Milionerzy (Millionaires) is a Polish game show based on the original British format of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?[1] The show is hosted by Hubert Urbański. The main goal of the game is to win 1 million Polish złoty by answering twelve[2]multiple-choice questions correctly. There are three classic lifelines[2] – ask the audience (pytanie do publiczności), fifty fifty (pół na pół, 50:50) and phone a friend (telefon do przyjaciela) – and also two other lifelines – ask the expert (pytanie do eksperta)[note 2][3] and switch the question (zamiana pytania).[4] From March to December 2010 contestant could choose risk game, where the second guaranteed sum (40,000 zł) was not guaranteed.[5] The first version of Milionerzy was broadcast from 3 September 1999 to 26 January 2003, the second version was broadcast from 19 January 2008 to 19 December 2010, and the third version has been broadcast since 9 February 2017. Since 2017, it is shown every Monday to Thursday at 8:50 or 8:55 p.m. (CET +1 or CEST +2) on the Polish commercial television station TVN. The executive producer of the program was Endemol in the first version,[6] Intergalactic in the second version,[7] and Jake Vision in the third version.[8] Since 2008, when a contestant gets the second question correct, they will leave with 1,000 zł. When a contestant gets the seventh question correct, they will leave with 40,000 zł.
From 1999 through 2003 we could see three changes of the studio stage design, some differ in stylistics. From 2008 through 2010, after resumption we could see the fourth stage design and now, in 2017, the fifth one.
The first logo of Milionerzy from 1999 was very different from the standard model used in other editions of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. It was a violet rhombus on one of vertexes and rings standing on themselves on background of "Milionerzy" caption.[note 4] The second one, modelled on the traditional style, is round with green question marks.[12] It was introduced with the changes of credits and scenography in 2000. The third one is used also now, but in a different color scheme (question marks are gold).[13]
The first and second version of the opening credits were similar with people looking and aiming on Milionerzy logo. It was patterned on British credits of this time. From 2008 until 2023, the opening credits of the program featured an animation showing in sequence all prizes to one million złotych – it was patterned on the second British version.[note 5]
In 2008 the show had refreshed graphics: the fields with questions and answers were navy-blue and blue (earlier black) and smaller than in first edition, and the field with winnings was blue (earlier brown and navy-blue). Also some sound effects and music we could hear in the background when a player answers a question, changed.[14]
In 2017 opening credits were changed, player's name fields, question fields and money tree are smaller, also fonts were changed.[15]
The first edition was recorded in the Warsaw-based WFDiF studio, 21, Chełmska St. from 1999 until 2001[16] and in the TVP studio on 17, Woronicza St until 2003. In 2008 and 2009 Milionerzy was recorded in the TVP studio in Kraków, 44, Nowohucka St.[17] In 2010, the show was recorded in Farat Film studio in Warsaw, 22, Notecka St.[18]
Stage I – to become a contestant, you had to phone a special Telemedium number, then choose date of recording of the episode, then answer a question with four variants and tell your personal details. 100 people were drawn from those who answered correctly and told the same recording date and they went to the II stage.
Stage II – people, who were drawn, gave their telephone number, and a pollster called them in a 2-days time and asked questions, which didn't have answer variants. 20 people, who gave the most similar answers to the correct ones were going to the III stage.
Stage III – before the recording participants had to arrange answer variants in correct order. 12 people, who did it correctly went to the IV stage. They were 10 Fastest Finger First players and two reserves. Pollster phoned them to confirm that they participate.
Stage I – to become a contestant, you had to send a SMS with Milion text to a shown number, and then answer two questions with four answer variants sent by a SMS and to give your personal details. The first 100 people who registered, answered those 2 questions and gave their personal details, went to the second stage.
Stage II – agent of the producer of the program phoned those 100 people. The call is recorded, about what those people are informed at the beginning of the call. Potential participant has to say about him, his hobby, job etc. Next, he had to answer several general knowledge questions, which don't have variants. People chosen in the phone casting are informed about it in a 7-days time and invited to the studio.
In June 2023, TVN announced plans to produce nine special episodes of the show under the name Milionerzy. 2 miliony (running on similar principles as the three million euro week in the German version[19]). The top prize in the ninth episode is two million złotych – this amount is the highest (nominally, in PLN) prize offered so far in Polish game shows. The first episode of this special edition aired on 9 October 2023, and the final on 20 October.[20]
During the first eight episodes, the contestants play in the traditional format – with twelve questions and one million złotych to win, with the difference, however, that there is a custom second milestone (introduced in the original British version in 2018) – before asking a question for a given stake, the host asks whether this amount – after giving a correct answer to the question – is to become the guaranteed sum; the contestant can therefore set the second milestone according to their own preferences.[21]
Anyone who answers at least seven questions correctly advances to the final question. The finalists once again compete in a Fastest Finger First competition. The winner of the elimination decides whether to keep their winnings from the elimination episode and end their appearance in the show, or play for two million, risking to end the game with a lower winnnigs. Before making a decision, the host informs how much of the original winnings the contestant will be able to keep regardless of the outcome of the game for two million.[21]
On Children's Day there were two special episodes, were shown on 1 and 2 June 2002, the prizes were given to the TVN charity. The participants were children attending primary schools. The prizes were the same as in usual episodes, but the questions were easier. Amount of money won in those episode was 64,000 złotych.[24]
On 29 and 30 June there were special episodes where participants were people from Polish Big Brother. Players were playing in pairs: Monika Sewioło with Piotr Gulczyński, Ilona Stachura with Arkadiusz Nowakowski, Monika Brochacka with Piotr Borucki, Agnieszka Frykowska with Łukasz Wiewiórski, Alicja Walczak with Sebastian Florek and Karolina Jakubik with Wojciech Glanc. Winnings were given to Nie jesteś sam charity.[25]
Also in 2002 TVN was broadcasting series of family episodes. Teams of three people were taking part, and all had to be related. Every team had its captain. The rules were the same as in normal episodes, but the captain decided about choosing an answer after consultations with the rest of family members. After winning 32,000 złotych, one person left the team and went to the audience; after winning 125,000 złotych another person left and only one person left had to answer last three questions.[26] The highest prize in these editions was 250,000 złotych.[26]
On 1 June 2008 (Children's Day) episode celebrities of Polish television were playing for money to build a cancer prevention center. The first pair of players were Piotr Gąsowski and Katarzyna Skrzynecka who won 40,000 złotych, and the second pair of players were Szymon Majewski and Ewa Drzyzga who won 125,000 złotych. Whole amount of money won was given to the Nie jesteś sam charity.[27]
Next episodes were broadcasteon 6 and 7 December 2008. In the first episode, Kinga Rusin and Bartosz Węglarczyk won 40,000 złotych, and in the second, Renata Dancewicz and Piotr Adamczyk won 500,000 złotych. The winnings were given to Nie jesteś sam charity.
Next episodes were broadcast on 25 and 26 December 2009. On the first day, Julia Kamińska and Filip Bobek won 40,000 złotych. On the second day, Marcin Prokop and Szymon Hołownia won 250,000 złotych. All of the winnings were given to Nie jesteś sam charity.[28]
In 2010, special episodes were broadcast on 12 and 19 December. In the first episode, Karolina Korwin-Piotrowska and Michał Piróg won 500,000 złotych, and on the next episode (broadcast on 19 December) they didn't answer the final question for 1 million zł. Next contestants were Anita Werner and Grzegorz Kajdanowicz – they won 40,000 złotych. Winnings were to given to Nie jesteś sam charity.
Average of number of viewers from September 1999 to October 2008
The biggest number of viewers was on 5 March 2000, when a contestant won 250,000 zł for the first time in the history of the show. The number of viewers of this episode was 6.51 million people.[7][43][44]
Average number of viewers of the January–April 2008 episode was 3.5 million viewers. First episode of 2008 series (19 January 2008) was watched by 3.5 million viewers. The biggest number of viewers in 2008 series was on 5 April 2008, when the 1,000,000 zł question came up the first time in the 2008 series. The episode from 6 April 2008 in which contestant got the 500,000 zł question wrong was watched by 4.2 million viewers.[45]
In Milionerzy, 33 questions for one million złotych appeared. 24 players walked away, and nine players answered the question. Two players answered incorrectly, while seven players answered correctly and won 1 million złotych. Here are the questions:
Władysław Kostrzewski – 21 October 2000 (resigned)
The names of the five Polish cities are engraved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, dedicated to the memory of the Napoleonic victories. Among the given cities with the one not engraved is:
Tomasz Orzechowski – 19 September 2022 (gave a right answer)
1,000,000 zł (12 of 12)
Who in the mid-19th century composed the famous "Prayer of the Virgin", a piece played in Europe, in the United States, but the most popular in Japan to this day?
Mateusz Żaboklicki – 12 March 2024 (gave a right answer)
1,000,000 zł (12 of 12)
Tetrapods do not include:
⬥ A:reptiles
⬥ B:amphibians
⬥ C:birds
⬥ D:insects
Tomasz Boruch – 3 April 2024 (gave a right answer)
1,000,000 zł (12 of 12)
In what strait are two islands called Yesterday and Tomorrow, separated by less than four kilometers but with a time difference of as much as 21 hours?
⬥ A:in the Bosphorus Strait
⬥ B:in the Strait of Magellan
⬥ C:in the Caleta Strait
⬥ D:in the Bering Strait
Sławomir Świątecki – 17 April 2024 (resigned)
1,000,000 zł (12 of 12)
"Like the masters of sweets, they first give gifts when they train boys to make promises." The promise, i.e.:
During the Fastest Finger First portion in the second season, all contestants correctly answered the question, which was "Put these Australian towns in the alphabetical order". It is rare to see all contestants get the correct order.
There has been an occasion similar to the American version where the audience unanimously voted on a single answer when asked for help via the Ask the Audience lifeline. The question, worth 40,000 złotych, was: "A small, golden gramophone is given away at what awards ceremony?" The correct answer was "Grammy Awards".
The furthest a player has ever gone without using a single lifeline was 125,000 złotych. The player went on to win 500,000 złotych. (See the Questions for million złotych for more information.)
In Milionerzy there were three situations when a player lost because of a laxly said question and was restored to play.
The first player made a mistake in the question for 32,000 zł: "Who invented the steam engine?". He answered "James Watt", but the correct answer was "Charles Algernon Parsons". After a complaint to programme's producer, his answer was recognized as correct. The player won a guaranteed 32,000 zł, but he answered incorrectly in the next question for 64,000 zł.
The second player made a mistake in the question for 500 zł: "How many cuts are on Kaiser rolls?". He answered: "4" (the correct answer was "5") and he won nothing. After recognizing his answer, he answered incorrectly in the question for 1000 zł and he left the studio with nothing for the second time.
^The experts were: in the autumn 2009 season – Andrzej Fabianowski, Piotr Gąsowski, Michał Ogórek and Kazimiera Szczuka; in the 2010 seasons – Bartosz Węglarczyk, Michał Ogórek, Szymon Hołownia, Dorota Wellman and Jan Wróbel.
^Advanced to the final episode but decided not to play for two million – his total winnings therefore amounted to 250,000 złotych.
^ abThe exceptions are the 2017 Easter episodes, which aired on Saturday and Monday at 20:00, the final episode of the 2 million złoty special, which aired on Friday at 20:00, and the 2024 Easter episode, which aired on Monday at 18:00.
^The special episodes are longer, lasting 26–50 minutes. The final episode of the 2 million złoty special lasted 60 minutes.
^The fourth (last) week of episodes was not included.
^All episodes except two special episodes (14 February and 1 June).
^M. I. Niemczyńska, "Hitchcock w teleturnieju" ("Hitchcock in a game show"), Gazeta Telewizyjna (Television Magazine) – addition to Gazeta Wyborcza, N°21, page 9
