Who Wants to be a Canadian Millionaire?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

As many of you are probably already aware, Canada’s CTV network is doing a one-off Canadian version of the blockbuster show. First prize is a four-slice toaster, awarded by Saskatchewan’s own Pamela Walloon.

Actually, there is a cool million (Canadian) up for grabs, and cleverly, the winner(s) don’t get paid out until they return to Canada from New York (I guess they’re sneaking into the studio on the weekend to tape). This means that there are no US taxes to be paid, so the winner gets their cash total tax-free, which is pretty sweet.

However, being Canadian, we have to bugger things up with a misguided attempt at “fairness:” there is a quota system in place for regional representation. Ten total, four from Ontario, two from Quebec, a stinkin’ lousy one from British Columbia, and one each from the North, Prairies and Maritimes. This makes the odds even greater for those outside central Canada. Damn “rep-by-pop!” Screwed again! Does the US version do this?

Actually, I’ve called once a day for the last three days, and tried to answer 5 multiple choice questions, all on the lines of the “fastest finger” competition (i.e., put the following movies in order of release, with the oldest first). All three times (and at $2.00 a pop), I have gone to the 4th or 5th question, only to be sunk with some damn pop culture question.

Oh sure, I got the wars in right order, the Prime Ministers, the US Cities north-to-south, but I couldn’t even bluff on arranging the top 4 point-getters in the NBA.

Have any of the Canadian Dopers been trying out, and have you made it past the 5 questions?

And will we all pledge to somehow work in a SDMB reference if one of us gets the slightly sweaty seat across from Pamela?

2

Re: the US version of WWTBAM.

Regional representation isn’t by a quota, although on a couple of shows it seemed like an area was favored. On one episode, four of the 10 contestants were from the DC/Baltimore area. But that was probably happenstance.

Sometimes, though, they do weigh the contestants based on gender. Before they did, there were at most 2 women amongst the 10. This was simply because only 20% of the calls were from women. Now I think they’re intentionally picking more women to make it look fairer.

When it first debuted, there was a 900 number to call ($1.00 per call). But some states had laws that prevented their residents from using that number, so they had an 800 number (toll free) for them to call. But then the rest of the country protested, so for the next production series, everyone got to use an 800 number.

3

A million Canadian dollars? What’s that about 75 bucks American?

4

Damn Jack,

Until you said that I was going to offer that a night with CanadianSue was probably worth a million. Now I gotta bite my tongue.

5

>>A million Canadian dollars? What’s that about 75 bucks American?

Yes…before taxes.

needspeed?
http://www.angelfire.com/indie/brainingdamage

6

While I do realize that you were being facetious, the actual current value of $1,000,000 CA is $674,036.15 US.

How much would the US government deduct in taxes if you win a mill on the US show? Looks to me like you could come out ahead by playing the Canadian game :slight_smile:

7

Actually I wasn’t being facetious - I was being an asshole.
Only kidding, I’m in a weird mood today.

Let’s see, I really have no idea, but I would guess that after taxes, it would be somewhere in the same neighborhood. I may just add, that’s a mighty respectable neighboorhood.

8

KimKatt: a friend in the quizbowl community (of which I am a member) recently won the million dollars. He says that after taxes and such, it comes out to roughly 600K. Not bad, sez I, but why don’t they change the name of the show to “who wants to win 600K?”

9

Actually, because of the taxes in the USA, the Canadians who win will end up going home with more than an American winning a million.
But the really crappy thing is that you have to be 19 to do the phone in. What the hell is up with that?!? I’m going to be 19 on Sept. 1, before the tapings but after the call-in deadline. And they didn’t even publish that fact. I had to call in, get my hopes up, and then be crushed at the last minute. Now I know everybody says this, but I’m pretty good at the questions. I really would have liked to at least have gotten the opportunity. Damn agists! :wink: