also, I’m not sure where the deception is. You’re left with 2 choices, one of which is right. 50/50. \*\* The deception is in telling the computer to remove two of the wrong answers, which gives the impression that the computer is now deciding which two to remove. If they did not want to create that misimpression, they’d say “We will now remove two of the wrong answers.” Telling the computer to do it makes it look like it will be a random selection. I had **long** ago noticed that when the contestant said something like “I’m leaning towards A and B”, then like magic, C and D were the ones to get taken off. I was always very suspicious of them, because they **did** go out of thee way to make it **sound** like the computer’s decision would be random. Now I understand that their words can be interpreted to mean that the computer is not making a random decision, but is simply deleting the two choices which the producers had already told it to delete. I also understand that the computer did not delete C and D **because** the contestant will think A and B to be likely answers; rather the producers had already decided that the contestant’s indecision **will** probably center on A and B. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/17 "2003-07-08T17:08:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Airman Doors, USAF \* > \*\*Actually, they say that it removes two of the wrong answers, leaving one correct and one incorrect one. > > What real difference does it make? As long as the right answer is there and you have a 50/50 shot at it it doesn’t matter. It’s still truth in advertising. \*\* It makes a big difference. As others have said, they usually remove the two answers that most reasonably informed people could have eliminated themselves. They are hoping/assuming the 50/50 will at least have a _chance_ of eliminating one of the two answers that are most difficult to decide between. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/18 "2003-07-08T19:33:35Z")
Nobody said that you have the right to win a million dollars simply by showing up, dude. You have a 50/50 shotat going further. That’s good enough for me. It’s not like they’re cheating you out of YOUR million dollars or anything. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/19 "2003-07-08T19:45:40Z")
Well, it’s obviously a lie! They take two of the three wrong answers away - that’s 67%! They think they can fool us, but they don’t know the computational powers of the SDMB! ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938/20 "2003-07-08T21:18:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Airman Doors, USAF \* > \*\*Nobody said that you have the right to win a million dollars simply by showing up, dude. > > You have a 50/50 shotat going further. That’s good enough for me. It’s not like they’re cheating you out of YOUR million dollars or anything. \*\* Well there’s a change in argument. That isn’t the point. The point is that they do give the _impression_ that it will be random by saying “_computer_ take away two of the wrong answers please.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guide-says-millionaire-is-lying-to-us/186938.md?page=2)